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Friday April 7
Morning mist and frost but later we had a warm and nice day. Now Dartmoor was the goal and a local guide arrived to help us.
Greystone Bridge - the border between Cornwall and Devon over River Tamar on the road between Lanceston and Tavistock - spectacular! I sought for a viewcard but could not find any. That is a trouble when you see something nice from the bus, you cannot take a photo.
Highland cattle - cows with long curved horn were up in the heath, no photo to find of those either.
 Princetown is the site for Dartmoor Prison, a notorious prison. Our guide told us some of the sad history. In Princetown the bas made a stop. Those who wanted to walk on the heath with guide started off. My husband and I walked a part of the same path but turned back to the bus at a place where a herd of Dartmoor ponies were grazing.
The bus was to fetch the wanderers at a place along the road to Plymouth.
The heath this day was wonderful. Sunshine, larch song, fresh air, but just brown grass and no flowers. Too early in the season.
In Plymouth our guide pointed out a ruined church remade into a memorial for all those people who lost their lives in the immense bombing of Plymouth during the World War II. We had a walk through the old town,  Barbican, partly restored into the original state as this town was practically deleted by the bombing during World War II. Thus most of Plymouth is built after the war.
The National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth - a wonderful experience. A round building where you start at the top and walk down in a spiralled walk by aquaries with the fishes of the estuaries, later the fishes of the the shallow sea, the deep sea and at the botton an immense aquarium with seven sharks. Really worth seeing!
But the walk back to the bus was trying. The guide had a high speed and I struggled at the last end of the trail. Luckily our own guide Lee went at the end of the trail, probably to keep an eye to be sure none was left behind. Thank you, Lee!
The return by the Mouth gave us a view of parts of the Plymouth Harbour with big frigates on the roads. Afternoon tea was served at Lydford House with scones, strawberry jam and the speciality CLOTTED CREAM.
April 8 |
