After riding the steam train to historic Dartmouth today, we crossed the river by ferry and boarded a paddle steamer in September sunshine. The steamer headed out to sea just beyond the forts guarding the entrance to the estuary before turning upriver. A grey seal lounged on a pontoon and pulled a banana pose as we sailed by. The tannoy crackled and the skipper pointed out Agatha Christie’s house, up a hill but hidden behind some trees, so it remains a mystery to me. What an inspirational place to settle and write crime fiction.