Our Big Adventure

Devon and Cornwell

We leave London and head for the Devon and Cornwall areas in the south west of England. Catch the train from Paddington station to Exeter then on to a connecting bus to Okehampton. We are staying at the Okehampton YHA. The area is very scenic, small farms with long haired, black faced sheep, stone fences and thatched roof houses built so close to the road you could touch them from the bus window. Desolate moors line the hillside and you can see why hikers are often lost on these misty slopes. Tavistock, birthplace of Sir Francis Drake, has a busy Pannier Market in which you can but anything from antique furniture to fruit and veg. Tavistock is a very old town with evidence of prehistoric man, their stone hut circles still stand, and Viking plundering. On our way back to Okehampton we get off the bus and explored the ruins of a castle at Lydford. While in Lydford we unwittingly gatecrashed a open garden event (we are good at that) where the ladies offered us a cup of tea and cake and wished us well for our travels. Port Isaac in Cornwell is our next stop. It is where they film the ABC TV program Doc Martin. It’s a picturesque town perched on the side of a sea cliff, with cute whitewashed homes and narrow lanes barely wide enough for one car. It’s fishing boats in the harbour bring in fresh fish and crabs daily and we have a lovely meal of fresh fish at the pub overlooking the harbour. Our accommodation is in the ‘Old Schoolhouse B & B’ ina lovely room with a window seat and views of the harbour. The next day we are off to Penzance, it’s name derived from 2 Cornish words Pen and Sans, meaning holy headland. Two buses and one train ride later we arrive in this busy seaside town, with it’s marina full of pleasure boats. We found a lovely B & B ‘The Wymering’ www.wymering.com dropped our bags off and went to explore. Had dinner at The Barbican, part of a still standing fort that was built in the reign Henry VIII to protect the harbour against it’s enemies. Large bronze cannons in place from when they were used to protect the residents from the French in the Napoleonic wars. Stone terraced streets wind there way through the town, lovely parks with people enjoying this warm (24-26C) unseasonable weather.

posted by Brian and Julie @ 1:06:00 AM