Sunday morning.
I've got a sunburnt face, but am soaked through with dripping hair, and grassy, muddy bare feet.
It can only mean one thing.
Yep, camping in the UK in the great British summertime. With weather as predictably unpredictable as you expect.
I'm in Devon, beautiful North Devon to be more precise, and at a gem of a campsite at Caffyn's Farm to be exact. It is remote and pretty perfect, with four small fields currently open for camping but bigger ones also available in peak season during August, so I can't imagine it'll ever feel busy.
And as it's tents (and small campervans) only, no caravans or motorhomes, it has a lovely 'real' camping feel. There's a small but well-stocked shop, which also sells proper coffee, bacon baguettes, pasties and croissants etc.
But cooking outdoors on a camping stove or barbecue is one of my favourite things so bar taking advantage of ordering a loaf of the home-baked bread for the next day, didn't indulge.
So, having finally reached the site on Friday afternoon (and ordering bread for the next day), we set up the gigantic tent necessary for two people (I do love camping, but I love it best when it's really comfortable and that includes being able to stand upright and have room to walk around), then realised we'd forgotten duvet, pillows, foot pump for the airbed and a pan to cook with - so set off for Ilfracombe and found a big superstore.
Back to camp to start doing All The Camping Things.
Camping at its best really does, for me, mean lying on a rug on the grass, drinking red wine (from a glass not plastic), tunes on, just gazing over the hedges and fields towards the sea, which merged into clouds and sky.
Oh, and cooking.
Over the course of one short weekend we made breakfast fry ups (on Sunday in pouring rain - under the veranda part of Giant Tent), had tea in pint glasses (yes, yes, forgot mugs too), and barbecues.
We barbecued steak, lamb chops, pork belly and corn-on-the-cobs, but the winner was the mackerel fillets simply cooked in foil parcels with garlic, chillies, lime juice, a little sugar and a handful of coriander leaves.
On Saturday, we went to Woolacombe Bay, and did more lying on the rug in the sunshine, tunes on (the Beats Pill speaker is awesome), this time with bread and cheese and rose wine.
Glorious sunshine, and a beautiful big beach - I love these big sweeping surfy beaches of Devon and Cornwall - and with that breeze that convinces you it's not too hot.
(That's when the sunburn happened).
Then back to camp to make a campfire - there are rocks available to build your fire and the site sells fire lighters, kindling and logs.
I haven't had a real campfire for years and years as few places let you have them, but it's magical to sit and watch the fire ebb and flow and crackle as the sun slowly goes down.
Best accompaniment is a Bloody Mary (those pint glasses again) - I used a Big Tom mix but added lime juice, cucumber, celery and black pepper (would have added a little horseradish too if I'd had any).
Side note: the campsite has amazing hot showers with rain shower heads, great loos, a family shower room, washing machines and a fridge and chest freezer in the washing up room.
If the weather had played fair, Sunday was to have been a whole morning of swimming and sunbathing at Ilfracombe Tunnels Beaches, but it had other plans, and the rain and wind started around 11pm Saturday night and didn't stop.
It just didn't stop.
So instead it was the Great British Wet Tent Packing Up game and heading back home.
I'm always on the lookout for new UK campsite recommendations so if you know any sites that are tents only, with good facilities, big pitches and allow campfires, please share!
And if you want to visit Caffyn's Farm here's the details.
I'll definitely be returning.
PS. I love camping and outdoor eating so much I've started a new Pinterest board!
