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European Adventure 2017
A full English breakfast was the order of the day and supplied by our new found friends Gail and Karen at their lovely home just around the corner from the Pub we stayed at last night. We all took some food to help and they cooked it up for us and what a great spread there was...sausages, eggs, tomatoes, baked beans, toast and homemade marmalade and jam and heaps of coffee. Yum! We had lots of laughs together and will take away fond memories of their kindness and hospitality. As a bonus we used their garden hose to top up the campers with water. Armed with lots of local information we went our different ways to start with again today. Our priority was to visit places with connections to our family so we headed off to Torquay where Mum and Dad spent the first week of their honeymoon. Setting the GPS from Gail and Karens we followed the instructions to the T. The lanes got narrower and then our worst fears materialised. Here we were in a country lane no way of turning back and past the point we could back up, we had the mirrors buried in the hedges both sides with no way of getting out of the vehicle. The decision was made and we had no option but to continue forward ignoring the noise of the hedges scraping both sides of the vehicle. After about 2km we made it through to open spaces with a huge sigh of relief. Unfortunately we were so pre-occupied we didn't take any photos - don't know why Mona did this to us, what would have happened if another vehicle had been on the lane? Torquay was lovely. We parked up on the side of the road and walked along the shore front until we could clamber down to the beach. There were people picnicking and playing in the park across from the beach and others building sand castles on the beach and swimming in the sea. Once again the temperature was in the mid 20's. We walked 4km along by the marina and through the town and found the Gresham Court private Hotel where Mum and Dad spent the first week of their honeymoon. I guess instead of being in those days on the outskirts of Torquay, it is now reasonably central. From there we followed the coastline for about 15 minutes to Paignton which is where I remember going to a Punch & Judy Show on the beach when I was 5. Unfortunately the traffic was so heavy and the parking so limiting for our vehicle we were unable to stop initially but I managed to get a photo of the beach huts albeit from the rear. The next beach around was where all the action was and we managed to find a spot to park briefly, but as we were sticking way out onto the road we raced into the beach for a look and then had to leave. There is a pier there and all the associated rides etc for kids and lots of activities were going on everywhere. I Don't remember the pier but it may well have been there. As we were leaving Paignton we drove past the hotel we stayed in when we visited in 1959, the Briars Hotel. Continuing along the coast we next stopped at Brixham which is a lovely little fishing village with lots of different coloured houses looking down from the hills above. The tide was out as it so often is when we visit the sea and it was funny to see the boats standing up on their keel with no support. The fish and chip and seafood places dotted all around the port where flat out and there were people everywhere. A replica of Sir Francis Drake's ship the "Golden Hind" is there and we stepped back In history as we went on board. What dreadful conditions those men must have suffered. There were 10 officers on small top deck portion and 60 down below in such dreadful and cramped conditions. They have made a beautiful job of recreating what it was like. Well worth a visit if you are there. Our site of choice tonight was quite some distance from there in Cornwall so we all heading in from our various adventures and converged on the Britannia Inn in Par not far from the Eden Project which we will take a look at tomorrow. Yet another great day was had by all. Not sure how much sleep we will get tonight though, there is a charity function in progress and a very loud rock band playing in a tent not far from our vans!
- comments
mum Great one this morning. Very emotional and brought a few tears to know you were visiting places which were special forus. Gresham Court was much more rural then, with trees and shrubs about , and very quiet area. Glad its still there. Hope you will see Clovelly. You wont get the van down there!
Nicky You taught me never to go to strangers homes
Nicky Please be careful with my camper!