Cornwall Trip Day Five

Day five, 7th August 2013

Nicole's birthday

Usual morning routine for me and the pain is not getting any better.

I think we had bacon sandwiches for breakfast as it was Nicole's birthday but I could be wrong, I know we did one morning.

I had a much longer walk as the others got ready for our day out, I say much longer but it was still only relatively a short walk. I did the same walk as yesterday then continued over the level crossing and part of the way up the hill on the opposite side of the track (not the wrong side of the track). I found another pub up there that I had not realised was there. I also sat on the station platform, watched two or three trains pass through and took several photos.

We had to go out over the level crossing to get to Polperro and just our luck the crossing gates came down just as we got there. I got out of the car to take some more train photos.

On arrival at Polperro, we parked up in the large car park on the outskirts of the village and set off down this hill towards the harbour. Everyone has to do this but there are little electric buses you can take if you want (for a small charge).

Most of Polperro was just how I remembered it, well most of it was.

You know how yesterday I said I had never been to Mevagissey before, well I must have been, because lots of things I though existed in Polperro where not there and were actually in Mevagissey.  It would seem that besides the walk down to the harbour, all my memories of Polperro were actualy of Mevagissey. Around 1980 we must have visited both places in one day and I had just got it all muddled together in my head. I have checked the photo evidence from our trips to Devon around that time and we only did one venture into Cornwall. Strange how time plays trick with your memory.

The waterwheel at the top near the car park and the walk down were just how I remembered Polperro though.

We walked round both sides of the harbour (much smaller than Mevagissey) and even climbed on the rocks, where the boat trips leave.   As yesterday the twins were itching to get into the sea but also as yesterday we had plans to do that later in the afternoon.

It was great to just sit in the sun for a change this year.

Dot wanted to find the shell house that she remembered from our visit years ago, a house decorated with sea shells but when we found it it wasn't as impressive as we remembered.

On the way back out of the village while shopping and exploring, we came across a small cafe with a seating area out in the sun and stopped for a drink and a pasty. We were rewarded with the most miserable waitress I have had the displeasure to meet in a very long time. The pasties were nice but the service wasn't and most of the others eating there were visitors from our European neighbours, she was not setting a very good example.

As we headed back up the hill towards the car park the girls got ice creams and then decided they would take the bus ride. The man operating the bus said it was ok to take their ice creams on board so Dot, Georgia and Emily went that way. Nicole, Tim and me walked back.

Next we drove to Looe, another place that looked completely different to my memory.  I wonder where the place is that I always remembered as Looe.

We could not get parked in the centre of town so headed back out and parked in the large car park by the West Looe River, near the confluence with the East Looe River. The girls wanted to go crabbing and had all the gear required with them, including bate, but the tide was out, although some were grabbing in the pool there.   We walk walked along the river were we could then crossed the bridge into town and passed all the shops to the beach.  We got some money from a bank and I got a cup of tea from a small cafe.

As soon as we got the the sea the girls were straight in,Nicole and Tim sat on the pier close to where they were playing,

Dot and I, sat on the end of the short pier where we could see the girls playing in the water and it was nice and warm, shaded from the cool breeze.   But we had to move when a couple of groups of teenagers  assembled at the end.  Why do youngsters have to shout everything, they do not seem to know how to talk or read come to it.   As they started jumping of the pier, right next to he sign forbidding jumping off the pier.    Also amongst the shouting every other word was a swear word, showing their total disregard for others, mainly other families walking the pier. 

After the messing in the sea we had a quick look into the shops then sat outside a cafe, the Court Yard, for a warm drink and some cake. Very different from the last place, here they were very friendly.

So now it was time to go crabbing, there were a few people trying to get crabs from the river in town but we made our way back to the West Looe River closer to the car, where we knew there where grabs. The tide was well in by the time we got there and plenty of people were catching plenty of crabs.  Once we got the hang of it we caught plenty too.

When it got too cold (for the grown ups) we packed up set the crabs free and headed back for Nicole's birthday meal.

Nicole had picked out an Italian restaurant for her birthday meal but when she phoned to book it was already fully booked. We had read good reviews for the pub I had found on the morning in the accommodation visitors book, so I got dropped off there as we passed, to check it out while the others got ready.

I had a beer and took a photo of the menu with my phone, I also booked a table provisionally for 20:30 and set off back to the others.

After deciding we would go to Earl Of Chatham (the pub), I rang to confirm and we set off to walk in plenty of time to be early. Unfortunately the level crossing caught us out again, so I rang again to say we would be late.

We had very good food and service, plus I had a couple of new beers.

Later back at the room, We had chocolate cake for Nicole's birthday.

Day Four or DaySix

Cornwall Trip Day Four

Day four, 6th August 2013

I was up early again, in pain but this time I think the extremely hot chilly off my pizza the previous night was also a contributing factor. After the painkillers and two hours in and out of the toilet, I got back to bed about four, for a couple of hours more sleep.

After breakfast and while the others were getting ready for a day out, I went for a short walk to try to loosen my leg up for the day in the car. I followed the railway until I came to river then turned back towards the accommodation.

It was quite a short but peaceful walk along the river and I got all of the others to wave to me from the balcony.

I think the plan for today was to visit Mevagissey and then continue on to the beach at Gorran Haven. Dot thought she had visited Mevagissey as a child whereas I thought I had never been there but it all looked very familiar (I will dwell more on this, after tomorrows trip to Polperro).

Parked up some way from the sea front and walked down to the harbour. Mevagissey is a lovely fishing village, although the tide was out, so the inner harbour was not looking it's best. As we explored the harbour the twins kept asking to go onto the beach and into the sea but we had to keep putting them off, as we had a very nice beach to visit later (and there wasn't much of a beach here anyway).

We walked along the piers and both sides of the the harbour.  I tried out the panorama setting on my new camera again and while is is easier to use than the old model, some of the frames are not stitched together  perfectly.

On the west side of the harbour there is a light house and and aquarium, so we had to mack a visit to both.  The aquarium is free and you can view all of the fish from the local waters off the south west coast.

The drive to Gorran Haven was along very very narrow roads and when we did arrived, you could not even see the beach for the crowds of people already there.

We had passed through a small place called Portmellon where there was a nice but small beach but with no crowds.  So we turned around and headed back there.  

As soon as we got settled on the beach we had our picnic but I could not get comfortable at all, so moved to a bench seat up on the side of the road.   While the others, mainly the twins had fun in the sea, I read my book, until I eventually gave in and popped into the pub next to where I was sitting for a beer (I will cover the beers in a separate blog soon) .

I had a traumatic incident outside the pub, where I spilt nearly a full pint of beer, after the initial shock, I checked my pockets and thankfully had enough money to purchase a replacement.  Panic over, but the experience will stay with me for a long time.

Then much later back at our holiday home, we had beer and pizzas on the patio next to the river in the evening sun, it doesn't get much better than that.

Day Three or Day Five

Cornwall Trip Day Three

Day three, 5th August 2013

Georgia and Emily's tenth birthday.

I was up very early (about four) took pain killers had lots of tea and tried to walk off the pain in my leg but it wasn't long before I was joined by Georgia.  She wanted to know if her and Emily could get up, I said ask Mam and by five everyone was up drinking tea.

After opening the presents at five thirty, most of them went back to bed.

The surprise for their birthday was a visit to the Eden Project, Nicole had used Tesco Vouchers to get cheap tickets.

When we arrived it was raining, but there was a bus from the car park to the covered entrance.   As we already had tickets, there was no queuing and we went straight in, I say straight but it is a long windy path down to the domes, but it had stopped raining.

The first dome we came to was the stage, used for music events but today was being used for children's activities. Kids were building, buildings from recycled materials, I say kids but it was mainly grown ups doing most of the work. The decision was made to join in and do this as well, before visiting the main domes.

Once the wigwam was dismantled and all of the parts put back in the relevant spots, we headed to the large Tropical Biome, I could tell you all about how it is made and how big it is but it is simpler to link to the Wikipedia entry. What I will tell you is, that it was a whole lot warmer in there and it was busy, very busy.

At first the lens on my camera kept steaming up but eventually it it warmed up and I took too many photos of flowers and not enough of the birthday girls.

Looking up, some parts of the dome looked like scenes from science fiction films (I think some were filmed there) and there was also the walkway high up in the top, you would never get me up there though.

We spent about an hour in the Tropical Biome, before heading off to find some lunch. We didn't fancy the huge food hall, that looked a lot like a German beer hall and was very busy.  So we walked to the cafe in the Core, the home of the Seed.  We only wanted a light lunch as we were not sure what we would would be doing for the girls birthday tea.

The Core has hands on educational information and a giant sculpture of a seed at its centre.

The girls also had a go at pumping water and crushing nuts using a great big machine that looked very Steampunk or Heath Robinson to me.

Next we made for the Mediterranean Biome, which I did not find to be very impressive at all but that could be just me. By the time we left there the sun was shining and we had a slow walk back up to the entrance complex to get the bus back to the car parks.  I did fine new beers in the gift shop but I figured I could get then cheaper elsewhere.

From there we headed to seaside at Fowey, the others had all been there on day two, when the went out for the train tickets, so knew the best place to park. However as we walked along the sea front it started to rain, so we popped into an Italian for an early tea.  They were only serving pizzas this early but that suited everyone, the service was very slow and I would not recommend the place to anyone, although the pizzas were quite good.

Back at the room there was cake for Georgia and Emily, we all had some.

Day Two or Day Four

So far behind

I am so far behind in my blogging. The pain caused by my sciatica is making it practically impossible to type or edit photos comfortably and when the drugs are working, I do not have the inclination.

Hopefully I will be back to normal soon.

Cornwall Trip Day Two

Day two, 4th August 2013

Not a very good day weather wise, had a lazy morning and booked Sunday lunch in the restaurant at the Globe Inn.

We also booked train tickets, for a trip into Penzance for the Friday, unfortunately the ticked where not available from the train station outside our holiday house. So the others all went into St Austell to pick up the tickets there but I didn't want to sit in a car again for a while and stayed at the house and rested as best as I could.

Day One or Day Three

Cornwall Trip Day One

Day one, 3rd August 2013

Last year we went to Wales to stay with Nicole, Tim and the Twins, as they had a spare room in their holiday home but could only stay for three days.  This year they were going to Cornwall, again they had a spare room and this time Dot could get the full week off work.  Also good for this year, Tim had a seven seater car for the trip, with our topbox on and one seat down we had room for all of us plus all our luggage (at a push).

We set off very early and the drive down was uneventful, although the M5 is very busy and very slow.   My sciatica was a problem though, I was in constant pain for almost all of the journey, even though the doctor had given me a mix of stronger pain killers for the trip (the sciatica is also restricting the amount  of time I can type this blog).  I was glad to get out and walk off the pain as the others unpacked.

We had planned to get breakfast on the way down but is seemed that every service area was stupidly overcrowded, one even had attendants directing the traffic in the car parks, something I have never seen before.  

So the first thing we had to do on arrival, was find somewhere to eat.  We crossed over the river Fowey, had a quick walk around the main streets in the town and then called into the Globe Inn for lunch.

They had three hand pulled beers on offer, including one I had not had (I will cover the beers in a separate blog so I can do them all together, although I will link to them).

We all enjoyed our meals and the beer I got was very good as well.

 

After lunch and later in the afternoon the girls went for a play in the river Fowey, they had seen other children playing in there. There is a small beach next to the old bridge (see the photo of the bridge above), that is perfect for the kids to play next to and in the river, although it disappears at high tide.

Very tired, after showers, we had cheese and biscuits for supper and an early night.

Day Two

Cornwall

In Cornwall on holiday with the family and the beer hunting is going very well but I will wait until I get back before I start writing about the beers and the trip.

Here is a photo to prove we are drinking.