Homestay in Taunton

It was my first home stay and things were not working so well. I left the house late and as a result, I barely caught my train to Taunton. Luckily, that was the end of it as I met my host R in Taunton. He drove me and MZ, another guest, and we arrived in R's and D's lovely home. Of course, B was there.

I wasn't expecting much but there you have it, a two course meal followed by cheese and crackers. The cured ham and cantaloupe was very interesting. Although I am not a huge fan of cheeses, the cheddar, originated from Somerset, and Camembert were not overly strong. Which was good. After the meal, we took B out for a walk. If there was one thing I like, it's the night sky. The stars, what can I say.

Dinner: Cured ham and cantaloupe

As usual, I kept my expectations low but my room really surprised me. It's way better than a B&B's. I've learnt from the hosts that it was their first time hosting students. Honestly, they got full marks from me.


The next day started with an English breakfast which included the black pudding. Not too bad and definitely enough fuel for a day of sightseeing. By the way, the bread was made by R!

Breakfast: English, of course

Taunton museum

 We walked around Taunton, which is a lovely quaint place. Its museum told the story of how Taunton evolved. Not too shabby indeed.

Afterwards, D drove us to Glastonbury and Wells. Amazing!

Glastonbury ruins

Wells cathedral

After the day trip and a slight meal in a pub, it's time to head back to Taunton. That night, R was preparing dinner for us and it's fish pie! Of course before dinner, we had something important to do. Since it was Saturday, it was the day for Strictly comes dancing, a show watched by half of the population in UK. I simply couldn't believe it. Then again, the show was rather interesting.

All together

Dinner: Fish pie

I didn't have fish pie before because I felt that it's just scrap seafood thrown together. However, R's fish pie was delicious and I had seconds. After the meal, we gathered in the living room (do not call it lounge!) for more chatting. R & D were really friendly and I felt really at ease in their home. What did we chat about? Oh, quite about everything.

Breakfast: Grilled kipper

B: I want food!

Awesome kitchen

Another day, another day trip. This time, we headed to the Haynes Motor Museum since MZ is a huge car fan. Not me, but the exhibition was good.

Visit to Haynes motor museum

Then, we headed to D's old school: King's Bruto. The night before, we were discussing about the private and public school system in UK. It's really nice to know.

King's Bruton

Just before driving back home, we passed by Cadbury castle. Nothing much but D knows that I like Merlin. LOL.

Cadbury castle

Sunday roast

R cooked again and our last meal was roast beef. The Yorkshire pudding was nice. Then, they surprised us again with dessert of a flaming Christmas pudding. After the meal, it's time to say goodbye.

I really thank them for the wonderful homestay. They were really out to make us feel at home and the effort was appreciated. It's sad, indeed. I hope to see them again.