Torquay, Devon

Torquay is this rather quaint Victorian seaside resort town in Devon on the bay of Torbay. The beach is sandy and beautiful.

As you drive down to the seaside, the streets are lined with guest houses and hotels. I can imagine this place is packed in the summer with tourists swarming everywhere. While once this was a glamorous spot for upper class Victorians, it now has a very tacky-tourist feel. The hotel used for Faulty Towers is found in Torquay.

You can just make out the palm trees in this photo. The Torbay area is known as the "English Riviera." We visited on a grey November day, with threatening clouds in the sky, so the place was rather deserted. It didn't feel much like I imagine the Riviera does, but the beach and bay were certainly beautiful.