Cornwall, England, UK (Jul 20)
With our choice of holiday destination somewhat limited this year (Covid), Natty and I decided to explore the English coast instead of our usual trip to Europe, and we are so glad we did. We headed for Porthcurno and the nearby coastline.
We found a gem of a campsite with oodles of social distancing located mid way between St. Ives and Penzance. We used it as a base to explore dozens of secluded beaches and miles and miles of rugged coastline.
From the moment we arrived we experienced wall to wall sunshine and little in the way of any wind. A neap tide, calm seas and warm temperatures helped to make this trip to southern tip of the Cornwall Peninsula very special indeed.
The crystal clear waters around this county hold so many different type of seaweed, which when set against the light rocks and golden sands make this place look quite tropical – is especially when bathed in sunshine.
Many of the majestic rocks look like they have carvings similar to those of Easter island. Of course they haven’t but it was fun playing what’s the image… a bit like guessing shapes in clouds.
There is a timeless quality about this region that had my mind wondering about what it would have been like to live here a few hundred years ago or more. Harsh but beautiful in equal measures I reckon. It is easy to see why films and books are made or written about the characters and places of Cornwall.
The narrow country lanes have few places to stop and so may put off casual tourists – a little extra effort is required to get anywhere around here. Some fishing villages have absolutely no public parking and a fiercely protective, yet polite local population greet you when you try to bend the rules – always with a strong accent as if to test your hearing! Needless to say I met a few! They respond back with a smile when smiled at, but you can tell that their demure behaviour would turn on a sixpence if you showed any lack of respect. City boy swagger won’t wash it in these parts…
With no light pollution the night sky was as it should be and for the first time in a long while I was clearly able to see the Milky Way streaking across the sky. ‘‘Tis times like this when you realise it’s the simple things in life that matter, it’s wonderful not to have a mobile phone signal for days or be reminded of the nonsense that has become our news headlines.
During our kayaking jaunts we stopped often, simply to take in the sights and sounds of the coast. However, methinks Natty might not have always felt the same – after all he is 14 and suffering from PS4 withdrawal! My guess is that he was thinking this was some kind BOOT CAMP….
No pain – no gain
We were joined on Wednesday by two of The Cooks. David took a day away from building his new Cornish business. Cameron and Natty had lots of fun catching up.
On Thursday the weather changed, which was good news for our arms – which by then had enough of the paddles, we managed several miles with the Cooks alone! So as the rain came in we had a lay in before heading back to Somerset via the Barlow’s delightful house just off Bodmin Moor. Great to catch up with Richard, Jinny and Thomas again for the second time in a few months.
A great week. Must do this again!
