After the wet 1985 summer in Ireland, I had a quiet travel year and stayed most of the time at home. In April 1986 nonetheless, I had a professional trip to Düsseldorf. The only views I had, however, further to my room at the old Breidenbacher Hof Hotel (before the new owners from Kuwait had torn it down and built a brand new one) were these two lousy pictures taken from the room where meetings were held!"
"DÜSSELDORF - I wonder where Peter was on these days..."
***
In August 1986, I went back to the University. Actually, I attended a conference on European Law (Portugal had just acceded to the European Communities), which took place at the University of Exeter, in Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom! On its margins, I profited to have a look at what is known as the English Riviera, the area around Torquay!
"THE CAMPUS - It is said that the University of Exeter has one of the most beautiful campuses in England, in one of the most beautiful counties in Britain"
"THE PROSPECT INN - A bar and restaurant at Exeter Quay"
"WHARFINGERS HOUSE - The Wharfingers Office was built in 1778 to house the City's harbour master. From 1981 it housed the Exeter Quay and Canal Trust, formed to develop the Quay and Canal area"
"EXE RIVER - It was responsible for the development of Exeter city in medieval times"
"ROYAL CLARENCE HOTEL - The historic Hotel is located in the heart of Exeter's Cathedral Yard"
"CATHEDRAL - The Anglican cathedral in Exeter is the seat of the bishop of Exeter. The original cathedral, dedicated to Saint Peter, dates from 1050; the present building was completed by 1400, and has the longest uninterrupted vaulted ceiling in England"
"MOL'S COFFEE HOUSE - It is said that Mol's was a coffee house opened by an Italian in the 16th century. In addition, it's also said that Drake, Raleigh and Hawkins met to discuss their victory over the Armada, in the upper room of Mol's. However, it seems that much of the history of this building was concocted by a Mr Worth, who ran a gallery from the premises in the late 19th and early 20th century. In 1986, it was occupied by the jewellers Nottingham and Walsh, but they also left the premises some time later. It seems that the present occupier is Connection South West, a high-class boutique that sells everything from Mont Blanc pens to expensive handbags..."
"SHOPPING STREET - Is C&A still named for Cheap & Awful?"
"ST. STEPHENS CHURCH on High Street was probably built by a wealthy patron for the use of his family. The church was first mentioned in 1086, although the crypt is probably of Saxon origin. In 1658, Cromwell decreed that all churches in Exeter be closed apart from four. St Stephen's was then sold, to be used as a stable. Four years later, St Stephen's was in the process of restoration when it was destroyed by fire. In 1664, the people of the parish rebuilt the church"
"EXETER WAR MEMORIAL - Dedicated on 29th April, 1923, it is considered to be one of the finest of its type. It shows figures in bronze of a soldier at rest, a sailor, a prisoner of war, a group of Exeter men with prisoners of war in Germany and a nurse. The 2.5 metre high figure of Victory trampling over the Demon of Tyranny and Wrong stands on the top of the granite pedestal. A bronze plaque is dedicated to the 958 men and women of Exeter who died between 1914 and 1918. Additional bronze plaques for the dead of the Second World War were also included"
"EXETER"
"DARTMOUTH is a town in Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, also famous for its Royal Regattas"
"TORQUAY is a city at Torbay, an east-facing bay and natural harbour, at the western most end of Lyme Bay. It lies 26 kilometres south of Exeter and 61 km north-east of Plymouth. Tourist authorities call it the English Riviera on account of its beaches and mild climate"
