Our first week was in the Gullsway Boathouse, Dartmouth. We are grateful for the recommendation of our friends David and Jane for this beautifully placed and appointed apartment. Shame about the 72 steps down from the street to the flat (and, more to the point, the 72 steps back up!) But the views from the living room were to die for...

The small blue building at the river's edge is our apartment. The big cream-coloured house in the middle of the picture marks the beginning of the steps...

... and below is the living/dining room...

Even in the early morning mist, the view was beautiful.

Dartmouth is a pretty, old fashioned town

One can catch one of two ferries to the other side of the River Dart. The Lower Ferry goes to Kingswear.

There are great views from the ferry.

We hardly drove anywhere from our base in Dartmouth, it was so easy to get around. We did, however, drive to Coleton Fishacre, a lovely house, formerly owned by the D'Oyly Carte family, with its amazing sub-tropical gardens.

Some lovely exotic plants there too.

Dartmouth Castle and Blackstone Point

One day, we did the "Round Robin". A river trip up the Dart by boat to Totnes...

Totnes harbour

We also walked to Dartmouth Castle and the dramatic Castle Cove.

And walked to Blackstone Point - This is the view looking back to Mill Bay Cove

Another day, we took the ferry to Greenway and from there, an even smaller ferry to the small village of Dittisham where we had an excellent lunch at the Ferry Boat Inn Pub (the pink building below).