Cornwall – Jennifer Michie

October 31, 2009 / 0 Comments

Trick-or-Treat!

Happy Halloween! I hope your day is filled with cute little pumpkins, witches and hobgoblins. We are packing up the car this morning and getting ready to leave this enchanting place! I will miss Cornwall and our walks along the coastal path and smelling the fresh sea air.

Yesterday, we went to another Smuggler’s Cottage, this time in Tolverne on the river Fal.

Unfortunately, the pub was closed so I didn’t get to see all the memorabilia that exists inside, but it was one of the sites used by American troops to launch the ships for D-Day. It was moving to think I saw what so many soldiers had seen as they boarded the boats; the same cottage, the same views, drove down the same lane…

There were signs along the road to the pub stating what different areas were used for and what they housed. It was really interesting to see.

We carried on down the road after that for a nice pint and some lunch at a nearby pub, before heading back to Looe for one more walk down the coastal path (and one more chance to wear my green polka dot wellies!). We stood on the beach once more; it is amazing to thing we are standing on the edge of England, the edge of our world! We stopped at Larsson’s Coffee House , named after the Swedish artist Carl Larsson; for wonderful crepes and the most scrumptiously rich hot chocolate oozing with whipped cream, mmm! Perfect for a cold day!

Next, we headed to the bakery to pick up fresh scones on our way home with Cornish cream and strawberry jam, that is our breakfast today, I can’t think of anything better!

We are saddened to leave here, but we hope to come back again to visit this bewitching little slice of heaven.

(Trick-or-Treat image copyright Country Living)

October 29, 2009 / 0 Comments

Shhh! There be Smugglers About, Matey!

We have been off on the smuggler’s trail over the last few days. Yesterday, we drove to Bodmin and visited Jamaica Inn, a complete tourist trap, but I got to see Daphne du Maurier’s writing desk and typewriter in their little museum and that made me smile. Driving along the moors we saw scraggy coated wild horses walking along the rocks and munching away on grass.

The weather changed by the time we got to the Inn, the temperature dropped and it began to rain. It painted quite a picture. You could envision the smugglers carrying their loads in from one of the Looe routes on a dark frosty night the air thick with mist, driving their horse led carriage hard through the moors to the Inn where they hoped to have a drink, do some business and catch a little respite.

We wandered down to the town on Sunday afternoon for lunch and ate at the Smugglers Cott, we had the most deliciously cozy traditional British Sunday roast. The atmosphere inside was charming.

The beams belonged to a ship from the Spanish Armada and the inside of the pub was filled with vintage bottles and ship related paraphernalia. After lunch we took a stroll around the harbour and watched the boats come in and out.

There was still some men in the fish market, finishing up cleaning their day’s catch. There existed in the air a heady smell of the salty sea and warm fish guts.

We walked down into town today along the coastal path and it was the very first day I got to wear my wellies. They were broken in along the sandy beach with the waves crashing against my feet as I hunted for sea glass.

We discovered the most adorable bakery and got the most heavenly cupcakes, Halloween of course! We devoured them like greedy little monsters as we continued to explore the twisty little streets of Looe.

Everything here is adorably decorated for Halloween with pumpkins and paper lanterns hung in windows, mixed with the leaves changing here, you feel truly Autumnal.

We ate fresh fish & chips, burning the roof of our mouths as we munched away on hot salty chips (no vinegar for me) and watched the crowds go by, it was a perfect day, just being.

We will be saddened to leave here at the end of the week. What a magical place Cornwall is.

A Pixie village we passed on our walk down the coast.

October 27, 2009 / 0 Comments

The Birds

I thought this photo was Halloween appropriate as well as a fitting theme for Cornwall. After a few days here, I have a very clear picture of how Daphne du Maurier came up with the idea for “The Birds”! The seagulls near the harbour are absolutely enormous and their eyes follow you as you walk along.

We watched, as a flock of hungry seagulls swooped down on their unsuspecting prey and stole chips right out of a woman’s hand. Hitchcock took this short story and created one of the most perfectly eerie cinematic experiences. A great film for Halloween. I remember the first time I saw the movie; as the birds came shooting out of the fireplace my feet curled and raised off of the ground, as if somehow I gained protection from that. Upon leaving, I looked cautiously around as I stepped out into the light of day, I think I was half expecting to see crows perched along the jungle gym of a playground waiting to attack helpless victims.

The birds and the fog that has rolled in over the last day here, coupled with the fact that we have turned our clocks back, so evening falls more quickly each day, only adds more to the Halloweeny atmosphere we are leading up to at the end of the week.

(Images copyright Country Living)

October 25, 2009 / 0 Comments

What Could be Better?

This was my view this morning. I watched the sun peek out behind the clouds as I sat on the deck, reading my book with a hot cup of tea in hand! No one else was up yet so it was just peaceful. A nice way to greet the day by just slowly coming in to it. What could be better than this? It took a little bit longer to get here yesterday than expected, with all the holiday traffic heading down to the coast, but, who is in a rush?

We drove through gorgeous countryside, passing little stone farmhouses happily perched on the edge of the road. In the surrounding fields, cows and sheep munched away on grass watching the cars pass by; in one farmyard the cutest pink pigs with black spots were snorting around in the dirt.

We even passed Stonehenge! That was something to marvel at! I had no idea you would be able to see it from the road. We quickly rolled down the window and snapped a picture with the phone. It was drizzling and misty yesterday and as we approached the hill the massive stones began to just slowly appear out of the mist, looming in front of us. It was very Halloween spooky, all we needed were candles and druids marching up the hill in a long procession in the mist to complete the mood.

Today we are off to go exploring, if I can tear myself away from the view at the bottom of our garden. The sunshine, mixed with the breeze and the sounds of waves crashing against the rocks below, is just magical!