Great Ride. The last half mile into Dartmouth was easily a 50 MPH decent. I held it back because it was super windy, and the bike would shift from left to right with every gust. I wanted not to crash.
Coming into Dartmouth was like coming into a bees nest. There were hundreds of people walking around trying to figure what to do. I looked at the food prices and they were too high to try anything.
I found the Museum and went in. 1.50 pounds, 3 rooms. I felt sorry for them. I did however find out more about Sir Walter. Turns out he was the first explorer to Virginia for England, Came back, didn't get along with the King, was imprisoned for 15 years. Sided with Spain and was executed! National Hero! Go figure!
The ride out of town started with a ferry ride,(for 1 pound) across the River Dart.
And a 550' climb. Very nice. Not a problem at all. I think all these little head walls are sinking in! The way back I came across a rider on a 1970ish Falcon. I asked him the best way back to Totnes. He gave me some idea that I was in fact going the right way.
I followed the route that he told me. After a while, I felt like I should ask someone else directions and found a farm with a "Cider" sigh in front.
I rang the bell at the window and an older women came out and served me some samples of the three ciders they sell. The bottles were too large to carry. I offered her a pound coin, but she refused. She made me a list of turns to take to get back to Totnes, and when we talked more, I found out that she was related to Janet, the women running the B+B. I had her write a note to Janet on the paper so I could pass it along when I got back. After following the instructions she gave me, I got a little turned around and found myself on a dirt road that was going down hill. Lots of loose rocks. Muddy in places and very nice. I could see in front of me some folks on touring bikes with fenders that the person in back was having a hard time. I caught up and saw she was having a problem with the loose rock under foot. I asked as I passed, "You don't like the loose rock, do you?" She looked at me as If I knew her whole story but said "What?" I asked "The loose rock, Not Good?", she said, "YES! Not Good!"
I came across a gentleman walking along the road. We walked to the top of the hill together, chatting about this and that. We reached the top of the hill. He said, "This is Totnes". I said "Thanks!" and rolled off. As I came to the end of the road, I realized that I was at the house. A straight shot with the last 6 miles of my ride, off road. I couldn't have asked for anything better.
I went to the house and I could see no one was home, so I turned around to head downtown for a pint and when I got to the dirt road I came back on, I saw the couple that were on the touring bikes had made it to the pavement. They were stopped as the Husband of the women that runs the B+B coming and bringing the cows home from the field. He asked if we could all wait. 120 cows coming home. Very Sweet. I loved it!
When the parade was over, I said good by to the couple and went down the 200'foot hill to the center of town and the "Royal Seven Star" for the first pint of the day. I met a fellow, a Canadian, by the name of Stewart.
Nice fellow. He told me he was a book writer who had just finished a trilogy about the Canadian involvement in the first world war. He asked me If I had made it to Slapton Sands and told me of a US war memorial there. He showed on my map why the Americans had chose that beach for training for the D-Day landing at Normandy. He told be I should go back and see it and check out the Sherman Tank, known as a DD, It was a special model with props on the back and a canvas skirt around it to float from the special landing ships so the US could have tanks ashore. Sounds interesting, I may go back tomorrow.
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