Bristol #StreetArt and getting #GasIt for our Hymer Motorhome

I'm linking up with The Sunday Post at Caffeinated Reviewer.

It's been much longer than I thought since my last weekly roundup post. Sorry about that! I'm still way behind on returning blog comments although 'making progress' as they say, and I seem to have managed to suddenly be several ARCs overdue as well. It's amazing how time rushes by when I'm not paying attention!

We're in the UK at the moment and spent last weekend in Bristol. I took the two street art photographs while we were in Stokes Croft which is a fab bohemian part of the city these days. We wandered through and then headed for Gloucester Road which I was told is the longest street of independent shops in the country. I bought a gorgeous new-to-me vintage skirt for just £8!

Just prior to Bristol itself, we had an appointment to get a GasIt system fitted in our motorhome. What this means is that instead of having to lug heavy gas bottles around to exchange them every time they're empty, we can now just refill two permanently plumbed-in bottles at any petrol station LPG pump. Hopefully this will work out to be much easier, more convenient and even cheaper in the long run. It does away with that problem of every European country having non-interchangeable gas bottles too. Now we just have a small bag on pump adapters which we've put into a Safe Place (never to be seen again ;-) We got the work done at GetGas and were very pleased with the service and the price so I am happy to recommend this company!

Hare Art Print by
Jen Buckley Art 

In blogging news, I was surprised this week by a unexpected burst of enthusiasm for a Top Ten Etsy Finds post I first published about this time last year. It seems as though everyone is suddenly mad for handmade March Hares. They are all beautiful creations! This reminded me how much I used to enjoy curating these arty posts so I'm hoping to get back to doing more of them.


Giveaways closing soon
11th Apr: Win a paperback copy of Lanterns In The Sky by P S Malcolm
11th Apr: Win a £15/$15 Amazon gift card to celebrate the Culmfield Cuckoo by Celia Moore blog tour
11th Apr: Win a $25 Amazon gift card to celebrate the Bulwark by Brit Lunden blog tour (post on 8th Apr)
12th Apr: Win a copy of From An-Other Land by Tanushree Ghosh plus 1 winner will also get a $20 Amazon gift card

(All current giveaways here)

On my blogs this week were:

Stephanie Jane
A Month In Books - March 2019
March Reading Challenges and Bookish Bingo
#WorldReads - Five Books From Colombia
Book Blogger Hop - Which fictional character would you like to be?

Literary Flits
Still Alice by Lisa Genova review
Lanterns In The Sky by P S Malcolm spotlight + #Giveaway + Excerpt
From An-Other Land by Tanushree Ghosh review + #Giveaway
Listen To The Birds by K E Lanning spotlight + #Giveaway + Excerpt
The Other Americans by Laila Lalami review
Love + Life + Death by Hezron Henry review + #FreeBook
Culmfield Cuckoo by Celia Moore spotlight + #Giveaway

Have a great week!

Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail

The Iron Road by Keir Smith 

Catching up with our home news first: our friend Marta is now the proud owner of our Bailey Orion caravan and we hope she will be as happy in it as we were. We're enjoying being in our Classic Hymer motorhome, despite a few teething troubles, and have decided to call it Horace because it sounds like a lion roaring if you don't change up from first gear fast enough when pulling away at traffic lights! I thought I remembered a lion called Horace, but Googling the phrase has failed to find anything so goodness only knows what I should have remembered!

We took Horace to his first art exhibition this week although he didn't actually get any further than the car park. Dave and I set of on foot to (mostly) admire the Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail. This free Trail (It did cost £3 to park for up to 4 hours) is essentially a five mile woodland walk, sporadically interrupted by sixteen large outdoor artworks. Reading up on the website afterwards - because we didn't shell out for the map), some of the pieces have been in place for decades.

Horace waiting at the Sculpture Trail 

My favourite was an atmospheric work called Dead Wood by Carole Drake. It comprises of "five steel plates dug into the forest floor amongst a regiment of larch … they bear faint traces, memories of European forests devastated by war." I didn't get a good photo of this work and the one Through This Link doesn't really do justice to its spookiness.

Detail from
The Iron Road 

The Iron Road by Keir Smith is another that made quite an impression on me. "Twenty evenly spaced railway sleepers placed on the gentle curve of a disused railway line bring the spirit of the Forest’s industrial past to life." The sleepers themselves apparently originally were in the London Underground. Now they are each carved with different motifs such as the vase pictured. Other images include a smoking chimney and an open book.

My third highlight was Echo by Annie Cattrell. This piece is a replica of a section of the bank behind it. It's cleverly positioned so we could see details of tree roots in the sculpture and their natural inspiration. I would love to know how this one was created. Surely a mould of the bank would have disturbed it too much? I did try calling to try and get an audible echo too - of course! It didn't work particularly well.

Echo by Annie Cattrell 

I made an unexpected discovery tucked into an Echo crevice - a cute Bee Kind painted pebble from FODRocksUK. I haven't decided where to rehide it yet!

Here's some of the other sculptures:

Walking from Brixham to Berry Head and beyond

Brixham 

I'm glad we made the most of yesterday's glorious weather by packing up sandwiches and heading out on a walk. We decided to take advantage of the Western Lady ferry connection between Torquay and Brixham which, at just £3 for a return ticket, is excellent value - cheaper than the bus and quicker too! We got great views across Torbay from the water and there was even a commentary on the way out drawing passengers' attention to the main sights.

Torquay and Brixham harbours were both very busy due to it being half-term holiday week, but once we ascended up to the streets above, everything quietened. I liked seeing older buildings such as a row of stone fishermen's cottages and the grandeur of Wolborough House. We followed a narrowing road out of town until we spotted our footpath leading through woods towards Berry Head. It was actually pleasant to get out of the sun into dappled shade for a while as we continued uphill.

View from the coast path 

The South West Coast Path is reasonably well signposted and affords gorgeous views out to sea. It is also less undulating here than at other sections along its route so not such hard work to walk! I loved the occasional stone stiles which are apparently left-over from the Coast Path's original function as a coastguards' walk. They would patrol the top of the cliffs looking out for smugglers! Now the Coast Path is the longest National Trail with a total length of 630 miles. Yesterday's we only covered about 3-4 miles each way towards the headland at Sharkham Point.

En route we diverted to explore each of the two Napoleonic forts at Berry Head. Human inhabitation on Berry Head dates back to at least the Iron Age and even more ancient history can been seen by examining the fort stones for fossils. The Napoleonic forts, North and South, were built between 1795 and 1805 when England was at war with France. The southern site now has an interesting small visitor centre which has historical exhibits and information about the varied local flora and fauna. There is also a nice cafe here and a bird hide overlooking seabird colonies on the cliffs.

Napoleonic fort at Berry Head 

A river walk along The Templer Way

The River Teign 

We went for a very different type of walk yesterday along a short stretch of The Templer Way from Newton Abbot towards Teignmouth. The whole of this hiking route covers eighteen miles from Haytor on Dartmoor to Teignmouth on the coast tracing the route by which granite was exported from Dartmoor via the unique Haytor Granite Tramway and the Stover Canal. We picked it up from Forde Road in Newton Abbot, parking near the Teignbridge Propellers premises which looks to be making use of old railway buildings. Forde Road has parking restrictions on weekdays, but not at weekends.

Early on we crossed Aller Brook where there is a small nature reserve sandwiched between the A380 and the industrial estate. A noticeboard there had information about regular events including birdspotting walk and maintenance parties so if you are local and want to get involved, take a wander down there to check the poster. I couldn't find it reproduced online so if anyone knows of a link, please Comment below.

Deciding on this walk from looking at our Ordnance Survey map of the area meant we didn't really know what to expect and our imaginings of a standard footpath alongside a river were only correct for about ten minutes after which we were confronted with this signpost:

As luck would have it, the tide was about as low as it was possible to get so we had plenty of time to complete our five miles to Coombe Cellars pub and back. However the Way is literally along the edge of the river so is covered by water at high tide! Much of this part of the route is over mossy shingle so is slippery under foot and I was frequently glad of my trusty boots and to borrow one of Dave's hiking poles to aid my balance. It's a beautiful walk with impressive views across the river and estuary. We saw a white heron and a gaggle of twenty-one swans as well as geese and seagulls.

The Way was almost completely flat which made a nice change from the more usual Devon undulations although this didn't mean it was easy walking. We both felt like we had more of a workout than the two hours and twenty minutes timespan would suggest! Bizarre sights such as trees with their trunks washed pale by the tide or with seaweed flung into their branches added interest and keeping an eye on the high tide line showed us that walkers really could get themselves stranded along here if they weren't careful! Drawing near to our turn-round point, the Teign widened considerably making its two channels look like tiny threads of streams in the midst of the muddy silt.

Do you like my new haircut?!

New hair! 

After having pretty much ignored my hairstyle since we departed England in the autumn, it (unsurprisingly by now) really needed a good cut! I considered going back to e-Hair, but before I had gotten around to booking in I spotted a notice at the Roma Salon offering a free haircut so I popped in there to get more details.

I met Georgia who looked at my mop and didn't run away screaming so I booked in. Free appointments can be booked for Wednesday or Thursday afternoons and I did need to leave a £10 deposit which was returned at the end of my appointment. As a trainee, Georgia did apologise for being slower than the fully-trained hairdressers, but I always felt confident with how my haircut was progressing and I am delighted with the end result! Even Dave said he thinks this is the best style I have had in the fourteen years he has known me - praise indeed! I did ask how much I would have paid, had I paid, and the wash (with deliciously marzipan-scented Aveda shampoo), condition, cut, blow-dry and straighten would have been £21 off-peak or £32 salon rate. I liked the atmosphere at Roma and love my new style so I will definitely be returning to Georgia to maintain this look - considerably more often than every six months too!

If you choose to give Roma Salon a try, please mention my name (Stephanie Burton) when booking! The salon is on Torwood Street in Torquay.

A Weekend in Bristol - St Anne's Wood

Paul Gulati gateway 

We made a beautiful discovery in Bristol last weekend and, best of all, it was free! St Anne's Wood in Brislington is relatively new in natural history terms having grown up since the Second World War when the majority of this area was farmland. It languished for a while, but was subject to an ongoing regeneration effort in 2013 which is resulting in a serene natural space. Himalayan Balsam plants have been ripped out and coppicing undertaken, and regular cleanups now help keep litter to a minimum although we two two instances where, in a practice we commonly see in Spain, people must have deliberately walked a distance into the wood, past a number of bins, simply to dump an armful of their rubbish. Sometimes I really do despair! The trail, workshops and new paths and entrances were joint funded by Bristol City Council’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund, the Neighbourhood Partnership’s Wellbeing fund and the Heritage Lottery. Ideal for getting away from the city bustle for a while! The Wood follows Brislington Brook and there are maps and further information from 2013 and 2014 on the Brook Trail blog.

St Anne's Well 

I loved the whimsical entrance gates. These were created by local blacksmith Paul Gulati and are great fun. Fairly steep steps lead down from the pictured gateway to the brook. I was amazed how traffic noise seemed to just vanish as we descended! I would have been easy to imagine ourselves way back in history, especially as a small re-enactment group appeared between the trees dressed in Medieval garb! This area was once part of one of the most important pilgrimage routes in Britain with the now neglected St Anne's Well being a focal point for locals and travellers alike.

For a much shorter 'pilgrimage', you can spot each of the nine plaques set up within the Wood. They each give brief information about historical sites such as the well, or about flora and fauna that can be seen nearby. If you are visiting with children, take paper and pencils with you because these plaques are apparently also intended to be used for the ancient practice of brass rubbing. I remember doing that on a school trip many years ago!

Brislington Brook 

A weekend in Bristol - Blackbeard to Banksy Walking Tour

Pixel Pancho street art, Bristol 

We were back in Bristol this weekend just gone visiting with Dave's family. Bristol is still my favourite of the UK cities I have visited because I love its creative vibe and enthusiasm for independent businesses. There's a strong motivation towards sustainable living too which could well get a real boost on May 5th. If you live in Bristol, South Gloucestershire or Bath and North East Somerset, vote for The Green Party's Darren Hall to be your Metro Mayor! Far from an insignificant or decorative role, the Metro Mayor will command a £1billion budget over the next 30 years and will shape the West of England’s landscape by deciding where new homes, amenities and transport routes will be built.

El Mac street art, Bristol 

Dave's daughter, Gemma, always finds us something great to do when we visit her city and this trip was certainly no exception as she booked us onto a fascinating walking tour. The Blackbeard To Banksy tour incorporates history and street art, two of our favourite topics, so its two hour duration absolutely flew by. It is led by local artist Duncan McKellar who both knows his subject well and imparts this knowledge in an engaging and entertaining style. He took us through Saxon alleyways and to pubs famed for their pirate or literary connections. We also saw the largest, the tiniest and the most famous street art in Bristol. The first two photos on this post are of huge works created for the See No Evil street art festival on and around Nelson Street. The second two are of phenomenally detailed images painted by Ben Wilson onto pavement chewing gum blobs. Really!! We also admired the iconic Banksy on Frogmore Street, Well Hung Lover. Excellent value at just £7 per person, I would highly recommend the Blackbeard To Banksy walking tour to both tourists and Bristol natives!

Chewing gum art by
Ben Wilson, Bristol 

Coincidentally, part-way around the tour, Duncan recommended a Lebanese restaurant, Mezze Palace, as a great place to dine. We had eaten there on the Friday evening and I am more than happy to second his opinion. It doesn't look much from the outside, but I loved the stone wall decor inside and the low curved ceiling. The food is good too with generous portions we struggled to do justice to! If you're down by the harbourside and getting peckish, I'd suggest a visit to The Pi Shop too. It's an upmarket pizzeria. We shared two pizzas between four for our lunch after the walking tour. The one with Wye Valley asparagus and sheep's cheese was absolutely delicious!

Early bluebells in Torquay

Bluebells at Meadfoot Green 

Did you have a good Easter? We treated ourselves to slices of homemade Simnel cake from a stall at Torquay Indoor Market and managed to resist the allure of chocolate eggs. I might look to see how much the unsold ones have been reduced by when I pop to the Co-Op later though! I learned that Torquay's branch of Thornton's is closing down in a couple of weeks so there might be good bargains there too. There's a 60% off sale at Thornton's online!

I have enjoyed rediscovering my way around Torquay over the past couple of weeks. Those of you who know my appalling sense of direction will understand how much of an achievement it will be for me to actually learn the whole town! Just before the Bank Holiday weekend Dave and I walked down to Meadfoot Beach where there were actually people - mostly children admittedly - swimming in the sea. In April! Madness!

Looking over towards Thatcher's Rock 

We paused to look out to sea and wondered at what appears to be wall remnants on Thatcher's Rock. Does anyone know if it was ever inhabited or is this just how the rock has eroded? And why is it called Thatcher's Rock? Travelling always brings up more questions than answers, even when I travel at home.

Cutting inland from the far end of Meadfoot Beach, we turned into Meadfoot Green parts of which are anything but green at the moment. Apparently the water board have been digging trenches. The ground is now refilled, but awaiting grass seed. We crossed one of the wooden plank bridges into the woodland and I was delighted to find bluebell carpets. I always think of them as a May flower because I generally see them around my birthday, but here in the English Riviera at least, they are already putting on quite a show. Coincidentally, in my brilliant Rebecca audiobook that I am currently listening to, the second Mrs de Winter had been discussing Maxim's opinion of bluebells the day before we saw ours! Even more profuse here are a white variant that I think are probably Spanish bluebells, not the rare albino British ones. They are eyecatching too, but in a different way and didn't have the same ethereal quality as the blue ones.

White bluebells 

Walking the Tamar Trails

Tamar Trails map 

Now that we are back in the UK, we expect to be in our Devon home right through the summer and probably most of 2017's winter too so we will have lots of time to explore the county! On Thursday we drove over the top of Dartmoor to Tavistock, primarily to meet up with our friends Chris and Marta, and also to go for a walk in the Tamar Trails.

Located in the Tamar Valley, just across the river from Cornwall, the Tamar Trails is a 25km network of family trails and outdoor activities in this unique and stunning area of Devon. It is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site. I already knew about the walking / running / cycling trails, but had no idea I would find so much history too.

Arsenic mine ruins 

We parked at the Scrubtor car park (which is free) and walked along the green and then red routes as far as the Beech Cafe. The trails are all natural, passing through woodland. We paused to examine remnants of the arsenic mines here. Slightly worrying signs warn of the danger of arsenic poisoning and what looked like a large slag heap is still devoid of plant life decades after mining ceased. There is an interesting little information centre in a derelict building which is worth a look in. William Morris, the textile and wallpaper designer, profited significantly from the mine as a shareholder whereas the men, women and children actually working there were paid just pennies despite the risks to their lives.

Chris, Dave and Marta learn about mining 

Midway through our 10.5km walk, we reached the Beech Cafe which is located at Tamar Trails' hub. It was a gorgeous afternoon so we were lucky to get one of the tables outside in the sunshine. The Easter Egg Trail was popular and we saw a happy group returning from the TreeSurfing area. I browsed the running shop - there's also a weekly Parkrun here - before being diverted by excellent tea and cake next door! We can recommend the beetroot and chocolate cake as well as the avocado and courgette cake. Both are gluten free, but if I hadn't been told, I wouldn't have known from tasting them!

Beech Cafe staff and cakes! 

I was glad to have refuelled before tackling the return leg. None of the walking here is technically difficult, but the ups and downs are pretty steep in places! I did find myself inspired to undertake my first short run in months when we got home - two miles in twenty-one minutes with only two very short walks en route. My calves were sore for the next two days though!

We're back in Torquay!

Toulouse street art 

We're back in the UK now with everything unpacked - except for our wooden draining rack which I forgot from the caravan. Fortunately The Kitchen Shop on Torquay seafront had a replacement! Three day's driving up through France was pretty tiring, but the ferry journey was mill pond smooth again so I was very happy about that. My spirits lifted as soon as we got home and I remembered just how much we love our new Torquay flat. It's not so new now of course! The views are still gorgeous and we see the big wheel has gone back up. It had just been taken down when we departed.

We stayed at a Lidotel in Toulouse on the first night of our homeward dash. If you book in here, it's important to specify Ramonville as the town on your satnav. There is a Rue Ariane right in the middle of Toulouse too - you don't want to go there! It was handy for an evening stroll along the canal, but we were underwhelmed by the hotel itself which felt worn and in need of a repaint. Our sink was blocked too. Also underwhelming was our dinner at the Buffalo Grill next door. We have happy memories of eating at a different restaurant in the chain just before Dave asked me to move in with him. They've gone way downhill in the intervening decade though!

The second day was a long drive from Toulouse to Tour and we liked our Ibis Budget hotel for that night. Only about three euros more expensive than the Lidotel, but much nicer looking with a comfortable bed and an excellent shower. We had a wonderful meal at a nearby Italian restaurant, Il Napoli. The hot goat cheese salad was gorgeous, Dave enjoyed his pizza, and we both loved our Cafe Gourmand / Tea Gourmand to finish - a coffee or tea with a selection of delicious mini desserts.

Neither of us sleep well in strange beds so we were both fading by Sunday. I had the extra dread of the ferry crossing too although that fortunately turned out to be unfounded. Having expected it to be a bit naff, we were both impressed by the Premier Inn in Poole. Probably the cleanest hotel room we've ever visited, certainly the biggest of this trio, and the bed didn't feel 'budget' at all. Admittedly Premier Inn was about 20 euros more than Lidotel and Ibis, but it felt like a different world! I slept really well so was refreshed for our Poole to Torquay drive on Monday.

And now we're back in our own home ready for a spring and summer exploring south Devon and, no doubt, further afield! Dave's just booked our Charlie Dore gig tickets at Kingskerswell for May and our Carrie Elkin with Danny Schmidt gig tickets for Torquay's Crown And Sceptre in June, and tomorrow we're off to Tavistock. Some people just can't stay still!

Toulouse street art 

ThrowbackThursday - where we were on this date in Januarys past

Leia Charleson art at Beanzz Coffee 

I love looking back over my nearly five years of consistent blogging and remembering all that has taken place during that time. My life is very different now to how it was in 2012 that's for sure!

On the 26th January 2013 I went to my favourite Eastbourne cafe, Beanzz Coffee on Grove Road, and saw their exhibition of serene pastel art by local artist Leia Charleson. I loved the colour combinations and restful abstract images and got to ask Leia a few questions about her work which formed this Theatrical Eastbourne blog post. Initially born from a dark period in her life, Leia's art helped her cope with shocking bereavement and bring herself back to health.

Footprints in the sand at Tavira 

The same day in 2014 saw Dave and I about half way through our first European Caravan Adventure. We had just pitched up at Camping Ria Formosa near the pretty Portuguese town of Tavira. I liked this site very much, despite it having some of the dreariest weather we encountered that winter. They had a library room and, on nice days, walking along the river and around the nearby countryside was a real treat. I didn't have my bicycle then, but could happily return to Tavira in order to explore further afield by bike.

Pitched up at Roquetas 

We had just arrived at a new site on the 26th of January in 2015 too. This time our new home was Camping Roquetas at Roquetas de Mar in southern Spain. I liked its proximity to a long wide seafront promenade, but didn't yet know that in a few days we would visit the local Decathlon store where I would buy myself my now beloved folding bicycle (in the sale!) Roquetas was a busy campsite, but everyone got a double pitch in the low season so we never felt crowded.

Alfred Nobel factory at Paulilles 

And do we get a fourth country for 2016? Yes we do! Last year we were coming to the end of our nine week stay at Camping Casteillets in St Jean Pla de Corts. This was a great campsite for us because there was so much to do and see in the local area, and a low season offer meant that for every two weeks paid camping we got a third week free. The photo here is of Albert Nobel's dynamite factory at Paulilles which we visited at the end of January. It is now a fascinating museum with easy access to the coastal walking paths too.

This year we are, of course, in Spain, but who knows where we might be this time next year? The world is our lobster!

We visit Teignmouth Farmers' Market

Nosferatu street art in Teignmouth 

Our journey to Teignmouth Farmers' Market actually started several weeks ago when we met the irrepressible Collin Pereira of India In A Jar at Newton Abbot's Friday market. We got chatting, bought a couple of excellent samosas and sampled his unique curry pastes. We've sporadically thought since that we really should get back to Newton Abbot to buy the Minced Chicken Paste which we both liked, but hadn't gotten around to it so when I saw on Facebook that Colin would be at Teignmouth's Farmers' Market today it seemed like an ideal opportunity both to set ourselves up for great curries and to explore the town. The markets are usually the last Saturday of the month, the exception being December's market this year which is pre-Christmas on the 17th.

Teignmouth Triangles monument 

Teignmouth did appear rundown as we approached over the bridge from Shaldon, but once we were strolling within the town centre and along the seafront it gave a much better impression and I liked that there are lots of independent shops alongside the usual retailers. We parked over the road from the railway station so were only a street away from the market which is held in a smallish open space called the Triangles. Teignmouth Triangles were part of a regeneration project undertaken by Teignbridge District Council and Teignmouth Town Council and this monument was erected to commemorate the works' completion in May 1995. There weren't many stalls, but all looked to have high quality produce at reasonable prices so we ended up on a bit of a foodie spree!

Our first purchases were individual pies bought from Cockleshell Deli in Christow. The stallholder assured us we would love the pies and even offered money back if we didn't - he hadn't met Fussy Dave before! - but he was absolutely right. Dave had a Steak And Ale Fatboy Pie and I had a Roasted Sweet Potato Filo Pie. Warmed through for lunch once we got back home, both were delicious. And if Dave says so, that's praise indeed!

Abbey Meadow stall 

Next to catch our eyes was the Abbey Meadow stall. Abbey Meadow is a fantastic Community Supported Farming initiative near Brixham which practices sustainable natural farming. They're still fairly new having begun in 2013 and this is just the type of project I have been looking to support since reading The Omnivore's Dilemma earlier this summer. The stall had various meats including goat. I do love Curry Goat so we bought a half kilo and I will let you know when I slow cook it in the week just how good it tastes!

Finally we got to India In A Jar where we bought our long awaited Minced Chicken paste! We also picked up a couple of good ripe tomatoes from Tibbs Greengrocers and Dave made up our first India In A Jar curry tonight. It really is really good! Dave says using this paste was much easier than measuring out lots of spices individually and the flat smelt divine all afternoon while it was slow cooking. We served the curry up with a brown basmati rice I bought at Torquay Indoor Market and a little plain yoghurt on the side in case it was too spicy. The whole meal was great and I wish I'd got the two-jars-for-a-tenner deal instead of just buying one!

Teignmouth was also hosting an Arts And Crafts Market today which we walked around but had already spent practically all our money on food! There is a definite arty quarter to the town and Dave thought he had visited T.A.A.G. Arts And Community Centre before, years ago when our friend Marta showed some of her artworks there. Teignmouth has a strong cafe culture with a good variety of tempting independents. I enjoyed spotting creative touches such as this mosaic wall art and the Nosferatu image pictured at the top of the post. We looked in a couple of vintage-antique shops and I loved some boots in the window of Brodequin Shoemakers.

We both enjoyed our Teignmouth visit and would certainly return to explore more of the town and, when we've saved up again, to have another splurge at the Farmers' Market!

Our Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat day out

One of the great things about having visitors to stay is that we get to indulge in special excursions in the name of showing our guests how much fun our new Torbay home can be! This was especially true for the weekend just gone as Dave booked the four of us onto a day trip with the Dartmouth Steam Railway And River Boat Company. The company does pretty much what is says on the tin - steam train and boat rides - and both are perfect ways to see the gorgeous scenery around here. We began our tour by driving to Paignton to catch the steam train. Car parking in the public Station Lane car park is £8 all day and is only a short walk away. Be aware that the mainline rail station is right next door to the steamline rail station, but they are clearly signposted so we didn't wander into the wrong one!

The Lydham Manor 

Our locomotive for the day was the 7827 Lydham Manor which was built in 1950 in Swindon. It pulled a train of several vintage carriages all from different eras. Our outward journey carriage wasn't very far removed from ones I used in the 1980s whereas our return journey carriage felt much older and more luxurious. We travelled from Paignton along the pretty coastline getting to enjoy great views across beaches and out to sea. One of the stops was for Agatha Christie's former home, Greenway, which is now owned by the National Trust and is somewhere I am keen to visit. For this journey though, we stayed on the train all the way to Kingswear where our all-in tickets allowed us to immediately board the Kingswear passenger ferry and cross over to beautiful Dartmouth.

We were booked onto an hour-long river cruise at 2.15, but didn't hear it mentioned during announcements on board the ferry so took the prudent step of checking at the kiosk before wandering off to look around Dartmouth. It was a good thing we did because it turned out that particular cruise had been cancelled. My only complaint of the day was that it would have been nice to have been told this when we picked up our tickets that morning!

The Kingswear Castle 

Fortunately there was room for us on the 1.30 sailing so, instead of going for lunch we trooped back down to the boats to set sail down and up the River Dart. We were lucky that our boat for the trip was the elegant Kingswear Castle paddle steamer. She was built in Dartmouth in 1924. We sailed (paddled?) down the Dart to see the castles at its mouth before turning around and heading upriver as far as Greenway which we briefly saw high above us on a hill. Our informative guide told us about the river's history and explained buildings we could see on the banks. We all enjoyed the cruise and I am now tempted to take some of the other river and sea journeys offered from Dartmouth. Considering how ill I usually feel on cross-channel ferries, I was delighted to have no problem at all on the Kingswear Castle!

Returning to Dartmouth at half past two meant we were all hungry and the town has a bewildering array of cafes and restaurants! We must have wandered around for another half and hour just trying to decide where to eat and finding somewhere that wasn't already completely full. I was often distracted by beautiful historic architecture too including this timbered and painted frontage, and the wonderful leaning walls of the only surviving medieval house in the borough of Dartmouth which is The Cherub Inn. I've included its photograph at the end of this post. The Cherub is believed to date from about 1380. We didn't go there though, but chose another old building which houses The Spinning Wheel cafe. Here they do good well-filled sandwiches, but Dave thought his traditional pasty was a bit dull. It's pretty pricey too, probably because of the surroundings and ambience.

Lunch munched, we explored narrow streets and interesting boutique shops, failed to spot a bride although we were deafened by the bells rung to celebrate her wedding, and just got to the old market to look around before it closed for the day. My favourite shop was Candles And Soaps Of Dartmouth on Foss Street which has a colourful range of attractively scented soaps at good prices and lots of Christmassy decorations already twinkling away! Dartmouth is nicely arty and we soon learned to look up as well as forward because several shops and homes have unique additions - like this fish!

The last return train of the day was at 5pm and we got the ferry back from Kingswear in time to have a quick look around the visitor centre on the platform, but unfortunately it was already closed up so we just had the gift shop instead. Brief excitement on the way back consisted of the conductor politely but firmly dealing with a faredodger! Considering that most of the day involved sitting down, I was surprised by just how tired I was when we got back home. It was a great day and I thought very reasonably priced at £23.50 each which included the two train rides, two ferry crossings and the hour's river cruise.

The Cherub Inn