Mevagissey

We found Splash Point perched atop the cliffs overlooking the bay and after bringing in all our gear from the carpark, sat down to enjoy fresh bread rolls with ham and egg spread and a glass of orange juice. The ladies in the car that was stuck behind us had invited us to a fancy dress New Year’s Eve party and we planned what we were going to wear. I thought I could go as a tourist and Kiryn thought she would dress as paparazzi (she has a quite a big camera). I lay down for a bit and fell asleep for 4 hours.

When I woke up, it was pelting rain and I decided I’d give the party a miss. I don’t even think I could negotiate the slippery path to the front gate in this weather! The others were going to head out about 9, but one by one their resolve faded, and in the end, no one ventured out. We watched Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and then a Bee Gees Special. We could see (and hear) fireworks close-by but it was too wet and cold to go out on our terrace to watch them.

I came up to my attic room and watched Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone before falling asleep and not waking up till almost 9. After a breakfast of toast and spiced marmalade, I managed to get an internet connection for an hour before it died and I gave up. It was still cold and wet so staying in was a wise option, I felt. Lorelle and Kiryn still went out for lunch but Elizabeth and I stayed home to watch Seven Brides for Seven Brothers which I had never seen. After that, we watched Bolt and The Eastenders and then Sherlock which everyone enjoyed. Then Adele at the Royal Albert Hall and after that, my favourite, Qi- my belly is sore from laughter.

So, the first day of the year is finished and all I’ve done is sleep and watch TV.  I hope it will be fine tomorrow so I can go exploring. If nothing else, I’m going to have to forage for food- we’ve just about eaten the pantry out, not to mention I haven’t had a drink for two days- my first dry New Year since I was 18!

I’d decided not to spend the second day of the year in the same way as I’d spent the first and when I woke up to a bright and sunny day, I was keen to get going. But by the time I had eaten breakfast, showered and dressed, the weather had done an about-turn and the rain was coming down in sheets. We decided to drive via the back roads to Gorran Haven, a seaside village a few miles away. ‘Twas a very pretty drive to a very pretty village. By the time we reached the village, the day had changed back to sunny, but still very cold. The beach was crowded with families and dogs who were running back and forth through the waves like creatures possessed. Crazy Cornish families were swimming and surfing in wetsuits, but all barefoot, in the freezing cold. Maybe the water was warmer than the air.

Since the day was looking brighter than we had seen since arriving in Cornwall, we decided to keep on going until we reached Land’s End, aptly named as it really was the end of the land. The weather closed in, again, and we scurried to the warmth of the restaurant where we ordered fish and chips- what else?- and lemon cheesecake with Cornish clotted cream for dessert. It was blowing a gale and the rain was almost horizontal, but Elizabeth and I wanted to go to the very tip, but we almost froze to death. Every time I took off a glove to take a photo, my hand felt frostbitten. We made it back to the car cold, wet and bedraggled, but alive.

We headed back to Mevagissey via Mount St Michael where we hopped out to take a quick pic, and Truro where we stopped to stock up with supplies (and alcohol!) We passed by Redruth which is where Demelza met Ross in the first of the Poldark novels. Ever since I read them back in the early eighties, I have always wanted to come to Cornwall. I’d love to spend 12 months here to experience all of the seasons!

Lorelle and Kiryn headed down to the village for dinner, but Elizabeth and I were happy to stay warm indoors and enjoy a steaming bowl of broccoli and stilton soup with a glass of red, followed by banoffie pie which I had bought this afternoon at Sainsbury’s. There are so many delicious things in the supermarkets here and they are all so reasonably priced. Most items are less than 2 pounds and many are less then one. Bananas really are 68p a  kg!

Day 3 of 2012 dawned bright and sunny. Well, actually it was bright and sunny when I woke up at 9.30, so I thought I’d finally venture down to the little village of Mevagissey to try to find some wifi even if it was just on my phone. I had purchased 5 days of internet access from British Telecom for 15 pounds (AUS $23) and was allowed on for just 1 hour.  And though I have tried again and again, I cannot regain access even though it says I am connected! Frustrating in the extreme! The past few days I have just been spending money and not getting anything for it. Let’s not dwell on it.

I tottered down the hill to the village past some delightful little shops, most of which were closed, to the Fountain Inn, which was open and very friendly. I ordered a pint of cider (and got cider!) and asked for the password. The bartender replied, “password?”, to which I replied, “yes”. Finally, I cottoned on to the fact that the password was “password”. I didn’t spend a lot of time on the net as there were a series of people coming in and chatting to me for a couple of hours. Finally I got to answer emails and let people know I was still alive, but not until I had ordered another pint of cider! I bought a loaf of fresh bread from Martin’s Bakery and headed for home for a (very) late lunch of steak sandwiches.

I walked along the windswept harbour and climbed the stairs up to our house perched on the cliff-top. It was almost 4 by the time we had lunch. We couldn’t even think about our roast chicken dinner until after 7. We stayed up late watching TV again. There are some great shows on TV in England; there’s always something good to watch- good movies, great quiz shows, and very, very funny talk shows.

The next morning, I awoke at 9.30 again, had breakfast and went back to bed to read some more Poldark. At midday, I thought I’d better get up. I walked down to the village. On the way down, I noticed the little shop whose shop window I was admiring yesterday was open so I walked in to have a look and to get warm. The owner had the dress in the window in a large size. I tried it on and amazingly, it fitted. She then found two more similar styles that also fitted. They were all 19.95 but there was a 20% discount on everything in the shop, which brought them down to 16 pounds each. Only problem was she didn’t accept credit cards and I only have a few pounds cash.

I then walked the village in the rain trying to obtain some cash. Both cash machines did not spit out any and I even asked the postmistress to no avail. Apparently, I will have to journey into St Austell to s proper bank to get cash. I went back to the shop and just bought one dress and explained the cash situation to the lovely lady. She said she would open for me at 1pm tomorrow, which made me feel special but also very obliged to return.

I then headed to the Fountain Inn for a pint of cider and to check emails. I met Elizabeth here who was enjoying a glass of real Guinness, which she seems to like. We then bought some fresh bread and walked up the hill to a lunch of roast chicken sandwiches.

A little later, Elizabeth cooked ham steaks and vegies and we watched more TV but I was in bed before midnight for the first time this year. I have decided 11pm is my bedtime on weeknights when I get home, and 7am is my target getting out of bed, time.

Lorelle drove us into St Austell and I managed to get 74 pounds so that’s my limit as Lulu’s Shoppe! We enjoyed a very large latte- actually a bowl with two handles- at Costa Coffee before heading home again. Lorelle dropped us off in the village and I secured the two dresses Lulu had put away fro me, plus she had found two suitable skirts as well. She had opened just for me so I thought I’d better buy them. I also fell in love with an elephant bag, an elephant coverlet for my bad and an elephant runner out of which I am going to make two pillowcases. All of this for 74 pounds. Bargain! 

Then Elizabeth wanted to go to the antique shop to try on an aquamarine ring she had seen the day before.  There were actually two that she liked- I liked both of them too- so I wouldn’t help her choose. (I remembered what trouble I had got into in Brasov over the leather bags!) I thought whichever one she chooses, I’ll have the other one, as I really did love both of them, but lo and behold, she bought BOTH and I dipped out completely! Not that I need any more jewellery after my spending spree in Murano!

I then headed to the Fountain Inn for yes, you guessed it, another pint of cider, before heading up to our hilltop house. I ate a chargrilled prawn and chicken paella for lunch and started to read Dear Fatty, Dawn French’s memoirs. I didn’t finish it before dinner though, so it’s on my must-read list when I get home. Lorelle, Kiryn and I headed out to the Sharksfin Restaurant for our last supper together which was absolutely delightful. We shared mushrooms in white wine, garlic and cream, and deep fried brie for starters. For mains, I had beef pie and chips, Lorelle bangers and mash, and Kiryn a vegetable suet pudding. The meals were so large that none of us could finish them- not usual for me at all.

We reminisced about which were our favourite places of the whole trip. We each had to name five and I think we each had a different list. Very hard to choose! I chose Greece, Italy, Spain, Wales and Cornwall- but maybe it’s because these are most recent in my memory. Also maybe it’s about expectations. I didn’t expect to enjoy Greece and Spain nearly as much as I did. I was not looking forward to either destination, but loved every minute of both! Athens and Santorini in Greece; Barcelona and Cordoba in Spain. Also loved what we saw of Madrid, Gibraltar, and Granada. Actually I loved all of them. There is only a couple of places which have escaped my ‘must return to” list!

We enjoyed our last walk up the hill; the night was windless and almost balmy. The sky was filled with stars and the moon was waxing. Lorelle and I are both very sad to leave; Kiryn is off tomorrow to live in Cardiff, and Elizabeth is heading home. I think she missed home much more than any of us, and never wants to leave Australia again. As for me, I can’t wait until I have saved enough money (read as, paid off my credit cards!) to go travelling again. I have experienced so much everywhere I went, and have learnt so much too. Now I can only hope I can remember what I’ve learnt when a question comes up at trivia. I don’t want to blurt out, ”I know that! I’ve been there!” only to find I have remembered incorrectly! Oh the shame!

Here I am sitting in Gatwick Airport after farewelling my fellow travellers at Heathrow, and waiting for my flight to Nantes where I am to spend my last 10 days relaxing with Stacey and Max before heading back home. 

my attic bedroom

view from my bedroom window

view from our terrace

looking up at our house from the garden

Land's End

you don't say

Mount St Michael

Mevagissey harbour

the narrow streets of Mevagissey

Llandeilo to Mevagissey

i love sheep

bridge over the Severn Estuary

looking through the misnamed
sunroof

After a scrumptious breakfast of fresh fruit salad followed by bacon and eggs on toast (I opted out of the full Welsh breakfast today), we set off for the little Cornish fishing village of Mevagissey. It rained most of the way but not heavily so we made good time. We stopped to grocery shop in St Austell at the Tesco supermarket, which was packed. It’s a long weekend so everyone must be stocking up, including us! We bought cheese, ham, milk, tea, bread and butter but forgot the bubbly!

The streets of Mevagissey are the narrowest we’ve seen- we couldn’t believe they were actually two-way streets which we discovered on our way up to our house at the top of the hill. We encountered a car coming down; Kiryn could not reverse as there was a car right behind us; there was no room to pull over as we were right up against the stone wall, so the oncoming car had to reverse and pull into a driveway for us to get past. We don’t want to repeat that experience in a hurry.

St Fagan’s Farm, Castle and Village

We all slept in with the view of having a late breakfast before heading off to Cardiff. Breakfast was the full Welsh variety, which is enough food to last through the day. We headed off to Cardiff in misty, rainy weather with visibility down to just a few metres at times. Thank God I wasn’t driving- I couldn’t see a thing! Kiryn dropped me off at St Fagan’s then headed in to Cardiff to check out several accommodation options. Lorelle headed to Cardiff Castle and Elizabeth hit the shops for the after Christmas sales, not that she can fit anything else into her suitcase!

The rain had eased to a drizzle so I donned my poncho and map and headed off down the village lane past some farmhouses, an interesting circular pigsty built from stones and the corn mill until I got to the sheep to whom I gave a friendly hello. Baa-aa-aa-aa.

Then up the woodland path, through the creepy forest to the even creepier Celtic village. Not a single person was in sight and I hesitated before peering into one of the darkened huts. You guessed it- there was a guy sitting just inside the door who scared the living daylights out of me. I think he was equally scared by my scream!

I waded through muddy pools in snow boots (not too good on slippery ground, but much better than my sandals, at least I had dry feet) to the tannery, the pottery and kiln and the old church. Sadly, most of the old-fashioned shops were closed for business, but the general store was open so I bought some chocolates in the shape of animals, clotted cream fudge, rum and raisin fudge and a jar of Christmas spiced marmalade.

farmhouse at St Fagan's Village

pig sty

baa-aa-aa

woodland walk

wet but still smiling

Celtic village

wood-house

Workmen's Institute 1916

church- Eglyws in Welsh

the General Store

the school house

the gate-house

the gardens of the manor house

St Fagan's Castle

fountain in the gardens

entrance to the manor house (castle)

I checked out the iron-workers’ cottages and their back yard vegetable gardens, the photography studio (closed), the school-house, the gate-house, and the bakery (closed) before it started to really come down in bucketfuls so I hightailed it back to the warmth and dryness (I wanted to type dryth) of the café where I had a freshly baked muffin and a large latte for 2 pounds 95 pence. As soon as the rain had eased, I ventured out to explore St Fagan’s Castle (really a large manor house) and its walled gardens and hothouses where I managed to trap myself in a back corner with no shortcut so I had to find the way I had come in, to be sure of not getting lost.

Rain began falling and the skies were darkening rapidly and the whole place had suddenly become deserted so I headed back to the café. They were about to close so had all the chairs up on the tables and were mopping the floor so I sat just inside the front door until they too were closing up, then waited outside until Kiryn arrived to collect me. It was the longest 20 minutes of my life. Luckily I had rugged up well so wasn’t cold, but I was pretty happy to spot our car driving through the windy, rainy darkness.

We were all hungry for dinner when we arrived back at the White Hart Inn, but with the private party of 110 other guests to feed, we managed to eat 3 courses- well, I did. A muffin’s not a lot to keep the furnaces going especially when one’s walked miles! The cockles and bacon again (I couldn’t go past it!), rack of lamb ( just to be different) and my favourite bread and butter pudding again. Kiryn bought a bottle of bubbly to celebrate her finding a great place to live overlooking the Taff River in the centre of Cardiff. We all toasted to her new life in Wales.

I started watching An Officer and a Gentleman but fell asleep, and then woke up a while later and did not go back to sleep until after 2 am. Why does this always happen to me when I have to be up early in the morning?

Llandeilo

Room 1 at the White Hart..my room

View from my window

trying to self-portrait in the cheval mirror in my room

On arrival, the White Hart Inn’s manager escorted us to our rooms. We were even given a choice of rooms! How’s that for service? Lorelle and Kiryn chose a large room with a big bathroom, but will be on top of a disco on Friday night, while Elizabeth opted for a smaller room away from the noise.  I have discovered I love noise- I feel more part of the world around me when there’s lots going on- and I abhor silence; it just doesn’t feel natural somehow. When there’s silence, I provide my own noise: coughing, singing, snoring…

Due to the inclement weather and the state of my locks, I had the intention of staying in and washing them, but was distracted by David Copperfield. Not the real David sadly, but one of the movie versions. I was drawn completely into this Dickensian world- maybe I had been primed by the Great Expectations series- and I could not bear to miss a single minute, and it must have been at least 3 and a half hours long!

Consequently, I didn’t make it down to dinner on time. Everyone had already ordered. Fortunately, I had looked at the menu in my room (during the ad breaks) and had decided on seafood: cockles and bacon for entrée, and Scampi for mains. I’d never had cockles before- they were tiny but scrumptious! I ordered a bottle of Johnny Q Australian Chardonnay, which went down a treat. I wound up finishing the whole bottle myself! Although I was no longer hungry, I couldn’t resist the bread and butter pudding. Yes, you guessed it! It was the best bread and butter pudding I have ever had! It was hot, creamy and pure heaven. I savoured every mouthful. Our waitress was delightful- probably the first Welsh person we’ve met- there are a lot of English living in Wales these days, and who could blame them, it’s a beautiful country.

Just had to climb the stairs to my room where we watched the third and final instalment of Great Expectations, followed by Notting Hill. It’s so long since I’ve watched it I had forgotten how funny it was. Maybe it was the chardonnay that improved my sense of humour?  Anyway, my laughter kept me awake until the end of the movie, and that’s quite an accomplishment lately. Staying awake, I mean. I am sure I have some kind of sleeping sickness… maybe it’s just travelling that’s so tiring.

Conwy to Llandeilo

After a wonderful night’s sleep in the arms of the wind both inside and out, I was startled awake by my alarm at 7am. Shower, dress, pack, and down to breakfast by 8.30 and on the road to Llandeilo. (I think I have the spelling correct, but I haven’t a clue of its correct pronunciation)

Driving over hills and through the greenest of valleys, we couldn’t fail to spot the sheep; thousands of them dotted on every hillside and in every field.  I had started uttering sheep noises when we saw our first sheep after leaving Heathrow; well, to be truthful, not when we saw our first sheep, but when someone mentioned sheep, and I continued this the whole trip.  After a while, I noticed that Kiryn was giggling at every single baa-aa-aa, so I thought I’d keep it up. So as not to disappoint me, I think, she giggled every single time, sometimes, almost inaudibly.  Then we saw some cows that someone commented on and I dutifully mooed. No, I am not going crazy; well, at least I don’t think I am! (No comments please…) Of course, Elizabeth spied some horses to which I tried to whinny- not well- and then reverted to my bleating. I think I must have been a sheep in a former life. J

The beautiful countryside

Through rain and wind Lorelle drove until we reached the village of Rahyader close to the English border where we stopped for a bite to eat at the first café/bar we saw open. I ate a lamb and vegie pie, washed down with a Fentiman’s real ginger beer. The weather continued to deteriorate with rain increasing and the wind gathering strength and becomingly bitingly cold. It blew through all of my clothes and I was pleased we were parked only a very short distance away. We reached Llandeilo soon after- it was not nearly as far as I had imagined and we had driven all the way from the north coast of Wales to near the southern coast in a few hours. Wales really is a small country.

Conwy

the town walls

the village of Conwy

looking through the wall

Conwy fishing fleet

After meeting up with the adventurous trio, Kiryn and I headed to the local for a few drinks and eventually dinner at the Castle Hotel, adorned with every sort of Christmas decoration you can wish for, and a warm friendly ambience. The floors were covered with a rich, thick tartan carpet and paisley-covered comfortable armchairs, which we thankfully sank into for the rest of the afternoon until we toddled on down to the restaurant when it opened at 6.

Kiryn ordered a honey parsnip soup, which I gratefully finished off for her, while the others were hanging out for their mains. Lorelle and I ordered lamb steak, Elizabeth, salmon, and Kiryn, pasta. The meals were top notch but not huge so we ordered dessert as well. I opted for panacotta, Lorelle, Christmas pudding, and Elizabeth, sticky toffee pudding. Replete, we ambled back to our home away from home at Castlebank Hotel in time to catch the first episode of Great Expecations, folllowed by King Kong, during which I fell asleep.

I didn’t wake until 8.30- what a marvellous sleep!- and went down to an amazing Full English (Welsh) Breakfast of eggs, bacon, black, sausage (locally produced and the best black sausage ever!), tomatoes, mushrooms and sausages plus cereal, fruit, juice, toast and coffee after which I went back to bed! I was intending on getting up later but the day turned colder and windier and I changed my mind and decided bed in my cozy attic room was the place to be! Elizabeth brought me home the most delicious vanilla slice to stave off starvation.

After a cider at our host’s bar, we headed out to dinner. On Henrique’s recommendation, we headed to Watson’s Bistro, but we couldn’t actually find it, so ended up at the Raj Indian Restaurant where I had a samosa followed by coconut prawn curry with paratha but no rice! Rice had to be separately ordered. I relied on the generosity of Kiryn who had ordered fried onion rice, which was absolutely delicious. Lorelle and Elizabeth both ordered steak diane which, surprisingly, was quite good. After the Salzburg meal fiasco (a while ago, I will admit), I will never order anything but Indian at an Indian restaurant.

I did want some kulfi for dessert, but the waiter obviously thought I wanted coffee and so asked, ”with milk?” I have never had kulfi with milk and couldn’t cotton on to what he was saying.  However, Elizabeth shed light on the subject when she realized he was asking me did I want coffee.  He had never heard of kulfi! What kind of Indian restaurant is this? Obviously, one like the Thai restaurant in Amsterdam that hadn’t heard of coconut rice!

We toddled back to our lodgings in time to catch the second episode of Great Expectations, followed by The Cable Guy, during which I feel asleep, again.