Finally off on a week's break to sunny Cornwall... much needed after all the bullshit of this year so far and I was getting punch drunk and snappy at work because of it.
We stopped off in Barnstaple for an overnight stay and had a nice a nice meal in an Italian restaurant called Giovanni's, I had a chicken risotto which was very nice.
Haven't seen much of the town itself but it's interesting to note that the taxi driver who took us back to the hotel told us that Barnstaple is a dying town with little to no new commercial opportunities and pubs closing left, right and centre due to, and this is his opinion: "all the people living here who are on benefits aren't spending their money in the pubs due to the Government's austerity cutbacks, they're probably getting their booze from the cheaper supermarkets and staying in...". It's crap even during the tourist season even though Barnstaple is right in the heart of Devon's major tourism triangle of Ilfracombe and Croyde on the coast.
Still, the Wetherspoon pub there looked pretty busy to me, as was Giovanni's, which I recommend to anyone who is visiting.
We're off down the Devon coast and into Cornwall today for a week's worth of beach combing, walks and wildlife photography where I will continue my quest for the 'ultimate snap' :)
