Cycling to Ilfracombe

 Friday 30/04/21

We woke up to lovely sunshine this morning and spent some time bundled up on our camping chairs like Dassies trying to get some of it's heat.  The sun is quite warm when it is out but there is an icy northerly wind so daily temps go from 1° to 10°C,  and it makes a huge difference if you can get out of the wind.

We headed off on the cycle route that passes by the camp; a disused railway line converted to a walking and cycling route.  A firm favourite of ours in Europe as they usually avoid steep gradients.  In this case it is downhill almost all the way into Ilfracombe but you pay for all the freewheeling on the way back!

This is the profile of the 4.6 mile route, 23 minutes down but 39 back.

The scenery along the way was wonderful.  We were fascinated by these trees growing
out of the ancients stone wall. 

We had a walk around town, a lovely old village perched along the valley or 'combe' walls with a stunning harbour area.  We had a craving for fish and chips and weren't disappointed.  Sitting shivering on the harbour wall shielding our chips from marauding seagulls - a great British tradition.  We decided against Cornish cream ice-cream as we knew we had a long climb to get back to the campsite.  Maybe tomorrow we'll give the bikes a day off.

Fish and Chips by the seaside!

Verity, a Damien Hirst statue guarding the harbour.
For some reason we found it a bit disturbing, 
we're not usually squeamish.

It's a bank holiday weekend in the UK so campers have started arriving this afternoon, we get to watch all the hand signalling and bad reversing.  

Book reading, and early to bed tonight - all this fresh air and exercise is making us sleepy.

Cycling around Woolacombe

 Thursday 29/04/21

We promised photos so once it had warmed up (to around 10°C) we headed off on our bikes to explore the area.  (Toni went running early morning, but that's just to ensure we can eat a Devon cream tea in Ilfracombe tomorrow!)

Pretty cottages near Mortenhoe

I have never seen so many camping sites and holiday parks in one place, the area must really be packed in season.  Woolacombe beach is apparently one of the best beaches in the UK and Europe and when we arrived at Woolacombe we could understand why.  It is huge, and beautiful white sand!

Our first views of the beach stretching for miles

Looking back over Woolacombe

Even a panoramic shot doesn't do it justice

Now that's a campsite with a sea view!

We ended up (as usual) cycling further than we had planned as the views drew us in and I suspect we will have stiff legs tomorrow.  All being well we also want to cycle to nearby Ilfracombe while the weather holds - hopefully tomorrow.

Camping near Woolacombe, Devon

 Wednesday 28/04/21

We've had a fairly uneventful day making our way to our campsite for the next five days.  We had an interrupted night with rain and hail beating down on Bokkie's roof and it has drizzled for most of the day but should start to improve from tomorrow. Definitely springtime UK style!

This is why we love Bokkie, she can squeeze into most parking places as
long as she can overhang on the back.

We stopped off in Barnstaple to do some food shopping and then made our way to Willingcott.  Our first attempt for a walk was scuppered by the rain but we managed to do a recce of the area between showers.  It looks like walking to the coast on the narrow roads is a bit risky so we'll get the bikes off to explore more once the rain eases up. 

Bokkie socially distancing under a heavy sky

On the road again, at last.

 Tuesday 27/04/21

As our original plans to stay in the UK for two weeks before heading to South Africa unravelled, we were very fortunate that we were able to stay with Charmaine and Shadow and there was even enough space for Bokkie to park on the driveway.

After months of lockdown, the UK started to ease restrictions on 12/04 and campsites are opening, albeit with restrictions.  Toni had picked up a short-term contract for the UK Office of National Statistics, gathering census information, and once that was wrapped up we started packing.  We had originally booked a house-sit in Shropshire over this period but Covid even managed to spoil that so we have decided to extend our tour around the UK.  We have a month of camping ahead: first North Devon, then the Dorset Jurassic coast, before heading up to Snowdonia, Wales.

We've stopped off at Cornish Farm campsite in Taunton to reminisce about the last time we were here, two years ago when we started our long-term travelling in the freezing cold, complete beginners in Bokkie.  We've had the bikes off and headed into Taunton for a recce, not too much of interest and a bit drizzly so we'll settle into Bokkie for the night and head off to the coast tomorrow.  We're a bit rusty at this travelling lark so don't even have many photos - must do better!

Back in Bokkie!