Day eight in Devon. Appledore.

Today was another relaxing day, though affected by rain at times.  My walk took me on my usual route for parts of it, and near to a Pokéstop that I had nominated earlier in the week.  This time on my walk, I went exploring in a different way and found what is best described as a lair.  I suspect that it was made by kids as opposed to teenagers as there was no litter there.

Later in the day we had lunch in Appledore at a restaurant which our hosts had recommended to us.  Sadly, I was too full to appreciate it, but did enjoy some fresh mackerel while my daughter and wife enjoyed the view of the estuary.  She drove there and I drove back.  Afterwards we popped to Westward Ho!  At the time it had started to rain so lots of people were leaving it, and while I understand that kids love it, the charm it offered was wasted on me and my wife.  Though some of the houses at Silford which overlooked it looked amazing.

My wife and daughter got bored (my son has been entertaining himself with his iPhone) and put some makeup on me, one taking one side and the other having access to the other.  I have yet to get a view on which was better though!

Day seven in Devon. Pottery

Today was a day spent pottering about.

It was meant to be a rainy day so my wife booked some time painting pottery.  However, it was a very hot and sunny day instead.  We got some takeaway chips from a highly recommended chippy near it.  We were glad about this as there appeared to be little social distancing in it, though they were very COVID aware in the takeaway part.

Painting pottery was fun, the kids were great as was my wife.  I failed to match them and later, when they painted a second time, I got my book out and started to read instead.

We had a drive afterwards as my wife found a place that sold hoppers.  They were okay and done in a Sri Lankan style.  To be fair, with the clients who they served, they needed to tone things down as Sri Lankan food is quite hot!

Day six in Devon. Valley of rocks.

Today, after breakfast outside, the kids and I went for a walk in the Valley of Rocks.  My wife was tired and rested in the car, and I honestly expected my son to do the same, but he got wind of my emergency supply of chocolate fingers and joined my daughter and I.  It was quite foggy and while my daughter wanted to walk down to the beach, with the poor visibility, there would have been little point.  So we went up instead.  I was impressed with the stamina of both children.  They walked faster than me and while both did so with vigour, my son has not been that active and I expected him to flag.  Instead, he powered on impressing me.  My daughter overcame her fear of heights as we climbed up the path and while we managed to walk out of the fog, it was a bit scary at times.

Over an hour later, we returned to the car where my wife had been reading.  We looked about for places to have lunch but decided to return to Barnstaple as social distancing was not as evident where we were.

Later I played throw and catch with the kids, and while me daughter was resting, a rabbit hopped about behind her.  After dinner, it was a few games, and now it is time for bed,

Day Five in Devon. Art and rain.

 It rained today though not until after we had breakfast outside.  Due to this, my daughter and I had a changed walk which involved walking around the farmhouse.  Afterwards we all played a quiz before heading off to Bideford to visit an art gallery.

M favourite was the rice exhibition where the artist had signified different things with different grains of rice.  Being an NHS worker, I was represented in one pile.

I did go for another walk when we returned and got back for dinner which our hosts made in a wood fired oven.

Day four in Devon. No goats.

The kids were disappointed today that I did not meet, or get attacked by a feral goat.

We had a great breakfast to start.  My daughter has not eaten pork since she saw the pigs yesterday.  My son has yet to visit them.  So he, my wife and I had bacon which she declined.  Our muffins had been freshly made along with our bread.

After breakfast, my daughter and I attempted the walk to the nearby village.  Unlike yesterday, we made it and found the pub that we later ate at.  We took a slight diversion on the way back.  Yesterday we disagreed about how to get back when we came to a fork.  She was right, but today, we took the other fork.  There was a lot of up and she rested on a bench before we headed back after making a half hearted attempt to move on.

Once back at the farm, we rested, and then all of us went out for lunch before we went for a drive.  We had been hoping to get to an isolated beach, but while we found beaches, they had people there and due to my concerns about COVID19, we did not go there.  We did find the Valley of Rocks where I went climbing.  I suspected that wildlife was going to be present but did not see any.  It was only later that the children told me about the feral goats that live here.

We had an okay but expensive dinner nearby and now it is time for bed.

Day Three in Devon

It is our third day in Devon and we have moved from the southern half to the north.  Breakfast was very civilised and followed by packing.  I really must remember not to pack such a large suitcase when we go on holiday next.  My wife drove while I directed, the journey essentially being from around Ottery St Mary to Barnstaple.  Our Sat-Nav wanted us to take the M5 for part of the journey, but we ignored that.  My wife did not like not obeying the Sat-Nav but trusted me and we made good time without getting caught in traffic.  I am sure that she would have preferred to have driven on wider roads, but that is not always an option here.

Anyway, we are relaxed now.  We have eaten, our hosts kindly agreeing to feed us.  After we got here, my daughter and I went for a walk, though we visited the two pigs as they were being fed.  My daughter has found it hard to eat meat afterwards though!  The walk took us to a nearby village and she coped with it far better than I did.  We returned before making it to our destination which was a local pub, part of the reason being that she had lost her phone (again), which we found as we guessed that she must have lost it when she rolled down a hill.  If all goes well, I may try the route tomorrow morning.  But that depends on what time I get up.  Today, despite going to bed at a decent time, I woke up late (for me) And the walk today took a lot out of me.

I missed out on a lot of Pokémon community day, but spending time with the family was more important and more enjoyable.  Anyway, have to go as we are about to have another game of Articulate.

Day Two in Devon. Our return to Beesands and Britannia at the Beach.

Today was meant to be better, but it ended really well.  After breakfast we relaxed before driving to Beesands for lunch.  We have been there before and while there are places closer, this has a memorable place in the hearts of my wife and I.  I am not too sure about how much the children remember about being here in the past, but my wife remembers this for good and not so good reasons.  I love the fish here, so we drove there.

It was after we encountered the first blockage in the road that I started to think that there might be a better route there.  Our Sat-Nav had decided to take us on a direct but challenging route.  I took a different route and realised when we ended up part of a convoy of cars that the algorithms must be similar, and wrong.  When we finally ended up there, it was busy.  Social distancing was taking place, which was just as well for the man in a wheelchair that we saw along with a woman pulling along her oxygen cylinder.  But while the day had started sunny and promising, it started to rain.  It was just spotting for lunch and we drove back along the coast, ignoring the Sat-Nav for a while.  Sadly due to a wrong turn we did not get to walk about in Ottery St Mary.

What we did do was to go for dinner after I had my evening walk.  While there, my cool daughter and awesome son played articulate.  Dinner though was amazing and while my wife too tired to go, we all enjoyed being there.