Supraśl, Podlasie, Poland.

There is a pretty little town in Podlasie, it is right next to the capital of the region Białystok, it is called Supraśl (pron. soo-pra-shal). One of the main reasons I like this town other than the oak walk, the pretty buildings and the general idyllic scenery, is the shocked monastery.... shocked monastery? Scroll down, you'll see what I mean. Anthropomorphism at its peak :D

A normal every day style church.

What I call the surprised monastery, surely it is saying "OH!", no?

In this photo it looks like its hands are raised, maybe it is being held up for all its money.

I do like paint peeling.

This is a school, if you can believe it.... compared to some of the state schools we see this is darned impressive.

The lady of the school.

A tough looking walrus.

Being out east the town has some more Orthodox influence.

Eaglet

Street side houses.

The cinema and a nice little restaurant.

Signals for the oak walk where you can follow the trail of some really old beautiful oaks.

A local version of Kiszka ziemniaczana or potato sausage

Tykocin, Podlasie, Poland.

Tickling Tykocin. Tykocin (pronounced ti-ko-chin) is a village/town in Podlasie on the lovely Narew river. It was once a thriving town of around 4,000 people and half of this was a Jewish shtetel (the West side of town). You can read more about them here. After the war, as one can imagine, this town had lost a great many of its population. The Baroque style synagogue is one of the best preserved in Poland and is from the mid 17th Century. It has a tragic history, like much of Poland, but today the town is growing back into a tourism location based on Jewish past as well as the surrounding nature.

The second building with a low roof was a typical shape of a Jewish merchant house in Poland around the 18th/19th Century. You can see these buildings all over Poland, especially in the towns of Podlaskie

The view from the window of our restaurant Galeria Sztuki i Smaku "Opowieści z Narwi "

A podpiwek (pre-beer, meaning a non-alcoholic fermented drink) it is often made as part of the beer making process.

Fried river white bait

Pike with a herb sauce and buckwheat

Perch on spinach

Amazing fresh water lobster pasta!

The bridge over the Narew

The "fake" castle as some locals call it. A re-built castle run as a hotel and function centre based on an original castle that once stood there.

A symbol of the area, the white stork migrates to Podlaskie every year to have babies and then return southwards.

The aforementioned synagogue 

It still needs a little love.

The fields around the area were full of hay bales. Always a fun photograph.

Exmoor and surrounds, West Somerset, UK.

When a friend who enjoys food recommends you a hotel in the middle of nowhere you know it must be decent (thanks Pilky). So, on our transit journey to our last destination in England we decided to drive by the Pig Hotel at Coombe. We decided to eat at the Folly as we hadn't organised ourselves enough to book into the main house. The Folly was a great spot to sit and enjoy both nature and things coming out of the pizza oven!

Two fabulously dry ciders!

What we would call podpłomki in Poland. Here they call them oven flat breads or something, they were great on a pretty chilly day.

The main house smoking room, well maybe not smoking room but there was smoke there from the fireplace.

The garden

Roads in Devon are pretty cool.

Newenham Abbey

Not that I am a church person but this is the cutest church in Selworthy.

Each pew had its own little cushion.

I see a little house there....

What is this at the bottom of the garden? Is is the Periwinkle tearooms?!

The English tea and milk, cute mini bottle.

You have to try some things anew, how about a Welsh Rarebit?

Devonshire tea, is it cream then jam or jam then cream?

You can't get enough of sitting and listening to the birds here.

The serenity of Exmoor National Park

Portlock Weir.

Anthropomorphism is when you see human faces in things....

The photo might not be crystal clear, but the taste of the stout in the Ship Inn at Portlock Weir was perfect.