Adventure 22: Buvvy - Gateway to Dartmoor. I think not.

Okey dokey. After an intense week with inspectors in, it was so lovely to have the time to go explore this weekend. I will let you know, as soon as I am able, how the inspection went. 

This Saturday, Levi and I hit Bovey Tracey (locally known as 'Buvvy'). 

After a couple of minutes trying to persuade the bus driver where we actually wanted to go ("Buvvy? Bovey? Boovey? Bovey Tracey? Buvvy?!?" "Ah yeah, Buvvy!" -_-) we were off. Lovely to get out of Exeter! 

 We arrived at this small Dartmoor town in the brilliant sunshine to find a little market in the centre where we picked up some lunch - homemade sausage roll and homity pie (made from potato, leek, bacon, garlic and cream). We then went in search of  some moor to climb - we had after all read it was the so called Gateway to Dartmoor. Such lies! We may have been technically in the Park but the lilting moors where seemingly out of reach.We did, however, find a National Trust property called Parke (http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/parke/) and with it a very pleasant woodland walk. Then we wandered round the country roads seeinig innumerable sheep, cows and a rather cute cottage next to a  little brook. Eight miles or so later we got back to Buvvey and had a pint in The Bell (http://www.lemonrock.com/boveybell) which was supposedly 8.4 on the website Beer in the Evening. The interior was nice enough but the beer selection was uninteresting. Personally, I don't really feel the response to ' what colour is this beer?' should be a shrug... and it was really empty. Once back in Exeter we went to a new place just opened called the Beer Cellar (http://beer-cellar.co.uk/): a kind of beer cafe and had a pleasant pint of Devon Glory. Not massively atmospheric but a good addition to the real ale circuit here in Exeter nonetheless.

Adventure 21: A World in Sepia

Not much of an update this week I'm afraid. The dreaded Ofsted is in town next week (school inspectors for you guys outside of the UK) and though I'm sure we'll be more than fine, one can't help but stress one's butt off. I'm in work in a few hours (its Sunday) but in a bid to de-stress I wanted to get out today. But in true Devon style for this time of year the weather was utterly foul. Driving rain, howling wind, freezing cold: as I say, absolutely foul. And being a stressed numpty, I thought this would be a great opportunity to hit the seaside at Sidmouth in East Devon. The cliffs through the mist looked fantastic and the town very pleasant and we managed to find a decent Youngs pub called the Swan. We also managed to get to the next village called Sidford and find a very pleasant thatched pub called the Blue Ball (http://www.blueballinn.net/). The beer was rather generic (Tribute and Doombar) but decently kept. When we met up with our friend Helen earlier we showed her the photos and she said they looked sepia and with a load of prep and the upcoming inspection that's rather my mood this weekend. Hopefully, by the end next week I shall  have got back to normal and will get back to foraging. Still, my sloe and bullace gin has made good drinking with the recent stress. Is it ever too early for gin? I think not.

Adventure 20: A Toad in the Pocket

This week marks my twenty fifth birthday. After a sad start when my schnapps had to be discarded (it smelt like rotten apples) I have successfully decanted FINALLY my cherry and pear liqueurs. The pear one is rather sweet but tasty and the cherry one is quite delicious but packs a massive punch. You've got to admit they look beautiful in their glass decanters.

 On my birthday I was blessfully free of work and took myself for a quiet lunch with my book (Hilary Mantel's The Giant O'Brien) at the old favourite, the Bridge Inn in Topsham. The name of this post refers to the name of the pint I had. It apparently is a phrase meaning 'useless' - I guess like a chocolate teapot. I then decided to explore beyond for a mile or two finding some good potential sloe picking sites for later in the year and a wonderful farm shop with lots of Devonshire beer and local produce. Its called Dart's Farm (http://www.dartsfarm.co.uk/) and outside I managed to make friends with a couple of friendly cows.

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In the evening, I went to the Exeter Winter Beer Festival with Levi and his lovely colleagues. I drank many awesome local beers but the one that really won me over was 'Snow Leapord' - just like Christmas and Summer at once. Support CAMRA for Real Ale - http://www.camra.org.uk/

Then, today, mercifully lacking a hangover, Levi and I went to Ivybridge where we had a very pleasant lunch at The Sportsman (http://www.thesportsmansinn.co.uk/) and supped the delights of Pride of Dartmoor and Clearwater Darter. Lovely pub and very accomodating staff (pity the town is so far from the station). We then went up on to Dartmoor - my first rough terrain walk since my accident and my! So beautiful! The clean air, beautiful views, the mysterious cairns and standing stones - it really was a delight. A happy end to a great birthday.