May 8: Padstow via Port Isaac to Sidmouth - Laughing Later!

It's a cold day today and rain is added to the wind. We make a couple of other stops but spend most time at lovely Port Isaac... Scenes of which will be familiar to Dr Martin viewers. This was another of Andrew's favourite programmes. The village is really lovely.

This is not the only reason our day is memorable. We are in our way to meet friends north of London the next afternoon so decide to get a few miles under our belt. We select a campsite a fair way into Devon near Ottery St Mary but we do end up having a bit of a mare.

We get lost a couple of times for an hour or so, then come across a tractor with a trailor of logs turned over right across the road which puts us out for another hour while we turn around and take an alternate route to be turned back by a local who fears we would find the back roads too difficult with our van. We then get in a tight spot with a wrong turn in the village and end up hitting the corner of a house as we negotiate our way onto the right path. It's another hour as we drive the long way round to our destination, only to spend another half hour trying to find the mysterious camp site. We're Not really laughing when we discover that the reason it is hard to find is that it has closed down and we have to move onto the next place to find a pitch. At least it is still light and we get to appreciate the outlook onto lush pastures when we do finally get to a camping spot for the evening. However, let's say that the lush pastures are not so easily appreciated the following morning when it is time to drive out of the field with long green grass covered in rain after a week of persistent dampness!