Keen to make the most of my day in Devon I ventured out bright and early to embark on a hike. I decided to follow the South West Coastal Route from Ilfracombe (where I am staying) to Woolacombe. Approximately 8 miles. The trail began behind Ilfracombe's village museum and theatre. From there it was extremely... Continue Reading →
As I stood waiting for my train at London Paddington Station, I had a light bulb moment. Instead of taking the bus for an hour from Barnstaple Station to my hostel, why not cycle? I quickly googled bike rentals in Barnstable and phoned the first one. A gentleman picked up and told me he had... Continue Reading →
'Look at that impressive Manor house,' the lady sitting opposite me announced as she pointed out the train window. I was fortunate enough to be sitting with an elderly couple from New Zealand. The three of us enjoyed spotting out landmarks as the train journeyed from London to Edinburgh. We passed through York Station and... Continue Reading →
Sheets of rain cascaded from the ominous grey sky into the fast flowing river. We had found shelter in the lovely Riverside Vegetaria restaurant. Tucking into a chef specials platter we watched the world go by. A group huddled in an open air boat battling with their umbrellas. The small motor chugged on sending them... Continue Reading →
Fuelling up on porridge we were ready for our final day of cycling. We left Jenny's air b n b bright and early, just after 8 am. The cycle began by crossing the river on a picturesque bridge. We proceeded to follow a path along the waterway, ignoring the first 72 sign as it told... Continue Reading →
Setting off early, we were ecstatic to see that the 72 National Cycle-way led us down a hill to the right of our Hostel and not along the busy uphill road we had arrived on. While the downhill didn't last overly long, the ascents were much more manageable than the ones we faced the day... Continue Reading →
Our four hour train from London Euston pulled into Carlisle Station at 10 pm. Sleepy-eyed we wheeled our bicycles off the secure bike storage carriage and navigated to the station exit. To our surprise the cheap and cheerful Ibis hotel we booked was a mere 2 minutes across the road. Brilliant. We swiftly checked in... Continue Reading →
White cliffs stood tall in the distance. They jutted out into the light blue sea. Despite being made of chalk, they didn't look as if they were about to crumble any time soon. They looked still. Yet, earlier that morning in the Seaford tourist office the lady on duty warned me to stay well clear... Continue Reading →
A ferocious wind gushed against me, while my legs relentlessly pushed on. The path was fairly flat, the only thing slowing me down was the weather. To my right was a grey stagnant rectangular water body, otherwise known as the River Lee Navigation Canal. It is thought to have been created in the Bronze age,... Continue Reading →
The day started off in style with a delightful buffet breakfast at Ginja Restaurant overlooking the harbour. We tucked into fruit, yoghurt, granola, a wide range of cured meats, smoked salmon, even endless oysters were an option. Then of course there were plenty of pastries to munch on. We were also allowed bottomless drinks (freshly... Continue Reading →
We are going on a bear hunt 