7 places you must visit in Cornwall
#1 Padstow.
The jewel in Cornwall's crown. Out of season this peaceful fishing village reverts to it's sleepy natural state, with only the very British sound of Seagulls filling the air.
Duke Street, Padstow comes alive every Easter Sunday with the screams and thrills of the young at heart rolling eggs down this tiny hill in the centre of the fishing village.
In fact this is one of my earliest childhood memories. The ritual of preparing my hard boiled egg, weeks in advance of our annual Easter pilgrimage to Cornwall. Painstakingly painting coat after cost of nail varnish. Choosing my from my array of 80's day-glo disco colours and glitters that were befitting of the era.
Sadly my prized egg never made it to the bottom of the hill intact. By midway down the shell would have shattered leaving fragments of white & yellow dotted in the tarmac
Prawn on the Lawn
It helps to have a taste for fish, when dining out in Padstow. The restaurants take pride in serving the local fare and Michelin awarded 'Prawn on the Lawn' is no exception. The whiteboard is updated in front of your eyes, as one dish sells out and chef replaces it with another freshly sourced ingredient, and the open kitchen allows you to keep an eye on the action.
We opted for tapas style plates to share.
They recommend 2-3 per person, but 5 would have been sufficient for us, as we weren't rushed, each dish served one at a time with the perfect gap in between.
The high protein, oil content left us feeling satiated whilst eating relatively little in quantity. Enjoyed with a glass of their Rosé, the total bill came to £113 including gratuity.
#2 Polzeath
The Perch is described as a studio apartment on AirB&B, and provided the perfect base for our off-season weekend getaway to Cornwall. Annexed to the larger Rockside dwelling, habited by the owners of this magnificent plot. The adjoining studio comfortably included Kingsize sleeping arrangements (or alternatively two twin beds if split). Walk in rainfall shower room, and kitchenette with enough equipment to cover basic self catering (most importantly, fridge, Nespresso machine & dishwasher).
What can't be beaten is the view from The Perch nor the fact a short descent down the steep garden takes you straight onto the public coastal footpath, and another minute straight down onto the beach.
Making it the perfect retreat for anyone wanting to enjoy the surf, the beach or the magnificent National Trust maintained coastal footpaths.
#3 Watergate Bay & Mawgan Porth
Sundown at Watergate Bay and neighbouring Mawgan Porth with their sandy beaches, cafes and parking.
#4 Pentire Point & The Rumps by Foot
Up early meant getting this part of the coastal path all to ourselves. Joining it outside our studio apartment on Baby Bay Polzeath beach, and following its winding route around the headland to The Rumps, just over 2 miles later.
Fresh air and coastal walks were rewarded with lunch at Rick Steins Cafe. One of multiple dining outlets owned by Rick Stein in the pretty fishing village of Padstow, that has fast become a mecca for foodies since Stein made it popular. We opted for his cafe. Beautifully decorated, with attentive service. Most of the dishes had an Asian influence. Our mussels came with a Black Bean sauce. My grilled Salt & Pepper prawns were dusted in Five Spice, making a nice twist on the expected Mediterranean Garlic version of both dishes. My husband chose the Pondicharry Cod in a Southern Indian curry sauce and I opted for a Maylasian Laksa which was sadly tamed down for a British palette and lacked the heat of the authentic dish. We complemented the meal with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc each, and the bill for two came to £89 (including a 12.5% gratuity).
#5 Mousehole & St Michael's Mount
We rounded the day off with a drive down to Penzance and onto the tiny village of Mousehole to relive moments from my husbands past. One single track road in and out of this village makes me question how the place functions in high season?
St Michael's Mount looking uninviting in the late afternoon light that refused to give any trace of it's beautiful sunset most images of this wonderment are usually caught in. I guess this is a more realistic and somewhat guaranteed image of what to expect from a typical summer holiday in England's most Westerly point.
#6 Walk from Polzeath to Rock and
catch the Ferry to Padstow
A new morning, that started gloomy and overcast, eventually cleared a little to provide a few breaks in the cloud cover resulting in these spectacular shots of the coastal path heading the opposite direction.
This time our walk took us across Polzeath beach following the headline to the next bays, Greenaway Beach, Fishing Cove Field. skirting the edge of St Enodoc golf course, before finally descending the sandy dunes to Rock. With the tide out, and miles of flat sandbeds of the River Camel as it heads out towards Padstow Bay and into the Celtic Sea, it reminded me of the dunes at Le Touquet, France.
Behind the Scenes
