As we rode from Buckfastleigh to Totnes we had to conclude that it really was going to be even hotter than last week. None of us cope well with excessive heat so after completing the riverside track we called in to the Safeways cafe and then stocked up with provisions for lunch.

Joe had requested Goodrington Sands for today's destination. The road from Longcombe to Galmpton passes the Parliament Stone, marking the parliament held there by William of Orange in 1688, but we were more interested in finding shade on the long climb. From Galmpton we climbed to Churston and then enjoyed the long descent to Broadsands. A shady seat offered excellent lunchtime views of all the activity on the beach and in the sea.

Rather than climb the road again to get to Goodrington we thought we'd try the coast path that we saw marked on the map. There were some steep flights of steps to negotiate but we discovered a whole world of quiet beaches and unspoilt scenery that seemed a world away from the busy tourist beaches of Torbay. Finally arriving at Goodrington we enjoyed drinks and ice creams on one of the few free patches of beach and then set about enjoying the water. Joe, who enjoys scuba diving whenever he can, kept Oliver and Michael entertained with his seal-like antics.

Next stop was Paignton beach, and here we were greeted by the largest collection of new council machinery you could ever imagine. This was the annual exhibition of industrial vacuums, waste trucks, car crushers, skip transporters and other weird machines that we couldn't begin to understand. When we had each chosen the machine that we'd most like to buy we set off for the long, hot climb to Marldon.

We were running a little short of water by the time we reached the top, so Michael had the idea of calling in to see David Robinson. We were rewarded with ice cold drinks and an interesting chat before we completed the final leg of our journey home via Red Post.