Polka Spots and Freckle Dots: holidays

Cornish Adventures 2017: Padstow and Berryfield's Farm

Cornish Adventures 2021: Exploring North Cornwall by Tour Bus

Cornish Adventures 2021: Padstow

Every time we holiday in Cornwall, we always fit in a visit to Padstow, and on last year's holiday, we actually went twice. The second time was just on a whim to get fish and chips from our favourite chippy in the harbour, but hey, sometimes you just have to drive fifty miles to satisfy a craving.

On the first full day of our holiday, we drove the twenty-five miles east along the coast from Perranporth to do some sight-seeing around Padstow harbour. As it was a scorching hot day, we left early to try to avoid the worst of the heat, and had a gorgeous drive along the coastal roads, cruising the tight hair-pin bends past beautiful beaches like Porth, Watergate Bay, and Mawgan Porth (above).

It was already thirty degrees by the time we got to Padstow, and with barely a cloud in the endless blue sky and the sunlight shimmering on the water, the harbour looked so serene. It's a very picturesque port town, with a working harbour in the centre, edged by pretty little gift shops, bakeries, and ice cream shops, and while it's quintessentially Cornish, when the sun is shining, it doesn't even feel like you're in England.

We parked in the harbour, and headed across to take in the views of the boats on the water, before dawdling at a snail's pace around the shops and eateries in the town. We wandered in and out of gift shops, browsed a great little book shop, and bought treats from a sweet shop to bring home. We revisited a gorgeous teddy bear shop called Abbey Bears that we always return to whenever we're in town, and I came away with a Jelly Cat Amuseables pumpkin for myself and the cutest sad-looking hard-boiled egg plushie for my younger sister. I don't know why the Amuseables amuse me so much, but I love them. Afterwards, we went in search of Rick Stein's patisserie, hoping to get some of their delicious pasties we'd loved for over a decade, but to our disappointment, we discovered it had been demoted to a Rick Stein coffee shop since our last visit four years earlier. We had to buy chocolate orange cookies, and a custard tartlet to share to try to console ourselves at the loss of one of our holiday favourites. Seriously, Rick Stein pasties were amazing and probably the best in Cornwall, so my tastebuds were sad.

Our sweet treats were enjoyed back at the caravan that evening, and they were delicious.

After strolling around the town in the sweltering sunshine and visiting all of the places that caught our eye, we stopped for a rest with some cold drinks alongside the harbour, and just sat in the sunshine enjoying the gorgeous landscape for a while. It looked so pretty and tranquil, I could've sat there all day. We would have liked to have gone out on a boat excursion to try to spot some sea life, like we often do on Cornish holidays, but we realised neither of us was in a fit state to manoeuvre down a flight of stone steps on to a boat, so we went and got ice cream, and fish and chips instead.

We got delicious 99's from a Kelly's ice cream van on the harbour, which is a go-to every time we're in Padstow. Trust me, their soft-serve ice cream is some of the best you'll ever try. We then parked a little closer to the Lobster Hatchery, and treated ourselves to fish and chips from Rick Stein's Fish and Chips. It's a place we discovered about fifteen years ago, and the food is so good, we've been returning to it on every holiday to Cornwall since. It's a little more expensive than your average chippy- they actually sell lobster and champagne, if you really want to treat yourself- but the food is incredible, so it's completely worth it. The fish is fresh and often locally-caught, the batter is the perfect mix of salty and crispy, and the chips are so fluffy. They're the best fish and chips I've ever tried, to the point I'd been daydreaming about returning since my last holiday there four years earlier, and am already looking forward to going back again later this month. We enjoyed last year's meal so much, we actually drove all the way back- twenty-five miles each way- later in the week just to get fish and chips from them again! It was totally worth it. Will we be tempted to do the same again this year? Probably. And I'm not even sorry.

Our trips to Padstow were short and sweet, but we had a lovely time visiting the iconic town again. It's a great place to visit if you want to shop for treats and gifts to bring home, or grab a bite to eat while enjoying beautiful Cornish scenery and a busy but relaxing atmosphere. Padstow's said to have some beautiful beaches, too, but in all our years of holidaying in Cornwall, I don't think we've ever visited them. One of these days, I'm going to have to change that. If they're as pretty as the harbour, they'll be well worth a visit.

Have you ever visited Padstow?

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Holidaying in Cornwall During the Pandemic 2021

Cornish Adventures 2017: Padstow and Berryfield's Farm

Holidaying in Cornwall During the Pandemic 2021

Cornish Adventures 2021: Exploring North Cornwall by Tour Bus

I've always thought that Cornwall, with it's beautiful coastlines and pretty harbour villages, would be an amazing area to see by tour bus, but in all my years of holidaying there, I'd never seen or heard of any in the area.

That all changed on our first night in Perranporth last September, when an Atlantic-Coaster open-top double decker bus came cruising past us, promoting tours to St. Ives and Padstow. We both turned our heads, and I think we knew there and then what we'd be doing that weekend. We looked the tour operator up back at the caravan, and decided it would be the perfect way to ease ourselves in to our holiday. It just so happened that the tour bus came right in to our holiday park, Perran Sands, which was clearly a sign we had to go.

Two days later, on our second full day in Cornwall, the morning sea haze parted and transformed in to blue skies and blistering sunshine, blessing us with the perfect weather for sight-seeing. We stocked up on cold drinks, and drove along to the touring reception, where the tour buses pick up at Perran Sands, having decided we'd get on the first bus that arrived and see where we ended up. We didn't have to wait long for a bus to come rumbling along, and I was pleased to discover it was the route that would take us west along the North coast of Cornwall from Perranporth to St. Ives. (I bloody love St. Ives).

We bought our tickets from the (very grumpy) driver, which came to just £18 for the two of us, and made ourselves comfortable on the upper deck. It was already half full with other sight-seers, but everyone was spaced out enough that I didn't feel too concerned about catching Covid.

We left Perran Sands around 11:30am, and headed in to Perranporth. Its first stop was at one of my favourite places- Perranporth Beach. The tide was out past Chapel Rock, and the beautiful golden sandy beach was already filling up with people and their dogs enjoying the late summer sunshine. It looked so idyllic, I was tempted to get off the bus to do the same, but alas, the beach would have to wait. I settled for a few photos while passengers came and went, and then we were on our way again.

From Perranporth, the Atlantic Coaster took us along the North coast of Cornwall, through beautiful countryside, pretty Cornish towns, and stunning coastlines including stops in St. Agnes, Portreath, Porth Towan, Hayle, and St. Ives- and others in between. Apart from Perranporth and St. Ives, I had never visited any of the other places before, despite three and a half decades of holidays in the area. It was great to see lots of places I'd never seen before, and to view Cornwall through new eyes. We passed so many beautiful beaches and estuaries, rugged coastlines with azure seas, working harbours with boats beached at low tide and the scent of seaweed heavy in the air, and peaceful seaside villages sheltered by hills laden with orange and purple heathers. In between, we'd pass miles of crop and dairy farms backing on to the sea, and moors of heather and scrub, drifting from scorching sunshine in to chilly pockets of sea haze that felt like we were cruising through the clouds.

St. Agnes was a sleepy little village strung with colourful bunting that looked like a good place to stop for a quiet drink in one of its pubs or cafes.

I instantly fell in love with Portreath, a pretty seaside village on the North Coast surrounded by green hills blooming with heather on three sides, and edged by a beautiful sandy beach on the fourth. It looked so picturesque, and I'm still dying to go back and visit it properly on foot. Hopefully we will this September.

There was so much to see in the bustling port town of Hayle, from the harbour to a beautiful estuary. The tide was out when we drove along it, but the scenery was still gorgeous.

Like most city tour buses, you could get on and off the buses at the designated stops to explore places as many times as you wanted, but as we were both still recovering from the pain of the journey down, we just rode the bus in a loop, which took a little under four hours. We did have to disembark in St. Ives for ten minutes while the driver had a break- which was no hardship as we had a gorgeous view of the harbour and sea to enjoy. It was so beautiful in the hazy sunshine, and the water looked turquoise and crystal clear under the blue sky. It was lovely to take it all in, and watch the boats and paddle-boarders on the water. I will never tire of seeing St. Ives; it's one of my favourite places, and easily one of the most beautiful places in England.

After our quick break in St. Ives, we were back on board, and enjoying the journey in reverse, noticing things on the other side of the road that we'd missed on the way down, like cute little graveyards hidden behind thickets of trees. It wasn't as interesting on the way back, but I still enjoyed the views and being out in the sunshine, as well as getting a second look at the places that had caught my eye on the way in.

The only issue we had with the Atlantic Coaster was that its returning drop off point at Perran Sands wasn't the same place it picked up. The bus stop was across the road from the holiday park, and quite a walk from the touring reception, where we'd left the car, which really isn't practical for people with disabilities or chronic pain. And probably not for people with young kids or the elderly, either. Even if you're abled-bodied, it will leave you with a trek back to your accommodation because Perran Sands is huge. Neither of us could comfortably walk it, so we had little choice but to get off the bus at the stop before in Perranporth, and grab a taxi back to the site instead. Luckily, it was only a mile down the road, so it only cost us a fiver, but still...

We had a forty-five minute wait for a taxi, so we treated ourselves to gelato from a great little ice cream shop just behind Perranporth Beach car park called Pavilion Ice, and ate them on the sea front with a gorgeous view of the beach. The Ferrero Rocher and Kinder Bueno gelatos I had were so delicious, and just what I needed in that heat. I'd highly recommend them. I'm definitely going back to try some other flavours this September.

Despite the slight inconvenience, neither of us minded sitting on the sea front in the scorching sunshine for almost an hour. Perranporth Beach is another of my favourite places, and really, who can be unhappy sitting under cornflower-blue skies, looking out at a golden sandy beach and aquamarine sea, and watching the waves roll on to the shore?? Not me, that's for sure. It was a beautiful day, and nice just to relax, take in the view, people-watch, and see all the cute dogs having so much fun on the beach. I could've sat there all day.

It was nearing five P.M. by the time we got back to our caravan to put our feet up with a cold drink after an enjoyable day of sight seeing. Our trip filled the day nicely, without taking the whole day, but if you used the Atlantic Coaster to get off and explore some of the destinations on foot, you could easily spend the entire day sight-seeing and making memories, and really get your money's worth.

We had a great time exploring the Cornish coast in the late summer sunshine, and it was a great way to see more of Cornwall- and scope out places to go back and explore on our future travels- without over-exerting ourselves. Chronic pain limits how far I can go on foot, but taking the Atlantic Coaster allowed me to take in all of those beautiful places and even spot new things in places I knew well, while saving energy sitting reasonably comfortably on my backside. And all for the bargain price of £9! Not bad for over three and a half hours of sight-seeing.

We enjoyed the Atlantic coaster so much, we're already planning to take one again on our next trip to Cornwall. There are other tours I'd love to take, including one that goes down to The Lizard peninsular, on the south coast, and another that travels west along to Land's End. The Padstow tour sounds great, too, but being more familiar with the places on its route, I'd rather explore other areas first.

If you're ever in Cornwall and want to do some inexpensive sight-seeing, give the Atlantic Coaster a try. I couldn't recommend it to you more.

What's the best place you've ever explored by tour bus?

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Cornish Adventures 2017: Padstow and Berryfield's Farm

Holidaying in Cornwall During The Pandemic 2021

In September, I finally made it back to Cornwall for another holiday- and only a year later than planned (thanks, Covid).

It was my first holiday in four years, and only my second in over a decade, so it was a long over-due, and much needed break. The trip already seems like so long ago, but with the cold weather creeping in again, I can't help but long for those lazy, late summer days by the sea. Luckily, I don't have too long to wait for another taste of it, as we're heading back to Cornwall again this summer, but while I impatiently count down the days, I thought I'd reminisce about last year's holiday with some blog posts about my week away. Well, I have been meaning to write about my holiday since last autumn!

My older sister and I spent a week down in Perranporth in north Cornwall, a place we've been visiting since we were babies. Our parents actually had their honeymoon in the area in the seventies, and our family have holidayed there ever since. We've been so many times, it's more like a second home to us than a holiday spot, but we love the place, and never get bored of visiting it. So many people turn up their noses at the thought of holidaying in England and saw staycations as a consolation prize when they couldn't travel abroad during the height of the pandemic, but we purposefully choose to take holidays to Cornwall now and then, and have always enjoyed these trips as much as any holiday abroad. Those who don't see the appeal in English holidays have clearly never visited the coast in Cornwall when the sun is shining. With its golden sandy beaches and pretty harbour villages, rugged coastlines, and green countryside, it's such a beautiful part of England, and I can honestly say it's one of my favourite places in the world.

We had a lovely week chasing the last of the summer sun; sitting on the sea front watching the waves and eating copious amounts of ice cream, revisiting some favourite places, eating delicious local foods, and relaxing to the sound of the seagulls. We visited beautiful Padstow; took a tour bus along the coast from Perranporth to St. Ives; sat on Porth and Perranporth Beach sea fronts, visited Newquay Zoo, paddled in the sea, gambled pennies in the arcades on rainy afternoons, cruised along coastal roads, and explored some of the countryside where the roads were as narrow as paths. It was blissful.

We couldn't take as many day trips or spend as much time on the beach as I would've liked, but that's okay. We had to do things a little differently with both of us challenged with chronic pain, and nobody to pick up the slack of driving and heavy-lifting when we were low on spoons, as my brother-in-law was away on a deployment in The Falklands. We were sensible and fit in more rest and relaxation time, and stayed locally instead of exploring further afield most of the time, so that we could make it home again in one piece at the end of the week. It was the right balance for us, and sometimes restful holidays are exactly what you need.

The best fried breakfast I've ever eaten from Gridl in Newquay. The little Cornish spinach omelettes were incredible. (I asked for an extra sausage instead of bacon as I hate it, so they gave me both, and Marie got to enjoy extra bacon). They have so many Full English options, and do veggie ones, too.

I actually enjoyed lounging in our accommodation, this privately-owned, three-bedroomed caravan nestled in a quiet spot in the dunes of Perran Sands, with the doors open to let in the warm sea breeze, and the battle cry of the seagulls overhead. It was lovely to have a change of scenery to resting in my bedroom back home- even if the seats and sofas were so uncomfortable my backside felt bruised by the end of the week. We spent our down time watching movies, eating delicious treats that we picked up on our day trips, and played Animal Crossing, Monopoly, and Rummikub. I wanted to get through a couple of books during our time away, but neither of us could get comfortable enough to read on those God awful chairs. What psychopath decided to make caravan chairs so uncomfortable??

Despite going away in September, we were really fortunate with the weather, and even got several days of blistering sunshine in the low thirties! It was so hot for the first half of the week, it didn't even feel like England, and I came home with a million more freckles from being out in the sun. I'm a freckle magnet. The weather had people flocking to the area, and the beaches and seaside villages were busier than I've seen them since the nineties, when less people holidayed abroad. It was a little stressful to be around such big crowds of (mostly) unmasked people during the pandemic- though I masked up, and we took Covid tests twice to be careful- but also lovely to see so many Brits enjoying the places we've loved all our lives. (Although, I'm sure the locals didn't agree).

All in all, we had a fantastic holiday in Cornwall, and I loved being back in my second home. I pushed myself to my limits to enjoy as much as possible, and did more that week that I had in years. I can't wait to return again this September, revisit my favourite places, and hopefully get to visit some new ones this time, too. Hurry up September!

I'm going to blog separately about some of the places we visited, including Padstow, Perranporth Beach, Newquay Zoo, and the tour bus trip we took along the coast, so look out for them, coming soon.

Have you ever visited Cornwall? Do you prefer to holiday at home or abroad?

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Cornish Adventures 2017: Padstow and Berryfield's Farm