Newquay

It was my boyfriends 30th birthday on the 26th April so I organised a surprise trip to Newquay for three days for him. He spent his childhood holidays in Cornwall staying with family friends in an old hunting lodge so I thought it fitting to revisit, kind of like his life coming full circle. And with me growing up in Plymouth, nearby to Cornwall I also have fond memories of the place. On arriving in Newquay we were immediately met by a thick fog looming over the skyline, which all added to the excitement of being back in Cornwall. Having lived in the city for five years the fresh smells of cut grass, sea salt and cowslip hit me. It was an amalgamation of the smells and the car ride through the valleys and hills that brought back a strong sense of nostalgia, and realising how much I have longed for these far away places I used to haunt.

We stayed at The Scarlet hotel in Mawgan Porth (Dawn French had her wedding there the weekend before!) Our room was lovely and boasted a fantastic sea-view. The bed was strategically placed opposite the patio doors so upon waking, we had the view of the beach. Early in the morning the tide would be in so from our bed it looked like we were floating in the sea! 

There were neat touches in the room like locally produced artwork and local felting for the lampshades. 

On the second day we had better weather and although a little cloudy, it was sunny and warm. We wanted a relaxing break away from work and city life so opted to go for a cliff top walk along the coast. Here was a little path that led us down to the beach. 

We stopped off at a local shop and had Cornish ice cream. Haven't had better than that since visiting Venice! 

Then off up the steep steps towards the top of the cliff and the beginning of the coastal path. 

We came across a lovely stone wall full of moss and flowers. It reminded me of what you would find in a Hobbits surroundings. I just had to stop and take a photo.

Which way to go?

Who lives in a home like this? I stumbled upon a burrow amongst the grass and flowers. How sweet!

And a man made tunnel...

We continued on our way along the beautiful coastal path, stopping often to admire the view and take photographs. I wanted to try and capture what I was seeing and feeling so that I could look back in years to come and invoke the same feelings I felt at the time. Although photographs can't quite portray the other senses.

It took us over three hours to walk the trail (purely because we kept stopping) but we were rewarded on arrival in Watergate Bay with our first Cornish pasty!

During our stay in Newquay we enjoyed a hot tub session in a seaweed bath overlooking the sea. We had a spa day at The Scarlet which consisted of a bathing ritual and full body massage. Afterwards we were led into a tented room with pods hanging from the ceiling. We crawled into a pod each and pulled a blanket up over our tired bodies. It was the perfect end to a most relaxing few days away.