Let's Go Somewhere...

Cornwall is never a bad idea.

I’ve been a wee bit delinquent in my newsletter posting of late but hey, it’s free so sue me. It’s not that life has been crazy busy but rather I'd say full. Full is good. Full is the goal. Birthday dinners and lunches to host (my friend Margie and my dad), many meetings with my publisher (Penguin Random House) to discuss marketing and events for the upcoming launch of my new book , The Side Gardener, on April 9th! Yippee! (lots more to come on that soon), spending loads of time in the greenhouse planting trays and trays of seeds (sweet peas, pansies, erigeron, asters, cosmos and nasturtium so far) so that when Spring finally arrives I’ll be ready. I’m knitting a sweater for myself which, after four failed attemps, finally seems to be working (my mum introduced me to Knitting for Olive and I am obsessed with their yarn colours). I have two design projects on the go for others as well as the last few updates I want to make at home (Paul, if you are reading this I promise I’m nearly done!). On top of all that we also adopted a very old and chubby orange cat from the SPCA (officially named Lazy Bones Jones, Jonesy for short) and sorting out all of his various health issues has definitely added to the fullness of my days.

Normally at this time of year Paul and I would disappear for a week and head off in search of sunshine. Unfortunately, between Paul’s court schedule (he’s a lawyer, not a criminal on trial) and my own commitments, it is near impossible to skip town for the next few months. Looking a little farther down the road though things start to loosen up so we have booked a few weeks in the UK this September.

Last year Paul, India and I spent four nights in Cornwall in the tiny seaside village of Trevone Bay. From the moment we arrived we knew would be back. The spectacular setting, the fantastic accommodation, delicious food options and hiking galore ticked every single box for us.

I had read about the property, Atlanta Trevone Bay in House and Garden magazine (my bible for all things tasteful), and mentally filed it away. I always have a little trepidation when I book a spot we’ve never been, keeping all my fingers and toes crossed it will live up to my expectations, but I needn’t have worried. It exceeded them in every possible way. The design of our unit was thoughtfully done to a very high standard without being precious. The owners, Jess and Ash, clearly thought about every little detail when renovating and decorating the space. We had a clear view of the crashing waves and we were only steps to the beach, endless cliffside walking trails, delicious pizza and an outdoor bar. What more could one possibly want?? Did you say ice cream? Relax…that shop was next to the pizza place.

I would highly encourage anyone to visit Cornwall unless, of course, driving on the wrong side of the narrowest roads on the planet makes you nervous. If that is the case, just make your way there via a car hire or train. Once you have arrived a lot of ground can then be covered on foot or by arranging a taxi.

With only four days to explore we focused our time and energy hiking and dining in nearby towns. We walked to Padstow, a wonderful little fishing village filled with great restaurants (Prawn on the Lawn , Rick Steins Cafe), and a huge sandy beach in Harlyn Bay that goes on for miles. Just up the hill from there you’ll find The Pig, a fantastic hotel with beautiful grounds, a near perfect vegetable garden which they harvest for all their cooking, and as the name suggests…a few pigs (no doubt utilized in the same manner as the vegetable garden).

On another day we drove to Portscatho and did an amazing coastal walk from Pendower Beach to Porthcurnick Beach to have lunch at The Hidden Hut…an absolute must! The scale of it all is hard to put into words and I know I can’t do it justice but just imagine enormous grassy cliffs overlooking the sea, far, far below and not an inch of barrier fencing. The English trust you’re smart enough to mind the edge. But if you’re not then I’m guessing it’s your last trip to Cornwall.

If you’ve made it this far in my newsletter and are still searching for the damn recipe, fear not, I’ll be talking all things Easter in the coming days. In the meantime I hope you book a trip to Cornwall soon. It really is a remarkable spot and I’m counting down the days until our return.

xo Rosie