Hello everyone!
Are you all having a lovely holiday? Richard & I are in Cornwall at the moment. It is a wonderful place with a rugged coastline; crashing Atlantic waves; tiny fishing villages; stories of pirates & witches; pretty pubs; Cornish Cream Teas; lovely, golden, sandy beaches and fabulous restaurants owned by celebrity chefs.
We are staying with friends who live in a fishing village called Padstow. It is a very lively place with lots of shops and restaurants, the most famous (and expensive) being “The Seafood Restaurant” which is owned by Rick Stein who is a famous chef with his own TV series.
However, the cheapest place to eat in the UK is in the pub. Good “pub grub” can be found in most villages. English pubs are usually very friendly, comfortable places and the food is usually home cooked. In Padstow, the pubs compete to be the most charming. Which of these three would you choose to go to?
You can take the ferry over to Rock, and if you are lucky you might see Prince William & his friends there.
The beaches are lovely! (This photo was taken from Rock looking over to Padstow)
Don’t forget your bucket and spade!
There is also a very pretty little church in Rock which was entirely covered in sand in the 1800s. It was rediscovered after a storm revealed the spire of the church.
In the graveyard is the final resting place of Sir John Betjeman, who was a famous British poet. (In fact I had to study his poetry for my English exams at secondary school!)
Returning to Padstow, you will always find some sort of street entertainment to watch and listen to, as the port is very lively.
There is also a large and majestic hotel which serves wonderful Cornish Cream Teas. The cream is special Cornish clotted cream which is really delicious.
Further up the coast are two interesting villages.
Boscastle: which is famous for its witches!
There is a Museum of Witchcraft. Outside the door the sign says “Witches, please park your brooms here.”
But the most famous Cornish village is probably Tintagel, which is visited by thousands of tourists every year from all over the world as it is the centre of Arthurian legend. You can climb over the ruins of the 12th Century castle which juts out to sea. However this castle was built on an even older one, which is claimed to be the home of King Uther Pendragon and his son, King Arthur.
This is the church in Tintagel.
And this is the old post office.
See you soon,
Love from Bronwen
Travel Info: To get to Cornwall, go with Brittany Ferries from Roscoff to Plymouth. It takes about one and a half hours in the car to reach the northern Cornish coast. Weather: variable – take swimsuits and rain macs! Good walking shoes are also essential as the coastline is very rugged.
http://www.visitcornwall.com/
http://www.cornwall-calling.co.uk/
http://www.padstow-cornwall.co.uk/
http://www.cornwalls.co.uk/Tintagel/
http://www.cornwalls.co.uk/Rock/
