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FOURTH INSTALLMENT... St MALO, JERSEY and CORNWALL (31st May / 16th June)

What is it with all forms of public transport.....because its cold outside they all exhibit insatiable need to create tropical conditions inside....the heating must have been set at at least 30c....about the temperature we would be thinking about turning on the air conditioning at home!

Ah well no more moaning.....remarkably smooth sailing and back in St Martin about 9:30pm.....just time enough for coffee and an apple tarte!

Reflections on France and the French....

Incredible national and personal self confidence

Incredible style and ability to "put simple things together

They must be world champions at planting trees in straight lines

Food.....

Friday 31st

Slept the sleep of the just and guess what...the view from the upstairs window shows signs of improving weather....not quite shorts wear yet but that moment is in sight

Trish and I hit the supermarket to stock up....then the three of them went to have 9 holes at the Royal Jersey. I had a wonderful three hours all by myself in the garden in the sunshine...bliss!

Duncan, a neighbour, had lent Peter a set of clubs and had also asked us to join him at Margaret at the Dolphin Hotel at Gorey Bay for dinner. Beautiful balmy evening, warm and the front was packed with diners and revellers. Duncan is quite a character...of the old school variety, and made sure we were not deprivedof sustenance or fluids. After a very good meal and some very drinkable (French) red......and "some white for the ladies".....we went back to their house for coffee. Hilarity ensued, Duncan is a great storey teller and has a trough full of exquisite expressions.....many of which are for private records rather than public blogs!

Managed to escape their fabulous hospitality, but not before Duncan's party trick and too many brandies! A charming generous couple...we had a lovely evening.

 

Saturday (1st June)

Today we left Tony to undertake extensive domestic duties and Trish Peter and I went out and about. First stop to drop off the keys to Nick and Paula the owners of the magnificent place we stayed in Port Lyvet. Nick and Paula have a magnificent house on the hill top with 180 views over St Helier Bay.....a view that you would never tire of and a real sun trap. We sat and drank coffee and chatted there for a while pretending that one day ( something like) this could all be ours!

Then it was off to visit Joyce, Trish's mum who is 92 and as spry and witty as someone half that age, delightful woman....we took her "out for an airing" as Trish so sensitively put it, to St Brelade Bay , walk along the beach and then back up onto the front to the "Wayside" for lunch. Trish's son Simon and one of his children joined us for a while then followed us back to their place to drop something off, to meet Ally and the other wee boy.

Then as we had decided to continue around the island we called in to her other son's place up on the hill behind St Helier. A fantastic family home with magnificent views and capturing plenty of Jersey sunshine....still haven't got the shorts on but the moment draws ever closer.

It's our wedding anniversary tomorrow so we took TandT out for dinner at the Cheffins at St Helier. We were greatly amused by the phenomenally high pitched voiced of one of the waiting staff and had to control the childish temptation to imitate it all night. The food was absolutely fantastic and by our standards very reasonable. In truth however I think we are all getting a restaurant-ed out.

Sunday (2nd)

Trish's turn for a domestic day...she had plans for non stop gardening.

News flash.....the shorts are on, the legs are out......beautiful warm blue day ( well as long as you can stay out of the wind)

Tony Peter and I went to explore Elizabeth castle which obviously dates from Tudor times and has Sir Walter Raleigh ( architecture and planning) English French wars connections, Charles the first spent six months or so actually in residence and of course the German occupation.

At low tide the castle can be reached on foot across the causeway....but the tide was wrong for us so we had to travel via the amphibious "paddle duck".

Interesting museum displays and it was a day of pageantry....the King's shilling day...demonstrations of musket and cannon firing and all able ( and some not quite so) bodied men between the ages of 16 and 65 had to fall in and be drilled and do some marching....amazing how many people don't know their left from their right. Walked out across another causeway to a neighbouring rock pinnacle where St Helier spent time as a hermit atoning for the sins of mankind. What a bleak and godforsaken existence it must have been!

To our surprise we found plenty of interest and were there for about four and a half hours. By the time we were ready to return a very cold breeze had risen with the tide and the line up for the puddle duck looked like we might miss out and have to wait another 30 minutes in the chill winds but luck was on our side and we were the last three allowed to board.

Home to check on Trish's progress to drink tea in the garden and revel in the warm sunshine drinking Moët to acknowledge the 40 years of wedded bliss! This is the life.

Enjoyed Trish's home made dinner, polished off all remains of apple tartes, sat in front of the tv which facilitated synchronised nodding off and then climbed the stairs....a really good day.

Monday (3rd)

All go ( for some at least) this morning PandT off for another round of golf at the Royal Jersey....Trish into town to a medical appointment and me sitting in the conservatory gazing at the pretty garden and checking emails and catching up on this blog

Well all lazed about for therest of the afternoon, reading, chatting, drinking very quaffable rose until dinner time.

Lovely relaxed day to end this two week holiday. And the I scheduled days back in Jersey have been very enjoyable. Tand T have been such generous and thoughtful hosts and Tony is under pressure to enable us to return the hospitality .... in Australia!

Back to England tomorrow (Tuesday) a few days in Henfield then off to Cornwall for a week.

Tuesday (4th)

Depart Jersey about one thirty for the one hour flight to Gatwick.....the baggage too almost an hour to unload....I was beginning to think that while we flew back they must have sent the baggage by row boat.

Always good to get back to Henfield and catch up with everyone. Steve called in and we discussed the. Cornwall plans then spent the evening with Anne and Harry.

Wednesday (5th)

Home day doing washing etc and enjoying beautiful sunshine in the garden.

Friday (7th )

Off to Horsham to pick up a few bits and pieces arrived home to a lovely gift of scarf and card....he had spied the evidence of birthday.

Anne not too flash this afternoon....later Charlie, Tracey, Steven, Jacky and John arrived with sparkly bubble juice.....fun couple of hours, and finalising plans for tomorrow's departure.

Saturday (8th)

Off at 8am as predetermined for the drive to NewLyn in Cornwall. A boys car and a girls car.....most satisfactory arrangement lol.

Quick stop at a roadside cafe for breakfast, then Jamaica Inn on the top of the Bodmin Moor for a lime and soda! Well we asked for soda lime and bitters but the bar maid looked askance....and lime and soda it was!

Arrived in Penzance ....stop off at Tesco for provisions.....then on to the digs in NewLyn...and what a super cottage...on three levels and so well appointed...this will be a great spot for the week.

 

Out for a stroll to explore the locality and of course ended up in a lovely sunny beer garden to imbibe in some local cider.

Then we shifted inside the 'Tolcarne' for a fabulous meal....Michelin star chef.....great food, scallops, calamari, hake, steak monkfish, ray wings .....just super...then a very brisk walk home through the chill night air!

Great bed...but the place is really hot....fired by the AGA in the kitchen.

Some of our party clearly had not had enough "stuff" and went out for more "exploring" and stumbled back in about 12:45 (closing time?)....one of the revellers had some difficulty locating the bathroom and burst into one of the bedroom's and fell back startled by what seemed like the full moon.

 

Sunday (9th)

Peter, Sandra and Tracey out for a morning walk to Mouseholel. Steven and David seemed to need a good lie in for some reason.

Plan for the day is a walk into Penzance as a starter

Well Penzance was the starter then on, and on, and on to St Michael's Mount about six miles. The walk along the front involved going down several beach wall dead ends resulting in scrambling over rocks and around barriers to continue then just as we thought we were on the home straight discovered a seven foot wall vertical drop!

Quite pleasant walking along the beach, although not so much in the soft sandy bits. Our destination was the Mount and to get there in good time to make the causeway exposed at low tide. However the tide still had some deceptive depth of water, as we discovered, and ended up with shoes full of sea water and sand. Peter had taken the "high road" and preserved both shoes and feet but ended up dragging the rear. He confessed when he caught us at the castle tha if he had found a cafe he would have nipped in for a cuppa and caught us on the way back.

Had a Cornish pasty in the garden and a bit of a wander around then up into the town of Marazion for a mooch but it was pretty quiet, so chanced apron the bus to Penzance so it was "all aboard".

We had hopes of making the connection to Newlyn but without success...so it was shank's pony again for the three miles to Newlyn.

After appropriate rest and revival tonics we ventured out to the Italian restaurant which provided super food and more charming service from signorina.

A very good day....dragged the tired body up the stairs for well earned rest

 

Monday (10th).

Boys off to golf at Cape Cornwall with plenty of shenanigans and gaming

 

The gals a more leisurely departure to drive around the bottom end of the peninsula. Through Mousehole and many tiny hamlets....the place is beautiful but I couldn't live here. Next stop Minack Theatre. An open air amphitheatre hand made over xxx years by xxxx and a couple of helpers. It sits up on the cliffs above Porthcurnow Bay and is absolutely stunning. There is a full program of productions right throughout the summer. We couldn't get entry when we were there as one show was concluding and they were setting up for the next. Glad I have seen the place before but disappointed for Sandra and Tracey. It was so cold and windy we didn't hang around but off to Lands End.

Essentially because Tracey needed to have her photo taken wearing the shirt she wore for the ClicSergeant charity drive they did last year. It was bitterly cold with a very strong wind blowing so it was necessary to make her wait in the chill for quite some time while Sandra and I made sure the cameras were in focus!

After a vey good hot chocolate and a very long wait for some scones, clotted cream and jam we continued our ramble. Next to Sennen Beach which was calm today but I can imagine reasonable surf in the right conditions. Then on through very pretty lanes with lovely wild flowers. Tracey a bit iffy about one of the lanes she was directed down, expecting to crash into a herd of cows at any moment.

Then back into Newlyn via Penzance and a spot of wedding outfit buying for Sandra and purchase of odds and ends for David's birthday on Friday

Back to the cottage for a bit of gazing into the middle distance. Decided to eat in tonight so Sandra and. I toddled into the village to pick up salad 'doings' and cod and chips. Nice relaxing evening including board games in the lounge!

 

Tuesday (11th)

Boys off to Perranporth Golf Course - A very tough day at the Office, hills, blind holes and strong winds.

Gals to St Ives. There are signposts everywhere exhorting you to park at the top of the town. Because when Peter and I were here before we had ignored similar signs and had worked our way through the tiny winding streets to the harbour....and then been allowed to park on the beach I encouraged Tracey to keep going and pretend to be locals....as if that was going to fool anyone....not to many folk here with fluorescent pink hair to provide camouflage! Well it isn't possible to park on the beach anymore but there was a park with plenty of spaces just around the corner.

Sandra was of the view that the entire population of Eastbourne was on a Bus outing to St Ives! Wall to wall geriatrics in matching beige jackets. Nevertheless the sun is shining and many interesting goods for sale. After we had wandered a while we found the Pend Nolva, a big hotel on the top of the hill overlooking both the main harbour, xxx beach and further to Cardis Bay. We sat on one of the Terraces and enjoyed a terrific lunch of assorted seafood and salad with "just a few" cheesy chips.

 

Wandered back to the car through more "irresistible shops" and then drove home the long way. Boys back about 5 and quite grumpy, apparently a horrid course all up and down, with most holes unsighted and hideous rough - so many balls lost and lots of grumbling....from certain quarters.

No one had the energy to cone up with any suggestions for tea so eventually we just paddled through the drizzle to the xxxx just 50 metres up the road for surprisingly good (definitely not haute cuisine) plain food

Back to to the kitchen for cheese and crackers and silly talk.

Wednesday (12th)

Boys to somewhere near St Austell and we are off to the Eden Project.

Golf at St Austell GC , nice course, parkland style unfortunately rain set in and golf was abandoned. Golfers set about sightseeing, Mevagissey (for BLT baguette) and a quick look see, down the coast to visit Doc Martin Portmellion (ha ha lol). Off to Cury to inspect Mullion GC advised to play so will do tomorrow, also checked out the West Cornwall course - also a goer

Not a very pleasant day at all really, wind and rain. Car parking about seven minutes walk from the entry, Sandra and Tracey not appropriately dressed for the the conditions. We were determined to be glum all day and smiles in photos were forbidden. Actually a very impressive place and looks as if it has been here for years. There are two massive golf ball type domes one for the rainforest environment and the other for a Mediterranean. The former was very impressive the latter not so much. The gardens both flower and veg are impressive. There is also a zip line....Tracey's eyes lit up....but it was a bit hard to access....I was quite pleased because no doubt Tracey's persuasive powers would have prevailed.

L

 

Back the long way so that we could purchase some essentials and back to the cottage about six.

No sign of the boys...turns out they had walked off the course after three holes the weather was so foul. They spent the rest of the day sightseeing, Megavessy, st Ives etc and when they got home the call of the pub was irresistible. Had a grand time chatting with locals.

We went to join them and met them on their way home. They had bought some Cornish pasties...enough for three! So we went back to the delightful Italian restaurant and supped some good cab sav whilst the chef put together four delicious pizzas for us to take away.

Good day with lots of fun....and survived a near miss with a lorry thanks to Tracey's driving skills.....off to bed hoping that the forecast sunshine is a reality in the morning.

 

Thursday (13th)

The sun is shining! Yippee...

Boys played at Mullion (excellent course very windy but a great challenge -balls disappearing at an alarming rate) - after putting on a couple of loads of washing we took off for The Lizard, the most southerly part of mainland Britain....remember the Chanel Islands!

Sun continued to shine but the wind was very blowy indeed. After a look around Lizard Point itself we went for a walk along the cliff tops for a mile or so. As we rounded the headland we were nearly blown off our feet, dramatic scenery, crashing waves, sea spray reaching the top of the cliffs....Sandra and Tracey out to the edges, down the perilous "stairways" and up on top of the rocky outcrops....someone had to stay behind to take the photos.

Back to the car park after about an hour and off to Cadgwith a genuine little fisherman's cove. Park up the top and walk into the wee village past jigsaw puzzle thatched cottages. As we made our way down a fishing boat was returning with its catch, the cove is too small and too exposed to the open sea for boats to be moored. They winch them up the beach using logs as runners.

One of the fishermen was talking to another local in what could have a completely foreign language...in fact, of course, Cornish is exactly that!

We popped into the Cove Inn for some fluid and a sandwich....both of which were top notch and doubly enjoyable from the vantage point of our table in the sunny courtyard.

Drive back to Newlyn uneventful today and got back to discover the boys had just got in as well.

The other four toddled off don to the village for some refreshment and will collect us on the way back on the way to the xxx for a meal.

Good day today and after the gales last night a beautiful sunny warm day.

 

Friday (14th)

Boys off to West Cornall GC today and we had an easy start and then into the village to collect the doings for dinner for David's birthday feast.

We bought oodles of fish of all sorts, some salad and range of cheeses for "afters". Turned all this lot into three courses, smoked Haddock salad, entree of assorted fish filets with asparagus, cherry tomatoes, white wine and rice then Sandra made a great Spanish/paella type dish for main course with more rice. All superb and fish prices so reasonably priced, certainly by our standards. Sandra had also bought a birthday cake.....and of course there was the ubiquitous chocolate!

Saturday (15th)

Packing up this morning.....we seem to have twice as much stuff to take home than we had bought......how does that happen, quick tidy up of the cottage and we are on our way. This cottage has been fantastic and we have had a great week...it could only have been better if the wind had abated .... even occasionally.

We mooched up the north coast from Newlyn to Yeovill.

First stop the Cornwall silversmith factory but unfortunately I was able to resist all their wares. Then back out to the coast road in and out of all the bays and inlets. The day is sunny ( mostly ) but the ever present wind has an edge to it. We stopped at the northern tip of Carbis Bay near the lighthouse....beautiful sands and the ocean great colours.

We had stopped for a lunch break at a little cove to consume the Cornish pasties bought this morning in Hayle and were retreated to the sight of a very old noisy and oil spewing steam roller with a little caboose attached which was being used as transport for a just married couple.

Eventually into Yeovill about 4:30 to John and Mary's place where we are to stay for the night. After a quick freshen up it was off to the Golf Club which was having an open/family day. I was enveigled into having a go at the putting competition where I got my second ball into the hole! Unfortunately my delerium was short lived when I was told that the first three tries were practice shots and didn't count....so I retired hurt!

Steven and David began a putting war and in the process donated many pound notes to the fund raising efforts. Eventually Steven was declared the winner.

Our wee group also managed to scoop the pool in the raffle.....Sandra winning three prizes and Peter won the "guess how many jelly beans in the jar" competition.

Back to JandM's about 10 for wine and cheese in abundance!

 

Sunday (16th)

Boys off for a round of golf at John's club.....Peter and John victorious on the day.

We went off to an outlet area near Glastonbury but again found nothing irresistible that demanded my attention.

Time had raced away so it was full bore back to the club to have a lunch snack with the boys.....who were all looking a bit glum when we arrived....weariness had overtaken them I think....six games of golf in seven days in cold and very windy conditions on courses that had plenty of ups and downs have finally taken their toll

Final load up of the car and full steam for Henfield where Charlie and Jackie had prepared high tea and where the group silver wedding anniversary present ( some very nice outdoor furniture ) was unveiled.

Pleased to note that Anne is in much better health now.

We have had a great week and now looking forward to a few quiet days of doing not a lot.

Steve and Tracey have done a great job with all the organising and the driving and the six of us have had good fun..and food! Back to starvation rations if the clothes are to fit on the body in two weeks time for the party

 

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