Terrafirma Travels

A slow getting up after a rainy night. Lesley slept poorly partly due to a very vocal owl that was weirdly close to the van.  The inside of the van was quite damp. We turned the heater up high and hoped the curtains would dry. Porridge and coffee, books and the very clean facilities. No shower as we forgot to bring a towel. Off the site about half ten to the nearby National Trust site at Trelissick. The house was closed but we had a good walk around the very impressive gardens, including a view of the waters where we once moored Sirena IV.  Thank heaven it had stopped raining. The trees were amazing, some very rare and enormous tropical trees and many very mature tree ferns. Definitely worth another visit.  Had our own packed lunch in the van and set off for another NT place, Cotehele on the Tamar, as a last part of our rather wet minibreak. Part of the house was open, with an amazing Garland that they have made every year since the 50s. So much better than a blingy Chris...

29 Nov: Two days with no fixtures at home or online, and unseasonably warm forecast, albeit rainy. We'd thought about Truro when we drove past it last time, so Truro it is. Not much choice of campsites in winter. Looked at BritStops but didn't look inviting, not pubs. So booked Carnon Downs, 10 mins West of Truro; seemed to fail online. Oh well, won't be busy. 90 minute drive, then took 30 mins to park - all car parks full! What on earth is it like in summer?! Tesco for 2 hrs was our only option, given we don't do multistorey. Elevenses in Charlotte's Teahouse, a lovely old fashioned place cheek by jowl with v posh antiques in the Coinage Hall. Then the Cathedral. Splendid. Esp. the matchstick model. It rained. Went to campsite to find pitch in light. My booking was on the system. Strange. Young man gave us 'the best pitch' but there was someone on it. Sigh. We set up next door, had our lunch we'd brought. It rained more. Back into Truro, having left our...

Helston and Porthleven both deserve repeat visits. Ideally when Richard has an exhibition. Had another comfy night with no condensation, we do love this high pressure  - so rare in Nov. Drove past Truro, which looks large, posh & interesting; next trip. Lost Gardens of Heligan was down a long single lane road - that's the way Googlemaps took us. Lesley really enjoyed that! Got away with no reversing. L hit the Gardens for free as RHS member while N hunkered down in cafe to attend a Zoom mtg on the EuroHeart project. Gardens defo worth ano visit ... and the coffee and toast was excellent.  Along the coast road to Par East car park. Roof up and lunch. A sortie onto the beach, then half a mile of SW Coast Path east giving us a view of the bay and sightings of reed buntings in the hedge near us. This beach way too shallow for swimming but v safe for kids. Tea in the van then home.

Nice slow start at Henry's. It didnt quite rain. Definitely come here again, although no wifi at the van is frustrating, the showers are not heated and it takes half an hour to drive down the Lizard from Helston, past RNAS Culdrose. So, maybe not. We had a walk round Helston in the morning, it's a fine looking old town in the centre, lots of granite block buildings, water running down gulleys in the streets.  Checked out Elysian Fields campsite as we'll probably come in the dark. It is a field, and empty. Fine. Went to Sue & Richard's house in Trew. It's lovely, modernised 1850s with solar and airpump, facing a green. Single track road up there, of course. After a lovely chinwag we drove in convoy to Kota Kai in Porthleven. Wonderful meal, overlooking the harbour, and great conversation. A really good meeting of minds. We all strolled to the fisherman's Mission and the breakwater which always feature in TV reports on storms.  After much hugs and promises to ...

We left Plymouth at 0930, slightly less loaded than last time, as we didn't bring any swimming gear. Easy drive to the Lizard, swapped drivers halfway. Parked in the village, walked down to the southernmost point via a v muddy path, then had coffee at a cafe with a splendid view of the fearsome rocks and the seas which stretch landless, all the way to the Caribbean.  We saw the old disused RNLI station below the lighthouse, and a mysterious white building labelled Lloyd's Signal station, presumably used to check homecoming ships in the days before satellites and AIS. Back at the van, we drove the short distance to Henry's campsite, a rather eccentric place with guinea pig cages, ducks, chickens, Halloween spiders and endless palm trees. Henry himself is an affable aged hippy. The campsite looks chaotic at first glance, yet is v well organised with spotless facilities. The WiFi is limited to an outdoor bar area with a wild variety of huge settees and armchairs. The easterl...