{"id":16240,"date":"2017-06-07T13:23:37","date_gmt":"2017-06-07T13:23:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/?p=16240"},"modified":"2017-06-13T21:09:35","modified_gmt":"2017-06-13T21:09:35","slug":"a-taste-of-cornwall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/a-taste-of-cornwall\/","title":{"rendered":"A Taste of Cornwall"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Padstow Holiday Essentials<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mention Cornwall to a lot of Brits, and watch as their eyes mist over with memories of many a childhood Cornish holiday. \u00a0It is up there as a favourite holiday destination for the staycationers amongst us for so many reasons…<\/p>\n

Even Mr R became misty eyed when someone suggested Cornwall after a family discussion about where in the UK we should visit next. \u00a0The small people had stipulated beaches were mandatory, and surfing should be involved if at all possible – so it seemed a natural choice!… \u00a0 As his Grandparents lived in Cornwall for a chunk of his childhood he has many fond memories of endless visits to Rock beach, tales of smugglers in days of old, \u00a0decent fish and chips, cream teas, and copious amounts of ice cream (funny how most of his holiday memories revolve around food!)! \u00a0 \u00a0 In stark contrast to his memories, I had my own of one very rainy trip to St Ives as a small child, where I almost knocked myself out slipping on a seaweed covered rock, and had to be carted off the beach by my worried Father… But with beaches and surfing in mind, we agreed on a half term visit just up the road from Rock, and a stone’s throw from Polzeath, hoping for the sunny weather and ice cream type of memories instead of any painful ones…<\/p>\n

You know you’re in Cornwall after the roadside verges suddenly graduate from plain old green, and start to fill with gorse and wild flowers, the sea can be spotted in the distance, and the roads grow narrower still. \u00a0But thankfully after the lengthy drive from Cambridge, all this soon meant we were about to find our home for the next few days – in the picturesque little hamlet of St Minver – the aptly named St Minver Cottage<\/a>…<\/p>\n

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St Minver Cottage<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We’ve had a run of good luck (she types, touching wood!) when it comes to holiday cottages recently, what with our little fisherman’s bolthole in Norfolk<\/a>, and our home from home in the Peak District<\/a>, and thankfully St Minver Cottage didn’t disappoint either. \u00a0 This place comes with a wood burning stove at the heart of its pretty sitting room (always on my wish list whatever time of year, just in case!!) and comes complete with an AGA in all its comforting glory (great for taking the chill off after sea dipping days!). \u00a0I can’t say we had much success cooking with it (*makes mental note to learn how to use my Mum’s*), but with so much excellent local produce available, we weren’t planning on doing much cooking anyway, plus it proved worth its weight in gold with its excellent clothes drying capacities… \u00a0 We loved our time here, and would recommend it to those looking for a family cottage in a good but quiet and peaceful location.<\/p>\n

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Padstow from Rock Beach<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We spent most of the next few days on the beaches of Polzeath and Rock (for old time’s sake for Mr R!). \u00a0 \u00a0The Small People (baby included) were enchanted by these pristine stretches of sand with their clear water and huge skies (you can spot lots of wildlife in both by the way, there are even dolphin pods and if you are really lucky whales to be seen off these waters)…<\/p>\n

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Surfing in the Mist<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rock beach proved great for inspecting sea life in its calmer waters, and the Small Boy was even joined for a spot of crab fishing by a Saint Bernard (called Bob), and Polzeath proved great for surfing lessons (more on that later!)…<\/p>\n

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Fishing with Bob<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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a successful catch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Sand Writing on Polzeath<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It’s funny watching the Small people become accustomed with little English seaside traditions – they were intrigued as to why English people take funny coloured fences to sit in on the beach (I don’t think they’ve seen windbreaks before!), and even though they have since learned that seaside rock isn’t some kind of pavement chalk, made me laugh wondering why on earth Cornish Pasties had a savoury filling rather than a sweet one (didn’t see any “pudding pasties”, but a distinct possibility surely?)…<\/p>\n

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sea views Tintagel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Our plans were curtailed slightly when we woke up to a rash covered baby one morning, but thankfully the friendly staff at Wadebridge Medical Practice were able to put our minds at rest (on closer inspection it turned out to be an extreme post viral rash!), so later on we were able to head to Tintagel for a look at the infamous castle (don’t spend hours queuing at the very first ticket office, there are a few more at the bottom off the hill before the ascent to the castle (incidentally, there’s a truck that will happily give you a lift for a couple of quid if you aren’t a walking fan!). \u00a0 As the rash covered baby was in a distinctly grumpy mood, we will have to climb to the ruins next visit, but we did manage a thorough examination of what has to be the oldest post office in Britain<\/a>, which is very sweet and definitely worth a look… We were even able to advise some German guests about the best pasty to go for with our new-found knowledge (and stunted language skills!)…<\/p>\n

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Padstow Harbour<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We made it to Padstow on our very last evening, although sadly not in time to catch the National Lobster Hatchery <\/a>(who else loved sea monkeys??), and we blew out Rick Stein’s famous fish and chips thanks to the queue, and settled instead for the most delicious crab sandwich in The London Inn instead (after an unsuccessful spot of crustacean catching…). \u00a0 We won’t talk about the drive home and how someone accidentally left the roof box open and all the buckets and crab catching equipment (and one flip flop) disappeared forever (we did go back to retrieve the few squashed things we could find)… \u00a0The Small People have all said how they won’t forget this trip for that reason alone, but I am sure they now have so many other things to add to the Cornish family holiday memory bank besides…<\/p>\n

Things on the list for our next visit (and there definitely will be a next visit), the Lobster Hatchery, Mr Stein’s Fish and Chips, a proper look at Tintagel Castle, and a boat trip to Lundy Island in search of puffins, oh and catching up with my old school friend who we weren’t able to see this time thanks to the grumpy blotchy youngest member of our family (you might want to check out his Instagram account<\/a> for some stunning images of beautiful Kernow!)…<\/p>\n

Cornwall really is popular for good reason. It’s beautiful, super family friendly, and there’s just so much to see and do. \u00a0 If you are planning a summer trip, here are some suggestions from a few friends of mine to help inspire you…<\/h5>\n

You could admire stunning views at Carnewas at Bedruthan <\/a>, or visit one of the most scenic working harbours in the UK – Polperro<\/a>; \u00a0 Need somewhere pretty luxurious to stay in St Mawes? \u00a0Here’s\u00a0the perfect answer<\/a>… \u00a0Fancy a week in Truro, and want some ideas of what to see and do? \u00a0 Here you go<\/a>… \u00a0 Whilst we are on the subject of somewhere to stay, here are twenty more baby and toddler friendly accommodation options for Cornwall<\/a> too, and while we are at it, you might find this list of “25 Things to Do in Cornwall with a Baby or Toddler<\/a>” handy too! \u00a0 Another thing we absolutely must visit next time is the majestic Eden Project<\/a>, but if the kids are looking for something more adventure park-ey, there’s Camel Creek <\/a>\u00a0in Wadebridge?…Not a fan of adventure parks, how about FootballGolf<\/a>? \u00a0 \u00a0Fancy exploring Tintagel castle, \u00a0here’s a closer look<\/a>; And finally, ever thought about visiting the Lizard? \u00a0 Here’s seven amazing reasons<\/a> why you should…\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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