I popped down to Devon & Cornwall last weekend, with my mate Mark. Just a couple of nights, and ashamedly, the first trip away on the bikes this year.
Day One - Surrey to Iddesleigh, Devon
After eating my body weight in chocolate Danishes last year at the Hograost, I thought it rather appropriate to start as we mean to go on, this weekend, so the first port of call was good old Burbidges Bakery in Andover!
Note, the all important Diet Coke!
Off we went, aiming for Exmoor, just sticking to the backroads, little did we know that the weather was going to take a turn for the worse once we got there.
After a soaking, and getting the bikes nice and dirty, we arrived at the Duke of York in Iddesleigh. This is owned and run by John, who is as mad as a box of frogs! Last time we stayed, John promised to come for a ride with us the next day, as he has a Yamaha of some description, but he chickened out at the last minute.
Here's the all important food pictures, but we forgot to get any of the main courses, or dessert! We may have had a drink or two, which didn't help!
After a few drinks, Mark decided he hadn't eaten enough, so enjoyed a Kit Kat with the remaining butter from dinner, on the end!
Day Two - Iddesleigh to Padstow - the long way round!
So, after pulling Johns leg all night, he agreed to ride with us to Port Isaac (where they film Doc Martin). Slightly annoying was that I'd pre-planned a decent route down some goat tracks, and scenic B roads, but John took us on the main roads there. As it turned out, they weren't too bad.
We then say our goodbyes to the old chap, and headed for Lands End. As it was a nice day, and our bikes were caked in crap from the previous day, I thought of JB, and we stopped at this place! Let the piss taking commence, I'm ready!
And as much as Mark tried to pretend he had no involvement, we did his bike as well!
All that exercise, and we were ready for an ice cream!
On we went, and ended up at Lands End.
Time was pressing on, and we were ready for a trip to the spa at our Hotel
so we made our way to the Treglos Hotel, just outside Padstow. If you want a bit of luxury, head here. I managed to negotiate a decent discount by calling last minute. The only hiccup was that they hadn't separated the twin beds, so that was the first job for them. We wondered why they were giving us a funny look when we arrived!
Feeling relaxed, after an hour in the hot tub, we headed into Padstow.
I tried booking a table at Rick Steins seafood restaurant a week before, and not only did they want a credit card to secure the table, but they didn't have availability until 9.45pm. Our plan was to tun up, and see if they had any cancellations. They didn't. But they said we could sit at the bar and eat there, which actually turned out to be better than getting a table, as we could chat to the bar staff, waitresses and other diners.
Here's one for Giles; now this is a proper gin!
So, enough of the babble, onto the food!
Seafood curry
Monkfish
Melty chocolate thing
Then the all important cheese & biscuits
Pretentious
After a mooch around Padstow, and having a look at some boats
we went back to the hotel, where we consumed most of the bar, and played the piano.
Day Three - Padstow to Surrey
After copious amounts of alcohol the night before, we went back to the spa for an hour, before breakfast!
Then, this arrived in front of me
We headed off, feeling suitably stuffed. We headed over Dartmoor, which was as eery as ever, with some cracking roads, even though they are a 40mph limit
With all that riding, we'd worked up another hungerD
We then carried on, taking in the New Forest, and some more familiar back roads of Hampshire.
One more bike picture, before arriving home.
I'm pleased to report that the battery didn't go flat on the GSA, the paint didn't come off in the rain, and even the gear changes were smooth. How dull!
Day One - Surrey to Iddesleigh, Devon
After eating my body weight in chocolate Danishes last year at the Hograost, I thought it rather appropriate to start as we mean to go on, this weekend, so the first port of call was good old Burbidges Bakery in Andover!
Note, the all important Diet Coke!
Off we went, aiming for Exmoor, just sticking to the backroads, little did we know that the weather was going to take a turn for the worse once we got there.
After a soaking, and getting the bikes nice and dirty, we arrived at the Duke of York in Iddesleigh. This is owned and run by John, who is as mad as a box of frogs! Last time we stayed, John promised to come for a ride with us the next day, as he has a Yamaha of some description, but he chickened out at the last minute.
Here's the all important food pictures, but we forgot to get any of the main courses, or dessert!
We may have had a drink or two, which didn't help!
After a few drinks, Mark decided he hadn't eaten enough, so enjoyed a Kit Kat with the remaining butter from dinner, on the end!
Day Two - Iddesleigh to Padstow - the long way round!
So, after pulling Johns leg all night, he agreed to ride with us to Port Isaac (where they film Doc Martin). Slightly annoying was that I'd pre-planned a decent route down some goat tracks, and scenic B roads, but John took us on the main roads there. As it turned out, they weren't too bad.
We then say our goodbyes to the old chap, and headed for Lands End. As it was a nice day, and our bikes were caked in crap from the previous day, I thought of JB, and we stopped at this place!
Let the piss taking commence, I'm ready!
And as much as Mark tried to pretend he had no involvement, we did his bike as well!
All that exercise, and we were ready for an ice cream!
On we went, and ended up at Lands End.
Time was pressing on, and we were ready for a trip to the spa at our Hotel
so we made our way to the Treglos Hotel, just outside Padstow. If you want a bit of luxury, head here. I managed to negotiate a decent discount by calling last minute. The only hiccup was that they hadn't separated the twin beds, so that was the first job for them. We wondered why they were giving us a funny look when we arrived!Feeling relaxed, after an hour in the hot tub, we headed into Padstow.
I tried booking a table at Rick Steins seafood restaurant a week before, and not only did they want a credit card to secure the table, but they didn't have availability until 9.45pm. Our plan was to tun up, and see if they had any cancellations. They didn't.
But they said we could sit at the bar and eat there, which actually turned out to be better than getting a table, as we could chat to the bar staff, waitresses and other diners. Here's one for Giles; now this is a proper gin!
So, enough of the babble, onto the food!
Seafood curry
Monkfish
Melty chocolate thing
Then the all important cheese & biscuits
Pretentious
After a mooch around Padstow, and having a look at some boats
we went back to the hotel, where we consumed most of the bar, and played the piano.Day Three - Padstow to Surrey
After copious amounts of alcohol the night before, we went back to the spa for an hour, before breakfast!
Then, this arrived in front of me
We headed off, feeling suitably stuffed. We headed over Dartmoor, which was as eery as ever, with some cracking roads, even though they are a 40mph limit
With all that riding, we'd worked up another hunger
D
We then carried on, taking in the New Forest, and some more familiar back roads of Hampshire.
One more bike picture, before arriving home.
I'm pleased to report that the battery didn't go flat on the GSA, the paint didn't come off in the rain, and even the gear changes were smooth. How dull!
