27th Honiton

An Admin day.

The night was quite cold but the morning was warm. It was a bit of a shock to find that dad no longer has coffee for breakfast, fruit juice is his thing now. I unpacked the asus netbook and soon had the 3 stick up and working. I was surprised to get 3G coverage in the trailer but as I discovered it was quite unreliable. Gemma with her 2G stick had a slower speed but at least it did not keep on dropping out on her.

I spent some time on admin stuff, looking up train times, hotel bookings, moving money around and the like. Dad and I decided that we would go into town and sort out the hire car and my accommodation. Honiton does not seem to have changed much since my last visit, there seemed to be more street traders and the independent newsagent has turned into a Smiths but other than that it seems to be much the same as always. The hire car is a local trader garage on the other side of the town from Dads trailer. Seems to be an all service garage that does some hire cars on the side. We sort out the car for pickup the next day, it will be a black Diesil golf. Its a manual so I have a bit of a challenge ahead of me. Gemma is glad that she can't drive. Everybody at the garage seemed to be a bit eccentric, inbreeding or small town? Dad tries to convince me to have two hire periods so as to save money as there are a couple of day in the middle where we do not really need the car but I resist as I can't be bother to do it like that, it's just to much hassle to save a couple of days hire and I have not got time to waste buggering around. Dad does not seem to understand that I am time limited not money limited on this trip so I am quite prepared to spend a bit more money if it saves me time.

Then it's just across the forecourt to the Turks Lodge motel. A bit seedy and run down but what do I care? I make my booking and chose the double room with breakfast as it's on special and does not cost anymore than a single room. It should be ok for three nights. The place is about 12 rooms around an open parking area. I am a bit bothered to discover that there is no laundry, forgot that it's just NZ motels that always have a laundry.

Then it's off to Tesco for some travel supplies. This has to be the most run down Tesco that I have ever seen, peeling paint and cracks everywhere. Dad explains that they had been trying for ages to build a new one nearby but had just been refused planning permission again, they had been running this one down in expiation of closing it. I would have liked to spend more time looking around the shelves but Dad was getting fractious. I don't think he has any idea what it is like for me after all these years, he just wants to get a move on. I bought a real pork pie to share with Dad for lunch

After the pie it's off to Castle Drogo. I have been here before but it's an interesting place, I would not want to live here. It was built in the twenties but styled as a medieval castle. I think the owners must have been a bit mad. Large halls, very cold in winter despite the heating. I of course are more I treated in how the house worked than the portraits and works of art.

They are having a real afternoon tea event but don't seem to be having much trade, after I saw the prices I understood why. While we were walking around dad put on some of the props and insisted on having his photo taken. I guess we were lucky not to get thrown out.

The whole system is setup to make the staff as hidden as possible with hidden doors and corridors etc. It's really more like a manor house than a castle.

We manage to resist the bouncy castle as we return to the entrance. Dad and I had our photo taken in the garden. This place is now a national trust property and there is a new combined tea rooms and shop at the entrance. We have a nice afternoon tea and Gemma joins the national trust, I think about it but decide not to. We buy some things at the shop and I stock up on cards to send Clare

Back to Honiton where Gemma is cooking the tea. We have cheese fritata potato salad and I make a green salad. Hilda come across again and we have a good time other than dads foul wine. I will have to do something about that wine.

After a lot of talking I realise it's 22:00 and time for bed. I hope I will not be so cold tonight. It's time to hit the road tomorrow what adventures lie ahead and will I be able to conquer that manual gear box!