The Valley of Rocks was in the news recently and it was mentioned that there are a pair of Peregrine Falcons nearby. The habitat is perfect, so it is not surprising that there should be any here, as they are not as rare as they once were. We did not realise there were any here, and always assumed any large bird of prey was a buzzard . . . but now (having looked up the difference in our books) we will always take the binoculars to spot them.
Something else we had not noticed in Lynton until recently is the Sequoia tree in the public car park. At least, we did not realise it was a Sequoia. These trees are sometimes called Punch Trees because the bark is soft (which this one is). If this is a Giant Sequoia, this one could be just a baby! There are ominous swellings in the tarmac around it already.
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Watersmeet has reopened for the season. The National Trust lodge is a favourite with all visitors to the area. There is a cafe with a picturesque outdoor seating area, and also a gift shop, at the end of a two-mile river walk from Lynmouth. It can also be reached by parking at Hillsford Bridge and walking towards Lynmouth, which is slightly shorter and flatter. These walks are always nice to do, but it is better to know there is a cup of tea waiting for you!
The new version of our Guests' pictures page is finally up-and-running. Hopefully, it's a bit more user-friendly . . . you just click a thumbnail picture to change the enlargement and the nearby caption. It's taken quite a while to set up (and some new software), and sometimes this sort of thing doesn't work in different browsers, Apple Macs, or versions of Windows, so please have a look, and let us know if it's not working properly.
March 18th
This morning, some guests were asking us what were the differences between guest houses and hotels. It is confusing. VisitBritain are the organisation who grade b&bs, guest houses and hotels. Recently they have standardised the grading system to be simpler for the customer. Previously, guest houses and b&bs were graded with diamonds, and hotels were graded with stars. Now everyone is graded with stars, but under different classifications. Many guest houses offer very similar facilities to hotels, but usually with a more personal service. The owners will usually live in the house (and do most of the work). Size is one obvious difference, yet some small hotels are family-run and have a very similar feel to a guest house. The Quality in Tourism National Quality Assurance Standards website gives a few examples: http://www.qualityintourism.com/asp/main.asp
There is also a 58-page pdf to download about Guest Accommodation . . . gripping stuff!
Today was the official reopening party of the Clifftop Cafe. The cafe (now renamed a Cafaurant) is one of our favourites, but it has been closed since September, when it was damaged by a fire. It has now been totally refitted and looks as good as new. Perched at the top of the Cliff Railway, the views over Lynmouth towards Countisbury and Foreland Point are stunning. There is indoor and outdoor seating, and daytime and evening meals are served.
We did the trip to the Eden Project ourselves yesterday. We had not been since the year it opened and the changes were spectacular. The grounds around the domes are well
