Devon delights
We're enjoying a well deserved break down in Devon this week and I do feel justified in saying well deserved. It's a phrase I see bandied about rather a lot but everyone in the family has worked really hard this year at work and school to move things forward and we really have earned this trip.
I know I haven't posted endless details of what we've been doing all over Facebook but seriously who wants to see all that constantly anyway? I could post endlessly about how well the kids did at parent's evening, how well my latest book's doing and all that gubbins, but honestly, do people really want to see all that stuff? Too much of that gets you unfollowed faster than you can #hashtag your latest check in of where you're having your dinner - yes we get it - you're eating out tonight whilst the rest of us are at home. Good for you.
This is why I rarely post to Facebook at all now, let's be honest it's all getting a bit old hat. I'd far rather chew the fat with my neighbours in the street or with a few pals down the pub than document the minutiae of my daily life online. I probably post once or twice a week now - there is also this blog of course, but my contributions are increasingly rare - that's what a busy life does for you. I'm only writing this now because I've found the time late at night on holiday (fuelled by a local brew I picked up from Skinner's brewery in Truro).
I've been on a bit of a fitness drive lately, determined not to allow my waist size to keep up with my age any longer so have been doing ten laps, twice a a day of Charity Brook park on my bike. I was worried I might lose the slight fitness gain I have made due to not being able to cycle whilst away but need not have worried. Ilfracombe is very hilly and so are many other places we have visited. There are steep climbs everywhere which is just the job to keep things in check. This is just as well considering the inevitable seaside diet of fish and chips and ice cream.
We've been eating out most evenings finding some really nice eateries in the area but I have been again annoyed by the increasingly ubiquitous "skin on fries" that seem to be cropping everywhere, even when not described as such. I think it started off being seen as upmarket and trendy in posh restaurants that didn't want to refer to them as just chips, but everyone's jumped on the bandwagon now. Personally I just think these places just can't be arsed to peel their potatoes properly. It seems I am in a minority with this opinion so I suppose I must just be being fussy. Thankfully we found a lovely place to eat tonight in Georgeham tonight called The Rock Inn which offered perfect hand cooked chips with not a piece of skin or an eye in sight! Bravo Rock Inn, the 5 star Tripadvisor review will be along at some point (if I ever get around to it).
It's the third time in the last decade we've holidayed in this area and there is so much to enjoy. We've had a day on Croyde Beach (my third favourite in Britain) where Jamie famously ran into the sea fully clothed as a one-year-old, followed by a walk up to nearby Baggy Point. We've done the tunnel beaches in Ilfracombe and explored the stunning Lynton/ Lynmouth area. The views along the coastal paths around there are truly breathtaking.
We walked all the way down from Lynton to Lynmouth and had planned to take the cliff railway back up but the queue for it was packed. This railway incidentally is incredibly environmentally friendly - and invented by the Victorians long before saving the planet became a pressing issue. The whole thing ingeniously runs on water. So we decided to walk up the path which whilst not quite a sheer cliff face was more challenging than anything I've encountered back home in Worcestershire, with the possible exception of the Malverns. It was worth it, though. I had caved in to temptation and had a cream tea shortly beforehand so this trek helped to undo that sin.
I do so love this part of the world and have a long standing ambition to walk the entire length of the South West Coast path which runs from Poole to Minehead. Believe it or not this is a stunning 630 miles long! Obviously I can't do this anytime soon with two young lads to look after but in about a decade or so, I fancy the idea of doing this one summer over a couple of months. I could walk about ten miles a day and stay in a different seaside town every night. What an adventure that would be!
In the meantime, I shall leave you with a piccie of the boys enjoying the beach, and I hope to see you all soon.
Cheers,
Jason
I know I haven't posted endless details of what we've been doing all over Facebook but seriously who wants to see all that constantly anyway? I could post endlessly about how well the kids did at parent's evening, how well my latest book's doing and all that gubbins, but honestly, do people really want to see all that stuff? Too much of that gets you unfollowed faster than you can #hashtag your latest check in of where you're having your dinner - yes we get it - you're eating out tonight whilst the rest of us are at home. Good for you.
This is why I rarely post to Facebook at all now, let's be honest it's all getting a bit old hat. I'd far rather chew the fat with my neighbours in the street or with a few pals down the pub than document the minutiae of my daily life online. I probably post once or twice a week now - there is also this blog of course, but my contributions are increasingly rare - that's what a busy life does for you. I'm only writing this now because I've found the time late at night on holiday (fuelled by a local brew I picked up from Skinner's brewery in Truro).
I've been on a bit of a fitness drive lately, determined not to allow my waist size to keep up with my age any longer so have been doing ten laps, twice a a day of Charity Brook park on my bike. I was worried I might lose the slight fitness gain I have made due to not being able to cycle whilst away but need not have worried. Ilfracombe is very hilly and so are many other places we have visited. There are steep climbs everywhere which is just the job to keep things in check. This is just as well considering the inevitable seaside diet of fish and chips and ice cream.
We've been eating out most evenings finding some really nice eateries in the area but I have been again annoyed by the increasingly ubiquitous "skin on fries" that seem to be cropping everywhere, even when not described as such. I think it started off being seen as upmarket and trendy in posh restaurants that didn't want to refer to them as just chips, but everyone's jumped on the bandwagon now. Personally I just think these places just can't be arsed to peel their potatoes properly. It seems I am in a minority with this opinion so I suppose I must just be being fussy. Thankfully we found a lovely place to eat tonight in Georgeham tonight called The Rock Inn which offered perfect hand cooked chips with not a piece of skin or an eye in sight! Bravo Rock Inn, the 5 star Tripadvisor review will be along at some point (if I ever get around to it).
It's the third time in the last decade we've holidayed in this area and there is so much to enjoy. We've had a day on Croyde Beach (my third favourite in Britain) where Jamie famously ran into the sea fully clothed as a one-year-old, followed by a walk up to nearby Baggy Point. We've done the tunnel beaches in Ilfracombe and explored the stunning Lynton/ Lynmouth area. The views along the coastal paths around there are truly breathtaking.
We walked all the way down from Lynton to Lynmouth and had planned to take the cliff railway back up but the queue for it was packed. This railway incidentally is incredibly environmentally friendly - and invented by the Victorians long before saving the planet became a pressing issue. The whole thing ingeniously runs on water. So we decided to walk up the path which whilst not quite a sheer cliff face was more challenging than anything I've encountered back home in Worcestershire, with the possible exception of the Malverns. It was worth it, though. I had caved in to temptation and had a cream tea shortly beforehand so this trek helped to undo that sin.
I do so love this part of the world and have a long standing ambition to walk the entire length of the South West Coast path which runs from Poole to Minehead. Believe it or not this is a stunning 630 miles long! Obviously I can't do this anytime soon with two young lads to look after but in about a decade or so, I fancy the idea of doing this one summer over a couple of months. I could walk about ten miles a day and stay in a different seaside town every night. What an adventure that would be!
In the meantime, I shall leave you with a piccie of the boys enjoying the beach, and I hope to see you all soon.
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| A postcard from Devon. Since I can't be arsed to send real ones any more. |
Cheers,
Jason
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