• For those that haven’t been following our Euro Trip since the beginning, you can catch up by clicking here.
• Note: The budget update will be done separately this time. A lot has happened this week and it warrants it’s own article.

Euro Trip: Travel Update #2

Goodbye, England…

As you know from the first Euro Trip update, we’ve been busy making the final preparations for our trip. We made our last shopping run to grab anything we needed before departing. We’ve done a bit more research on our next two destinations. Things to see, public transportation, where to stay, etc. Hayley has also been working hard to sell off the rest of her clothing inventory as well as everything left in her flat. The most difficult part was trying to sell off her remaining furniture.

Why?

Nobody seems to own a truck around here. Nearly everyone drives a small and compact car. Most buyers ask for delivery, which wasn’t possible for us. Furthermore, England doesn’t have garage/yard sales like you’d find in the USA. They do have something you’ve probably never heard of (if you’re reading from the US), a car boot sale.

What is a car boot sale?

First, I should mention that in England the trunk of a car is known as the boot (again, referring to those reading from the states). These sales are arranged to take place on weekends and in an open field or parking lot. Everyone lines up in rows and sells stuff out of the trunk (boot) of their car. In addition, most sellers bring a fold out table to display their items rather than directly out of the trunk. So, Hayley went out the last two weekends to see how much she could get rid of. She was able to sell off a lot of clothing and nearly all the smaller stuff from her flat (decor, kitchenware, etc.).

The Torbay coast

While we were very busy these last few weeks, we did manage to fit in a bit more sightseeing. We had quite a few days of warm weather that we used to explore various spots along the coast. Torbay consists of neighboring towns along the coastline of the bay. It’s a popular English summer tourist attraction that has been nicknamed the English Riviera.

Babbacombe Beach

Babbacombe is a beautiful seaside town along the bay. On a clear, summer day the view is gorgeous. It has quite a tropical feel, with dark blue water that leads to green-blue water as it nears the beach. In addition, rocky coves along the bay provide calm and clear water. Walking through forest that lines the cliff-side almost seems like you’re in another country.

Berry Pomeroy Castle

…well, the ruins of it actually. First of all, the castle was actually a Tudor mansion. It was built within the walls of an older castle in the 15th century, therefore giving it the title of a castle. Abandoned in the late 17th century and remained so until it was rediscovered in the 19th century. The castle ruins showcase one of my favorite types of settings, abandoned places being reclaimed by nature. Furthermore, it is also said to be one of the most haunted places in England. Unfortunately, our trip didn’t provide any ghostly experiences.

Before heading home from Pomeroy Castle, we stopped in town to take a walk along the river. The River Dart cuts through the town of Totnes, which is known as a “hippy” town. Easy to see why upon our arrival to the city center. Many eccentric type shops line the city center and the locals were all dressed quite differently than you see elsewhere in Devon.

Berry Head

Our last stop along Torbay was yet another seaside hike. Berry Head is a national and local nature reserve. The hike heads through a forest of trees up to a hill overlooking the bay. In addition to being a nature reserve the hilltop also contains ruins from an iron age fort. Though later construction and wars changed much of it, the remains of the fortified walls still surround the hillside. A few cannons even remain at a few openings along the wall.

…Hello, Germany!

Now that the flat is empty, bags are packed and the flights are booked. Finally, it’s time to head out! We are currently on our way to London to catch our flight and will arrive in Berlin on Wednesday morning. Most of all, I am really looking forward to exploring the history of the area! I will be back with another travel update in a week or two. More photos and videos will be shared on social media along the way.

• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube

As requested by my cousin Don, I’ve included a map. In addition to showing an overview of Torbay, I’ve included markers of the places we visited.

A note on transparency

For those not already familiar with this website, know that it was developed as an experiment to try and become a travel blogger from scratch. Any type of advertisement, affiliate marketing, etc. will be explicitly stated so. There have been many changes since my previous article that will be explained in more detail later. As of July, 9th this website has been approved for Google’s Adsense program. Consequently, any ads displayed and clicked on will provide me with a small commission. Therefore, the amount received will be shown in future budget updates. The website has also been approved for affiliation with Amazon although no links were included in this article. As a result, no Amazon commissions will be collected on this post.

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