The craggy and often precipitous Cornish Coastline was everything we had hoped for, with no shortage of breathtaking landscapes to admire. Battered by the relentless wind and high waves of the Atlantic Ocean, North Cornwall is arguably the county’s most dramatic coastline.
In Part Three of our Spring motorhome tour, we begin with our stay at a campsite near Newquay, where we have been eagerly awaiting a very special guest; our daughter Chloe who would be joining us for a few days of exploring
The serene and idyllic Cornwall coastline has been the set for our Spring motorhome tour and in part two we continue to follow the shoreline of this stunning English county. Cornwall has the longest coastline in England, with over 1000 Km of epic views, secluded beach coves, plunging cliffs, and some of the quaintest fishing villages we have ever visited.
This English county is not just a summer destination, although it is during the summer months that the crowds will descend
Feeling like two sleepy bears waking up from hibernation, we are on the move again. Our first motorhome tour of 2021 is taking us to explore Cornwall during the month of May and with high hopes of good early spring weather.
Cornwall is a region situated in the most south-westerly point of mainland Britain. This very traditional region has retained a strong sense of identity and is recognised as one of the six “Celtic Nations” along with Brittany (France), Wales, Scotland, Ireland
I was relieved to get my first dose of the Covid-19/SARS-CoV-2 vaccine recently. Shortly after receiving my jab the friendly nurse at the vaccination centre handed over my vaccination card with a date stamped on it and a space for the date of my second dose. She smiled and with a twinkle in her eye she said… “Here it is, your passport to freedom”. Her words summarizing exactly how I felt.
My husband also had his vaccine a few days before mine and just like mine, it was easy, painless
Setting off from the UK on September 2nd, 2020 we are back on the road again, crossing the Chunnel (Channel Tunel) into France.
We are currently overlooking Lake Annecy from our campsite Le Panoramic, up on the hills above the lake (GPS N45.8428, E 6.14129).
Our European motorhome tour 2020 has started well. Our plan is to explore a little bit of France, mostly around the Mont Blanc area, and then cross into Italy, where we intend to stay for most of September and October. If time and COVID allow
We are living through such strange times; the world has not lived through a major pandemic for more than a hundred years and here we are experiencing something extraordinary. Our lives in lockdown feel at times totally surreal like we are just taking part in an eery film or a really scary dream, nothing feels real. We step outside our homes to walk on roads devoided of the usual chaotic traffic, town centers that are deserted, shops, and restaurants closed.
What is even more incredible about
As new motorhome owners our maiden voyage was full of trepidation. We carefully planed a “shakedown” trip not far from home to learn all about our new home on wheels.
What could possibly go wrong?
Our maiden voyage was planned to be at a campsite very near our home, just in case we needed to beat a hasty retreat from the many disastrous scenarios that we thought could possibly happen to people like us… total newbies to motorhome life. We did get a great “demo” from Southdown’s Motorhomes where we bought it from, but there was a lot to remember and we felt there were lots still to learn.
To find a campsite near home was not an easy task, since January in the UK is the low season and most places are closed for the winter. After lots of research and frustrating phone calls we found a campsite near the town of Weymouth called Bagwell Farm. We read the reviews and thought it would be a good place for our maiden voyage and so we booked it for two nights over a weekend.
With our motorhome fridge and cupboards fully stocked for our weekend rendezvous we left our home and drove the short distance of just over one hour to the lovely campsite near Chesil Beach. The weather forecast was predicting rain for most of the weekend…it did not disappoint, it poured down for most of Friday and Saturday, but finally on our last day we were rewarded with a beautiful sunny day.
We did little in the way of exploring the local area. Being so near home we already know this area well and therefore we did not feel like we were missing out on sightseeing. We used our time to get to know our new home, finding out how to hook up to electricity, fill up with fresh water, get the motorhome levelled up, testing our Wi-Fi, tv, cooking facilities etc.
Here we are all hooked up to electricity and ready for our first overnight in our new home on wheels
What went wrong?
We forgot to thoroughly go through our departure “check list”…oops. Resulting in some of the following near disasters:
We used the levelling ramps and the steadies to keep our motorhome firmly levelled and steady, but forgot to wind up the steadies before reversing off the levelling ramps…doh. Apart from a clumsy attempt of ploughing the campsite’s fields a little bit there was no damage to motorhome or steadies.
We forgot to lower our tv aerial and drove away for few miles before realising it. Strong winds whilst driving away might have ripped it off our motorhome roof. Thankfully we were not driving fast enough for that to happen and it was a very calm day with very little wind, so we got away with it.
The learning lessons here are loud and clear.. If you go to the trouble of creating a leaving “check list” REMEMBER to actually use it every time you leave a campsite.
What went right:
Our home on wheels is very comfortable, the bed is great and we slept very well. Cooking facilities are more than adequate and although we probably will not be producing many gourmet meals any time soon we will certainly be having many delicious home cooked meals.
From the moment we arrived at the campsite and got settled we immediately realised motorhome life will be a joy for us. Even though the weather was bad, inside our little cocoon was cosy, warm and felt homely. We realised that there will be challenges ahead, but this short maiden voyage has left us certain that it will also be a lot of fun.
We are now ready to venture further afield.
We will be catching a ferry from Poole to Cherbourg in France next week. We are not sure how long we will be lingering around the South West of France for or exactly what route we will be taking from there, but that is the beauty of motorhome living, planning ahead is not necessary and we can go wherever we feel like it.
York, capital of the county of Yorkshire in the Northeast of England is a city steeped in history, the perfect place for a city break and a trip back in time to medieval England. In fact, you would be pushed to find another UK city with so much character and historical attractions that are all packed together within a very walkable range. Surrounded by a medieval wall this city is one huge monument to the past, its cobbled streets riddled with history and charm.
The Roman’s were here in AD 71,
Juliano and Angelita with the ruins of Corfe Castle in the background
I relish being a tourist in my own backyard and showing off some of my favourite hangouts to visitors. With my sister and brother-in-law visiting from Brazil, I got a chance to give the newly-wed couple a little dose of Dorset and a quick dash across the border into Wiltshire to visit neolithic Stonehenge.
If you have been following this blog, you know that my sister Angelita and her husband Juliano chose Europe as their honeymoon getaway. On my previous posts I wrote about how my other sister Virginia and I gatecrashed their honeymoon and accompanied them to Paris and Amsterdam. On our return from Continental Europe to England we did not lose anytime to get in my car and drive South from London, minus our sister Virginia who had to go back to work the very next day. We arrived at my home in Dorset in the early evening where my husband Brian had cooked us a nice dinner.
Dorset is a County of great beauty. Situated on the South coast of England, it has a breathtaking coastline, golden beaches with sea carved bays and towering chalk white cliffs, and numerous unspoiled little rural villages set against rolling countryside hills. The difficulty is to decide were to start exploring? With a huge checklist of charming places on offer we decided to start at the medieval village of Corfe Castle.
Corfe Castle, Corfe Castle Village – Dorset
A medieval village, with a thousand years old Castle of the same name dominating the landscape. The Castle, in its thousand year history has been a Saxon stronghold, a Norman Fortress, a Royal palace and lastly just a home owned by the Bankes family. Now only the ruins remain after it was besieged by Cromwellian forces during the civil war. I have always loved taking my visitors to explore this little village that looks like it is lost in a medieval time-warp. Everyone enjoys hearing about the many tales of treachery and treason that unfolded here in this little corner of Dorset. We also stopped for an obligatory cream tea with lovely views of the Castle ruins…of course.
How about this view for a cream tea?
The ruins of Corfe Castle towers over Corfe Castle village
Angelita and Juliano by the oldest Pub in Corfe Castle village
Swanage – Durlston Country Park in Dorset
Situated up on a hill above the sea town of Swanage, this 280 acre park and nature reserve is home to some impressive limestone clifftop trails, surrounded by ancient meadows, a diverse wildlife combined with a fascinating geology and history. We walked the clifftop trail towards the “Great Globe”, one of the largest stone spheres in the world it was built in 1886/87 entirely of local stone it weighs about 40 tonnes and is 3 metres (10 ft) in diameter.
Angelita and Juliano by the “Great Globe”, Durlston Castle in the top left.
There are various trails to choose from with a variety of landscapes, but we decided for the clifftop trail, which although a little fresh with a gentle sea breeze reminding us that Autumn is here, it was actually very pleasantly sunny. We followed the well marked path that takes you to the edge of a very rugged coast with some scary drops down into the cold waters of the English Channel. We stopped for a rest and sat on the grass to admire the views from the cliff top. In the distance we could see the Isle of Wight to one side and the Swanage Lighthouse which was built in 1880, on the clifftop at Anvil Point just in front of where we were sitting. A perfect place for a break and a drink of chimarrão (also known as mate) which we brought with us, plus a flask of boiling water. It is served hot and it tastes a bit like green tea, very traditional of our State of RS in the South of Brazil.
A drink of chimarrão
The cliff top walk is not particularly hard, although there is one steepish climb towards the Light House.
Lighthouse at Durlston Country Park in Swanage with some friendly cows in the foreground
We ended our walk with a wholesome lunch at “Durlston Castle”. This Victorian building is not a real castle, but rather intended as a restaurant built by George Burt in 1887 in the grounds of Durlston Country Park for the visitors of his estate, it has sweeping views of the eroding cliffs of Swanage bay. The castle has been extensively restored and the work completed in 2011, it is now also a visitor centre and a hub of all the activities going on in this area. The visitor centre always holds interesting exhibitions including some from local artists.
Views from the tower of “Durlston Castle”
Square and Compass at Worth Matravers
A short car ride from Swanage, the Square and Compass is a charming old pub situated in a beautiful location overlooking a valley. There are sea views from the terrace tables and that runs down to join the South West Coastal Path at the popular ledges of Winspit. This charming pub is a gem of a place. It has been in the same family for more than a hundred years, but the building itself began life many centuries ago as a pair of cottages. In 1776 it became an alehouse owned by a Wareham brewer. These days it sells simple local food, pasties, pies, locally produced ales and cider, it is a no frills place and the food is served on paper plates via a hatch on the wall in the same way that it has been for many generation’s. Quirky and full of character it is the stomping grounds of local artists and musicians as well its faithful regulars like us who have been coming here for years. After a delicious, warm pastie we walked down the valley towards the Winspit quarry. The old quarry in its hey days has produced stones for many of the London buildings, but it is no longer in use as it was closed down in 1940 during World War II was used as a site for naval and air defences. In more recent years it has been used as film location for British TV program ” Doctor Who” in the episode ” The Underwater Menace”, also as the planet “Skaro” in the serial “Destiny of the Daleks” and in 2012 the Disney film ” John Carter” for the scene location of the “Orkney Dig”.
Square and Compass
Inside it is quirky, cosy and full of character
Juliano and Angelita at Winspit Quarry
Stonehenge – Wiltshire
Tearing ourselves away from beautiful Dorset just for one day, our exploring took us across the border into Wiltshire for a quick road trip to Stonehenge and a walk in the footsteps of our Neolithic ancestors. Perhaps the most famous prehistoric monument in the UK, it is also one of the Wonders of the World. There are many theories and stories about the significance of Stonehenge, the most generally accepted interpretation is that this intriguing stone circle is that of a prehistoric temple aligned with the movements of the sun. The very large standing stones are local sandstone but the smaller ones, known as “bluestones”, come from the Preseli hills in Wales Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. I first visited this monument in 1988 on a motorbike road trip with my boyfriend Brian (now my husband) and we parked the bike nearby and walked around getting very close to the stones. Today visitors are not allowed to get so close and certainly not allowed to touch the stones. But you are able to walk around the monument from a short distance away and take as many photos as you wish…we certainly did.
The celebrations of the Summer and Winter Solstice here can also be great fun, my daughter Chloe has been here with friends during the Summer Solstice and loved it.
Stonehenge
Honeymooners at Stonehenge
Visitor Centre at Stonehenge
Salisbury Cathedral –
Many of our favourite travel bloggers have been raving about the advantages of staying in rented AirBnB properties when travelling for short and also for longer stays, so we felt it was time to check