We started the day off again with another delicious breakfast from Connie. After that, Ray and I made our way to the Western Somerset Railway, where we took a genuine steam locomotive to a seaside resort town called Minehead. It was quite overcast and not all good weather for the beach, but Minehead seemed like a great place. The train ride over was awesome and Ray shared some great stories about his days taking trains through countries and how slow they used to move.
I bought two copies of the new Harry Potter book while I was in Minehead and while we walked over to a place called the Wellington Hotel. At the Wellington, Ray and I ordered and ate what is known as a carvery. That is, you pay a flat rate for your meal, then you go up and someone carves meat off of a slab for you and you buffet-style any side items you want. It was a tasty roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, as well as roast potatoes, broccoli, and green peas. Lunch was outstanding, and very reasonably priced.
Once lunch was over with, Ray and I messed around Minehead for a few minutes. Ray bought a copy of the Somerset Gazette, which had a picture of Sam (the son of Andrew's girlfriend, Tina) in an article about cleaning up his neighborhood. We then made our way back to the train station and caught a diesel engine home. We got delayed at a little station called Crowcombe Heathfield. It started raining on our ride back, but luckily it was dry the whole rest of the time. Once we arrived back in Taunton, we went back to Ray and Connie's home, picked up Connie and Andrew, and the four of us headed to Exeter to see Nana's sister, Val.
It was about a fourty-five minute ride to Exeter, and on the way I got a little bit car sick. I felt great once I got to Val's and was able to drink and eat. Ray and Connie went and picked up fish and chips while Val showed me so really great old family photographs. I especially enjoyed one she of all of the siblings (Nana, Ray, Mick, Ivor, Val, and June) all together taken at Sunnyside. Once Ray and Connie got back, we enjoyed a very tasty helping of fish and chips. We then sat around a bit and chatted, took some photographs, then it was time to leave. The ride back was much more pleasant as I didn't feel light-headed. We also passed by a large monument called the Wellington Monument, which resembled the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. It wasn't lit up at the time, but Ray and Connie said they usually use it as a beacon when they come back from a trip because it is typically lit up.
We stopped by Andrew's place and he left. We stayed for a few minutes and I got to meet Sam and see Tina and Gabbie yet again. Everyone was very friendly. We then went back to Ray and Connie's, where after talking to my grandmother as well as my Mom and Dad, I went on to bed. I kept waking up in the night to blow my nose, as I have started having a good bit of sinus drainage. Nonetheless, it was a very fun day and I got to see some great parts of England that I doubt many typical tourists get to see.
