England,  History,  Photography,  Travel Blog

Cornwall Revisited

March 13, 2022 /

Currently enjoying another spell in Cornwall, we are at the same time counting the days to our next overseas adventure, now only just over a week away. Here and now, on the cusp of the seasons, the Cornish Winter clings on while Spring struggles to make its entry.

Camel Estuary
Padstow Harbour

When we first made the arrangements for Michaela’s Mum to join us in Padstow for a few days, we really wanted to be able to show Norma all of the different reasons we love this place, show this place in all its guises, all of its different moods. In true Cornwall style, the first thing to play ball is the weather, and in the first 48 hours we get squally rain, heavy showers, dramatic cloud formations, biting winds, clear blue skies, sunsets and even the odd spell of lukewarm sunshine. 

Regular readers will know that this place feels like home to both of us but to me in particular; my first visit here was in 1979 and I will never tire of looking out across the views of the Camel Estuary. Well travelled as I am, this remains one of my favourite places on Earth.

What an enjoyable thing it is to introduce someone to a place which is so close to one’s heart, show them around and watch them just stop and stare as they take in the panoramas. We, of course, are re-treading old ground, but with an added joy as we watch Norma soak it up, photograph it all, and sometimes just standing and gazing.

Treyarnon

A ferry across the Camel; the walk from Rock to Polzeath; pints of Tribute in the pubs around the harbour; art galleries, shops and cafes, a tour of the bays and a trip to Port Isaac: all so familiar to us, all with the added smile of Norma’s enjoyment. It’s a new dimension to one of our absolute pleasures. 

Port Isaac
Port Isaac
Port Isaac

One regular joy of the Polzeath walk is a detour to the beautiful church of St Enodoc, burial place of Sir John Betjeman and a church with a unique history, including spending time buried beneath the shifting sand dunes. The tip of the modest spire peeps above those dunes, whilst inside the tiny chapel, the church diary is packed with wedding reservations throughout the year. We can only imagine what a wonderful occasion it would be to get married in such a unique setting.

St Enodoc Church

To cap the visit, we return to Rick Stein’s terrific Seafood Restaurant where we enjoy another fabulous meal – though Rick himself isn’t there so we don’t pull off a Rick and Monica double!

Enjoying Rick Steins ’The Seafood Restaurant’

Norma returns home on the Friday, handy if unlikely flights between Exeter and Norwich have made this excursion more readily achievable, so after drop-off at the airport we take a wander around Exeter itself, taking in the majestic cathedral in its delightful square, and the historic quayside nowadays filled with bars and cafes. We imagine this quayside is a great place to spend a summer’s evening.

Exeter Cathedral

Saturday morning brings a weather forecast worth heeding: 70mph gales and heavy rain are heading our way across the Atlantic. Forewarned, we opt for a morning walk designed to get us home before the deluge, taking the coast path from Treyarnon to Porthcothan and back. After a fairly benign week the Atlantic is close to its spectacular best, crashing, swirling and foaming and pounding the rocks which stand in bold defiance: or do they? We’ve seen plenty of evidence of coastal erosion on our visits here over the last year.

Skylarks soar and sing in a forlorn attempt to herald spring, they clearly didn’t watch the TV weather forecast this morning. Out at sea, clouds loom and darken, the swells lurch higher and the pure white surf crashes with ever increasing venom; the wind gains pace and blows harder and fiercer. The weak sun of morning gives up its fight and skulks behind thickening cloud; the storm is clearly on its way and the day is changing before our eyes. 

Arriving back, palm trees bending and the ghoulish sound of howling wind encircling the house, we hole up for the afternoon, knowing that our only remaining challenge today is how to get to the pub without getting drenched this evening.

Inevitably our thoughts turn to warmer climes…and our next adventure, just a few days away.

Treyarnon

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