May 18th Plymouth

   May 18^th  Plymouth,  United Kingdom

Slept very well so far no rocking on the boat.  Fingers crossed.

After a wonderful breakfast in our room served by our butler, Bob and I headed off for our first excursion.  This was tendered so we took a small boat to shore and then headed off by bus to Buckland Abbey.

All I can say is congrats to our bus driver for managing all those tight hedgerow roads.  We found out that she was named bus driver of the year last year.

The Abbey ( Sir Francis Drake’s home) was amazing, not really the building though interesting it was the gardens both formal and informal that I loved.  They had opened early to accommodate our tour so meant times Bob and I and the bees were the only ones there.  Bob says my pics are just like my father’s. i am seeing that as a compliment, sorry if you don’t like them.

Then we headed back on the bus to see the Dartmoor area.  I did not know what to expect but it was wonderful.  Rugged and calming all at the same time.  Guide gave us a great background of the area as well.

Yes there were ponies and sheep all over the place.

Back on the ship we had lunch outside by the pool and then I made a brief stop of something sweet to eat from the pastry shop.  Yes beer and bubbly was consumed.

Now on our balcony watching the sailboats go by in the afternoon sun and reading the book Josh and Merc gave me for the trip.   Sorry Janice did not go to trivia and since I had a few glasses with lunch not sure I would score well on a quiz. 

If this was our only stop I would give this a 10 stars.

See below for details.

 

Sir Francis Drake House and Scenic Dartmoor - Duration: 3.50 hr(s) Discover Buckland Abbey, the former home of Sir Francis Drake, seaman, adventurer and explorer, on this leisurely half-day tour. Buckland Abbey Tucked away in its own secluded valley above the beautiful River Tavy, Buckland Abbey holds the secret to over 700 years of history. Originally a Cistercian monastery it was converted after the Dissolution to become the home of Sir Richard Grenville and then, most famously, Sir Francis Drake. The Abbey remained a Drake family home and the centre of a large farm estate for nearly four hundred years after the death of Sir Francis in 1596. Visit the furnished period rooms and wonderful ancient buildings, craft workshops, a gem of an herb garden, the massive medieval Great Barn and a unique new decorated plasterwork ceiling in Drake Chamber. Dartmoor Scenic Drive Afterwards enjoy a panoramic overview of Dartmoor. Steeped in legend and myth, your guide will recount of some of the age old stories of this vast wilderness. Pause for photographs at scenic points along the way, such as the two bridges and see the Victorian prison at Princetown before returning to Plymouth pier.