It must have been a hilarious sight.

Two women walked determinedly though somewhat uneasily wheelbarrowing their bags and an overstuffed suitcase through the muddy fields. One was leading the other hesitantly in the misty rain on the narrow path, slip sliding. Back to cilvilization, after three nights of glamping.

Glamping is…

The word seems so natural that I never even questioned it when I first heard it. Glamourous camping, of course. It’s camping lite. No pitching tents and setting up camp.

This whole glamping trip was last-minute for me. My friend had already booked it for her and her three kids. She graciously invited me when she found out I was thinking about a July getaway. She showed me some photos of Feather Down and it looked fun and relaxing. I was ready and just had to grab some wellies in Henley, our first stop.

When I think of glamping, it is crisp linen tents and catered services. This is not that.

Feather Down is rustic, rural, and beautiful. Our cabin was spacious with a wood stove and thankfully an indoor bathroom since the shared facilities was quite a walk away. The tents looked well-designed, with sturdy wooden floors and strong canvas tenting materials. To get there, we just had to wheelbarrow our luggage from the farmhouse through the fields, an adventure in of itself.

 

Aller Farm, Devon

We glamped at Aller Farm in Devon, run by Nigel and Emma. Leading the way, Emma wheelbarrowed our towels and linens and the rest of us followed, each carrying what we could. The kids were clearly on cloud nine. On the way, we passed by a wood stove for pizzas and a very young calf inside a small pen. Arriving at our tent, we dropped our belongings at the doorway and ran through the tent, checking out everything, oohing and ahhing. The kids were especially thrilled by the cupboard bed in the kitchen. All the while, Emma was trying to give us a tour and explain everything to us. Her instructions would later prove useful.

Spending time in nature, without wifi and electricity, was good for us. We all needed to detox and discharge. From work, from school, from the internet, from life. To relax, to play. (I did buy a solar charger, the SolarMonkey, for this trip.)

The kids got to play with “our” two hens, learning how to pick them up. The hens really drew in the crowds, mostly kids, and when the kids found eggs each morning, it was exciting for everyone. Then a six-year old explains to you the difference between a cold and a warm egg.

My plan was to run through the fields with the kids, say hello to the farm animals, and do nothing else. Maybe read some of the books I brought along. And catch up with my friend, over wine. The reality was a little bit different, or at least our outdoor activities, mostly because of the weather. We fully knew what English summer weather meant. A jet stream that was initially headed to Scotland landed where we were, in southern England. We did run through the fields, getting very muddy and sometimes stuck. My new wellies definitely came in handy.

During breaks from the downpour, we explored the fields and walked to the local pub for dinner. That was a treat. One afternoon we drove to a nearby town for coffee and wifi. Another afternoon we went on a search for the missing flashlight, with the kids chasing the cows along the way.

I also got some alone time in my own room, cozying up with my books. I. was also feeling run down and under weather for my next stop, Dubai.

 

The Home Fire

The one big task was getting and keeping the fire going. The whole wood stove and fire thing was completely new to me. I’m not sure I ever got the hang of it, lacking both skill and patience. So this is what women did all day long in the olden days, I thought.

The point of the wood-burning stove for us was warmth and cooking. The hearth is where the family gathered. My friend actually grew up with a wood-burning stove, for heat, and knew exactly what to do (with some minor tips from our friendly glamping neighbour). She was also the breakfast chef and her eggs were delicious.

Glamping at Feather Down turned out to be quite a fun experience. I got to hang out with my friend and her three very cool kids. We also met some friendly people, including a fellow Canadian. And a fantastic dog called Millie.

What I would suggest is an improvement on the loo design. Now, I have a normal-sized adult butt and I had to scoot back a fair amount. The kids, on the other hand… Well, you can imagine the cleaning up the adults had to do. A few times in the middle of the night, I even sat down half-asleep on a wet toilet seat.

While I was wheelbarrowing our worldly possessions back to the car, I felt decidedly lighter and more buoyant. For a few days I left behind worldly worries and a complex life situation. I was also out of electro smog and pretty-much constant EMF. My spooky attachment to my computer, Facebook, and whatsapp seemed normalized. This glamping trip in nature was a cleanse. A digital detox, before it became the wellness trend.