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We arrived back in Wengen on Monday, and no sooner had we unpacked than it began to snow. Yesterday I popped up to the Co-op for supplies, and we spent the rest of the day watching the snow accumulate outside. Fortunately the sun came out today, which was good as we needed a big shop at Interlaken. I got this wintry snap of Lauterbrunnen on the way down.

The weather forecast says it’s going to snow again tonight. We have no trains or cable cars up the mountain at the moment, so there’s nothing much to do. No hotels, bars or restaurants are open yet. Snowshoes at the weekend perhaps.

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We got lucky with the weather today, as although there were clearly some showers around, we didn’t get a drop of rain. But we did get a splendid rainbow.

We had our usual crab sandwiches for lunch, and strolled around town in the sunshine. There’s a small sculpture and plaque in the little park giving information about the lifeboat ‘Baltic Exchange III’.

Tomorrow morning we’ll be heading north towards Shropshire, and for now all we need to do is decide where to eat tonight.

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The harbour is home to dozens and dozens of buoys. These things are either moorings for boats or aids to navigation. The visible part of a buoy is a brightly coloured plastic sphere, which is attached to a heavy weight on the sea bed by a chain. With lots of boats using the harbour during summer, not to mention tides and storms, these things have a pretty hard life.

in winter therefore, they are all inspected and, if necessary, repaired. Repairs are carried out on the floating workshop in the foreground, whilst the divers who inspect the underwater components operate from the orange boat in the background. It must be a tough job at this time of year.

The weather began to brighten up, so we had a walk along the road which follows the estuary south towards the sea.

Eventually we reached the beach at North Sands. In summer dogs are not allowed on this beach, but in winter the rules are relaxed and they can enjoy a good run.

We had dinner at the Ferry Inn tonight. They had a roaring fire going, it was very cosy.

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The road through Salcombe is closed this morning for the Remembrance parade. First come the standards from the British Legion and the RNLI, followed by the lifeboat crew.

Next are the ex-servicemen and police.

And finally, the good people of Salcombe.

We walk up the hill to the cenotaph overlooking the estuary for the service, which is very well attended. Everyone and everything stops, and even in the commercial hotspot that is Salcombe, shops are closed.

The ladies and gentlemen from the rowing club pulled up below the cenotaph for the service.

A sombre and moving morning. Lest we forget.

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Super seafood at the Crab Shed last night, accompanied by a bottle of our favourite Whispering Angel rose.

This morning we’re heading east, to the village of Torcross. There’s a long sandy beach, which forms a natural breakwater.

Behind the beach is a freshwater lake, which is home to lots of wildlife.

A world war 2 Sherman tank was recovered from the sea here in 1984. It was lost during Exercise Tiger, which was a rehearsal for the D-day landings. It now serves as a memorial. We pause, in remembrance.

Lunch is the highlight of a day at Torcross. The Start Bay Inn serves the freshest fish you’ll ever eat. Delicious.

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It’s a much nicer day today, so we’re off to nearby Hope Cove for a walk. Hope Cove is a tiny fishing village.

There are two nice beaches.

Old thatched cottages add to the charm.

Tiny St Clements church overlooking the bay.

Distant views to Thurlstone and Bigbury Bay.

We had a good walk, and stopped for lunch at The Cove, a little pub in the village.

Afterwards we had a walk on the beach.

There’s an appeal going on in the village for funds to repair the sea wall. It was certainly getting a battering today.

Back in Salcombe this afternoon, we came across the yacht ‘Island Spirit’. I did my skipper’s training on this boat many years ago. Jane and Jennifer came along and we had a great week sailing along the coast of Devon and Cornwall. You can read about it here.

And as I write this, a cruising yacht enters the harbour to moor at Whitestrand, just as we did on Island Spirit, all those years ago.

Dinner at the Crab Shed later, which is always a treat.

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Val had her German class this morning, and while I was enjoying my coffee on the balcony the sun came out. Woohoo!

I popped into town and got a new woolly hat from the lifeboat station (despite the sun, it’s still chilly), and bought crab sandwiches for our lunch. This afternoon the weather took a turn for the worse, with a big storm from the southwest. We watched the ferryman struggling to get his boat across the estuary, until he eventually had to admit defeat at the hands of wind and waves. The rain stopped just in time for us to head out to the Fortescue, our favourite local pub, for drinks and a very nice dinner.