Week 7 26th Nov to 2nd Dec

Welcome to week 7, we are catching up quickly with our back logging now, enjoy!


Monday 26th November – day 44

Moving from Merries Farm near Helston today, so up early to organise ourselves, ha ha!! We planned to get to Roche (near St Austell) early as we are taking the car back to Barnstaple for some planned repair works. Misjudged the distance/time required a little but still managed to get to the library, after dropping off the car at repairers, to start updating the blog and shop for the weeks groceries. Home to caravan by 11.00pm, a very long day and glad to be back. Large whiskey with ice then bed.

Tuesday 27th November - day 45

An unpromising start, but became a glorious day, relaxing activities planned, to recover from the extra long and hectic day yesterday. We drove down to take up the sightseeing where we had left off on Sunday. First stop Portscatho, another whitewashed jumble of houses tumbling down to a wide rocky bay, which glowed golden bronze and grey as the sun shone on the rocks and bracken.

Enjoyed a long walk around the bay, then on to Portloe, which was a smaller, much more charming jumble of very colourful and stylish cottages overlooking a tiny sheltered and rocky bay.
We took a walk round the small headland and back round the village.
As light was now fading we drove to Port Holland and drank our tea overlooking the water from a small stony beach, and when darkness meant that we could see nothing more than the lights of the fishing boats we set off for home.
Disaster struck in the evening, we lost electrical power three times.


Wednesday 28th November – day 46

What a strange day, started disastrously, with dreadful weather and no hot water!! The heating went off 3 times last night, the water heater had tripped and would not reset. We are feeling miserable indeed, attacked by the technology gremlins all around!
No walking today, it looks too awful so off to Truro to try some Christmas shopping, we had heard that there was a major “Made in Cornwall” market and we wanted to check it out so that everyone gets something from Cornwall this Christmas. Well….. we weren’t disappointed, the large marquee was bursting with stalls selling all manner of locally produced or home made goods. Pasties/jewellery/cider/photographs/Christmas decorations/chocolates/ stained glass/preserves, chutneys and jams. But it was not just inside the marquee that was throbbing with life and creativity. The recently lit Christmas illuminations (all very tasteful) lit up street after cobbled street filled with stall holders selling their own homemade wares – scarves/earrings/ shell lights/soup and roast pork sandwiches. In one street corner stood the town band playing carols and in another a queue was forming to watch Father Christmas take a tour in his sleigh.
Truro was heaving, as bad as any Chelsea Flower Show!! So we sought a little respite in Truro Cathedral only to find that a service was about to begin. At 7.30pm prompt the lights dimmed, and the Cathedral filled with the sound of angelic voices as the pupils of a local public school paraded in by the light of their own candles. The service, though very traditional was a show case for all their musical talents, and they were very good, as time after time the lofty cathedral hall was filled by the sounds of their crisp clear notes. We felt very warm and soothed by its close, and a quick tour of the cathedral afterwards showed what an elegant and imposing building we had been sitting in. What a glorious evening, and such a dramatically different finish to the day that started so unpromisingly. I think we must say thank you to our heavenly Father for that. (Can’t take credit for today’s photos as we did not think to take the camera, but lovely website Cornwall365 provided the two above!!!)

Thursday 29th November – day 47

How strange, the water heater is working again – only in short bursts – but enough to give us hot water. Having made all the arrangements yesterday morning however to get the caravan to the repair centre early we have decided to stick to that plan in case the problem reoccurs, so this is our last week in Cornwall and there is so much still to see. I suspect we will have to return here in the New Year for a couple more weeks. For now though, the sun is shining and we are off to walk the coastal path again, hurrah! We drove to Portmellon to start a circular walk, as there is no public transport available. Not a great start as we walked inland round to Dodman Point on boring roads and through very muddy fields! Finally we get to the coastal path to discover that all the recent rain has turned most of the path into quagmire; however the sun is shining on us and we have all this to ourselves, all is at peace with the world until Chris phoned to check that we can pick the car up from the repairers next day to be told that they were still awaiting parts. MUCH discussion and AGGRIVATION later, Exway are informed that we shall be picking up the car tomorrow and are not impressed with their lack of progress or efficiency. We squelched back to Portmellon finishing a difficult and not particularly inspiring walk, with the exception of Gorran Haven which was lovely particularly when bathed in early evening light. The day ended the well, with a tub of whelks and pint of Rattler (cider) in one of Mevagissy’s ancient pubs, in front of a roaring wood fire, and being entertained by a very playful kitten. Home afterward to eat the pollack, which for the second time only during our Cornish adventures, had we been able to purchase from the harbour side.

Friday 30th November – day 48

Wet and windy again today so we do not feel that we are missing any golden opportunities as we return the courtesy poodle to Exway, and pick up our still unrepaired beastie. We had hoped to revisit Hartland Point to replace photographs that were lost in the pc crash. As we spent soooo long completing our blog for week 5 there was not enough daylight to make it worth the journey. Also the weather was so foul we just made a steady journey back to our cosy, warm caravan. Cider at home tonight I think, Rosie.

Saturday 1st December – day 49

Off to Helston today to pick up our laptop, which has also not been repaired. We are now fully cognisant of the Cornish word “dreckley”. Having (as with the car) fully explained our circumstances, using phrases like “we are only here for a week” seems to hold no relative value to the Cornish.
So back to pick up the laptop, as we are soon to move on. Because we are down there we decide to take a tour round the coast line along to St Agnes to try and recapture on film some of the photographs that we had lost from the first time round. The tour started in Newlyn, Mousehole, Sennen Cove, Cape Cornwall, Zennor and we arrived at St Agnes as light was fading. No time to dally in the dark tonight as we are meeting Anne and Andy for a celebration supper at Jamie Oliver’s restaurant “Fifteen” which sits just outside Newquay at Watergate Bay (also famous to surfers). We arrived at the restaurant in good time for drinks before the meal. We had a fabulous evening and can highly recommend this vibrant, youthful and energetic restaurant. The seven superbly presented courses were a delight to each separate taste bud and the lovely slow service meant that we were able to pace ourselves. Carriages at midnight should have been followed by a jog around the block though to make room for lunch a Rick Steins Café on Sunday.

Sunday 2nd December – day 50

What a night, very little sleep as the wind howled around us trying very hard to lift our little porch off its pegs and up into the heavenlies. So, at 7.30am, in the wind and rain Chris and I dismantled the straining fabric and loaded up the car with everything that was being stored in the porch. Even Chris looked wind swept when finished. Back in the warmth for hot tea, and on to prepare for our next culinary adventure with Anne and Andy in Padstow. We decided to lunch at Rick Stein’s Café rather than his …. Seafood restaurant/bistro/ fish and chip bar or deli. Whilst the fish was fab and the setting pleasant the meal did not really sparkle, (unlike the conversation, of course.) A bracing walk up the headland overlooking Rock across the estuary then back to the cars, just as the parking tickets expired. As Anne and Andy headed north we went on to Port Isaac to recapture some photographic memories of that beautiful little village.