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Thursday 6 September 2018

Cornwall 2018 - Part 2

Tuesday 28 August

Slept straight through last night and woke as fresh as a daisy at 8.45am.  Different routine this morning though and I surprised the dogs by taking them around the field behind our van a few times that serves as the site dog walk when no cattle are grazing in it.

Herself is still deep asleep when I get back, and shows no signs of stirring, so I make a cuppa and drag my chair outside to share a few biscuits with the dogs and watch the site come to life.

Sleeping beauty is eventually disturbed by the pea under the mattress, or it may have been me accessing the space under the bed via the external locker door and rummaging about for something that I didn't really need.  Never the less, she takes the hint and presents herself at the table in the awning asking where breakfast is?

Breakfast of the kings this morning ...... bacon, cockles and lava bread with a sprinkling of melted cheddar and served with granary bread.


With the dishes cleared away Herself takes up residence on one of the benches up front, and before I've checked all of my Facebook notifications she is once again in the land on nod.  The power nap lasts until 1.30pm, when all  my good intentions of letting her have a quiet day evaporate when I run out of things to potch with.  She gets woken up and deduces that I want to go out somewhere.

I've 4 days worth of stubble on my chops that need scraping off though first, but by the time I've SSS Herself is once again studying the inside of her eyelids.  I give up and take a seat in the awning until she's ready to wake up.

Now I've given her a fair bit of stick on here, but her knee really is playing her up.  She in some considerable discomfort with it, and thinks she's done some cartilage damage in there somewhere.  The continual pain must be tiring and the pain killers she's popping like smarties are knocking her for six.  Don't let on though, and I'll continue to give her stick for the duration.

It's 2.30pm and I'd fallen asleep in the chair when Herself stands in front of me looking all beautiful and smelling fragrant, prodding me with a "I thought you wanted to go out!"

Hayle is our first port of call and the large Boots they have there out of town.  Only 5 mins and some £50 later we are exiting the place with a very expensive knee brace, some heat wraps, pain relieving gel and some pain killers that they give to racehorses!

Vera is filthy so we stop off with the local illegals for them to throw a bucket of water over her before cruising back to Penzance.  We bag a free space on the promenade and Herself tries out her new knee brace as we take a stroll breathing in some lovely fresh sea air.



We get as far as The Dolphin Inn and take an outside table to share a crab sandwich and a beer for a very late lunch ........ we shared the sandwich, not the beer!


On the way back to the car we stop briefly at the Jubilee Pool, where it is being cleaned and refilled.  It's a sea water pool and I'm unsure how often the water is refreshed or indeed the frequency of cleaning.



Herself's knee brace appears to be doing the trick, and she's moving along a lot better.  My shouting "Run Forest, run" at her earns me a clip across the ear hole, and it's still ringing as we bounce along the A30 back to site.

A house about 1/2 mile from the site has a stall out front and we've helped ourselves to some of his runner beans for tea, we had some on the weekend so know they'll be good.  The Weber gets fired up to cremate some peppered steaks to go with them, and I enjoy a pint of good old wife beater watching the process.


No plans to go down the cove tonight, it's magic in the skies down at Lands End and we don't fancy being out in the open so close to the display with the dogs.


With dishes squared away we take the dogs over to the field behind us to give them a good walk and the opportunity to sort themselves out for the night.

Wednesday 29 August

Whilst it's been mostly dry for our time down here, much of the time has been spent under a blanket of cloud cover, this morning however we are woken by bright blue skies, even if there is a stiff breeze to remind us how late in the summer it is.

I waste not time in getting out and about with the dogs and take a spot on the highland above the cove.


Breakfast is cooked on the Weber when I get back, but tbh neither of us was really hungry so it went in the dogs, before we set up the chairs outside in the sun  to catch some rays.  Herself complains that the wind is too cold, and in all honesty our lightweight breaks are not up to the job on this site.

I contacted Cornish Windbreaks and  briefly contemplated splashing out £80 on one of their high end jobbies, only briefly mind before I decided that some el cheapo ones from the shop by the harbour would suffice.





2.30pm and Herself can see that I'm getting bored just sitting around, and is resigned to not having a lazy day around the van.  Vera's nose is pointed in the direction of Porthleven, where after only 2 circuits we manage to bag a parking space.


With the dogs clipped on their leads we take the road down to the furthest point of the harbour, once again slowing down outside Rick Stein's joint to look at the menu and swear we'd never set foot in the place, before taking a table on the "Lower Deck" of the Ship Inn.

Herself did briefly contemplate the Crows Nest, but came to her senses as her knee started screaming at her just taking the ramp to the lower terraces.  I'm dispatched inside and am trusted to choose something off the menu for her.

I stood patiently at the bar trying to catch someones attention to get served, nothing unusual in a packed pub, but this place was empty!  Eventually a young girl sitting in the corner puts down her cheese sandwich, moves behind the bar, and while still wiping her chops initiates proceedings.

"Yeah?"
Good start I thought ..... "Could I see a menu please?"
"Sure." as she retrieves one from under the counter and places it before me.
I start to brows the offerings before she pipes up "We've stopped serving though, next food is 6pm!"

Have you seen those Adolf videos on YouTube?  Silently I'm counting to ten in my head, and settle for two pints, which are taken  outside to enjoy with a view over to the church on the other side.



I've always wanted to be down here in one of the winter storms when the church gets enveloped by the raging sea ..... hard to imagine on a day like today.

Credit Photo to Lucinda Burgess

With pints supped, and many peoples watched, we retrace our tracks, once again past Rick's gaff scowling at the staff before taking up  table on the other side of the harbour at the Harbour Inn.  Things didn't start well as our original table was getting a battering from the stiff breeze.  We moved to a more sheltered table but things weren't really much better.  When I get back from ordering food and drinks Herself is cold, making a big deal of it too by putting on a shiver just for me.  Still the cool breeze means we've almost got the place to ourselves.


I look to my left and there's a lady who is oblivious to all around her.  I've no idea what she had in her vape machine, nor have I any idea what planet she was on, but one thing for sure was that she was on a different planet to the rest of us .... good luck to her.


Our food arrived, and to frank with you it was quite forgettable.  Herself was struggling to eat as her hair kept blowing in her mouth.  I have  no such issues, and sometimes it's a distinct advantage to be folically challenged.  Her bread was also stale and the wind had chilled her chips back to a semi frozen state before they'd had time to absorb the salt and vinegar.

Back on site and the recliners are set out before the sun starts to dip below the horizon.  The site is busy, and there is a Pope being elected at every van.  A caravan over the way is gearing up for an awning party, and Tali lies facing them, looking longingly over hoping for an invite.


I take the dogs for their last walk of the day, and returning to the van it strikes me just how cosy it looks in there.




Thursday 30 August

Gloomy start to the day today, and after taking the dogs over to Sennen we breakfast on Crumpets and decide we'll not really do much today.

I set about having a good old potch while Herself takes shelter behind the wind break watching me busying myself.  First off I gave the front locker a sort and a tidy, I'll not post before and after pictures for your amusement as to be honest there wasn't much difference, though I do now know what I'm carting about in the abyss.

Vera gets the good news with the Shark  and the roofbox also gets a sort out.  After a few hours I'm once again starting to get on Herself's nerves as I won't sit down for any length of time and she suggests popping out.

The intention was to go straight to Penzance, pick up some odds and ends in a hardware shop and head straight back to site.  We're approaching the Newlyn roundabout when Herself suggests lunch.  I make a lane change manoeuvre that would shame the Practical Caravan tow car testers, and we are heading towards St Just.

Spraying gravel everywhere in the car park of The Queens Arms we happily note that they serve food until 2.30pm, so we take a table in their excellent beer garden just as the sun really starts to shine proper.


I retrieve a menu before going back in to do battle with Arthur - do you remember Arthur, the landlord of The Barley Mow in the 2nd series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet?  Well this is West Cornwall's answer to Arthur, what a miserable inhospitable git.


The basket meals, even if a hark back to the 70's, were nice enough and we headed to Penzance with full bellies.  Dogs were clipped onto their leads and we head straight for Jims.  Herself stays outside while I pop in to see if they have a tap connector with a splitter.

The place is like an Aladdin's cave, and I'll admit to getting myself lost in there.  Herself was .losing the will to live as I exit with an extension lead, dog poo bags, elastic velcro, oh and the splitter.

By now the clouds have cleared properly and it's getting hot so we make tracks back to site to catch some rays for a few hours.


It's a lovely evening so we decide to head down to the cove for a few hours.  As we're descending the hill it soon becomes apparent that the rest of west Cornwall has the same idea, and why not?  It's quite idyllic down here this evening.  We abandon Vera by the lifeboat station where the kids in wet suits are like ants, swarming all over the sea wall, jumping into the depth of water that high tide affords.


They are queuing out of the door for chips, and with all the tables outside taken many families are sat down on the rocks throwing fish and chips down their necks as the waves crash in around them.  As we approach The Old Success Inn things aren't looking good, all the tables are taken and people are loitering waiting on ones becoming vacant.  I like this place, primarily become it's somewhat cheaper than the Surf Beach Bar just a little further on.

This place is rammed too, but we secure a table with a view of the beach through the glass balustrade, and I'm dispatched to get drinks, with a warning not to argue with the bar staff about prices.  £12.70 they had off me for a pint and a large glass of Pinot Grigio, £12.70 mind, and I'm some distance outside my comfort zone I can tell you.



Still, as we settle down and start to soak up the ambience the cost of refreshments subsides.  We've a cracking view of the beach and across the cove, there's a nice vibe and I get told off for scowling at a couple on the adjacent table.  They've got a prime spot.  He's sat there with his broadsheet spread out and she's on her Kindle.  Since we arrived he's been nursing half a pint and her a glass of water.  I'm not the only one though from the way the owner eyeballs them every time he passes one can only assume that they have been there some time.

Not on really when custom is being turned away because of a lack of free tables.

Herself, ever the opportunist, twists things superbly, and while I'm ranting about people sitting at tables and not spending, suggests another drink.  I can't really argue though and resign myself to coughing another £12 bloody 70 for just two drinks!

It's dark as we walk back along the front, people are still queuing for chips and the dogs get a little spooked as Magic in the Shies kicks off with a bang at Lands End just over the headland.

Friday 31 August

Time is flying, and we've been down here a week already.

A bit gloomy when I get up, and stepping outside the awning flap I note that the field is thinning out a bit as families leave for home.  There were a few departures late last night by the ones hoping to avoid A30 and M5 congestion that the morning will bring.

By the time we've had a bacon butty for breakfast the sun has broken through the cloud . Can't sit around yet through as the inside of the van needs a sort out in preparation for the arrival of guests in the next 24hrs.

With that done Herself settles herself down in a chair and watches me give Vera the good news with some polish and a rag.


She''s looking sparkly and I take time to look admiringly at her.  Herself throws a barb in my direction with a "I wish you'd look at me like that sometimes!"

I ignore her and put on my virtual anorak as I watch the shipping lanes just off the coast here. Container ships and tankers dominate, but I spot a passenger vessel and start to wonder from what exotic far flung place it has sailed.  The i pad is fired up, but to my dismay, within a few finger swipes it becomes apparent that the vessel is only en-route from Dover to Dublin!



We get a text from Argos to say our item is in store ready to collect, and this is our cue to move.  Firstly over to Sennen where we relax for a bit, throwing a ball for the dogs while watching the surfers below jostling with the waves.



Now, little did I know that Argos has moved down here.  They are no longer in the town, but have taken up residence in a corner of Sainsburys.  I have a feeling that Herself knew this, but didn't let on and by the time we're swinging into the car park she's already armed with her bags for life and declares that we may as well get a shop in while we are here.

Now Lidl and Aldi are my preferred choice of supermarket, so you can imagine the pain I experienced over the next 30 mins or so.  We only had a small trolley and our groceries just about covered the bottom.  I did manage to ask the cashier if he was sure when he gleefully announced the total.  Herself interupts with a "Ignore him" as she hands over a fist full of purple ones.

The sun is still out when we return to site, so relaxation is the order of the day until it's time to gout for an evening meal.  Pulling into the car park at the beach end of the cove it's immediately apparent that may holiday makers have now departed.  We manage to get an outside table at The Old Success tucked away out of the wind and settle down for a great evening of food, drink and unexpected company as a couple from Kent asked if they could join us.


Going to bed took a bit longer than  the usual flop into our fixed double as we have guests arriving in the early hours.

Until next time.


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