A welcome return

We spent Monday to Friday last week in Cornwall.  The school Easter Holidays are upon us, and although we're lucky to have the apartment in France, it's the cost of the ferry that's prohibitive.  So after some phone calls to see if our friend's cottage (where we honeymooned back in 1995) was available, (it wasn't), we plumped for a Landmark Trust property.

So, for the uninitiated among you, here's a link to The Landmark Trust:
  
http://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/  

Short breaks in restored historic buildings

We are a charity that gives new life to castles, forts, follies, towers and cottages.

We found a lovely property 'The College' at Week St Mary, not far from Bude on the north coast of Cornwall, and within striking distance of Padstow, the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan.

When Phoebe learned that The College slept 5, and she would have a twin bedded room her immediate response was 'can Honey come too?'.  Honey's parents were kind enough to say yes, and so we set off  in the rain, in anticipation, with a boot crammed full of luggage and wellies and board games and coats, and the back seat of the car jammed with 3 children (Phoebe, 13; Honey, 12; Tom, 8) and their assorted paraphenalia.

The College was a dream.  Originally built in 1506 by Thomasina Percival also known as Bonaventure, she was married 3 times, and founded the school house and endowed it with a charitable trust to maintain it... and the story goes on, but there's not time for it here.  The restoration was simple, comfortable and warm.  And the mod cons ran to a dishwasher in the well equipped kitchen, and ample hot water, but no TV, no radio, no wi-fi, internet and barely a phone signal....  although the girls found this a challenge at first they didn't let it spoil our fun.

Tuesday saw us hire bicycles at Wadebridge, on the River Camel Estuary, and then cycle (with about 500 other holidaying families) along the Camel Trail down to Padstow.  We had pasties and they cycled back. Weather fair, windy, sunny intervals, dry - perfect for cycling.

 

Wednesday was Eden Project day.  We were last there in November 2002, and Phoebe was 2.  It was fairly new back then, and were keen to see how it had matured since then.  We weren't disappointed and the children loved it.  I'd also arranged to meet an old school friend there, and she brought her 3 children along as well.  We met up at 11.30am, and were almost the last people to be shown out at 5.45pm.  A great day!

Tulip display in the Mediterranean bi-ome

Thursday was the Lost Gardens of Heligan.  We tried to lose the children in 'the Jungle', but failed.  The Jungle has particularly unusual plants, such as gunnera, tree ferns and cycads...

Juvenile gunnera macacata (sp?) splendidly green!

newly unfurling tree fern frond  :)

I'm going to stop here for tonight, as I'm struggling to load any further photos (of which there are many).  So this will have to be continued another night.

Sweet dreams out there.  Kat