Got there this time! (Monday 22nd July) First thing was to find a car park for the Quay – and pay for it! Then make my way down to the riverside, buy the paper, and have a glass of iced coffee outside a café / antique shop:

Definitely the best non-alcoholic drink of the trip – no contenders! Did a quick browse of the antiques – no bargains! Something seemed to have changed since 2010; it was not possible this year to walk from where I was along the riverside to the busier part of the Quay. One of the eating / drinking establishments seems to have built a veranda out over the path and obliged people to walk round on the street side, unless customers. So I did that and got to where a boat trip was about to depart:

Now, who knew that Exeter has a Ship Canal? The oldest canal in England, we were told. I said I thought Manchester might have something to say about that, not to mention Leeds and Liverpool. I haven’t researched it since.

Anyway, after a short stretch of river boating, were turned off into the Ship Canal, where approaching the first bridge, it looked a bit challenging!:

We can’t get under there! No, not with it like that – two young men (crew) have to hop off the boat when it gets close to the wall on the right, release and relocate the barriers to prevent traffic crossing, then push the bridge physically round to the open position to let the boat through. Reverse the procedure once we were through and hop back on!

This canal is much wider than the ones usually travelled by narrow boats. There were some interesting craft at the side:

I said “I don’t think they’ll ever refloat it!”. Returning towards the Quay, we went through the last bridge, and emerged back onto the river:

It was lunch time. Today’s eating pattern was different: the nearest pub / restaurant to the guest house is a Chinese, within walking distance for some (not me!). It had just reopened after refurbishment, and on Mondays they do a buffet! So I was going to delay the main meal of the day till the evening. More later. I had to get back to the car (time running out), but after climbing the same steps and stairs by which I had come down, I couldn’t find it! Signage seemed inadequate, and I couldn’t identify the door through which I had come off the ‘deck’ into the stairway! I managed in the end by going onto the deck below where the car was and retracing my way, on foot, which I had driven earlier.

So where did I go to eat? No!! I wouldn’t, would I? Yes!! I would and I did – onto the motorway at J29 and off again at the service area! Cool bag now being less useful, except for that chilled drop of wine, I bought a sandwich at M & S or Smiths – can’t remember which.

So then what? Back into Exeter, and I tried to get Satnav to take me back to that area where I had fallen asleep in the rain on Saturday. It was inaccessible, closed off for road works. I cruised around a bit, believing, but not sure, that I was close to the cathedral and found a kerbside parking space. Payment by RingGo or coins. The signage offered one or two hours, but when I tried to pay RingGo for two, it said that wasn’t allowed! I didn’t have sufficient coins. The nearest shop – right there – was a sports / fitness equipment shop. A young man was seated at a desk with no customers. I told him the issue and asked if he could help me with coins. He couldn’t. Seeing my situation and state of stress he said “Look, if you’re sure to be back within two hours, you can use my space – I don’t use it”. This was a designated space on a private area at the side of the building. How kind of him!

So I moved the car and set off on foot to find the cathedral, which could not be seen, though only four minutes away according to Google. Soon I was on the ‘green’ in front of the cathedral, and at the side there was a kiosk selling drinks. I was warm enough to fancy another iced coffee. Not as good as the first, nowhere near! I looked across at the façade and reflected that I had never seen so much statuary which showed no sign of protestant vandalism!

It’s a splendid edifice, and I went inside – you have to pay – and walked round the interior, but didn’t really make time to study the stained glass, of which there is a lot, nor other potentially interesting pieces. This was not through lack of time, but inability to stand comfortably for long periods.

So it was back to the car, and out of town to the guest house to change clothes for the evening. The Chinese Buffet was pleasant, but different from the one we used to have in Huddersfield (so sad it didn’t survive the pandemic). There were no chefs cooking to order or behind counters, just a room with tables round the edge on which were heated casseroles containing an assortment of dishes but not much variety or special interest.

I thought I might include Tuesday in this post – hence the title, which I like the sound of! But it’s been long enough (too long?) and there’s a lot to tell about Tuesday, so I’ll leave the ‘Et Cetera’ till next time: Brixham, a Chuffer, and Hamlet.