laurel bee

Topsham & The Turf

On my quest to explore every single little coastal town near Exeter, the next stop was Topsham. Famous among students for the 'Topsham Ten', a crawl of ten pubs, I'd always admired from afar Instagram pictures of the quay and the little pathways weaving their way through the town.

Aside from the whole picturesque coastal town vibe, another reason I'd been keen on finally exploring Topsham was because a local friend of mine has been nagging me for weeks (though it feels like years) to go and check out The Turf, a pub overlooking the Exe Estuary and at the end of Exeter Canal.

So, on the first day of coolness following the crazy heatwave (and by coolness, I mean it was still about twenty degrees), my housemate Katie and I set off on the twenty minute train journey down the tracks to Topsham. We planned to visit The Turf for lunch, sandwiching it in the middle of wandering around the town and exploring the shops. The cool thing about The Turf is that it's not accessible by car - you have to either walk from a car park two and a half miles away, cycle your way there, or catch a boat across the estuary. Of course, we opted for the boat.

The little boat, Sea Dream II, journeys for fifteen minutes down the estuary a few times a day from Topsham Quay to The Turf and back, and costs £5 for a return trip. It was really lovely to do something a bit different, and the boat ride gave us perfect opportunity to admire all the dogs that were also on their way to The Turf.

We were both pretty hungry when we arrived at - must have been all that fresh country air - so we headed straight inside to get hold of a menu and order some food. The lunch menu had a fab selection of toasties and sandwiches, as well as some more sizeable mains like fish and chips or lasagne - and some great veggie options too which always makes me happy.

I opted for a Devon crab, rocket and lemon mayo sandwich which was served with Burt's crisps, and Katie had a venison steak sandwich with salad and chips. I'd never actually had crab before which is surprising since I'm pescetarian, but I thought this was a good opportunity to try something new. I really liked the sound of it with lemon mayo, and I've said before that I always love having food that's been locally produced, so the fact that it was Devon crab definitely appealed to me as well.

We both really enjoyed our meals and the crab was very much a success, which gives me another seafood option for the future! Result. I also ordered a glass of Pimm's to enjoy with my lunch - it's just the perfect summery drink.

After we'd had lunch and taken a satisfactory amount of photos of the surrounding canal and boats, we headed back to the landing stage to catch the return boat to Topsham Quay.

Once back in Topsham, we wandered around and found an amazing bookshop on the main street, which was a dream come true for Katie. We spent about an hour in the bookshop, which spanned three floors, exploring the shelves and flicking through different paperbacks. I managed to find a second-hand copy of The Time Traveller's Wife, which I've been wanting to read for a while after having it recommended to me by a friend (hopefully there'll be a review of it at some point in the future).

The streets themselves were really small and quaint, and we particularly loved this little alleyway adorned with flowers and bunting. I was so glad to have finally visited Topsham, and The Turf really made our trip what it was, so I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who visits the town. Hopefully I'll be back soon enough!

In travel,

I left my heart in Lyme Regis

Ever since coming to Exeter, I've wanted to visit Lyme Regis. I had seen so many gorgeous photographs of it, pinned far too many blog posts on Pinterest and envied any friends who had already had the chance to visit. Lo and behold, as you've probably already read from my other recent posts, now that we've finished exams we've been presented with the perfect opportunity to explore as many places as we possibly can before we inevitably (sob) graduate in July.

So the three of us packed ourselves into Cari's little yellow car, Bobby, and headed for the seaside. Having grown up on a little island where you never had to drive very far to get where you wanted (my best friend and I lived on opposite sides of the island, and it took twenty minutes to get to her house - travelling at the speed limit of 35 mph no less), I've always enjoyed going for longer rides. Not that this was particularly long - after about fifty minutes we were there - but I loved the experience of driving through the countryside with my housemates, belting out our favourite cheesy tunes. It is also possible to get to Lyme Regis from Exeter using public transport, if you take the half hour train to Axminster and then catch a bus for twenty minutes, though it's slightly more complex than your typical ten minute train ride to the coast which was why we decided to drive on this day.

The drive was absolutely beautiful, speeding along wide highways and winding around tiny lanes, overlooking the rolling green hills and - eventually - catching that long-awaited first sight of the sea.

Even as we drove through Lyme Regis for the first time looking for a parking space, we could already tell that we were going to absolutely adore this place. The streets were small and windy, lined with colourful houses and kooky shops filled with knick-knacks, and littered with excited, summery tourists. After finding a parking space, we began exploring immediately, slipping into a couple of the shops to admire all of the gorgeous things we couldn't afford. We also found a fossil shop which was absolutely fascinating, filled with massive fossils of sea creatures that were millions of years old. Lyme Regis is famous for its fossils, so it was amazing to actually see some of the ones that had been found in the local area in person.

After the fossil shop, we couldn't contain our excitement any further, and began to head to the seafront. On the way, a little outdoor entrance to a theatre caught my eye (typical drama student, me) and we peeked in - and thank goodness we did, because it led to the most beautiful view over the sea and the surrounding coastline!

After finally having got a proper look at the seafront, we couldn't quite contain our excitement any longer, and quickly made our way down to the beach. Since it was a Sunday, the whole place was completely alive with people, helping themselves to ice creams from the charming little boutiques and enjoying the sunshine. The weather was absolutely perfect, and we loved walking along the front, taking in all of the sights - children playing in the sand, older couples sitting in their pastel beach houses, and, of course, the most wonderful array of dogs.

I felt so envious of the couples we saw who owned beach houses, and thought of how lovely it would be to retire somewhere as peaceful as this, and spend your days sitting outside on the beach, reading a book or watching the world go by. I also loved the the lamp posts, curling over into the shape of a fossil - the most charming, thoughtful touch.

We helped ourselves to three servings (one each, I'm not just super greedy) of fish and chips - a seaside essential - and made our way to the top of the Jane Austen garden where we found a bench to sit, enjoy the view and soak in all of the wonderfulness of the day. Jane Austen herself actually lived in Lyme Regis for some months in 1803/04, and used the town as a setting in her novel Persuasion. Close to the garden is the Cobb, which is the harbour at Lyme Regis, and stars in The French Lieutenant's Woman (to put it simply, Meryl Streep stood on the Cobb. Enough said). Considering how small and quaint this town is, it sure has seen some famous faces.

After sitting in the gardens for a while, enjoying our chips and chatting about how much we wanted to retire early so that we could move to Lyme Regis, we made our way back along the seafront to return to the outdoor area by the theatre, where there was a cool busker playing. I always really love listening to live music, and this was the most beautiful setting.

While we'd chosen to go right from the viewpoint area to walk along the beach, earlier I had seen a lovely little pathway to the left of the theatre that I wanted to go back to. There was some beautiful wooden fencing angling its way up the hill that I knew would give us an amazing view, and make for the loveliest photographs - always thinking about that Insta!

Next, we made our way back into the town to find a rather famous bookshop which, as English students, was a lot of the reason why we were so keen to come to Lyme Regis in the first place! The bookshop is called The Sanctuary, and also doubles as a B&B, so you can hire one of two rooms to stay the night, either overlooking the sea or the land. Everywhere you look, the shop is piled high with books. Spanning multiple rooms and floors, we spent a good hour or so working our way through all of the second-hand books they had. My favourite area was down the stairs, where they had a room with a low ceiling and comfy sofas, complete with a gorgeous record player and a huge array of vinyl records to choose from.

We eventually made our way out of the shop with a sizeable pile of books between us, and finally made our way back to the beach to get a highly anticipated ice cream before we finally began to make our way back home, from a little ice cream shop called Mollie's that we'd spotted earlier on in the day. I chose a toffee fudge ice cream with a waffle cone and flake (of course), and we sat on the wall by the beach to soak up the last of the sun - the perfect end to a lovely day.

In travel,

A trip to Teignmouth

Now that I'm well and truly finished with my degree, my friends and I have started to truly take advantage of our new-found freedom by properly exploring Exeter and the surrounding area in the few weeks we have left in this gorgeous city.

Next up on my list was Teignmouth. Just twenty minutes on the train from Exeter, a short while along from Dawlish, it's another easily accessible seaside town, perfect for a chilled out afternoon trip.

Located on the north bank of the estuary mouth of the River Teign (thanks, Wikipedia), Teignmouth has a lovely walking route along the coast overlooking the water. While it wasn't the loveliest day weather-wise, it was perfect for a good old walk, so we set off walking up and down the coastal path, admiring anyone brave enough to have ventured into the water.

After building up an appetite, we then went to find ourselves the perfect place to eat. Although central Teignmouth seemed fairly small - especially considering it was a Sunday when most shops tend to be shut - we stumbled across a lovely little place called The Lemon Tree. It seemed meant to be, since my favourite cafe back home in Dubai is called The Lime Tree! We both chose paninis (mine was cheese and chutney), which were served with tortilla chips, a side salad and coleslaw.

After lunch, we had another wander through the town, admiring the little shops and pubs, and wishing they were open so we could have more of an explore! We then made our way back to the waterfront again, where there was an old pier, complete with lots of little arcade games. Luckily at this point the sun began to come out for us again, and we enjoyed sitting out on the pier, watching all of the funny little pigeons and admiring the passing dogs, of course.

As we began to head back to the train station, after catching a whiff of a nearby fish and chip shop, we couldn't resist stopping to share a small bag of chips between us - for only 99p! A trip to the seaside definitely isn't complete without a good old fish and chips, so this was the perfect end to a lovely little afternoon. Despite the cloudy weather, Teignmouth was truly charming, and I was glad to have another place ticked off my list.

In travel,

A day in Dawlish

After the end of a week spent in the library slaving away over deadlines, taking a Saturday off to explore a little town in the South West was exactly what I needed. My housemate and I often struggle to do spontaneous things (we're both meticulous planners), but with the train station just a five minute walk from our house and Dawlish a ten minute ride down the line, it was pretty hard to resist this time.

Within twenty minutes of ambling our way down to the station, we were on the beach, soaking up the sea air. It's amazing what a little break can do for the mind and, as an island girl at heart, I always feel comforted and refreshed after even the shortest visit to the sea.

After wandering up and down the beach, admiring dogs (Sophie) and collecting pebbles (me), we found our way into the little town and walked alongside the river, keeping an eye out for the famous black swans, which you can only find in Dawlish!

There are little paths that you can walk along next to the stream, and some lovely picturesque bridges too - perfect for those Insta photos, strings of coloured lights hang across the river, which I imagine look absolutely gorgeous lighting up the water in the evenings. We also managed to find a little bird sanctuary and saw signs for some mini golf - though we didn't venture far enough to find it this time!

As it started to drizzle, we made our way inside the town hall, where there was a Spring fete filled with lots of locally made gifts. I bought a bar of lavender soap for my mum, and we both picked up some postcards of Dawlish and the surrounding area that had been painted by a local artist. Following the fete, we found our way into a gorgeous little local tea room called Daisy's. Sophie was really keen to get a cream tea, so we made ourselves at home to enjoy this English classic.

Although quaint, Dawlish made for the perfect break from our essays on an otherwise perfectly normal Saturday afternoon. For such an affordable price, our afternoon trip has only encouraged me to explore more of our surrounding area before we graduate from Exeter in July. Where to next?

In travel,

Hebden Bridge

Every summer, I travel up to Halifax in West Yorkshire with my mum and brother to visit my gran. Halifax is a lovely little town where my mum grew up, and I love taking a yearly week-long break from reality to hike on the moors, visit the church where my parents got married and get my chip butty from the fish and chip shop on the moor behind my mum’s old school.

A trip to Halifax also usually entails a day trip to Hebden Bridge, which is just a half hour journey down the train line. It's a cute little market town, situated alongside the Rochdale Canal which runs from Sowerby Bridge (my late grandpa’s hometown) all the way through to Manchester.

One of my favourite parts of a visit to Hebden Bridge is taking a stroll along the towpath down the side of the canal, watching the locks change and admiring the barges that have stopped by that day and picking out our favourites. I loved the above one from Devon as that's where I currently live, so it felt like a little sign of home away from home!

I've always been fascinated by barges, ever since I had my very own little Sylvanian barge as a child, and still feel amazed that an entire family can live inside a little boat for weeks on end, travelling from place to place. Some of the boats even have their own cats! One of my favourites from a few years ago was a fudge barge - the couple who lived aboard made all of these different flavours of fudge on their boat and then sold it to passers-by. I'll tell you now, it was pretty great.

The town meanwhile, while small, is full of quirky little shops, welcoming cafes and little markets overflowing with fresh fruit, veg and knick knacks, all overlooking the surrounding rivers and streams from old stone bridges. One particular shop that has always enchanted me is The Yorkshire Soap Company, where all of the soaps have been fashioned into little 'cupcakes' or 'slices of cake'. It's the kind of soap that you'll buy and never use because it's way too pretty - I've had a little cream soap duck sitting in my bathroom at home for about three years now because I love it too much to use!

All in all, Hebden Bridge makes for a lovely day - or even just an afternoon - out. If you live in Yorkshire or ever happen to be up that end of England and passing through, it's well worth stopping by to visit this charming little town.

In travel,

Top 10 things to do in Dubai

1. Go shopping in the largest mall in the world

If you love shopping, then you’ll love Dubai. The Dubai Mall has over 14 miles worth of shops, from ones you’ll find on the high street to high-fashion brands, as well as tons of different places to eat and snack with cuisines from all over the world.

2. Go dune-bashing and ride a camel on a desert safari

No visit to Dubai is complete without a trip into the desert. You can book an afternoon with a tour company, who’ll drive you out into the sand and take you dune-bashing in the afternoon, before going to a Bedouin camp in the evening to snack on some traditional Arabic foods, listen to local music and even ride a camel!

3. Visit one of the waterparks

Dubai has two different waterparks and there’s another one about a ninety-minute drive away in Abu Dhabi, so you’ve got plenty of choice. The parks are always a great day out, they have amazing rides and it’s ideal to be able to spend some time in the sun while also feeling refreshed by all of the cool water.

4. Take an abra across the creek to visit ‘old Dubai’

Dubai is seen as such a modern, up-and-coming city, but it can be great to step back and look at what it used to be like before they hit the big-time! For just 1 dirham (that’s about 20p), you can take a ride across the creek on an old-fashioned boat and explore the fascinating markets that line the streets of old Dubai.

5. Find bargains on ‘genuine fakes’ in Karama

Everybody loves a good bargain, and Dubai has just the place for you if you’re not up to spending the full prices on designer clothes, shoes and bags. Karama is a small district in Dubai, close to the creek and the old part of the city, jam-packed full of little shops selling genuine fakes for amazing prices.

6. Take a day off to relax by the pool/beach

Let’s not forget the amazing weather in Dubai! It’s pretty much sunny all year round; it only rains for a couple of days a year and, when it does, the city seems to lose its mind and all the schools close. Why not spend some time topping up on your tan, enjoying the pool and sunshine while you’ve got it?

7. Go shopping in a souk

A souk is a traditional Arabic marketplace, selling clothes, art, jewellery, perfumes and much more for bargain prices. If you’re looking to take home a little bit of culture as a souvenir, a souk is definitely the right place to go.

8. Visit one of the many food and craft park markets

Following on from the souks, there are many lovely parks in Dubai, some of which hold food and craft markets every week. My favourite of these is the Zabeel Park Ripe Market, where lots of independent craft stalls and healthy street food carts are set up every Friday for your perusal.

9. Have dinner watching the dancing fountains

Now, I’ve got a question for you. Where else in the world can you eat your dinner while watching dancing fountains? These fountains are world famous, choreographed to ‘dance’ to different tracks every half an hour throughout the evening. I know what you’re thinking – fountains? They’re just water! I know, I know, but there’s something about them that I absolutely adore, and there’s always hundreds of people watching them every night so I guess I’m not the only one!

10. Take an elevator to the top of the tallest building in the world

And, of course, the Burj Khalifa; Dubai’s pride and joy. At 892.9m, it’s the tallest building in the world – and you can go up it! Granted, it’s a little bit more costly, but definitely worth it as the view is incredible. I’d recommend going late afternoon; that way, you’ll be able to see the view in the daytime, at sunset and at night in just one viewing.

Originally published in Exeposé.