Devonshire delights

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Ah, Devon, the English Riviera, and home of the clotted cream scones and cream teas - all stereotypes for sure, but the overall picture is a pretty one, in an ornate-looking frame too. The first port of call was the prime English seaside town of Torquay, which is very much a tourist magnet in season, and indeed not without its charms during off-peaks periods such as this. Full marks to the owner of the guest house for displaying a remarkable sense of hospitality, and a low-budget evening meal at a local carvery restaurant made it clear that we were not destined to be blighted by the high cost of living and 'tourist prices' at local restaurants. Torquay itself lives up to its reputation as the south-west's main tourist town, and could even be adequately described as the gateway to Devon. In season, the town and its accompanying marina area are no doubt invaded by visitors, some from local areas, and others from (much) further afield, and the variety of tourist attractions serves to suggest why it possesses this sense of magnetic appeal. It felt like we had underscored the place somewhat, since we had covered the town centre on foot, and enjoyed a jaunt around the marina area, but skipped on some other attractive areas nearby, such as Babbacombe Bay and Paignton. Heading north-west, our ensuing drive took us through Dartmoor national park, and the pleasant town of Tavistock, which involved stop-offs along the way for photo opportunities, meals and drinks, and chances to take a break, and experience the full flavour of the local area. Reaching Plymouth early in the evening, and getting established at what was to be the least substantial of all the guest houses stayed at en route (but also the cheapest) meant that we were able to wind down for the evening, with a low-key evening plan set to unfold. The town of Plymouth is perhaps best associated with its maritime past (and present), yet revealed perhaps not enough redeeming features upon first glance as we might have anticipated prior to our visit. Another whirlwind city tour was conducted in a by-now familiar fashion, and once again, we were part of the westbound traffic, and heading on out to where a few further treasures lied in store.

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Photos

Marina
Yachts abound at Torquay's marina

English Garden
Public garden in Torquay - why do the English have such a mania for gardens?

Dartmoor stones
Dartmoor National Park - their take on Stonehenge, perhaps?

Tavistock
Town centre building in Tavistock

Dartmoor
Evidence of snow finally clearing at Dartmoor National Park