Getting Lost In Plymouth…
Can you imagine! Long ago, people actually found their way around a new area or the great outdoors without Google Maps! Here at Strathmore House Apartments, we challenged friends to explore Plymouth WITHOUT the aid of a mobile device!
It was so much fun hearing all about their day. They went out and about, exploring Plymouth’s beauty by chance!
Using only natural directional signs and the tourist information signage around Plymouth we asked them to set aside their mobile maps and just ‘get lost’ in the beauty of Plymouth!
Meet John & Margaret…
John and Margaret boldly took on the challenge, and we sat down with them the next day to see how they found their adventures in Britain’s Ocean City…
“We decided to leave our phones at home! Although in our 60’s we do tend to lean on them more often than not. We ask hundreds of questions a day using Google; normally to appease a disagreement! John mostly wins – he was a History teacher for 40 years so has the winning hand most of the time!
We LOVED this challenge! So much so, we decided that we would do this more often as it felt so freeing! Don’t get me wrong, technology is advantageous and we wouldn’t be without it, but to escape it and truly explore is a remarkable experience. Armed with just Johns watch (to keep an eye on the dinner reservation) we were off!
We left at 10.15, just after breakfast and headed out of the apartments up to the Hoe. I must say, the signage and information boards are a real asset to Plymouth; we loved learning about the area and just looking. The vista is breathtaking.
The Liner Lookout…
As we were walking towards the sea we stumbled across a beautiful little cafe. It’s called the Liner Lookout. They were just opening and Ann (I believe she was called) really made us feel welcome. The coffee was spectacular, and the view breathtaking. They do food too, but we had just had breakfast, so will go back as the prices were VERY reasonable. We learnt that it was a watch tower in the 1870’s, looking out for the big ships coming in to Plymouth. We will be doing more research; this was just what we picked up in our conversation over coffee!
We then left and walked down to the sea, it was a clear day and the view really was incredible. We decided to turn right and walk down through the park. I love gardening and so we wondered around looking at the amazing splashes of colour – and of course watched the children eating ice-cream and having goes on the little bright train!
We went on looking at the amazing architecture and the odd shapes of the buildings that had obviously been bombed in the war.
The Beauty Of Plymouth…
We came to Millbay Park, you had to really hunt for any plaques and signage here, but it’s worth it when you find them! It was a little bit of a letdown and one of the only times we wished we had Google! Luckily we met a gentleman walking his dog who told us where we had to look, and that the area was home to an old prison site and the Soap Factory and that Chris Robinson does some great books on the history of Plymouth – so John is very excited about that!
Then we took a gentle stroll down to the Royal William Yard. We have been before and love the atmosphere. There is a lovely clothes shop called Identity Fashion, we had a coffee in Ocean Studios and then a glass of wine in the Seco Lounge. Walking around the buildings was captivating; we decided that if we were ever to move to Plymouth then this would definitely be a place to consider!
Our stroll took us up some steps and on to Devils Point Park. The view was spectacular and the signage was brilliant. We were able to look out and know what we were seeing! Again, we got chatting to the lady in the cafe, she told us that the area by families to say goodbye or welcome to loved ones on naval ships as they made their way to and from the dockyards. You could really feel that in the air. There were public toilets here too, so it made a great pit-stop after the copious beverages that fueled our footsteps!
The Walk Home…
We left and walked down back to the roundabout outside the Royal William Yard and down by the Cremyll Ferry. They are really regular, every thirty minutes, but we had to make our dinner reservation so decided not to explore this time.
We took a mosey on down to Union Street, and then stopped off at a lovely little shop which did the most amazing coffee. Then back to Strathmore House Apartments, it was just after 4pm.
What an amazing day we had! John got straight on Goggle to look for Chris Robinson books and I called our daughter to tell her of our adventures! We then got ready leisurely for dinner on the Barbican in the Pasta Bar, it was divine and the service amazing.