Nope, I won't let this year end without any new musings. Has it really been 8 months
since my last travel? The thought is frustrating and home sickening to me as an overseas worker. Nevertheless, I'm glad that it's inching back to normal here in the UK and I hope the other countries (especially, my dear Philippines!) would go the same as well. We deserve a huge break from this quarantine biz.
Since it's still a hassle to embark on other countries at this point, I'm resuming my travelventures within the UK border instead! This is even my first time to visit the local outskirts of England 😊 Last 14th August, me and my housemates went on a staycation to Cornwall located at Southwest England.
Cornwall felt like the Philippines' Subic or Clark, Pampanga to me. It is home to sandy beach resorts with lodges/facilities owned by a family business. Thus, here's our 3-day itinerary covering some of the go-to places and must-eats in this beautiful harbor!
TRANSPORTATION.
I got to say that going to Cornwall can be very pricey during this peak summer season. We took the night coach by National Express (inbound) and train by Great Western Rail (outbound) which both took 9hrs from London (yes, it's a long train ride too due to 2 train changes).As a COVID precaution, a one window-seat apart policy is implicated and facemasks must be worn throughout the journey. Book your transport tickets at trainline.com
Whereas, the transpo in this town is another price issue (I'm telling y'all, this is the bulk of our expenses here. lol).Most of the beaches and shopping centres can be travelled on foot but it takes a booked cab ride to go from one town to another. There are local buses and trains however the travel time takes 2-3hrs compared to a 40minute taxi trip--but like I said, it is very expensive (£100 one-way to be exact from Newquay to St. Ives). So it's a matter of weighing down your travel convenience. The cabs can be booked with the aid of your lodging facility. Apparently, Uber doesn't operate on the area.
ACCOMODATION.
We stayed at The Escape Surf & Lodge Hostel in Newquay town. Fortunately, a half-Brit, half-Pinoy was managing the facility so it was really nice!They shared ideas of where to go and they were able to give us an early check-in. Pretty much, the place is lowkey in which you only have to stay there by the end of the day.
NEWQUAY--the Surfing capital.
From its huge waves and enormous beach cliffs, it is a town of having surfboards by day and alcoholic booze at night. Though it was hazy on our first day there yet the zero visibility didn't bother the townspeople! Whether the tide goes high or low, everyone is still on shore and never wanting to miss a drink night Friday.
Seafood is certainly their specialty 🖤 Look at that shrimp-crab pasta.
Fistral Beach--It used to be crowded here on a sunny day.
Aside from being a surfer's paradise, the rocky cliffs are seen to be very picturesque.Make sure to wear some sturdy footwear!
and here's its town centre which is filled with souvenir shops, more restaurants, and bakeries (so to speak, that one thing I've observed was that the Cornish are fond of bread specifically, their traditional pasty).
Cornish pasty with Cornish coffee on the side. It basically resembles the Pinoy's empanada but the former's bigger in size and the main difference is just its steak filling. I personally still prefer our native one. ;)
Yummy authentic hot chocolate to end the day.😋 Most shops close as early as 8PM while for the bars, they cater until 2AM but only drinks will be served.
ST. IVES--England's Santorini.
I have never been to Greece yet however the blue and white hues on this hip-town felt so Greek-y already. Ergo,This is some place that you should NOT miss out. It may seem to look like a quiet town with small outskirts but St. Ives is a true gem of food, art and pristine beaches. We had fun touring around the harbour despite the hot temperature that time. Haha!
Half of the day was spent foodtrippin' from Cornish ice cream, crab sandwich and afternoon tea 🖤
What I like about this Cornish custard topping is that it wasn't too sweet at all! This can come with other ice creams flavours but I paired with the original vanilla.😋
I enjoyed this a lot! Ideally, the set comes for one person only however it really came up with a big serving of sandwiches, chips, scones and a cake slice so we shared it as a squad 😅 We had a lovely time at this petite cafe. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember the names of these restos but y'all would definitely see these right away when y'all get here ;)
And this is where we spent a few hours under the sun---Porthminster beach.
Honestly, I'm never a beach person but I found it nice to experience sunbathing in a public beach once in a while.^^ We didn't bother to swim because the water was so cold! Besides that, they offer various water activities such as kayaks, paddles and surfing.
--the Southern endpoint of Great Britain
How wonderful it was to conquer the landmark's end of Southwestern England which was surrounded by lighthouses and cliff top trails with breath-taking views. Known as "Belerion" or ' Place of the Sun', this is surely a destination of real discovery.
This area is a 30mins' drive away from St Ives and similarly, it has various places to see. With the lack of hours we had since we came there late afternoon, we weren't able to tour the others anymore (Plus, it comes with a fee). So I highly recommend a full day stay in Penzance to fully appreciate both St. Ives and Land's End.^^
And that concludes our Cornish adventure; short yet memorable indeed! Many thanks to my housemates for making it possible, I hope we'll be able to do it again once we all have the same day-offs 😜 Likewise, I look forward to visit several cities outside the capital--I'm open for suggestions!
'til then!
