Lands End 2011-10-19

2011-10-19T12:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was full of what my daughter would call 'ssssseeeeeea','bee'(beach), 'waawaa'(water) and 'san'(sand). It was also my daughter's first train journey on the St Ives - St Erth line along the coast. I think I'd find it hard to find a better first journey by train, Watford-Willesden might be a tiebraker though. We had a relaxed day of walking the cobbled streets and beaches crowned with fish and chips all round.

Finally my wife's birthday arrived today. Lou, my wife, had hinted that breakfast in bed would be nice and so I bought the necessary packaged dead animal to fry the night before. It still remains in our fridge at the moment as today I just broke.....well, everything.

For starters I got up to make a nice cafetiere of coffee as soon as we all awoke. Somehow by the act of stirring the coffee alone I managed to create a hole in the bottom of the cafetiere and the ground coffee and hot water flooded out over the rented cupboards and floor. After an enjoyable and relaxing 15 minute shower my wife (oblivious to the cafetiere crisis) wondered why I hadn't bothered making her any coffee. Through gritted teeth I explained how she had missed 15 minutes of clearing up ground coffee from every nook and cranny. Anyway not to worry I told her, I'll make some instant coffee......As soon as I switched the kettle on I blew a fuse and tripped out all the electricity. It had to be said the morning was beginning to be what scientists call, 'a shit'. When we got to the only open cafe in St Ives they confirmed they could furnish us with coffee (YAAAAAY) but as their chef had been taken ill there would be no breakfast (BOOOOO). So after some walking around to let the clock tick along until something else opened we found another cafe. This cafe could satisfy all our breakfast needs and also supply us with the Sun shining perfectly into my eyes at our designated table.

The day did get better. My daughter armed with a new bucket and spade tore through the cobbled streets like a banshee heading towards the 'San' and 'Wawa' much to the amusement of everyone she passed. After a few hours of sea and 'San' we got in the car and took a very tired baby for a coastal drive, a drive that concluded at Lands End. I have to say with the wind blowing a gale and hunger setting in I just wanted to take photos and get home. After taking some photos of my wife and daughter I volunteered to take a photo for the couple adjacent to us who were waiting for us to finish photographing. I have to say the lady was very polite as I handed her back the phone battery, phone casing and phone that had separated after I had dropped her phone after taking their photo.

St Ives 2011-10-17

2011-10-17T08:33:00.000-07:00

After the arduous journey 3h30m journey from Ilfracombe we finally arrived in our light filled rented apartment overlooking the Celtic Sea. The TomTom had decided to have some sport with us and took us down the narrowest lanes it could calculate to get us to our destination. When we eventually got to the outskirts of St Ives the TomTom then decided to hide our final destination from us. I had driven clean through St Ives before I noticed there was no longer a destination on the Tom Tom's demonic screen. Mr Tom Tom will be meeting Mr Hammer when we return home, that reader I guarantee.

Lottie, the happiest child in the world normally took a leaf out of the Tom Tom's book and had started to behave demonically too. Granted we forgot about feeding her for 24 hours in the chaos of travelling but c'mon, do you need to shout St Ives and Ilfracombe to their knees when you've eaten 7 raisins and a chip?

Colette (my mother-in-law) fell in love with the flat we had rented when we arrived. The flat with its beauftiful glass front gives a beautiful view onto the sea, Hayle Beach and Godrevy lighthouse and also gives a wonderful view of the fat lady adjacent to us nightly using her frying pan. Not longer after our arrival in St Ives, Lou(my wife) and I decided to put Colette through her paces and show her the steepness of the local hills. We all returned from the harbour to our beautiful new flat drenched in sweat and panting after a good steep 20 min walk adorned with shopping, screaming baby and rucsacks filled with baby goods.

Today, our second day, we took my daughter Lottie to Hayle Beach where again I watched my poor mother-in-law struggle. The poor woman had to navigate the craggy rock path down from the top of the cliff to the beach. When Colette found the going so hard and dangerous she got on her hands and knees and crawled along the rocks frightened, I have to say I think I saw a tear in my wife's eye.... When we finally made it down to the beach it was an endless empty beach littered with puddles. My daughter Lottie ran rampant with pure joy (see picture attached). Sadly after 20 mins the windy conditions whipped the sand continuously into her naked calves and we had to abandon our beach time amidst much screaming.

Already we have imbibed the glorious sunlight of St Ives that has attracted artists for over 100 years. We have injested the local pasties and mocha-bocha-chinos. Today we will be dining on the delights of the local Co-Operative.

Bloganigan

Lands End 2011-10-19

St Ives 2011-10-17