We have wanted to visit Cornwall for a very long time. When our daughter was small we had started to plan a trip but thank goodness we never went. We a) didn’t really have enough information to make good decisions as to where to stay b) traveling with a child is very difficult; it would have been awful! c) we did not realize the energy involved in not being able to drive i.e. all those trains and buses and stairs and tickets.
Now, with daughter in London and the many new friends I have made through the Makelight course based on London, we felt ultra prepared to go to this beautiful part of the world!
I looked at many, many hotels. We are picky…but in a very certain way. I don’t spend a lot of money. Period. Yes, travel is quite expensive almost no matter how you do it. But to spend say $400 a night for a hotel is out of the question for us. Even $300. So that narrows the field. I know, these are “first world problems.” I am very aware of that. On the other hand, we are older folk. While we are very fit, we just do not want to climb flights of stairs or feel cramped and have no personal space. Not for a week and, really, not for a night.
View from the hotel main lobby, porch and outdoor seating area
We ended up, as I said in my last post, in the small seaside village of Mousehole. It is a 10 minute bus ride to Penzance, has walking trails along the coastal path, a lovely harbor and one outstanding hotel:
They also offer what is rare to find these days: an MAP meal plan. Do you even know what that is? Back in the day many, many hotels relied on this eating plan. Breakfast AND dinner are included in the daily room rate. So we chose that. We also chose what turned out to be the PERFECT room.
From bed area to our own private top floor balcony, it was perfect. Lots of space to spread out and very light. The sun comes up about 4AM, so we were sure to draw the curtains each night!
Update***** I just clicked on their site. The hotel had a fire on the 19th June and hotel is closed until further notice. Oh my: how terrible. And right in the summer season. What a shame.
The view from the room in early evening.
One of our outstanding day trips was to
St. Michaels Mount
Here it is a high tide. We took a small boat over to the island. Then, four house later, at low tide, we were able to use the stone walkway to get back to the mainland!
The castle, the gardens, the restaurant, the views, the walkway…so many wonderful, fabulous things to explore in one day. I will say, the walk to the top is not easy for someone who is “height challenged!” I couldn’t even make it all the way to the castle entrance…no, with no railings of any kind (this IS a National Trust site and that kind of thing is not allowed) I simply turned around! But even as far as I went, the views were spectacular.
That’s Mousehole over on top left in the cleared area.
And the gardens. Well, they are terraced into the side of the steep hillside, maintained perfectly and just so beautiful. With the wind and direct sun there are a lot of succulents; but also gorgeous perennials of every kind.
Oh the views!
We did a lot of walking and I am so pleased with my
Kurus
They felt comfortable for hours and hours and I love the pink!
The weather was generally good although we did have some rain every other day. It was cooler than expected, rarely going above 60° during the day. If you are interested in our itinerary or want more information just email me!
One of my favourite places in Cornwall! For me the highlight will always be the gardens and walking out across the causeway. You picked some lovely places to visit, can’t wait to see where you went next!