Vaucluse Dreamer

What an incredible first day’s ride we’ve had from East Devon, across Dartmoor to Plymouth, and I’m writing this, now that we’re through check-in and waiting to board the night ferry to Roscoff.

I’ve only just admitted to Andy that I was actually rather worried about today, as I’d only ever ridden as far as Moretonhampstead before, so anything beyond that was unknown to me, other than it involved a very big hill!

As it was, I think ignorance was bliss as all I could do was sit back and turn the pedals as the road wound its way slowly but surely, and at times very steeply onto the top of Dartmoor.

The day started just before 9, when we hopped on the bikes and pedalled out of East Budleigh….

Heading across Woodbury Common, before picking up the cycle path into Exeter … And then heading out towards Moretonhampstead, where we stopped for a well-earned cake and coffee, although the coffee seemed to have been made with just a sniff at the coffee pot.

It had been a glorious start to the day, cycling along the quiet roads, edged with May trees frothy with blossom and verges filled with wild flowers. We couldn’t believe the weather was being so kind to us, with bright blue skies and a wind in our backs, giving us a gentle nudge up the steepest of ramps.

We imagined that we would be cycling across Dartmoor into a fierce headwind, being lashed with squalls of rain, but it was as if Mother Nature and the Moor had conspired to prove our thoughts wrong.

Sitting in the sun, munching carrot  cake at Moretonhampstead, it felt as if it couldn’t be any better, and perhaps we had got Dartmoor all wrong?

Refreshed, we continued on and finally crossed the cattle grid onto the open expanse of moorland, with the views opening up for miles around. It was jaw-droppingly beautiful today and the views, together with the peace, interrupted only by the bleating of sheep and the lilting song of Skylarks, between the odd car, was enough to soothe even the most tired of legs

After passing Warren House Inn, where legend has it that the fire hasn’t been allowed to go out for nearly 200 years, we dropped down to Postbridge. This is a beautiful little riverside spot, with an ancient stone clapper bridge formed of huge stone slabs sitting on pillars that has been in use since the 14th century.

We stopped here for a little rest, and a fistful or two of fruit pastilles, just to keep us going to Princetown, where we finally stopped for a sandwich and a longer rest on a bank in the sun.

From there, it’s back onto the open moor, where we stopped to do a little video about our ride so far … Watch here

Before cycling on, past ponies….

And cows dotted across the dramatic scenery, as we wingled our way down off the Moor to Yelverton, where we picked up the National Cycle Route 27, towards Plymouth  ….

This is part of The Drake’s Trail and the Velodyssey cycle route, amongst others, and was a beautiful way to get to the city, following a gentle downhill path, running under a canopy of trees, which was wonderfully shaded, after the open road across the Moor.

Eventually we turned onto the Plym Valley Trail, which (like the Veloroute du Calavon) follows the bed of an old railway line all the way to the outskirts of the city. This was a lovely route, passing through deep cuttings, with the sheer stone sides draped with ferns, which must have been the inspiration for so many architect designed living walls, even disappearing into a long tunnel at one point, plunging us into darkness, before we emerged back into the sunlight…

We then followed a path that skirts the beautiful Saltram estate, running alongside the estuary, where our nostrils were filled with the salty scent of the sea and we sat for a while watching the green parakeets playing in the trees around us (not a sight I would have normally expected in Plymouth)

Eventually, we cycled into The Barbican, where we sat on a bench, just enjoying watching the bustle of people around us, simply ecstatic that we had made it, in plenty of time to catch our ferry to Roscoff….

Finishing this, we are now boarded and the bikes are stowed on the car deck, tied to the wall of the ship for the trip.

We have splashed out on an upgraded cabin and are munching the complimentary macarons and drinking the chilled water from the fridge ..

It’s been a great day …

In total we rode 97.4km and climbed a quite incredible 1610m. We’re tired, but not exhausted, although I could eat a mouldy pig backwards, as I’m so hungry now.

So good night for now and we’ll catch up again tomorrow