A Rainy Day in Plymouth

The yard of hot dog or chilli cheeseburger are not to be missed. A favourite among anyone with two wheels, a hangover, or a dose of nostalgia, this fine eatery will guarantee a bellyful for the unhealthiest of appetites. Morning to night you can sample their burgers and hot dogs cooked to order with every kind of relish you could imagine. You'll pay an extra 20 pence deposit for mugs and cups, and the spoons are chained down, but it bags character. You imagine the soul food of the Deep South, well, Capn Jaspers must be the soul food of the native Janner. Capn Jaspers claims a global following, mainly due to the range of customers, often the morning after a crazy night before. It is well worth the visit.

It's a cold, drizzly day, wind whipping round your ankles and stinging your face, so the last thing you want to do is go for a walk. The thing about a Plymouth winter is that it's rarely that cold. It's rarely that sunny in the summer, anyway. Why not take a brisk (trust me, it will be brisk) walk on the Hoe, look at the waves crashing to shore, laugh at the seagulls as they try to fly straight, and feel naughty eating ice cream when you shouldn't. The kids will think you're crazy but are guaranteed not to turn down ice cream. You could justify it as keeping that bored teenager who's serving company as a reason to be there. Celebrate the fact that there's no queue! If that's not enough, look forward to getting home, putting on your biggest jumper, and having a hot mug of tea.

The female form distracts nearly half the population, and it's no wonder. I've seen art all over the world but have never known a city celebrate its curves as much. Beryl Cook is renowned for her fat, frisky ladies. Tipsy nights are celebrated with joyful abandonment. The strippers, the taxis, the cheeky pinch of a bum... all are affectionately captured on canvas. Robert Lenkiewicz paints a women with more finesse. Renowned for his intimate portraits, Lenkiewicz's women reach out with deep passion. His subjects are portrayed with character and history, their eyes hiding a story that the voyeur longs to hear. Both artists are prevalent in the Barbican, with galleries and street art celebrating their work. Spend a day browsing and your mind will journey through and relive the experiences of our subjects.

Plymouth doesn't have the greatest rep, but it is a gateway to France and Spain. It's most notorious among seamen around the globe and TV crews hunting down drunken youths. All that doesn't make for a renowned family destination. If you've any imagination, though, you'll scratch beneath the surface to find a city brimming with ideas, with free and open spaces and excellent bases for touring beaches, forests, and moorland. It has a fair share of rock shops for the sweet tooth. Visit the Grey Glass harbour and watch the sail boats bob up and down! Hear cars splash through the puddles between the cobbles! Visit the teddy bear shop and touch the softest toys you'll find. Taste mint chocolate chip ice cream in the bitter cold. It's a question of shifting your focus, looking for the rainbows in the stormy skies, hearing the rumblings from Neptune's lands as his waves crash in. I've seen the brightest smiles on the darkest days, running up ahead and chasing seagulls (not a formally recognised sport in Devon, but highly recommended if you're 2 years old!). That hot chocolate when you get home will never taste as good. Get out there!