We are in the last days of our journey. This part is to see some things we never got to see as children. Places that we recall mentioned never visited. The first step from Portsmouth is to Torquay. Oh, by the way, the hotel in Portsmouth was all I wanted. The internet worked a charm and there was an elevator.
Score!!!
Score!!!
Again the civility of the British roads astound us. Motorways are fast and efficient. Entering a motorway creates its own little dance as everyone gets out of your way to allow you entry. True, you see it every time as you approach an entrance. Cars slip across into lane 2 or 3 to allow the newly arrived vehicles to join the traffic flow. Took me a while to work it out but it is so civilised. Three lanes all the way helps of course but it does just work.
We had the run into Torquay mapped out on our phones as well as on the maps but we knew better. We wanted to drive along the coast a little, not just be deposited into the centre of what we expected to be another Whitby. Yes, we knew better. So we did enter along the coast road. If you are ever tempted to visit Torquay, let me tell you, our way sucked.
It was not the traffic or the roads that messed us about. It was just that we got it wrong. What we thought was Torquay was a mess. It was old and dumpy and nothing like the vibrant fun place Faulty Towers and Agatha Christie had led us to expect. We parked and tried to enjoy what we found but it just seemed a dump. Nothing to excite us at all.
“Lets get out of here!” We decided. We plotted the route away from where we were and no sooner hit the road out than we found the real Torquay.
I am so sorry I doubted you Torquay. We saw a little corner of your ancient suburbs and we judged you… we were so wrong.
This hotel is wonderful. Elegant, grand, and the internet is the fastest I have seen yet (priorities I know). We did another 3 or 4 hours walking around the place which was a delight.
Just one marring of the place I need to mention. Again we had a pile of little things collected ready to purchase from a local enterprise only to be told as we passed them across that the bank had just removed their credit card machine, could we pay in cash. Another pile of goods not crossing the equator, and another store holder who really did not seem too bothered.
We survived.
Walking through the town continued to be a delight. Dinner was everything we could have asked for, and the credit card worked, and Torquay is now on the positive side of ledger.
We had the run into Torquay mapped out on our phones as well as on the maps but we knew better. We wanted to drive along the coast a little, not just be deposited into the centre of what we expected to be another Whitby. Yes, we knew better. So we did enter along the coast road. If you are ever tempted to visit Torquay, let me tell you, our way sucked.
It was not the traffic or the roads that messed us about. It was just that we got it wrong. What we thought was Torquay was a mess. It was old and dumpy and nothing like the vibrant fun place Faulty Towers and Agatha Christie had led us to expect. We parked and tried to enjoy what we found but it just seemed a dump. Nothing to excite us at all.
“Lets get out of here!” We decided. We plotted the route away from where we were and no sooner hit the road out than we found the real Torquay.
I am so sorry I doubted you Torquay. We saw a little corner of your ancient suburbs and we judged you… we were so wrong.
This hotel is wonderful. Elegant, grand, and the internet is the fastest I have seen yet (priorities I know). We did another 3 or 4 hours walking around the place which was a delight.
Just one marring of the place I need to mention. Again we had a pile of little things collected ready to purchase from a local enterprise only to be told as we passed them across that the bank had just removed their credit card machine, could we pay in cash. Another pile of goods not crossing the equator, and another store holder who really did not seem too bothered.
We survived.
Walking through the town continued to be a delight. Dinner was everything we could have asked for, and the credit card worked, and Torquay is now on the positive side of ledger.
RSS Feed
