Monday 16 July 2018

A Wonderful Holiday

We're home again after our fortnight in Cornwall. We got back on Friday night after leaving at 10am, there were so many hold-ups with accidents, roadworks and rush hour traffic that it took nearly nine hours to travel the 327 miles, we usually do it much quicker.

We had a wonderful holiday, we had some really lovely weather for a change. We spent lots of time on Black Rock beach at Widemouth Bay, so called because of the black rock which juts out of the sea, but we also visited Trebarwith Strand and Constantine Bay, other favourite beaches of ours where dogs are allowed to run off their leads.


Archie loves it on the beach. He's still not all that keen on waves but he loves to run and splash in the rock pools, and it was good for cooling him down on the hot days we encountered.


We had a couple of cloudy days but there's always something to do in Cornwall. We took ourselves off to visit some favourite places like Boscastle and Tintagel, though we misjudged it the day we visited Padstow as what we though was going to be a miserable day turned out to be scorching.


We didn't miss out on beach fun though, we spent the evening by the sea instead and enjoyed a lovely picnic, as we did on many evenings.


The same thing happened when we visited Port Isaac, it started off cloudy but the sun ended up putting in an appearance. You can see the house which is used in the TV drama Doc Martin to the left of the photo.


We only encountered one instance of rain in the whole fortnight and boy, did it rain, it was torrential, however, it came out nice mid-afternoon so we still managed some time on the beach that day too. I think our worst day, weather wise, was the 4th of July. Not only was it cloudy but it was really windy too, and though it was still warm, it definitely wasn't a beach day. We decided to take the two hour drive to visit Lands End, the most westerly point of England.


Of course, we had to take a photo of the famous signpost.


It was a relaxing holiday. I took my laptop and plenty of knitting but hardly picked up either one. Instead, as is often the case when I'm on holiday, I did lots of reading. It makes a change to be away from technology for a period of time, though there's always lots to catch-up on afterwards.

I think the holiday provided Eleanor with some down time after being stressed during her uni exams, a couple of which she hasn't done so well in and has to resit. She suffers terribly with anxiety and this, unfortunately, comes out in her exam results. It's a good job that she's been getting high grades in her coursework as this will balance out her overall grades somewhat. On top of this, Eleanor split-up with her boyfriend of four years just before the holiday. It was her decision but still upsetting, for us as well as her as he's such a lovely lad and he had become one of the family.

The weekend has been busy. Saturday was spent catching up with all the necessary chores which are waiting after being away from home for a fortnight and yesterday was Eleanor's 20th birthday. It's hard to believe that both my children are now in their twenties and I no longer have any teenagers. We went out for a nice meal and today, friends from university are coming for a night out with Eleanor and her friends from Leeds.

Things are rather busy round here at the moment but I shall be round to check out your news in due course, it may take me a little longer than usual though.

52 comments:

  1. Welcome back! I'm glad you had a good time and the weather was kind to you. We haven't had any rain at all for about 5 weeks now, I think we are just about due some, although I would prefer if it came in the night, lol.
    I hope Eleanor is feeling more relaxed after her time away.
    We are taking Oliver to Padstow at the beginning of August for a week and plan on visiting Tintagel and Port Issac too, fingers crossed the weather holds out for us, we are so looking forward to it.

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    1. Thank you. It's been so hot here in Leeds since we got back but we have some rain forecast this week, I'm not sure how much we'll get though, if any. I think the holiday helped put things in perspective for Eleanor but she suffers with anxiety and panic attacks at exam time which are terrible. I'm hoping we can find a solution to the problem before she has to sit next year's exams. Padstow is lovely, we always visit when we stay in Cornwall, I'm sure you'll have a lovely time. I do hope you get some good weather so that you can take advantage of the fabulous beaches. Constantine Bay is near Padstow and that's a sandy beach but I think Oliver might like Trebarwith Strand as there's caves there as well as rock pools.

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  2. So glad you have a good holiday, Jo. We've not had a sniff of rain here in Devon! But it's been so hot all I've wanted to do is sit and read and sip mineral water.
    Margaret P

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    1. The weather's lovely if you're able to relax in it like we did on holiday but it's a bit oppressive for those having to work in it. It would be nice if it could continue to be nice when the schools break up at the end of this week but it's often the case that it changes just as the holidays start.

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  3. Cornwall is a great holiday destination but the weather can catch you out. I had to cope with the fact that I have grandchildren in their 20's now, it was quite disconcerting. Then I consoled myself with the fact that their Mum is my stepdaughter. Not that I love them any the less.

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    1. We've had lots of different weather thrown at us each time we've holidayed in Cornwall but I think this is the best we've ever had, it's been lovely. Time flies by, it doesn't seem two minutes since Eleanor was a baby yet here she is at twenty already.

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  4. Glad you had a good break, England is beautiful, but you do need the sunshine to enjoy everywhere.

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    1. There would never be a need for anyone to holiday abroad if the weather here was guaranteed, there's some wonderful places. We love Cornwall, there's always so much to do and see.

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  5. I love port Isaac, I actually love Cornwall. Its such a beautiful place, made even better by good weather. We did almost the exact same trip a couple of years ago with many fond memories.

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    1. There's some lovely places along that stretch of North Cornwall, we know it quite well now after holidaying there so often over the last few years. The weather does make a difference, it was nice to have lots of sunshine this time.

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  6. Sounds like a wonderful, wonderful get-away. How lucky you are, to have been able to take this trip.

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    1. We loved our holiday, especially as we were planning not to bother going away this year, it's made it all the more special. The weather was so good too.

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  7. Hi Jo,Beautiful photos,so glad you all enjoyed your Holiday in My Part of The World,and that you were so lucky with the weather.xx

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    1. You're lucky to live in such a beautiful place, Cornwall definitely holds a little piece of my heart. The weather's been so good which was nice too.

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  8. It sounds wonderful, Jo. I'm glad you had so much time to relax. Happy birthday to Eleanor!

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    1. I came home with my batteries fully recharged, it was just what I needed. Thank you, Eleanor's out with friends now celebrating her birthday after a lovely day yesterday.

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  9. Sounds like an amazing trip away to some beautiful beaches. Hope Eleanor enjoys her night out for her Birthday, belated Birthday wishes. Fingers crossed all goes well with her resits, such a shame not to get the results deserved when she works so hard.

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    1. We had a wonderful time. I'm usually ready for home after a fortnight away but I could have quite happily stayed longer this time. Thank you. Anxiety is a terrible thing and really holds Eleanor back with her exams but we're hoping her resits go a little better.

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  10. Good to see you again, Jo. I'm glad you had a good holiday. The weather has been amazing, hasn't it? :o)

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    1. The weather's been fabulous. I've had to be very careful with the sun as I burn very easily but I've still managed to enjoy it nonetheless.

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  11. Glad to see that you enjoyed yourselves, and had good weather. Shame about the long journey home. xx

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    1. We've had a lovely time and it was so good that the weather lasted. It's never taken us nine hours to get home from Cornwall before, the roads were terrible this time.

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  12. What a nightmare journey! We too love Constantine and Trebarwith beaches. We usually find in Cornwall that if it's raining on one coast, it's sunny on the other - with the bonus that nowhere is too far to go. Well, as long as you're staying somewhere in the middle!

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    1. I was glad to get home after sitting in the car for nine hours. There's some fabulous beaches in Cornwall and it's good for us that dogs are allowed on most of the ones we really like. We stay near Bude which isn't that far into Cornwall so we also have the option of visiting Devon whilst we're away.

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  13. I do love Cornwall, can't explain it but it is so relaxing there. I too had a child that struggled with uni exams - he got there in the end and has a good job now - it will work out I'm sure. x

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    1. Cornwall seems so different to other parts of the UK, something quite special. It's so hard to see our children struggle, even at twenty! Eleanor works really hard so it's such a disappointment when the results don't show this but, as you say, I'm sure it'll all work out in the end.

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  14. Glad you had a very enjoyable holiday with good weather. Nice to be able to relax and smell the roses, such a shame for Eleanor but hopefully it helped in healing. Such a long journey for you, always nightmare roads. We went from Reading to Exeter and caught all the roadworks and jams too, took ages xcx

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    1. We've had all weather thrown at us in Cornwall so it was nice to have sunshine all the way this time. We had such a relaxing time, I was quite sad to be coming home. We usually get stuck both ways at Bristol no matter what time we get there but the roads were bad all the way back, we never seemed to get a good run before we were in a queue again, there's lots of roadworks at the moment.

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  15. What a lovely holiday and you’ve certainly had good weather for it. So nice to spend the time with Eleanor too, glad you’re home safe and sound xx

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    1. We were really lucky with the weather, it's been beautiful. I didn't think that Eleanor would come away with us again this year so it was a lovely surprise when she said she'd like to come, it was nice to spend time together as a family.

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  16. I'm so glad you've enjoyed your holiday. The photographs are lovely and it looks like you've been spoiled with some beautiful beaches.
    I hope Eleanor is OK. It must have been nice for her to be able to relax following all her hard work. X

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    1. We love the beaches in Cornwall and they're even better in the sunshine. I think the holiday allowed us all to recharge our batteries, which is definitely a good thing for Eleanor as she's got some serious hard work to get on with again.

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  17. Goodness you can't be back already! So glad you had a wonderful time. Hopefully Eleanor will be stress free for a while and be able to enjoy herself.

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    1. It went really quickly for us too. Eleanor's resits are during the summer so she'll be studying for those but she's allowed herself time to relax on holiday and time to celebrate her birthday. Now it's back to the hard work for her.

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  18. Glad that you enjoyed your holiday but you could have brought back some rain!

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    1. There wasn't any rain there to bring back, Bude had a better forecast than Leeds did. It's a bit overcast here today but still very warm.

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  19. Your holiday certainly sounds wonderful and the photos are brilliant. I could do with a holiday myself! :)

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    1. It was a lovely holiday, especially as I didn't think I'd be having one this year. The only trouble is, I could do with another one now after doing all the jobs there are to do on returning from holiday.

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  20. A Cornish holiday with good weather sounds wonderful although the journey there and back is a long one I know. There are so many beautiful bays along the coast and interesting harbours. Archie must have enjoyed the rock pools and running on the beaches. I hope Eleanor is okay as she goes through this up-and-down time and I'm glad she could be with you for the holiday and then be back with her friends for a belated birthday celebration. Being at university is not easy what with the stress of exams and ongoing course work never mind general living as a student. I expect you're getting back into a routine this week with lots to do. Take care Jo.

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    1. We've been in Cornwall in all sorts of weather but having some sunshine on a holiday just makes it. There's so many places down there to visit and enjoy, we love it, as does Archie, though he's always glad to be home again. Eleanor has enjoyed the holiday and her birthday and is now settling down to more hard work ready for her resits, I'm just glad that she got high grades in her coursework as it's taking the pressure, which she can do without in her state of anxiety, off a little.

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  21. What a lovely, relaxing holiday - so wonderful that the weather cooperated! It is an altogether different kind of calm when we go away and all the "to do" lists and tech disappear. So sad about Eleanor's break-up, especially as you obviously got on well with him. Best of luck to her on her resits.

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    1. It makes such a difference to a holiday if the weather's good. We did very little other than relax and recharge our batteries. I think it's sad when any relationship comes to an end but I wouldn't want Eleanor to continue seeing someone if she didn't think it was working, especially at her young age, it is sad though. Thank you, her resits are towards the end of August so she'll be spending the next few weeks revising.

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  22. Sounds like a wonderful holiday - I've been to Cornwall 20 years ago but remember little - it would seem like it was all new again if I ever get there again. Exam anxiety is awful - I'm freaking out about a maths exam already on Sept 27! We do not get re - sits at all - have to repeat the entire semester if we fail the course overall (inclusive of internal and exam marks added up together) and pay another $800 for the course too! Good luck to Eleanor. Break ups are hard, no matter the age.,

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    1. We had a really lovely time. Cornwall is a fabulous place, so much to see and do there. Eleanor suffers with anxiety and panic attacks so it really does affect her results. The exams are only a small percentage of her grade, thank goodness, she's still done well in her overall grade because of the high grades in her coursework, but she can't pass the year unless she passes the exams. She can now only get a pass grade in these particular exams, even if she got 100% in them, her result won't reflect this. Eleanor definitely feels she's made the right decision where her relationship is concerned, it's very sad though.

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  23. Sounds like a lovely holiday Jo, with lots of places I've actually been to, too. Your summer is shaping up very well & I always find once home, the washing ends up taking up a big chunk of my time. Take care.

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    1. We really love this area of Cornwall, there's so many lovely places to visit and fabulous beaches. I'm up to date with my washing once again, thank goodness, it took some doing though.

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  24. Welcome back.
    Your holiday looks and sounds great, and I'm so pleased you enjoyed good weather.

    All the best Jan

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    1. We had such a lovely holiday. The weather was perfect and it was so relaxing. Back to reality again now.

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  25. What a delightful holiday, Jo. So restful and in such a beautiful location. Good luck to your daughter with her resits. Nerves are awful at exam time. Sounds like the weather in England has changed as much as it has here. I'm hearing you are experiencing a drought. It's the opposite in PA. P. x

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    1. It was a wonderful holiday, we really love Cornwall and all it has to offer. Thank you. Panic attacks and anxiety are terrible things and really affect her results. We're hoping that we can find some help for her but it's hard knowing where to start. We haven't had any significant rainfall here for weeks now, the grass is dying and there's talk of hosepipe bans. It's set to get hotter again still this week.

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  26. I'm glad you had such a good time with generally wonderful weather, although the return journey sounds horrendous! Oh, poor Eleanor, I do hope she does well in her resits, splitting up is such a hard thing. xxx

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    1. We had a lovely time. It always seems so long ago though once you get back home and are back into the swing of things. Eleanor's got a few weeks before her resits so we're hoping we can get her some help for her anxiety in the meantime.

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