A funny thing happened in the pub last night.

I was running late, since I'd had to ride an extra 10 miles to find a campsite.  I decided to pitch my tent and go straight to eat without showering & changing, because, well, I'm only a bit sweaty and smelly, and besides, they will never see me again.  

The only place to eat was a nice seaside hotel on Beeson Sands.  To my surprise,  I recognised two of my neighbours there, Jane and Richard, who we've known since our children were at nursery together.  They are walking the SW Coast Path in stages, so we had a lot to talk about, having been to many of the same places.  A very enjoyable evening, after which they retired to their comfortable beds, and I struggled up the hill to the campsite, showered and got into my sleeping bag for the night.

My quality of sleep was excellent despite the lack of hotel room, and my early morning call came from the dawn chorus around 5.  By 6.30 the sun was on the tent, and it suddenly became too hot to stay in bed.  I packed up and rode off to find breakfast, which appeared at the far end of Slapton Ley, a nice flat lane and toad along the coast for a couple of miles.  A hut on the beach was serving coffee and bacon rolls - perfect.

Slapton Ley

Slapton sea defences

Strete cafe

Looking back to Slapton

Today I'm heading for Dartmouth, then Brixham,  where my sources tell me the tap water has been contaminated over the past few days.   But supposed to be OK now.   It turned out to be a very long day.

Just round the corner was a beach that I'd read was the best in Britain - according to someone on the Internet.  It certainly was a nice beach, and I had to check out the café too.  On such a lovely day, in such a lovely place, you have to linger a bit.

Blackpool Sands

Soon I was in the lovely Dart estuary, with the sound of the steam train echoing round the valley.  The whole setup is similar to Salcombe, but Dartmouth seemed perhaps less touristy, more of a normal town  I didn't really stay long enough to get to know it.  I got chattingvto a couple of locals, who'd just been touring in New Zealand.  "Where are you heading?" asked the lady.  When I answered "perhaps Torquay", her face fell.  She thought I should go in any other direction.   "Perhaps Totnes.  It's nice over here".  When I could not be persuaded, she advised me to keep on going right through Torbay.  "Maybe Babbacombe.  Babbacombe's OK".

 

St Petroc's church

First view of the Dart estuary 

 

Last view of the Dart estuary 

A vehicle ferry took nearly across the river to Kingswear, with the station and a long hill out of town.  As I go east, the hills are getting higher. 

Dart valley railway

I had planned in an exciting off-road excursion to Man Sands beach, a 75 metre descent down a steep rocky track, so I left the panniers in the care of some sheep, and headed down.  A bit of walking was needed, in each direction.

 

Devon lane

SW Water hard at work fixing the problem 

Man Sands beach

... and the track back up

Then after a lot of climbing around very deep valleys, I was in the outskirts of Brixham, and the metropolis of Torbay was laid out before me, built-up as far as I could see.  Before I dived into Brixham, I headed out to Berry Head, the start of Lyme Bay and the first place on my trip from where you can see Sidmouth.  It's well protected by a Fort from Napoleonic times, a few cannons, and a cafe.  I took a wistful look at the rocky coves around the headland,  maybe the last I'll  see for a while.

Berry Head- modern lighthouse 

Torbay is made up of five distinct resorts, each with their own character  helpfully (except if you're cycling) separated by some cliffs.  There's Brixham, a busy fishing town,  with a harbour, narrow streets and plenty of fish and chip shops.  Then Broadsands, a simple sandy beach with a cafe.  After a sunny and  dry day, a heavy rain shower forced me to try out the café.  Goodrington Sands is a beach resort with knobs on; a funfair, lots of beach huts and other seaside attractions. 

Brixham

Goodrington Sands 

Paignton is much more sedate, with a wide grassy park separating the town from the esplanade, plenty of good cycle tracks,  and I think lots of houses further up the valley.  A bit like Southport, or Dieppe.

 

Torquay, by contrast, is trying to be Cannes.  The car is king, with a dual carriageway roaring along the seafront (pedestrians have to yse a footbridge to get from the seafront shops to the harbour.   Rubbish cycle provision, disappearing cycle lanes along the dual carriageway,  and pavement cafes, casinos and posh hotels along the seafront strip.

Paignton 

Actually, there's another area.  Around the back of the Torquay peninsula are the expensive houses and hotels leading to Ilsham Marine Drive, all very nice.

I was on a mission to get out of Torbay to Babbacombe, as you may remember.   When I got there, I found a shocking hill down to the beach.  It was admittedly a bad time of day, but I had to push the bike up.   

Babbacombe beach

Now I was looking for a campsite and a flat road to get there.   The nearest was ten miles away at Shaldon.   Lovely site on a farm with goats, pigs, lots of sheep,  horses and Shetland ponies.  It was late, so I threw my tent up,  dumped the panniers,  and raced into Shaldon to get to the pub 2 minutes before they stopped serving food.  It was delicious. 

I've decided to end my trip tomorrow, at Exeter, where I can get a train home.  My legs have had enough, and I'll enjoy the next stage all the more with fresh legs and fresh eyes.