Beautiful Cornwall

After Nis had submitted his first year report he really deserved a treat. It is also holiday season in England, so we spontaneously decided to go on a trip to Cornwall. Cornwall is located in the very southwestern part of England with Canada and USA almost in sight if there was no big pond in between.

We stayed in an Airbnb accommodation for the first time as it seemed to be the easiest and most affordable way to find a place to sleep on short notice during this busy holiday time. We had a cosy en suite room in Rebeccas cottage in Madron near Penzance and are really thankful that she turned out to be our first Airbnb host because the she was lovely and made us feel very welcome. Speaking of Penzance: We are still not quite sure how to pronounce this town. It could also be somewhere in France or Italy, right?

Indeed, this short trip felt more like a vacation in southern Europe. If the water temperature had not been between 14 and 16 degrees Celsius, this could have also been somewhere at the Mediterranean. We were so lucky with the weather!

On our first day we explored the most westerly point of mainland in England: Land’s End!

However, we underestimated how far away Cornwall actually is from Cambridge. It is a 350 miles drive, so including breaks and traffic congestion around London we were on the road for about eight hours. It felt like we actually spent two days in our rental car and two days at the sea. Ideally the proportion of being on the road and relaxing should be more in favor of spending time at your holiday destination. But it was also some kind of adventure to take this trip in a right-hand drive as we are still used to the driver sitting on the left side of the car.

Off to the beach because what would a summer holiday be without a day spent at the seaside?

We also explored some towns around Cornwall, for example St Ives and Mousehole. St Ives is a very touristy city with lots of cute little shops and beaches.

Mousehole on the other hand is not as busy as St Ives but it is still a gorgeous place to have a wander around. You only need to be aware of closing hours for local shops which is around 6 pm. This is different from a summer holiday in southern Europe for example where you can go shopping even late in the evening. It is a shame really that we were not able to explore all these interesting galleries and art shops because they had been closed so early.

After this vacation I am sure about one thing: I want to return one day! Cornwall’s landscape is gorgeous and if it is sunny it is not as burning hot as on the beaches in southern Europe. It is also great for hiking and days out exploring local art and the culture of cream tea.