Saturday, July 06, 2013

Plymouth Day 3: The Hoe and Barbican.






In Plymouth, the Hoe lies atop a promontory facing the sea, and is the place where Sir Francis Drake famously chose to conclude his lawn bowling before sailing out to face the approaching Spanish Armada.

The Barbican is a relatively small but atmospheric quarter of older buildings that somehow survived both the Luftwaffe's air raids and a post-war rebuilding effort that mimicked Bucharest. The Barbican tumbles down the eastern slope of the hoe and meets the old port, now given over to tourism and pleasure craft. The Royal Navy and commercial docks are located to the west, on the other side of the Hoe, along the mouth of the Tamar River.

The pint being drained is within the comfortable confines of The Dolphin, which is a wonderful spot to contemplate well-tended cask ale.

(The account of our visit to the UK is being posted piecemeal, backdated to the actual day)

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