The Café has taken up residence "on the other side of the Pond", in the UK for ten days where we've been visiting our daughter and her family in London. Scott and I snuck away for three days and visited Cornwall, located in the lower southwestern tip of England.
I'm a bit embarrassed to say this, but, before this visit, I actually thought Cornwall was a city in England. Was I ever wrong! Cornwall is actually a region that has numerous cities, most of them fairly small and spread out over almost 1,400 square miles.
This tip of England forms a long peninsula surrounded by the Celtic Sea, the English Channel and the Atlantic Ocean and offers spectacular scenery. We had a wonderful time meandering tiny country lanes and hiking along the South West Coast Path, England's longest walking trail (630 miles) with high cliffs jutting dramatically into the pounding surf and golden-hued, sandy beaches with crystal clear waves gently lapping the shore. The trail views were spectacular!
We also enjoyed shopping in quaint little villages (of course, I found a few more fun new props), getting to know the locals and eating typical Cornish food like meat pies, pasties and freshly caught fish. We stared in amazement at velvet-green hillsides dotted with fluffy white sheep as we strolled on public footpaths that took us through farmer's fields (complete with cows and goats), past crystal clear bubbling brooks and along narrow lanes lined with bramble-covered stone walls.
Check out a some pictures from our Cornwall adventure!
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| We stayed at a lovely, ivy-covered country house hotel, Â built in the early 1700's. Oh, if these walls could only speak ................ |
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| There were wonderful footpaths nearby. We basically walked out the door of the hotel and there we were, so fun ............ |
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| The footpaths (which have been around for hundreds of years) lead up hill and down dale, through farmers fields and past cows, sheep and goats. Normally they don't pay the wandering visitors any mind, but this "Oreo" fellow was a bit leery of us. It might have been that his girlfriends were near by and he was in a protective mindset ................... |
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| We came across crystal clear babbling brooks ................. |
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| Lovely narrow lanes winding through thick forest glades .................. |
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| Quaint thatched roofed cottages ................. |
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| Wildflowers of every assortment, growing here there and everywhere ................. |
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| Photo-ops and lovely vistas at every turn ................. |
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| And you'll never believe what lined many of the paths we wandered on ............. |
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Wild blackberries!!! We knew, even if we got lost, we wouldn't grow hungry! .............
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| Though I didn't do any cooking on our little getaway I still had to check out this wonderful little butcher and veggie shop. I know, you're not surprised, right? .............. |
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| We chatted with the charming proprietor of The Veg Shop and admired all her beautiful produce ................. |
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| Our kids always laugh and say that if there's a bakery in the vicinity, Scott and I will be sure to sniff it out ............... and of course, make sure it's good ............. you know just for reference purposes ............... |
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| There may be as many pubs in Cornwall  as there are sheep dotting the hillsides. We had a fun dinner at this one, the food was local, seasonal and delicious. I did make a bit of an error though and ordered the Steak, Mushroom & Kidney Pie, thinking the "kidney" part was the yummy dark reddish-brown colored beans ............... oh no! It was the real thing, and lots of it. Now I know, I'm not a super big fan of kidney. |
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| There was no confusion when it came time for dessert, they were fabulous and quite gourmet for a little pub in Mithian, Cornwall .............. practically, the middle of nowhere!! |
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| Our first glimpse of the ocean surrounding Cornwall made us stare ............. in drop-jaw wonder and amazement! Were we mistaken? Was this really the Mediterranean? ............. |
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| We had a lovely lunch at a small café with this as the backdrop, wow! |
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| ....... a beautiful, quintessential Cornish coastal village........ |
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| Idyllic, tiny villages line the coast, havens for artists, surfers and fishermen. |
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| Rugged, rocky cliffs drop precipitously, to crystal clear, aqua-marine water...... |
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| Farewell fair Cornwall! It was a lovely trip but in three days we were able to discover only a whisper of your beauty and charm. Lord willing, we'll be back for further exploration and adventures ........... |
Oh, one last thing. Just to let you know; if you see any photos of us in the future, don't be surprised if we look quite a bit older. When we left for Cornwall we were both just a smidgen over 60. We returned to London, finding ourselves a full ten years older, at least 70! You see, we rented a car and for the first time ever, drove on the opposite side of the road. That was crazy enough on it's own, but many of the roads in Cornwall are, literally, just a hair wider than I can stretch my arms (and have to accommodate two-way traffic!), quite steep and VERY windy, with blind curves every little ways.
A sweet waitress served us breakfast the first morning of our trip. We were talking about the narrow roads and she told us: "Oh yes, and if those hedges along the sides of the narrow roads look quite soft and fluffy, don't be fooled. Right beneath the surface are unforgiving stone walls!". Oh dear! We did make it home safe and sound ............... but only by the grace of God and with a few quite a few additional gray hairs!!
How gorgeous I love reading about your adventures Chris what lovely quaint town it reminds me of a storybook thank you so much for sharing I would think too it was Meditterean Sea as well,with the crystal blue waters just gorgeous.
It's such a "off the beaten path" part of England, and yet, so quaint. The bed and breakfast we stayed at was really fun and centrally located. Now the village roads - not so much! Soooooo narrow!
Beautiful photos Chris!!! What a beauty.. England is still in our to do list.
How fun that you and Scott got away for a few days. And glad you survived the driving. How was the bakery?
Fondly,
Glenda
Thank you for taking us on a virtual vacation, everything is lovely!
Gorgeous photos, Chris! I now have a new spot to add to my growing travel list :).
Lovely, lovely pictures. I've not been out in the English countryside, and I know I've missed out. Definitely something I need to do. Super post - thanks so much.
Oh, Chris, I'm so happy for you! I have always wanted to visit Cornwall - too many Rosamunde Pilcher novels, I think! Thank you for taking us with you. What a lovely experience! And so many gorgeous photos!
What gorgeous photos Chris! I love that you stopped at all the obligatory foodie spots. Glad you survived the rough roads.
Gorgeous. I was going to say the same thing as Monique. I was thinking Doc Martin.
Oh Chris, thank you for taking us on your journey across the pond. What great experiences you and Scott have. Two weeks ago we fell in love with little Emery. What a beautiful child and so much like her dad. Keep posting.
Oh my gosh, Chris, I am so envious of you...have a blast!
Yes well, I am a secret 'Escape to the Country' fan which I watch every quiet night . . . Have been to England so many times [from Down Under] but the only way I have managed to get to Cornwall has been thru' books or TV! So this is magical!! Loved to walk along with you: being a foodie thought of Plaistow for obvious reasons and absolutely adored all the photos . . .
Wonderful, wonderful!! Thank you so much for taking us there!!! So how did you like the kidneys? This must be one of the most beautiful places in the world. The cottage and the hotel you stayed at are two of my favorites. Also several of the water pictures.
You have just moved a trip to England to the top of my bucket list. What glorious photos! Love the ivy covered house hotel and the oreo cow is so cool looking! I can only imagine how you can age while driving on the left side of narrow roads - scary!
Lovely scenery, thanks for sharing these gorgeous pictures!
Wow! Lovely place. Makes me want to visit there.
Those Cornwall pictures are really beautiful, Chris. Thank you for sharing.
lovely pictures...oreo fellow?? haha..!
Beautiful bucolic photos...love the one of the Belted Galloway...have a friend that breeds them. I would love to see the inside of that quaint country inn. England is definitely on my bucket list.
You just transported me there mentally. Lovely pictures and nice story.... Would you share the name of your hotel and village and also where the "Bateman" store is located - that is our surname! I'm heading to France in the Spring and you make me want to visit here as well.
Thanks
Hi, the hotel is called Rose in Vale and it's located in a teeny village, Mithian, Cornwall, UK. The meat market is about 2 miles from the hotel in a lovely village right on the coast, St. Agnes. You would love it and wouldn't it be fun to meet the owners of that meat market!
Hi Chris,
Thanks for your kindness in sharing I appreciate that. I don't think I could handle driving on the other side though - difficult to teach an old dog new tricks! Maybe I can get there by train. Enjoy your visit with your family. Kathy
So beautiful! I want to go back.
What beautiful scenery. When we went to England we were all meeting up after a month of travel in 2 different parts of the world. We saw the sites but I think we were all too exhausted to enjoy them. Next time we make it to England I'll be sure to contact you for the best itinerary.
Beautiful pictures, Chris. Know you and Scott are having a wonderful time. Thanks for sharing this lovely part of England
It looks so pretty..Have you seen the series Doc Martin.. the small coastal area you show reminds me of his quaint and charming town:)
It's good to get away once and a while-especially to such a beautiful place! I'm not much of an international traveler but I could definitely insert myself into any one of these pictures.
Your picture of this part of England are so beautiful! The first one looks like a house in a Jane Austen novel... And all the hills, so green, so beautiful. I like it!!!! And the stop at a bakery, normal when you walk that much:)
It's so nice to visit family (especially when you can fit in a side trip like this). Thank you for sharing these fantastic photos. It makes me want to plan a trip.
Thank you for sharing you photos. Beautiful! Makes me want to plan a trip. Sounds like you had a fantastic time. So nice to visit family AND fit in a side trip like this.
Beautiful pictures.