The River Exe

We’ve always loved kayaking when we lived in Florida – with the exception of the crabs hanging in the mangroves on a kayaking trail in Tampa bay. Not a fan. Ira liked torturing me with them. You get a different view of the world from a kayak. You see what the great blue herons see. You float along with the alligators, and sometimes with the manatees. The world opens up in a different way, like horseback riding, only Ira doesn’t horseback ride.

So, when it was suggested that we try the River down at the Quay, we were happy to check it out. The weather was warm, but clouds hung low. It was warm enough, we were willing to risk getting a little wet just the same.

Even so, the rentals were still going out on the water. However, there weren’t any kayaks available so we agreed to a canoe. Not Ira’s choice. He’s had bad experiences in canoes. He’s flipped several in his past. His sense of balance is turned off, feeling as if he will tilt over at any second. I don’t really have a preference, but he sucked it up so we could get on the water.

Plus we had an energetic boy. Who couldn’t keep still. Who jerked about. Who drove Ira a bit batty with fear.

Despite this, it was peaceful floating along with the ducks and swans. They didn’t seem to mind that we were invading their territory and the river flowed nicely allowing us to just sit and drive down toward our destination.

At the end of our route was a pub, The Double Locks, which was having a Sunday Roast and we were ready to try some pub food. It did not disappoint! This charming little place, however, is very popular and we were happy we got there earlier enough to find a seat. The seating outside would have been perfect for watching the water, but the cloud cover and the wind chased us inside next to a window. Maybe next time!

With the day still being young, we decided to explore the city center a bit, discovering some old ruins from the old city and treating the boy with dessert.