Of Beaches, Cider and Cream Teas

Cornwall. The Kingdom of Kernow. The South West of England - home to Lands End, Clotted Cream Teas and Cyder - surely the most picturesque spot in Great Britain. And we happened to land, quite by accident, in the prettiest spot in Cornwall - the Roseland Peninsular, by the pretty fishing village of Portscatho.

The roads are single laned, bordered with tall hedgerows - as my blog friend Trees said to me, "On those Cornish roads, you never know what you might meet coming around a bend..."
People drive carefully (usually), slowly (sometimes) and cautiously around corners (OK, so not us...) We had to slam on brakes a few times and had a few near misses. But we got the hang of it.

Around every corner is another quaint stone-walled village, another thatch-roofed pub offering Cider and fish'n'chips, another breathtaking view of the sea.

We took some lovely walks (minus the camera, sadly, so no pictorial evidence) and learnt to watch out for stinging nettles (Dash came a cropper a few times, but Dock Leaves conveniently grow right alongside the ouchy nettles).

The weather was warm and balmy. So much to see, so much to do. Initially we tried to do touristy things, see sights, visit landmarks, go for meals. Not a great idea with three kids in tow.

(I love this picture I snapped of Princess one evening on our deck, don't you?)

Grandma joined us for the holiday, and we took turns going out at night, with Mr G. My favourite night we headed to the fishing village of St Mawes. We turned a corner as the sun was setting and the village was laid out below us, festoon lights strung along the harbour giving the whole vista a storybook magic. We found a quiet balcony in a pub, sipped cider and had a good laugh. Fab.

We learnt to take it easy, pace ourselves and enjoy the simpler things in life - soccer and tennis on the beach, jumping over waves, looking for crabs and shrimps in rock pools...

It surprised me to find New Zealand native plants growing along the Cornish coast in quite a few spots: toitoi and cabbage trees! Apparently Falmouth was the second largest port in Britain for a while and many expeditions were launched from there. Sailors must have brought back a few souvenirs from little ole NZ which seem to have taken root here very well.

I love this pic I snapped of my boys. Aren't they great pals?? Dash is just so patient with his little brother - very heart warming to see.

The kids have been amazing travellers. We have covered so much of the country - over 1500miles so far!

We made it to Lands End, the southernmost tip of England - and were surpised to find a Theme Park sprung up there! We just wanted a photo of the signpost. It was really really windy so we snapped a few pics, to prove we've been there and headed back home. I hate it when places get so over-touristy that they lose their raw natural edge, don't you?

On our last day we headed to Falmouth on the ferry from St Mawes. The others had enjoyed quite a few Cornish Cream Teas - with clotted cream (very sticky and thick), usually while I was reading while the Scrag had his nap, and they were out exploring.

Me, I seemed to always turn up at places with signs that read "Cream Teas served from 3pm"... so I was happy when finally on our last day in Cornwall I finally managed to get my first (and last) clotted cream tea. Scones with homemade jame, clotted cream and a pot of English Tea. MMMmmm... well worth the wait.

Apparently Devonshire cream teas put the cream first and then the jam. I prefer it the Cornish way - my Cornish roots are showing (more on that later).

In Falmouth we passed a kids hairdresser where the chairs were mini-cars and they have DVD players for kids to watch while they get their hair cut. We couldn't resist, as Scrag was looking very, well, scraggy and so my baby got his first little boy haircut. Oh he looks so gorgeous... but so grown up! No longer a baby *sniff*

So, overall, I would rate our Cornish holiday as a 5/5

Weather =fab
Scenery=fab
Beaches=fab
Food=fab
Company=fab

If you ever visit the UK, go there, you'll love it.

Click for the next part of our Journey: Roots (my search for my Grandad's birthplace in Cornwall)

OR skip on to Dash Does London