Devon & Cornwall

Last Sunday I went for a long drive through England's southern counties of Devon and Cornwall.  I started out by heading down the M5 motorway, stopping in Exeter to have a look at the well known Exeter Cathedral.  It was very cool, but to be honest not one of the better cathedrals I've seen here. 

I then headed west on the A30... destination St. Ives (many of the towns in this part of the country are named after missionaries).  Along the way I saw signage for Castle Drogo, so having no real schedule, I turned off the highway for a little detour.  Though the castle was closed on the inside, the outside was something else.  Tucked away in the woods and perched on a hill overlooking the Teign Gorge, it has a contemporary feel.  But perhaps the neatest thing I saw as I was exploring the nearby woods was a fox out for a Sunday morning stroll.

After walking the formal gardens I jumped back in the car and headed towards St. Ives as previously planned.  I didn't stay in St. Ives for long.  Parking was a nightmare and I wanted to get going to the day's ultimate destinations... Land's End and Lizard Point.

The drive from St. Ives to Land's End, the western most point in England, was brilliant.  I took what would be considered the coast road.  It was as curvy and narrow as any I've driven.  What I wouldn't give to have a BMW Z4 for that 20 miles.  For much of the drive there was a small hedgerow on the sides of the road (usually no more than a foot from from your side mirror) and it wasn't uncommon for the road to narrow from 2 to 1 lane.  I finally reached Land's End.  What can I say, it's a beautiful coastline.  I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

After an hour or two at Land's End I headed east then south to my final destination of the day, Lizard Point, the southern most point in England.  Again, another brilliant coast (though not quite as good as Land's End).  There I had a nice dinner at the southern most cafe that overlooks the English Channel.  Finally I hit the road for what was about a 3 hr drive back to Bristol.  A long, good day.  View all photos here

Next major trip: Tuscany.  Today I booked tickets to spend the Easter weekend exploring Florence, Pisa and the surrounding area in Italy.

Take Care,

-ExPat