We had the offer of staying in our Peaks Island neighbors’ flat again in London, so we went there before heading home. It was breezy and sunny when we arrived from damp old Bergen. I got the drying rack out and put out our bathing suits and ‘quick” dry towels before they started molding in our suitcases.
Richmond London is on the Thames, and has trains, buses and subways to get all over London. I returned to a Pilates studio I found a couple of years ago near Battersea Station- with the help of Apple maps telling me what train to take to catch the right bus. It’s a different way to experience a place when visiting, sort of taking a peek into “what would it be like to live here”.
After eating lunch somewhere neat Battersea, Will and I walked through streets to visit BrixtonVillage Market. Many folks who live there came from the Caribbean and West Indies. The fabric stores were amazing and there was lots of good street music.
We left London one day to go to North Devon, about 4 hours by train. Will has a book at home that has ocean swimming pools all over the world, and we’d put a sticky note on one in Ilfracombe, North Devon. The train took us to Barnstaple where we did an overnight and bike ride on the estuary there. For any Ann Cleeves fans of her newer Matthew Venn series,those books take place around the Taw River there.
After a good brunch at Boston Tea Party Cafe, we got a bus for the 45 min trip to Ilfracombe. Our destination was The Tunnel Beaches.
When we arrived in the afternoon, there were lots of families and people on the beach and in the water. The surf was strong as the tide was rising. It wasn’t cold really, and there was a warm southerly breeze that got rid of the clouds evening.
There were lots of historical information about bathing during Victorian times, with cool photos of ‘bathing machines’ people got into for privacy drawn down to the water! Check out their website.
Back to London, and we’re off home today. Good travels- so much time outside,great food, beautiful art,. And it will be good to return home to our little piece of heaven.
Birdgirl’s travels 