Nomadic African

Next time you're on holiday in South Devon, don't miss out on this wonderful day out for the whole family where you can enjoy a bit of old fashioned nostalgia and relaxation.

The Round Robin tour is highly recommended, we took this during our last family holiday and the weather is one thing you do want to be on your side to make the most of the whole day.

We started our day in Totnes, which had plenty of car parking near to the departure point at the pier side where we joined the tour with an open top bus ride to Paignton. Our two boys were very excited as they rarely travel by bus and had never been on an open top one before, so when it arrived they scooted straight up the stairs and grabbed the front seats before anyone else had a chance.

The journey to Paignton only took about half an hour, but it was great fun and started the day off nicely. As we had some time to spare before catching the train, we walked the short distance down to the sea front, where the smell of fish and chips was just too tempting even though it wasn't even lunchtime yet. After sharing a large portion of chips as a mid-morning snack, we headed back into town to catch the steam train to Dartmouth.

This was the highlight of the trip, as the grand old steam locomotive chugged into the station and, after admiring the engine for a while, we hopped on board the first carriage which was a real step back in time. The scenic route took us along the coast and then inland to Kingswear, where we disembarked the train and took a short ferry ride across the river to Dartmouth.

We explored the streets of Dartmouth for an hour or so, stopping for some lunch at a riverfront cafe, then heading back to the jetty to catch the boat up the River Dart to Totnes. This was the longest part of the journey, but we were in no rush and the time passed quickly as we cruised along the river and past the home of the late Dame Agatha Christie. The river winds its way up the Dart Valley until it narrows as it enters Totnes and dropped us back at the car park, at the end of a very enjoyable and memorable day.

For more information about Dartmouth and things to do in South Devon, please see my website at:

http://www.neverbebored.co.uk/things_to_do_in_dartmouth.html