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  • Day 538

    Dawlish

    November 13, 2019 in England ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C

    We have returned to a site in Dawlish where we stayed earlier in the year. We are booked into this site for a week, the longest we ever spend anywhere. There is such a lot to see and do in this area, and the site has a great indoor pool and spa, which we plan on using.
    On our first day we walked to Powderham Castle, the historical home of the Earl of Devon which was holding a Michaelmas Fair. We walked along the Exe river path circling into the Castle grounds via the north. The estate was teeming with deer within the boundary walls and the gardens were extensive. We dallied a little while at the fair then returned via the estate farm shops which were at the main lodge gate - all very upmarket and reasonably priced. We managed just over 12 miles in all.
    Day two saw us get the bus into Newton Abbot, the ride was quite interesting passing along the coast and through Teignmouth - the valley is wide with great views from the bus across the water. Newton Abbot did not hold our attention for too long.
    Day three saw us wrap up warm and take the cycle route to Exeter along the Exe River path- passing Powderham Castle once again we followed the Exeter Canal pathway to the Exeter Quayside from where it was a short walk up to the city centre. The Quayside is host to a number of craft shops which had an interesting set of wares.
    Once up at the city we found that the Cathedral Square was buzzing with people as the Xmas Market had just that day opened for business. The stall holders were doing a good trade and the pop up pubs were very busy. We had a wander along the high street and returned to our bikes just in time to make it back to Dawlish before it got too dark. We covered about 25 miles on the bike.
    Day four was a stay at home day. The outside temperatures were noticeably warmer than the previous three days with sun for most of the day. K spent some time with her sewing machine whilst A cleaned the outside of the van. We spent some time in the indoor pool, using the sauna and hot tub after a swim. The pool was quite busy with many families in there as it was a Sunday. The next day we awoke to blue skies and sun again. We walked along the coastal path through Dawlish and then onto Teignmouth. We were impressed with Teignmouth, and wandered around the shops and along the seafront to the pier. The pier itself was shut, but Karen enjoyed playing in the amusement arcade at the entrance to it. Again we just managed to get back to Chloe before darkness fell. Another 9 miles clocked up - we are certainly managing to get in our exercise each day! We were in a shop when Stewart wattsapped a video of an interview on BBC news that had just happened following the Newsnight Interview with Prince Andrew. Proud parents walked back to Dawlish. What remarkable children we have?
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