After a good night’s sleep in the extremely comfortable bed it was time to sample Hotel Indigo’s breakfast. As with the other Indigo hotels that we have stayed in there is a continental selection and a menu for cooked to order items. I chose the small vegetarian option which included crushed avocado. My instincts that this would not go with the other breakfast items were correct but at least I can say that I tried it.

Straight after breakfast we visited Exeter Cathedral and found it to have a lovely atmosphere. The Cathedral has lots of interesting features, far too many to take in on one visit. We also visited the treasury exhibition which is included as part of the ticket. Before leaving I purchased some books and an advent candle from the shop.

We walked to the quayside where we had lunch in the Riverside Café. We chose to eat inside due to the intense mid-day sunshine. I chose a toastie and Elderflower cordial to drink. It was served in an interesting way; the cordial was in a jug and served with bottled water. You could mix the drink exactly to your taste.

After lunch we visited the nearby Custom House which houses an exhibition of history of Custom House itself, smuggling and the quayside area of Exeter.

Back in town, Mr C dropped off his rucksack at the hotel before embarking on a shopping fix; Brook Tavener, Pro Cook and Lakeland. He bought a few shirts from Brook Tavener but couldn’t find ‘just the right’ gadget in either of the cookshops. We also visited Waterstones where I was able to pick up the latest book in a series that I am reading.

Back at the hotel we chilled out and freshened up for dinner. Again, we had a pre-dinner drink on the rooftop bar, although we weren’t able to secure a prime position for the best view. We dined in The Ivy which we had booked on our travels earlier in the day. I chose fish and chips, a first for me in the ivy. The service was attentive when we first arrived but became less attentive as the evening wore on. We even had to summon someone to pour the remainder of our wine (which is always kept in a cooler away from the table).

Walking back towards the hotel after the meal we could hear music through the open doors of the Cathedral from the Bowie concert that was taking place. We had intended to return to the Ship Inn for a nightcap but as we neared the venue extremely loud karaoke music was emanating from inside so we returned to the hotel instead and found it refreshing to fine the bar was open when it was supposed to be and didn’t shut earlier than stated. Even when the tills had been closed residents could order drinks to be billed to their room. Much more civilised than some of our other recent experiences.

We awoke to glorious sunshine and were given a window seat for breakfast which allowed us to to make the most of it. The breakfast was excellent although the portions were enormous. My plate of scrambled egg and salmon could have fed two people.

Straight after breakfast we headed into town to pick up some bottled water and some handkerchiefs for Mr C because, during the various lockdowns, all of his had mysteriously disappeared. Whilst in town he also got a bit carried away in Brook Taverner when he realised that there was a Black Friday deal available. The purchases (minus one handkerchief) were deposited into our car boot on our way to the butterfly farm.

That lone handkerchief came in useful when both our camera lenses and screens steamed up in the hot humid atmosphere in the butterfly house. The butterflies were spectacular and a few of them were kind enough to pose for us. In the case full of chrysalises we saw a butterfly emerging which was fascinating to watch as its wings unfurled. A sign advising ‘Caution! Iguanas Poo here’ (from above) was enough to encourage us to move on swiftly by. As we were about to leave, a butterfly settled contentedly on my shoulder.

It was now time for lunch so we headed into town picking up some leaflets from the tourist information centre along the way. This included a walk leaflet about a walk that we had noticed on a map near to the butterfly farm. We had lunch in Huffkins where we again dropped lucky as a table had just become available.

After lunch we started the river walk from the middle point, near to the Hotel Arden. One of the points of interest detailed on the map is The Church of the Holy Trinity, Shakespeare is buried there, just in front of the altar. One of the church’s guides explained lots of fascinating details about the church including the fact that the nave of the church is at a slight angle to the chancel imitating the angle of Jesus’ lolling on the cross as depicted in the stained glass window.

After our visit to the church we continued our river walk finishing at Cox’s Yard, which we had bypassed earlier when we left the butterfly house in search of lunch. Our walk concluded, we headed back into town and, whilst we were walking, Mr C had an unexpected phone call from my nephew who gave us an update on his new job and other things. By this point it had turned rather chilly so I headed into the nearby Edinburgh Woolen Mill shop to warm up but came out empty handed. We then visited the Christmas shop which was chaotically busy. A small angel decided to come home with us…

It was now time for afternoon tea and we found a vegan café where we settled down in the warmth for a lovely cuppa before heading back to the hotel to chill out before dinner.

We had an aperitif in The Rose & Crown pub before dining in the The Opposition bistro. Once again the gin was served in a gold fish bowl full of ice (it is the current fashion) but without the friendly addition of a straw, making it impossible to drink without tipping ice all over  your face. In the restaurant I settled for good old fish and chips which was delicious.

Mr C chose Wetherspoons for a nightcap and told me to choose a table whilst he went to the bar. Twenty minutes later I was beginning to think he had done a runner when suddenly he emerged looking rather angry and ticking like an old clock… There had been a saga with ordering drinks at the bar. I suggested that we move to a different area in the pub that I had noticed whilst I was waiting. By chance, we were now sitting next to the couple that had shared the delayed ordering saga at the bar. We got chatting whilst they were waiting for their food to arrive and found out that she was celebrating her birthday which was a coincidence as this was my delayed birthday weekend celebration too.