A week of joy: our Cornish holidays

 

Decades ago, when I was a child, I loved reading books about King Arthur and Merlin. Cornwall appeared to me such an exotic faraway place. I couldn't even imagine then that years later I would be visiting and re-visiting this magic land again and again.

Just a couple of weeks ago I read a weekly column by Caitlyn Moran, who is generally acknowledged to be a great wit, where she dismisses holidays in Cornwall as "the contractual obligation of the British middle classes in summer". How sniffy and presumptious! 

I really don't care much about the middle class's ambitions and expectations. Cornwall is the place we've been visiting for the last twenty five years in all seasons, and I never get bored of it. It's the highlight of my summer, if not the whole year.

Having a family member with autism who thrives on routine and familiar places and patterns, we tend to stay in the same place for his sake. A few years ago we were too late to book a week in "our" cottage, which Sasha loves so much. Lesson learnt, he didn't enjoy staying somewhere else, and now we book our holidays over a year in advance. 

Last year it was touch and go, as we didn't know until the last moment whether the lockdown would be lifted for us to travel. This summer I also worried that something would go wrong. 

If you have a peek inside our house, we have photos and pictures of Cornwall in almost every single room (bar toilets). And it's no wonder: you want to surround yourselves with things which remind you of happy times.

The trip itself is always long and tiring, but my heart lifts up when I see the wind turbines. It's a sign that we're getting closer to our destination.

We stopped by at Tanya's (Bodmin) for a coffee takeaway, and it turned out to be an unforgettable experience. The rudeness of the lady behind the counter was epic. Since then I read reviews on TripAdvisor, and laughed aloud. We were also greeted with "What do you want?"

The cakes were displayed behind the "family-friendly" sign. Service with a snarl and suboptimal coffee guaranteed that we won't be returning to Tanya's ever again. 

We arrived at our cottage in Perranuthnoe just after 6pm. The sea view from our bedroom always gladdens my heart.

Whatever the weather, we rush to the beach as soon as we have had taken all our luggage in and had a quick cuppa. The first sight of the sea makes me beam from ear to ear and want to jump with joy like a 5-year-old. The salty air, the breeze, the sound of the waves restore my energy, and my tiredness dissolves.

We were lucky with the weather. The forecast was pretty gloomy, it was supposed to rain most of the week, but it turned out to be much much better. It only rained one day, and though it was never hot, it was lovely. The boys spent most of the time on the beach, surfing and digging themselves into the sand. Our group was bigger this time, and Eddie had a companion of his age to share all the crazy antics.

Our friend J has a great sense of humour, and is so good with camera. He was forever snapping us, like our personal paparazzi. We were larking around a lot, like kids.

Eddie had a blast with his surfing board, getting soaked through and through in the cold water. I only dared to dip my feet and didn't fancy to go in the deep.

In the evenings we often walk to the other side of the village, along the coast towards Marazion and St Michael's Mount. We call it the rocky beach, but I'm sure it has an official name. On the way there we often stop by someone's villa with an old cannon looking at the sea. 

We actually visited St Michael's Mount this year. I booked our trip online several weeks in advance. We were lucky to have a chance to walk on the causeway early in the morning towards the castle. On the way back, the tide was coming in and we travelled by boat.

Since we were booked to arrive at a specific time, I thought that would mean there would be fewer people in the castle at a given time. It was packed full. So much for social distancing. You could hardly move around some rooms without bumping into the other people. The rooms are pretty small as they are.

We visited St Michael's before, around twelve years ago, and it was as busy then, but naively I expected a more organised influx of visitors this time.

We still enjoyed climbing up the hill, looking around from above, and admiring the interior and art collection.

I just love the library at St Michael's with this cosy reading nook.

I have hundreds of photos from our trip, and looking at them makes me feel happy and a little bit nostalgic. I wish we lived closer and could visit Cornwall more often.

I've been reading in the papers and social media that the Cornish are fed up with the tourists and appear as surly and inhospitable. We didn't feel unwelcome at all (apart from Tanya's, who probably had a bad day). The Tesco driver who brought our grocery order was very polite, asked where we came from and wished us a good week.

The Cornish food company, where we also placed a food order, were an absolute delight to communicate with. The food arrived when we were still travelling to the cottage. 

Everyone in the hospitality business, was polite and professional, and what more can you ask?! 

On the way back we stopped for a quick bite in Marazion. 

If you happen to visit Marazion, do stop by the Ruby's ice cream shop. I tried a Cornish cream tea flavour, made with clotted cream, strawberries and pieces of scones, and it was a pure delight.

A trip to Penzance is a must, when you stay in this part of Cornwall. Sadly, the Admiral Benbow pub where we usually go for lunch, was closed on that day, so instead we had a meal in the cafe On the Bay, looking at the harbour. 

There were six of us with different diet and food preferences, but they catered to all our tastes: we had a gluten free meal, two vegetarian, one pescatarian and two meat-eaters. The food was fresh and tasty. And the views across the bay towards St Michael's are scenic.

The beach in Perranuthnoe is amazingly clean. Walking around, we didn't see any discarded rubbish. Many people had picnics and BBQs on the beach, but they clearly took all the rubbish with them.

One evening, as we arrived for a stroll and splash, there was a big company on the beach, with a tent and a table next to the BBQ. They had a big spread on the table with all the condiments. I chuckled appreciatively at how organised they were. 

It's not just the kids who enjoyed splashing around, the big guys were in the water as well.

When it was getting too teeth-chatteringly cold in the sea, the boys would dig themsleves in the sand to warm up.

Sash was in his element. He loves the sea, and always has had, since he was a little child and we first stayed by the sea in Italy. He jumps in the waves, flapping his arms, and doesn't care if anyone is watching. 

Years ago we used to go on horse-riding holidays in Cornwall. We stayed in the B&B in St Hilary's. The family has sold the B&B since then, but they still own the stables. The last time we've seen them was when I was pregnant with Eddie. 

We passed by the stables in the car and called them to ask if we could visit the horses. I didn't expect they would be able to offer us a slot, as it was really an impromptu call, but they were happy to offer us a slot in the morning.

The place is called Churchtown Morgans.

When I say that Sasha was ecstatic, I do not exaggerate. He was so happy to ride. And the horses are marvellous, they don't mind that he was agitated when he arrived at the stables and was jumping with joy at the sight of them. They must sense how happy he is next to them. 

It was Eddie's first time riding a horse, and he enjoyed every minute of it. He asked if we could do it again next time we go to Cornwall. I should hope so.

The summer is almost over, and the week in Cornwall will be forever etched in our memories as the week of joy and happiness.

Memories of Cornwall

When it comes to sunsets, Cornwall is surely the envy of the other counties. And in the previous week we've seen a lot of glorious sunsets along the beautiful coastline. The sun gradually slipping behind the horizon is one of the most fascinating sights, and I never tire of it.

Our trip to Cornwall was booked last year. We tend to stay in the same cottage in the village of Perranuthnoe, where all the properties get snapped a year in advance. We love the closeness to the sea, the cottage itself is very comfortable, and our elder son revels in the familiarity of the place.

This is the view of the sea and the village from one of the bedroom windows. You lie on the bed, and drift to sleep with the skies getting darker and darker, and the occasional lights from the distant trawler. Though this year, I had to pull down the blinds, as they have installed the sensor lights by the front door just below the windows, which kept blinking like a disco through the night. Must have been feral cats, foxes or bats, I've never seen anything live moving, whenever I peeked in the night.

We didn't know until the last moment whether this trip would even happen, what with Covid, and all the travel arrangements with social distancing and the joy of masks. I've been fretting for the last few weeks, keeping my fingers crossed, that we could make it.
Staying in Cornwall for a week is a highlight of my year. I don't want to go to the hot climes of the Mediterranean for a break, I'm happy breathing the salty air of the Cornish coastline.

I wonder if this cutie was one of our night visitors, who kept triggering the sensor lights?!

Which souvenirs do you bring home from your trips? I always bring a bag of rocks and pebbles, polished by the sea. I found this lovely pebble on the first night of our stay in Cornwall, and just knew I had to bring it home with me. Now I have to decide where to place it in our garden.
And there's Eddie photo-bombing me from behind the patio doors.

I have easily taken about a thousand photos in Cornwall, but don't worry, I won't bombard you with all of them. I've picked 15, which bring happy memories and make me want to go back to the sea.

Usually I'm behind the camera, so that I don't have many photos of myself, but I asked Eddie to take a few snaps. This is the SoyaConcept top I bought just before our trip. If you read my Photo diary posts, you might remember when I mentioned that I loved that top in the shop window display. It was just perfect for cooler Cornish evenings by the sea.

My boys love the seaside as much as I do. Eddie was so happy, frolicking and rollicking in the waves.
The beach was the busiest I've ever seen it, and we've been staying in this village for about 10 years.
It must be all the visitors who would usually go abroad for summer holidays, but had to change their plans due to Covid.

The village we stay in doesn't have any grocery shops, sadly, so you need to order food online or go to a nearby town (Marazion or Penzance). I've been watching the Tesco slots like a hawk, and managed to book one flexi-slot at 12.01am, when all the hourly slots were snapped immediately.

We also had a food delivery from The Cornish Food Box Company. I cannot recommend them highly enough. They work with more than 250 local producers and farmers. Everything in our order was fresh and high quality. I wish I've taken a photo of the delivery when it arrived, but my guys were starving, and I started cooking our lunch as soon as the food arrived.

Among many other things, I have ordered a traditional saffron cake and scones, with the delicious Trewithen Dairy clotted cream and wonderfully fragrant Strawberry & rose petal jam from Gathered.
I loved that jam, it was like the essence of summer.

In the evenings we like to walk to the rocky beach, well, we call it that, I don't know what's the official name for it. You walk to the left from the village, along the coastal path towards Marazion and St Michael's Mount. There is an old cannon and a rusty anchor by one of the villas on the way. They keep the gates open for people to have a look around and take photos.

For the last few years Eddie and I have a jumping photo taken. It has become a tradition. This is not the best snap, but Sash was getting restless, and we didn't have much time for getting a better shot. Well, we tried. It was windy, and my hair was getting in my face.
This is one of the "embarrassing parent's" photos. I wonder when Eddie would reach a point when he refuses to jump with me?

This is our Sash in a relaxed mood. He wasn't always relaxed, I think the crowds on the beach have made him more anxious. He loves walking to the rocky beach, as there are hardly any people there, and he can spend ages standing next to the waves, looking at St Michael's Mount.

Playing in the sand is a must, when you're on the beach.

You wait and wait for your holidays for a whole year, and then the week whizzes past, fast like a bullet. And it's time to say Good bye to your favourite spot in the world, and travel home.
We wanted to extend our Cornish adventure, and on the way back visited two of the iconic Cornish landmarks - Land's End and Tintagel.

Land's End was quite busy. We walked around, looking at the cliffs, covered in herbs and blooms. I've read there are over 80 kinds of moss on the rocks there. I've never seen such an abundance of monbretia in the wild, presuming that it was a garden plant.
We bought some substandard rock (as in confectionery), which was too soggy soft, and a postcard with a stamp to send to the grandparents in Italy.

We should have checked out Tintagel website before deciding to visit it, as of course, everything is pre-booked in advance these days. But it would have been unrealistic for us, and with the ever-unreliable Cornish weather, plans could always go awry.

The village itself was a hell of a crowded space. Social distancing was non-existent, there were queues and crowds everywhere, and I didn't feel comfortable visiting any of the shops or cafes.

You could still walk down the path to see the remains of the castle and Merlin's cave from the side.
When I saw the new slate bridge over the gorge, I was kind of glad we didn't have tickets.
There is no way I would want to walk on it. I'm not good with heights at all, and even looking at the footbridge from below gave me heart palpitations.

I always wanted to visit Tintagel. It has strong links to the legends of King Arthur and Merlin.
Maybe one day, I will revisit it properly, but only walking on the lower bridge.

We said Good Bye to Cornwall, and now have our photos and memories to go back to. I miss Cornwall already.

Farewell to summer

Ah, summer holidays, summer holidays, why do you have to come to an end? We loved that it didn't matter if we went to bed almost at midnight, or stayed in PJs until midday, who was there to judge?! We could have a picnic in the garden, read books in the summerhouse, pick strawberries from the strawberry patch (those that were't munched by the slugs first), have water fights in the garden and visit the milk shake shop on a hot afternoon...

What would we remember of summer 2018, when we look back? The longest heatwave?

In June we planned a 5-days-long adventure with Eddie when Sasha went on a residential trip to Butlins with his class. It didn't end as planned, as Sasha didn't cope with the change from routine, so we had to cut our adventure short.
But we still had a fabulous day at Legoland...

And a day in Brighton... staying in the room with the best view...

We enjoyed longer walks through the flood fields by the river Windrush...

Loved picking a handful of red currants after dinner...

Visited Sasha's new school...

Spent a small fortune in cafes...

Were ecstatic on the flight simulator.

Relished every minute of flying high on the swings...

Some of us were so tired after the playground antics, that we had to stop in town and have a little lie-in on the bench before going back home.

And then there was a fun birthday party for Eddie...

August was more of the same - leisurely trips into town, playground and cafes.
I took one zillion photos during our trip to Sennen Cove, Cornwall, and Eddie and I had fun, arranging some of them in a short video.




We also baked cakes and cupcakes, made fudge, watched lots of films, played football and read many wonderful books.

Farewell, summer! Hello, autumn!

And since Eddie is the main editor of my iphone movies, here is another Eddie-fest of summer memories.

Photo diary: week 34, project 365

In case you were wondering what has happened to my photo diary week 33, we were travelling that weekend, and I haven't mastered the art of adding photos to my blog, using the iphone. So, I'll skip that week altogether, "stealing" one of the days from that week to add to my week 34. As it is all about our holiday to Cornwall, it makes total sense. Well, at least to me...

On Saturday we had one hell of a day, travelling to Penzance from Oxford by train. The train was packed full, and some entitled people were already sitting in the seats which we reserved in advance.
Travelling with Sasha is stressful enough without an added pressure. He needs 2:1 assistance while travelling, so we always book seats to alleviate his anxiety and safeguard him.
The family of cheeky f***ers didn't want to budge, claiming that they had a full right to sit there without any reservation, and there was nothing we could do. There was nobody around to complain to. Thankfully, two seats were offered by people who travelled separately and didn't mind to go elsewhere. We couldn't really split up and sit by ourselves. It's not safe for Sasha, and he would suffer from a panic attack or hurt himself. Anyway, we wouldn't consider it.
Eddie got a seat, and I was standing next to him for about an hour and a half, until more people left.
The cheeky f***ers' family also put a pushchair in the narrow entrance by the suitcases, with the baby inside. When we were getting in, with my hands full of bags, I tripped over the wheel and managed to fall backwards, hitting the back pretty bad. Again, the woman didn't bother even to apologise or ask me if I was all right. I'm glad I didn't overturn the buggy with the baby, but it was such a hazard. Some people have no brain or consideration for the others.
When we finally arrived to the cottage in Sennen Cove where we stayed for a week, I was delighted with the view from just outside the door over the bay and the sea. It's simply breathtaking.

This was our first visit to Sennen Cove. I will be writing about the village and the cottage where we stayed separately. Usually we go to Perranuthnoe, and for Sasha that place means Cornwall.
For him any change is a cause of anxiety, and he was quite unsettled through the whole week.
He kept showing me the picture symbols in his social story books -"home", "bus", "taxi", "drive", "ready to go" every day. It was clear he didn't want to stay there. Lesson learnt, we have booked the next year's holiday already in the cottage which he knows well.
Here he is, giving me an Eskimo kiss. The beach was very foggy that day, it was beautiful but eerie.

It was clear that the summer was coming to an end. I think we only had one hot afternoon from the whole week, and most days I was wearing a cardi or even a mac to the beach.
Here is the "obligatory" jumping-on-the-beach photo we do every year in Cornwall. And yes, every year I look ridiculous.

Eddie loves playing in the waves, but squeaks when they get rough, and rightly so. On a few days we were there the poster by the sea was announcing that the currents were strong.

Half way through the holiday, my impractical husband decided to buy a surf board for Eddie. Yes, such a brilliant idea. Eddie was thrilled, of course.

On Thursday evening it was so fresh and blustery, we decided to skip an evening walk to the beach, and explore a bit of the area above the village, with the Mayon Cliff which is the National Trust area. It's amazingly beautiful, with miles of wild erica and gorse bush.
I love everything about this photo, and will probably turn it into a canvas for Eddie's bedroom.

Friday was cold and wet. We did dare to go to the beach, but got caught in the rain on the way back. I like the look of this old funicular. I don't know if it's still in use.

Yesterday morning we said Good Bye to Sennen Cove and Captain's Haven. As we were waiting for the taxi to take us to Penzance train station, two paragliders were gliding over the cottage.