Cornwall’s Secret

Winter became spring, as I completed the final edits of my novel: You Can’t Go It Alone. A holiday in February is now a romantic memory, but I must share a secret I discovered in Cornwall.

As a Valentine’s Day gift, my husband planned a winter holiday to Cornwall.  Severe weather warnings via every form of communication heralded the beginning of our adventure.  Why worry about Siberia when you live in the UK, and Cornwall is always warmer?

On arrival at the log cabin, the interior charmed us then distracted us with sparkling sea view. Fairy lights adorned the archway above luxurious leather sofas. The pine interior filled with rugs, cushions and rocking chairs reminded me of Norwegian interiors in style magazines. A cute, bespoke kitchen contained everything required to cook grilled Dover Sole in a butter sauce.  Cosy and warm in the cabin, we ignored the weather warnings broadcast on the television.

On the first day, we went to look at St Michael’s Mount, but it was closed.  No worries, I wanted to visit the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, as I adore The Hepworth in Wakefield – well she was a Yorkshire lass.  Alas, you guessed it, the museum was closed. Off next to Trengwainton Gardens but it was closed until Sunday. The bitter cold drove us back to the log cabin for the evening.

No one can close Land’s End, so we travelled to the famous landmark and planned to grab lunch there.  Land’s End is accessed through an entrance you would find at a theme park – so it could be closed.  We walked past the souvenir shops before we reached Land’s End.  Glorious cliffs chiselled by the elements and reminiscent of Hepworth’s sculptures greeted us. Lunch in The First and Last Inn was not possible as it was closed.  I wore two coats, two hats and a hood teamed with my waterproof trousers to keep out the arctic temperatures.

Amused by the name ‘Mousehole’, we called at the village for a very late lunch. Quaint stone houses welcomed us in the sheltered harbour.  We ate cheese sandwiches in a friendly coffee shop tucked away at the end of the village.  Apparently, Dylan Thomas described Mousehole as ‘the loveliest village in England. And, there was an ice cream parlour called Jessie’s, so we ordered vanilla ice cream.

Rejuvenated by our rest in Mousehole, we braved the cold to visit beaches. Golden white sand marked with endless footsteps greeted us at Sennen Cove. We rambled along the beach. Light showcased the beach in all its glory, and we stood in the amongst the silhouettes of people who had escaped from a Lowry painting.  The next day we hiked around the coast in St Ives and marvelled at the magical beauty of the golden light.  Sadly, our camera could not capture the texture of an artist’s brush.

Winter is the best time to view the beaches of Cornwall. Forget the art galleries and tourist traps and enjoy nature’s treasures.  Step onto the beaches and walk inside a painting to enjoy nature’s pallet.  Snow fell as we drove home.  Thankfully, the Severn Bridge remained open until we got home.  Visiting Cornwall, in winter, felt like having the world to ourselves – an idyllic romantic winter paradise. Shh, don’t tell anyone…

Please see all my travels at Handbag Adventures and my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.