Cornwall Trip

We were hoping that our visa applications would be approved quickly so that we could go home to Texas for the summer, but unfortunately, that did not happen.  Because we didn't have our passports back, we were not able to leave the UK for a vacation.  By the end of the summer, we definitely needed to get away, so we decided to go to Cornwall for a week.

Cornwall is a peninsula located in the far southwest corner of England, and it is know for its dramatic coastline.  Besides Cornwall's beauty, it is also know for Cornish pasties and delicious cream teas.

On Saturday we drove to Cornwall in our tiny car, and we learned quickly that our car is made for parking easily in town not cross-country trips.  We stayed in a really nice place just outside of St. Austell which was a perfect combination of self-catering and a resort.  We had a residence with our own kitchen, but we also had a concierge that helped with reservations and information.

On Sunday we had a relatively nice day (remember this is England), so we decided to head to a beach while the skys were clear.  We went to nearby Porthpeon Beach which is on the east coast of Cornwall.  We took a packed lunch and stayed at the beach all day.  That evening we had one of the best meals we have eaten since we have been in England, so we were all quite satisfied.

On Monday it pretty much rained all day, so we just stayed at our place and played games, ate and watched movies all day.  It was nice to just hang out and not have to do anything but relax.  On Tuesday the weather cleared, so we tried to fit in another beach day.  This time we headed to the north coast of Cornwall and went to Watergate Bay.  This is a big beach that has lovely sand and is popular with surfers.  We ate Cornish pasties on the beach for lunch and stayed until the tide came in and the beach disappeared.

After spending most of the day at Watergate Bay, we headed up the coast to the Bedruthan Steps.  The Bedruthan Steps are located halfway between Newquay and Padstow, and they are dramatic, beautiful cliffs.  After we worked up an appetite exploring, we headed to Padstow to eat at Rick Stein's fish and chip shop, Stein's Fish and Chips.

On Wednesday we headed to the Eden Project which is located near St. Austell.  The Eden Project is one of the most popular attractions in Cornwall, and it features artificial biomes that house a tropical environment and a Mediterranean environment. 

Thursday we drove to St. Mawes, and we took the ferry to Falmouth.  The highlight of the day was definitely the food we ate:  crab sandwiches and cream tea.  That night we ate another amazing seafood meal at Sams on the Beach.  Our vacations are usually all about the food.

On Friday we went to a National Trust house nearby.  Lanhydrock House is a late Victorian country house with beautiful gardens on a wooded estate.  Later that afternoon we went on a 3-hour kayaking trip up a nearby river.

 

We headed home on Saturday morning, but unfortunately, we hit stand-still traffic due to a wreck about 30 minutes into our trip.  We had to turn around and head back where we came from to take another route towards Plymouth.  Despite the added time in the car, it worked out for us because we were able to see the Mayflower Steps and eat some more crab sandwiches.  It was a long trip home, but it was definitely worth it.