We travelled on Friday evening by train from Derby to Exeter St David's station with two nights at the Mercure Rougemont Hotel slap bang in the centre of town opposite Central station. Using some Accor loyalty points the hotel costs us a little over £75.00 for the two nights - a 4* bargain!

On Friday night we enjoyed dinner at Cote Brasserie, for some French cuisine, on Cathedral Green. This was our first visit to a Cote Brasserie and we really enjoyed the food and wine. Our first floor window seat afforded views of the Cathedral itself and also, sadly, part of the work to rebuild the area where the Royal Clarence Hotel stood before the devastating fire in October 2016.

Saturday morning had us travelling by train to Exmouth for a walk along the promenade on a glorious sunny, but cool and crisp, day before heading back towards Exeter with a stop off at Topsham for an afternoon cream tea. It would be rude not to do so! In the evening we decided to go Asian and tried the Jasmine Thai restaurant which was very good and fairly reasonably priced too before turning in for the night.

Before catching the train home on Sunday afternoon there was enough time for a walk around the shops, the Cathedral area and the waterfront (well, riverfront) too before grabbing a pizza and cider at The Stable. This is our second visit to one of this small chain of pizza, pie and cider establishments having been introduced to them in Plymouth last year . . . . it looks like there is one in Birmingham so that is a bit closer than travelling to Devon.

Our journey back to Derbyshire was most pleasant as we were able to travel on a CrossCountry High Speed Train departing Exeter St Davids at 1424. They may be 40 years old, but they are still probably the best way to make a long distance rail journey in the UK!