The city of Nice seen from the surrounding hillside bathed in sunshine

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A Walk Around Brixham

By Ren Withnell

Walk Date Sunday 9th September 2018

A warning to the dedicated motorcyclists - not a wheel was turned on this day.
A warning to the faint of heart - there is some naked flesh!

After the big ride yesterday we are considering our options this morning. The forecast is good so we ought to ride, but after our long ride yesterday I guess neither of us are up for a big tour. We'll have breakfast, take a stroll then see how we feel later.

Being in the caravan is comfortable. Obviously this is most civilised but the discomfort of a tent drives us to get up and out and gets us doing things. Here it is all too easy just to sit around and watch TV. It is well into mid morning before we finally set out.

Sharon in shorts and vest and shade in the sunshine at the caravan near Brixham
Finally! Come on lets have a little walk.

We stroll through bushes and hedges, trees and scrub. We are on a small outcrop of land to the east of Brixham overlooking the sea when we spot a cove with a beach. It takes a while with a few paths blocked by huge weeds which have burgeoned in the sun before we find a path down to St Mary's Bay Beach.

Sharon pretends to swing from a branch in her best Lara Croft outfit and style
It's a jungle but Lara Croft is here to rescue me!

While Brixham may not have been the tranquil haven we were hoping for St Mary's beach is all but empty. There are a couple of dog walkers and a family or two otherwise we have it all to ourselves. Sharon is loving this because she's antisocial. I am liking it because the sun and sand and rocks and sounds of the gentle surf are somewhat calming.

St Mary's beach is a little rocky, surrounded by thick trees and very quiet today
It's not crowded here, if you can get here.

We sit upon some rocks at the far end of the beach, away from the few others here. The sun is warm, the air has but the merest breeze and to my surprise it seems Sharon has obviously lost the plot. 

Why? Well...erm...how do I put this? She has removed her shorts and her top. Wearing just her bra and knickers she is wading into the water. Maybe it's me? Was the milk off this morning? Sharon, the queen of being cold, the shy girl, is practically skinny dipping on a beach in Devon at lunchtime. Something is not right.

Sharon taking a very gentle swim in the calm waters off the Devonshire coast
I can see it...I don't believe it but I can see it. Keep off the cheese Ren.

She is her own woman and free to do as she pleases. Oddly I find it refreshing to see her stepping out from the normal and taking a risk. No, it's not illegal or immoral or radical but it's not within the normal parameters I have come to expect from her. Go girl, if that's what you want to do then do it.

I have a little paddle too then we sit on the sun baked rocks to dry out a little. 

Re-clothed we depart the beach and make our way through more hedge, bush, weeds and scrub until we find our way to the suburbs of Brixham and then the town centre once more. 

It, well yeah, it is actually nicer than our first impressions suggested. The harbour is big and obviously a place of work not a historical artefact. It does have a strong tourist element too with a couple of arcades, endless eateries and the odd tat shop. There is however a mix of old and new buildings, curious little lanes here and there and even a lido. 

Brixham's harbour is large and filled with hundreds of boats, the town rises up from the bay
It's a bustling harbour at Brixham.
The turquiose waters of the Lido at Brixham look inviting on this warm day
The Lido looks quite tempting on this warm day.

By the time we get back to the caravan my feet are sore and I think we're both a bit worn out. We briefly look at the bikes and decide - naaaaaah. Instead we freshen up, make tea and spend the evening just chilling out. 

While we may not have turned a wheel we have achieved something we seldom do. All too often we "do" a place like a tourist on a cruise ship "does" a city. A brief whistle-stop tour, a glance, a fleeting whizz through a destination. Today we have explored, we have peered in and looked around in detail. Of course we haven't seen everything, but we've seen a lot more than we would normally.

A signs says "assing place" so sharon shows us a bit of her bottom
We can only assume an "ASSING PLACE" is a place where you can show your ass?


If you're not too embarassed to admit you read Bikes And Travels then we still have a few BAT stickers for sale. There's a BAT Stickers link up there on the left.

Riding To Devon It's a long and arduous trip down south to Devon. Or - perhaps Ren is being a drama queen and a bitter cynic.
A Walk Around Brixham Our intrepid motorcycle muppets don't even touch a motorcycle today. In fact it's quite a day for doing things differently for Sharon!
Dartmouth, Slapton and Salcombe South of Brixham the coastal landscape is proving to be quite rural and enjoyable for Sharon and Ren.
The English Riviera - Urgh The dynamic muppets take a haphazard tour of The English Riviera. What will the crankiest two-wheeled twit make of it all?
ButtFast And Buckfast Abbey Ren is having and uncomfortable day. There are things that should not be shared and Ren is sharing them here. Oh dear.
Rocks And A Better Brixham Sharon And Ren scrabble over rocks on Dartmoor and Ren reviews his opinions regarding Brixham
Torquay By Ferry Sharon and Ren bob along the ocean waves to see what Torquay is all about. Context dear boy, context.
Going Home From Devon There's only the small matter or riding home from Devon now for the dynamic muppets. Can Sharon recover from her breakfast tragedy though?
Lessons from Devon Ren is pondering the problems with the trip to Devon.

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