SIX OF THE BEST #19 – THINGS ABOUT CORNWALL!

I recently came back from a week’s holiday in Cornwall with my wife. While I am a simple person who is quite pragmatic about holidays, my wife loves travelling and going to different places. So, I generally get dragged along to her chosen destination. However, with my fear of flying we mostly stay in the Brexit-blighted United Kingdom too. Occasionally I will fly, but like B.A. Baracus from the A-Team, it takes a lot to get me up in the sky.

This year we decided to go way down on the South West coast of England. We stayed in Penzance, Cornwall as a base; then visited lots of places in the surrounding territory. It’s safe to say I had a great time not being at work and although it is a very long drive from London there is so much to recommend down there. Thus, here are six of the best things I loved about Cornwall.

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1. THE COAST AND SEA

There’s something very poetic about being by the sea. It suggests danger and fear but also escape and wonder. The rocks, the beaches and the sound of the sea collide to create many feelings and emotions that swell like the tides themselves. Mostly, it can be very calming too.

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2. THE FOOD

While I try and watch my dietary intake throughout the year and attend the gym a number of times a week, I LOVE my food. Cornwall is home to some wonderful restaurants and I ate heartily during the week. The breakfast we got at the Chapel House B & B everyday was wonderful and so was many of the meals we ate. My favourite menu was at the Shore Restaurant in Penzance. The design, taste and freshness of the dishes was amazing!

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3. THE CULTURE

From a geographical, historical and artistic perspective, Cornwall is a veritable treasure trove. On top of the culinary delights, we visited many places of natural and historical interest. These are places supported by both the National Trust and English Heritage and range from old towns, tin mines, pirate hiding places and castles. While my wife especially enjoyed all the art galleries, we both enjoyed visiting places such as: The Botallack Tin Mines, St Michael’s Mount, Land’s End and Tintagel Castle.

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4. THE MINACK THEATRE

Of all the incredible sites and sights in Cornwall, I would say the most amazing is the Minack Theatre. This, incredibly, is a theatre built into the coastal rocks. It was the brainchild and passion of Rowenna Cade, who in 1932 put on her first amateur production. Over the subsequent years, with the help of a few friends and local builders, she developed the site even more. Now, some eighty years later, it puts on theatrical productions come rain or shine. Over 110,000 people attend the shows and even more visit this incredibly rich cultural site every year.

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5. ST IVES

While St Ives, for me, was arguably smaller and more packed with tourists compared to other less busy places, it still has a lot to recommend it. The Harbour is a picturesque hub full of local ice cream shops and art galleries. On a larger scale St Ives is also home to the Tate Gallery of Cornwall. While we did not visit the Tate due to the queue, we took in the Barbara Hepworth Museum and all the works of that famed sculptor. Overall, while I much preferred staying in Penzance, St Ives is highly recommended for a day visit.

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6. THE WALKS

With big breakfasts and dinners comes great responsibility. As someone who likes to get to the gym so they can eat more food, I had to replace that exercise with a substitute. Thankfully, the Cornwall coast has some amazing scenery and walks. Obviously, you have to be careful, but the steep hills, rocky shores and grassy knolls of Cornwall are a great way to burn off some of those indulgent calories.

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