After our lunch at the Crab Shed, we went out to admire the views. Eric couldn't even for a short while let go of his iPad
At low tide many of the small boats were just lying on the side waiting for the incoming water to raise them again
The view from our balcony at Salcombe Harbour Hotel and Spa, overlooking the ria with the opening to the sea to the right (south) side
The Kingsbridge Estuary from the balcony at Eric's and my room
A walk in the town in the late afternoon with the traditional butcher standing proudly among shellfish mongers and elegant boutiques for designer clothes
The shadows fell early over the west side of the estuary, where Salcombe town is based ...
... so we went across to the east side for a late afternoon walk in sunshine
In the evening we had dinner at the hotel. Mikee is just pretending to drink my pink champagne Her matching pink iPhone was a birthday gift from Jennifer and I
The next morning we went out for a walk as soon as the fog had cleared. But the mist lingered in the distance
Looking back into the ria from the coastal path
Ferns were growing on the hillside giving it its warm rusty red colour
It is quite clear who is the daredevil in the family! Mikee had to reach the top
Although it was the first day of November, it was warm enough to walk in shirt sleeves on this glorious Sunday
The coast path was so steep that at certain parts a wall was protecting the hikers
This part of the walk was exposed to the relentless winds from the sea and no trees could grow
After our walk we had lunch at Overbecks, which is a National Trust property with lovely semi-tropical gardens and beautiful views over the coast and estuary
View of Salcombe from Overbeck. Notice how the mist is starting to cover the landscape in its shroud again in the afternoon.
After our visit to Salcombe we passed Innner and Outer Hope with its quaint villages and lovely sand beaches. This is a sand beach at Outer Hope
The coast at Inner Hope
In the weekend between October and November Jennifer went away to meet her friends in Paris. I was at home with Eric and Mikee and Riza and the weather looked promising so we decided to go to Salcombe along the south Devon coast. Salcombe is about an hour away fromOttery St Mary and we stayed at the Salcombe Harbour Hotel and Spa, a modern and quite elegant hotel situated right at the estuary and within walking distances to everything in the little sailing town. It was like coming to an “English Marstrand”, with its upmarket shops with sailing cloths, smart seafood restaurants, cobble stoned streets and fishermen mingling with sailors and tourists.
We had Saturday lunch at the Crab Shed, overlooking the little ria that in low tide was more of a mudflat but became more idyllic as the tide came in. In the afternoon I bought a sport coat for myself (I believe that Jennifer did buy more clothes in Paris than I did in Salcombe!) and we took the ferry across for a walk on the other side of the estuary. And late afternoon Mikee and Riza had a spa treatment while Eric and I swam in the pool. Eric is quite good a swimming now and has now problem diving like a fish. And in the evening we had dinner at our hotel.
The next morning started out foggy, but as soon as the fog had cleared we set out for a walk along the cliff path. Although we are only an hour from Ottery St Mary, the climate is quite different. Lots of palm trees were growing along our path. We finished at Overbeck’s, a National Trust Property dramatically situated on the clifftop with views of the sea to one side and the estuary and Salcombe town on the other. And after Salcombe we took the car and passed Inner Hope and Outer Hope (yes, the villages are called just that!) on our way back.
