Top 10 Cornwall Highlights

One of the great things about being married to a Cornishman is that he still has friends and family in Cornwall, hurray! So we can visit and be assured of a bed anytime of the year. Wonderful. Having said that we haven't been to Cornwall for  a while so it was amazing to go back this summer and see it all with fresh eyes. Here is my top 10 of Cornish delights for 2011.

© Jason Woodford

1.Building Dens at Eden. 

This was our first ever visit to the Eden Project and we were absolutely enthralled by it. It is a really brilliant example of a man with a vision who was determined to breathe life into his dream and make it real. What has been created is so inspiring, so enriching and so provocative. On the day we visited there was a brilliant den building activity and we had the best fun building our own little habitat. I love the way that creativity is celebrated everywhere you go at Eden.


2. Watching Knights Joust.
We put our English Heritage cards to good use and enjoyed a cloudy but exciting day at Pendennis Castle. It was like walking back into medieval times as we had the thrill of watching 4 knights battle it out in three rounds of events including a joust. We got behind Sir Thomas the Knight of the West but despite our hearty cheers he was completely defeated.

 

3. Body Boarding at Hayle.

The North Coast is the best for big waves, so we packed up our body boards and switched coasts for a couple of days. Despite the temperature not quite reaching 20, we waded in and got lost in the surf. I love the sense you get of being so small in such a vast sea. So exhilarating!





4. Walking amongst the Boats at St Ives
We found ourselves in St Ives with the tide out and so we were able to walk around the harbour and explore the nooks and crannies of the sailing boats as well as the fishing boats. It is exciting to see what is normally covered. Like a mystery revealed.

© Jason Woodford

5. Marvelling at the Red Arrows

I'm sure that in my lifetime I have seen the red arrows before, I have vague recollections. Seeing them with adult eyes, fully aware and excited about the display was a completely different experience. We were lucky to be in Falmouth during Falmouth Week so caught the red arrows and the delayed firework display. 

 

6. Discovering Yvonne Coomber. 

The thing I love most about Cornwall is the colony of artists that seem to congregate around the gorgeous locations and awe inspiring light of the county. I love discovering new artists and this year I found out about the amazing Yvonne Coomber.

7. Resting by the Quiet water at Trebah

On Sunday we explored the peaceful Trebah gardens that lead down to the must beautiful tranquil beach looking out onto the Helford River. We went with our family and enjoyed chatting, walking, stopping, listening, looking, chilling, reflecting and just being. I could have sat by that river until the moon came out and then have sat some more. Such a beautiful spot.

© Jason Woodford

8. Standing above the largest captive rainforest 

Back to Eden, in the humid heat we queued and waited to climb to the very top of the Rainforest Biome and the guide told us we were standing above the largest captive rainforest. A brilliant experience if not a little daunting for the children. 

9. Gallery Browsing
It's one of my favourite things to do anywhere really, exploring and viewing other peoples perspective on the world through their art. Cornwall makes it very easy as there are so many galleries to choose from, especially in St Ives.

10. Yummy Food

Of course, this post would not be complete without mentioning Cornish Pasties, Cream Teas and Ice Cream. I have hidden the scales temporarily while I recover!