Country retreat in Devon

Over the past few months I've been focusing on exploring England, partly due to lack of time, partly because there are so many wonderful places to visit within close-ish distance to London. St Ives (Cornwall), Bisley (Gloucestershire), Alfriston (East Sussex), Haslemere (West Sussex) are just some of the amazing places I've ventured to in the past year.

A few weeks ago my boyfriend and I headed for a country break to Devon for a long weekend. We caught the train bright and early on a gorgeous friday morning and before too long we were driving along the tiny country lanes in East Devon in search of our bed & breakfast. Listening to BBC Devon and watching field after field and horses and cows go by, we felt ourselves slowly being de-Londonised... There it was our turning along a tiny dirt track, past the nearest 'village' Southleigh which consisted of a post box and village noticeboard. We passed a few farms and lovely converted barns and finally drove up the driveway to our bed & breakfast Glebe House, sitting beautifully on top a hill. My kind of place. Breathtaking views of the valley and surrounding farmhouses, wooden table and chairs for that night cap (or in my case peppermint tea) in the evening, and a welcoming host. I'd only just gotten there and I was already dreading leaving. Our host served us tea and cookies in the conservatory and then showed us to our room upstairs with views of the garden. It was a perfect location for exploring the nearby villages, beaches and Moors. We spent a day at the beautiful beach town Lyme Regis, a day in the wild and rugged Dartmoor national park and a day in idyllic and hip town of Totnes.

I'm all about staying local, and luckily there are seemingly never ending options in this very country...

Welcome to slowmoves

The journey has been slow, but then it couldn't have been any other way... We want to build a community of like-minded travellers who want to rediscover and enjoy the essence of travelling.

We are ushered to travel the same way, to the same places. Indeed, we have become used to only appreciating where we are going, not how we got there. We'd like to take the time to watch the world go by, observing, commenting, analysing people and sceneries on our way. Once we get there, we want to immerse ourselves in the local culture, chatting to locals, trying local dishes, and staying in guesthouses rather than big chain hotels. Some people call it 'slow travel'. We call it slowmoves.

Are you interested in Slowmoves? We'd love you to join us in sharing your experiences and promote the reasons for moving slower, whether they be environmental, social or economic. Read on about our journeys, trips, tips and adventures. Do leave us a comment or get in touch if you'd like to contribute. Enjoy the journey.

Anouk & George

Springfield park & marina

Springfield park is officially my new favourite park in London. I still love my 'local' Clissold park of course, but there's something really enchanting about Springfield park. A 10 minute cycle ride from Stoke Newington, the park is in Upper Clapton and sits alongside the river Lea. As you near the park, there's a steep hill with great views of the park on your right and Springfield marina straight ahead. I always feel like I'm on holiday somewhere (for some reason it makes me think of San Francisco?!) as I cycle down this hill.



The park has lots of different levels, tennis courts, weeping willows, great views of the river and surrounding marshes and a great cafe with yummy healthy food (I had a Moroccan salad). As you walk down to the marina, there's another cafe, a rowing club and endless walking routes along the river. If you cross the bridge and take a right, you can walk through Hackney marshes (you would never believe you were in London) until you reach a huge green with the largest collection of football pitches in Europe.



[Anouk]

Cyclosport events

Worth checking Cyclosport out if you are in to cycling, and not fainthearted.

It's all about the bike.

Within the site (along with places for reviews, photos, training tips and a lot more) Cyclosport list events taking place all around the world, search able first by continent, then country. You can find one close to you, or one that provides you with the destination to enjoy the journey to. Perhaps something to think about for next year but even a look at the beginning of October for the UK alone shows a month including tour of the Pennines and another of the Peak District.

It's worth reiterating the not fainthearted bit, but also making clear you can use the site how you wish. If you prefer to be independent and going at your own pace - rather than the peleton's - you can still be inspired by the rides on the website, they each come with summaries, 'getting there' information, maps, downloads and useful links.

Thanks to Rory who recommended the site following his completing of Atlantic to Mediterranean over Pyrenees peaks, in 100 hours this summer. The harder end of a journey written about earlier this year on slowmoves...

[George]

Picture from www.cyclosport.com