I need a holiday...

The view from the entrance to Pecorama. That's Beer at the bottom of the hill (I think: it and Seaton are very close together), with the sea in the distance...
Tuesday 5th
It was a relatively pleasant trip down (except for the Glaswegian sitting behind us who insisted on recounting their life history, a little too loudly to tune out, to the unfortunate who was forced, due to lack of any other free seats, to sit with them...) Coach was on time, weather was cloudy but not too wet, and it was dry when we reached Exeter.
After lunch dad drove us to Pecorama - and that was an experience in itself. For added interest we went over the common and along the coast - in fog so thick we couldn't see anything else on the road until we were right on top of it. (First time Kai's been driven in fog. He was fascinated.)
Pecorama itself is on the top of the hill, and fortunately the sea-wind kept the fog at bay. We checked out the model railway exhibition first, fourteen layouts to fit almost any available space, whether loft, garden shed or a complete circuit right up above the doorjamb in a small bedroom (that one appealed to Kai, of course, and actually it would be - just - feasible in his room, given the cabin bed). It was the incredible detailing that impressed me: each layout had a list of things for children to find stuck on the wall beside it, and in the factory layout there was a tiny figure reading a newspaper - and the head actually moved slowly from side to side. In another layout the track went by a country cottage, with a girl on a (working) swing in the garden. Wonderful stuff!
One ride on the miniature railway - the Beer Heights Light Railway - was included in the price, and is without a doubt the longest such ride I've ever experienced. If you take a look at the map, the train travels almost all of the track shown, except for Beer Mine and Wildway Down, and the round trip takes about fifteen minutes. It's a terrific ride!
The gardens were beautiful - especially the Sun Garden. That's a huge copper water feature in the middle. The Moon Garden had about six echium pininana growing around it, and I have to say I'd love to try growing one here! Dramatic or what? I'll have to see if I can find a seed supplier...
Kai and I had a second ride, close to closing time, but it had started to drizzle by then. Afterwards we joined mum and dad in the Orion Pullman car café (very Orient Express and posh) for a hot chocolate for Kai and a coffee for me, quite welcome given how cool it had become outside. But Pecorama really is a gorgeous place, and incredibly good value for money.
The drive back was along the fog-bound main road (we passed an accident: car had had an argument with a telegraph pole and lost. No-one was hurt - in fact, the driver was out standing on the downed cable to keep it out of the way and trying to direct the traffic until the police arrived), and after dinner we watched one of Kai's favourite films, Rat Race, which we took with us and which the folks hadn't seen and thoroughly enjoyed. And the evening and the morning was the first day (or something along those lines).
Wednesday 6th

Hound Tor, Dartmoor
Kai and I both love Dartmoor and the folks were happy to drive us up there today, to Hound Tor, my favourite. Not as high or awkward to climb as Hay Tor, more spread out, and offering a variety of climbs to suit all abilities. The weather was cloudy again, and distinctly windy on the moor, but not too cold. Kai had a fantastic time rock scrambling (did a little light climbing myself). We must have been up there for well over an hour and a half (the folks sat in the car in the car park and admired the view!) and only came back down when the rain started to threaten. The left-hand photo here is Hay Tor from Hound Tor: they're quite close.
Typically, the sun came out as we reached the top of the stomach-lurchingly vertiginous road down into Widecombe in the Moor, where we stopped for Devon toffee ice-cream topped with clotted cream and were eyed up warily by several heavily-pregnant Dartmoor ponies. We then headed off to try to find Grimspound, using the Road Atlas and the little map in the booklet we bought about the place, but couldn't find it. (Kai said he saw a big stone circle and was sure that was it, but it wasn't where the map said it should be, so we drove on. Should have listened to him, I think, and stopped to investigate...) We were both knackered when we got back: that was a fairly strenuous expedition!
Thursday 7th

Oddicombe Bay, Babbacome
Down to Babbacombe today to visit the other set of grandparents. Ken couldn't arrive any earlier than 2 pm, so before lunch his folks and Kai and I went down the 'finicky vernacular'. Sprog and I walked along the breakwater path - it's very pretty, with a couple of waterfalls splashing down from the woody area above, but the path has disappeared in one place, necessitating a steep climb up a flight of woodland steps to bypass the missing section (either that or a wait of three hours while the tide went out followed by a rock scramble!) - along to the Cary Arms pub and around the corner to a little bay, where people with rods were pulling mackerel from the sea with astonishing rapidity!



Ken could only stay for a couple of hours or he would have missed the coach back, but it was good to see him. Not long after he'd left Dad headed back along the coast road and over Shaldon Bridge, and we flumped for the evening with a film...



Friday 8th
Charity shop hunting! There's the most fantastic charity shop in Heavitree (Force) with about five or six different rooms overflowing with the most amazing stuff. I now have the perfect stool for the greenhouse (small wooden seat and metal legs: it folds flat to take up hardly any room and is exactly the right height), three demi-johns (may have a go at elderberry wine when the berries are ripe, and I'm determined to make dandelion wine next spring!), a very neat, minimalistic little wooden wine rack that holds eight bottles, a shallow plate for turning out cakes, a set of six snazzy wooden handled dessert forks, two 'bone'-handled butter knives, and a rather attractive and interesting bowl -

- that Kai suggested we upend, as in second photo, and put a bulb behind to use as a light. Will have to see how that would work...
Total cost? £8.40. Bargain at twice the price, and I was even able to get the stool home with me tied to my bag in the coach luggage store.
In the afternoon, in the handful of hours before the return coach, we walked up to Rougement Castle and Northernhay Gardens. We stopped on the path alongside Exeter Central station to watch the 14.14 Paddington train leave, and the 14.17 Barnstaple train come in. I think it was where mum used to stop when I asked to go and watch the trains when I was tiny. (Steam trains, mum tells me, as diesel trains hadn't quite made their appearance then. Gods I feel old...)
Unfortunately, this meant I missed the Olympic Games opening ceremony - the only bit I like. And it wasn't on Teleport. I'm hoping someone's put it up on Youtube so I can at least catch the highlights. (And talking about Youtube, Kai found this - brilliant, if a little creepy).
The coach back was late, so we were also quite late getting home. Argent was very pleased to see us (as was Ken).
Today it's raining, which is a right sod as I have a huge amount of washing to do. Also, of course, it's the Balloon Fiesta this weekend, and it looks as though it might be a washout again. Keeping fingers crossed for tomorrow.
Other observations: I found it amusing that the local radio station dad has on in the car is a wonderful golden 'oldies' (which Kai really liked: he doesn't have much time for the current music scene) on 666 medium wave...
The folks aren't long back from Tiverton, where they've been for the last six weeks looking after our Aunt Grace while her daughter was in America sorting out a move back to the UK for daughter's husband and dog (it wouldn't have been their first choice, but they were the only people able to do it and they do both really get on well with Grace. Only problem was she chain-smokes...) But they're missing Lee deeply.
I took Richard Dawkins The God Delusion with me to read - and have very nearly finished it. Ye gods... Amazing book, truly an eye-opener, even for me (and I do know a little about the whole subject - that RE A Level comes in useful for something!) I now have a list of 'further reading' books I need to chase up...
Right - that's me up to date. I now have a whole load of client site revisions to get done before I can start my own work. Probably just as well it's raining and there's nothing worth watching on TV...

Labels: adventures, days out, Devon, nature, railways