England Summer Tour 2013 (5)

Monday 19^th. August

Coverack to Padstow and on to Minehead.

An Early start for us and it was a very nice trip from Coverack to Padstow, we stopped to take a couple of Photos of Carn Brea, the monument to Cornish tin and copper mining which overlooks both Camborne and Redruth, the site has been inhabited since the Neolithic period BC 3700. The moorland tops and granite outcrops abound with the disused lead mine workings, winding houses, crushing machinery and boiler-room chimney stacks near lend a beauty to the surrounding bleak landscape, they remind me of the area where I was born and brought up, but there are now very few reminders of the old coal workings, such a pity as they are also a part of our heritage. I hope that they will save these for future generations to wonder at what their forefathers went through to irk out a miserly living.

 

 

We had intended to do Steinsville (Padstow) and stay the night in the a touring site not far from the town centre, but due to the early start and arriving early and well before the maddening crowds. We went to the Park and Ride, paid 4 quid this included the bus fare and it dropped us off right at the harbour, what with Linda’s disability and what we knew would be the crush later was a very wise move. We walked and hobbled the short distance into town, passing Rick Steins Cookery School.

The tide was out but I think that this adds to the beauty and charm of a fishing harbour, the gulls and wading birds picking through the slick in search of a square meal. 

Along the quayside the well stacked crab/lobster pots and loads of youngsters crab fishing. 

 

Across the Camel estuary could be seen the town of Rock, at times when the river Camel carries enough water a ferry crosses between Padstow and Rock, but unless it was one of those boats that fly around the Everglades, I don't think it would transporting tourists that morning. 

It was a smashing warm day so I got Linda seated at a small café at the harbour, here she was able to write her cards, drink her coffee and take her pain killers without being hampered and pushed.

I was also able to wander the streets of Rick Steins home town (not only his but I suppose the most famous of its residents). I found his patisserie, his deli, his shop and his café, I knew it was useless trying for the seafood restaurant as it is booked out 3 months in advance, but the café is on a first come, first served basis and I thought this would be the best bet for a spot of lunch.

I walked along the harbour wall taking in the wonderful atmosphere (it also happened to be “Lifeboat Day” and there was a smashing shanty choir from Wadebridge just up the Camel river. I had a pot of whelks and a pot of mixed sea food (plenty of pepper and vinegar) from the solitary shellfish stand.

I then returned to Linda’s café, gave her, her belated birthday present (Rick’s Indian book in a Rick Steins bag). I had been to Rick's café to ask if it was possible to book a table for me and my invalided partner, they said it wasn’t normal, but if we could be there within the next 10 minutes they would look favourably on us (it was my Geordie charm I am sure). We arrived and the nice young girl recognised me and said just take a seat in the hallway, there is a table just paying the bill and it was then ours, what wonderful service.

We got the French window seat leading to the patio, ideal as the waitress said put your bags in front and then no-one can come in through it (it is not the entrance or exit to either the restaurant, patio or toilets so disturbed no one .

We got offered plain tap water straight away and then allowed to peruse the lunch time menu at leisure; there is also the blackboard with the day’s specials.

I decided on Moule Frites, not actually on the menu, but by combining the mussels cooked in white wine with shallots and the thin fried chips, it was a very passable mirage of the real thing.

 

We had started with the bruschetta; this had been spiced up with the addition of   anchovies and I do believe I shall also do this in the future. Linda had the Pad Thai for her main and the portions are adequate for a lunch time, the café has some lovely wall decorations and the staff is very attentive but not overwhelming. We spent a very nice hour and had a leisurely lunch with no hassle, thanks a lot staff of Ricky’s caff (P.S: it was a pity we didn’t go the day before our original plan as Rick was in signing books).

We walked back to the bus stop looking in all of Ricks (well ex-Mrs Steins in reality) projects and enterprises; I think he has just about got every angle covered, funny how a simple thing like fish can make a man a household name.

We decided that as it was still quite early we would put as many miles (KMs) as possible on our journey as we now aimed to head for Pershore and our good friends Carol and Bill, the main reason was to give Linda’s leg a rest without the climbing in and out of high places, but also to return some borrowed equipment. We looked in the Camping and Caravanning Club guide and saw that there was a campsite in Minehead; this would make the dash up the M5 to Pershore the next day a one not too long.

We hit Minehead and as usual missed the turning, when we eventually found it, it was like ”a night on the bare mountain” only this campsite was not on a bare mountain but gave a wonderful view down onto Minehead and the Bristol Channel.

We asked the site warden where we could find a supermarket (we needed to do our Bi-annual UK shop), he informed us that there was a Morrison’s and a Tesco’s just a little past were we had turned when on the outlook for the site, something’s never change and missing turnings are no exception in my case. We spent a very nice evening again on a very nice site with a beautiful view.

 

A very nice quiet site with a fantastic view down to Minehead bay

England Summer Tour 2013 (4)

Sunday 18^th August

Newlyn fishquay and a toasted crab sandwich , Landsend and Linda’s Birthday

Up early, I am almost always up with the Sparra’s , a quick breakfast and headed along the coast in the direction of Newlyn, I had misread the hoarding, I thought that it was the weekend of the Newlyn seafood festival, alas it was the next weekend so the town was very quiet (it may be just as well as I think it would be absolutely packed and hectic). We headed for the Fish quay, the tide was just on the turn and the shallows of the harbour was full of mullet and other inshore small fish.

Across the bay was a nice view to Penzance and St Michaels Mount. 

But I noticed a fishing boat coming in, so we went along to watch the unloading and had quite a good chat with the stevedore.

A rusting fishing hulk

Chatting with the crew

Discharging the catch of squid, dogfish, octopus but most was flatfish

Megram sole

Dover sole

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The discharge finished the crew headed for the pub for a well earned pint, then off home for a sleep

We then went to the head of the harbour and saw that they were advertising toasted Crab Sandwiches, so that was our lunch and very tasty it was as well.

It was now back to the car park built on a steep slope just past the old harbour (on reflection I think all car parks in Cornwall are built on slopes).

We then headed for Landsend, bought and posted our postcards, ate our ice-cream, took the obligatory photographs of the sign post and the Longstone Light and the flora of this last outcrop of England before hitting the Americas.

 

That done, we headed for the Minack theatre, Linda convinced me that it would be better to take the second entrance, she had noticed this while driving to Landsend, alas this put on about 40 km and an hour’s drive, we arrived and silly me decided to try for the top car-park. And, that was where it happened, at a bend in the road there was enough space to turn the van, by using a residents parking area, Linda had dismounted and had directed me back and forwards, to and fro until I was pointing down instead of up to the stars, she was getting back into the passenger’s side, pushing off on her left leg to reach the step and the back of her leg went ping and she screamed. After a bit of manoeuvring in the bottom car park we decided it was a useless problem, so decided to head back to Coverack. She thought it would be better to go to the Falmouth hospital A&E to get her knee checked out, so after 2 hours and a pair of crutches later we headed back to the campsite.
Linda had booked at the lifeboat house in Coverack for her birthday dinner, this had to be un-booked due to the lateness but also to her inability to either ascend or descend the exceedingly steep road from the campsite. I therefore cooked what we had in the fridge.
So Linda’s Birthday meal 2013 was:

Melon with Serrano ham

Fried Duck eggs, M&S dry cured bacon, venison and wild boar sausages and chilli bratwurst.

Blue Vinney, farmhouse chedder, Rheda air dried ham, water biscuits.

With the meal we drank a cold sekt (German sparkling wine).
So even though we didn’t go out for dinner, what we had wasn’t at all bad. I think it is called making the best of a bad job. Even the Neighbours put up a nice  light show.