Churches and Abbeys and Shopping, Oh My!

Being with family in England has been really nice. The weather was beautiful and sunny, but not too warm. It's nice to have good meals and be able to hang out and watch TV. But I have been doing more than that!


My first full day Aunt Jessica and I went to Totnes and Buckfast Abbey. Totnes was a little town on our way to the Abbey, and we stopped to walk around and check out the old town. The church was so old! From like 1450, it's amazing. They were having a big service after we ducked in to check it out, and we met the mayor later as we were walking up the street. The town had lots of little shops, but a lot of them were closed because it was Sunday.

The abbey was really something to see. A small group of monks wanted to build an abbey on the site of the ruins of a previous abbey, and they built it without funds or organization. Between fundraising and donations they were able to finish it. It's really pretty inside, and around the abbey itself are shops, a cafe, and a monastic shop that sells goods made by monks and nuns all over the world. They have everything from white to chocolate to soaps and shampoos.

View of the abbey