Unravel Travel

Cornwall - Part 1

Malc and Dave Season 1 Episode 19

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To celebrate the May Bank Holiday and the inevitable forecast of rain, what could be more appropriate than a discussion of Cornwall?  The A30 will be packed with visitors eager to get away for some summer sun, walks, fish and chips and the inevitable seagull attack.  This will at least give you something to listen to as you crawl down the A40 or scour St. Ives for the mythical parking space (should have taken the train).

In this first half of a review of Cornwall we discuss travelling to Cornwall, food and walking. Including the various Rick Stein restaurants, Jamaica Inn, fish markets and the South West Coastal Path.

This episode is brought to you by Chiltern Walks who provide guided walks and walking holidays around the UK. You can find more details here:

Check out Chiltern Walks: guided walks and holidays https://www.meetup.com/chiltern-walks-meetup on Meetup

If you have a story to share or some feedback to give just contact us at contact.unraveltravel@gmail.com


Our theme music is Traveler's Blues by Jerzy Gorecki from Pixabay (with licence)

https://pixabay.com/users/jerzyg%C3%B3recki-2233926/

SPEAKER_03

Welcome to Unravel Travel. Where every journey has a story.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I mean that that's a that's a thing, isn't it? Isn't it? It's uh Yeah. Felt like an amusement park without the amusements.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, it Yeah. Yeah But if you've gone all the way. If you've walked all the way or cycled all the way from John of Groats and you rock up from the Land's End, you're gonna be able to do it.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, exactly. You go, I can't be bothered to finish. So what is that? I've come all the way and that's it. I'm off back.

SPEAKER_03

This episode is not supported by the Land's End tourist balls. Because it's privately owned, isn't it? Like it costs you a fortune to bloody park there. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

We pulled in, I got out the vehicle, decided to kiss the ground for some unknown reason, but I thought it's the furthest point of my country, and then hightailed it out of there to somewhere prettier. The southwest coastal path both on the I did can't remember if it was two days walking or three. I think it was two we were gonna do three days walking, but we ended up just doing two and we wild camped while we were there, but then it just the weather was awful on the um on the last day, so we just spent it in the pub instead. Uh but absolutely beautiful. So we were walking Tintageil uh sort of area, just sort of six-seven miles a day, just a lot of up and down there. And when you're carrying your tent and uh uh and camping gear, it it's it's hard work on the old knees. Uh we did a we did eat in uh pubs, so at least we weren't having to carry cooking gear and all that sort of stuff.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, would you like the long or the short version of this reading? Long short I'll give you the long version. Dot dot dot. Would you prefer the short version?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

SOS S was the first international radio message sent from Lizard Pawn Point in Cornwall by Marconi. Lizard Lizard Point.

SPEAKER_02

Oh how your mind thinks about that on the underneath level.

SPEAKER_03

Um uh yeah, sent by Marconi from Cornwall in 1901. Wow. Do you remember it? I I just wanted to make sure live. I wanted to make sure I was gonna win this newly established contest for the shortest reading. The shortest reading. Darn.

SPEAKER_01

I think you have. You certainly won it for the most boring.

SPEAKER_03

Thank you. So today we're gonna be talking about Cornwall in a moment, but uh but we haven't spoken for a little while. I was in New York and I'm now in Czech. I've just hosted a visit by some people at the cabin this weekend, and you were in Bali.

SPEAKER_01

I I I I was in Bali, although I think we've spoken since I've been back from Bali. Uh, but more to the point, I'll see your New York and I'll raise you uh I've forgotten the name of it. Mablethorpe Caravan Park. Oh that's where I was last week. Oh. Right. With the sun shining.

SPEAKER_03

I I thought you were hosting, I thought you were leading a walk last weekend.

SPEAKER_01

Uh weekend I was, but during the week I was back at my parents' place. Oh, right. We went to stay at their caravan. Uh and I met up with your brother while I was back.

SPEAKER_03

Right, hanging around caravan sites now is.

SPEAKER_01

No, I I did actually go into Louth uh for one evening.

SPEAKER_03

Right.

SPEAKER_01

Uh met up with my brother, your brother, and his partner.

SPEAKER_03

Right.

SPEAKER_01

Good for a curry. Very nice it was too.

SPEAKER_03

Good, good. Um that's International Travel plus Lincolnshire. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01

So what did you get up to in New York? Or shall we save that for another episode?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, let's save that for another episode. I haven't got around to writing any notes yet because it's been a bit mad. So um so we're gonna talk about Cornwall, um, that we had prepared from a few weeks ago and didn't get around to recording.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, well, that was my fault because the uh well I was gonna say I was gonna blame it on Lincolnshire, but it was actually my laptop didn't work while I was away, and we tried to do it.

SPEAKER_03

No worries. So uh Cornwall, the uh well visited peninsula at the boot end of the southwest of England. Um I've been there I can't think of how many times I've been there.

SPEAKER_01

It must be Did you ever go when you were a kid?

SPEAKER_03

No, it must be nearly ten. Too far. Yeah, from Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, definitely too far.

SPEAKER_01

I didn't go until I was in my 30s, I think, maybe late twenties, but and I was living in London first time I went. And I thought I just wondered how long it would take from Lincolnshire, because it's probably seems like forever from this part of the world.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, from Louth we used to go to the very north of Scotland and it was like 10, 11 hours. I mean it mustn't take it would take that long to get to Cornwall, wouldn't it?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, absolutely. It can take seven from here if you get have a bad day.

SPEAKER_03

Um so yeah, I the first time I went was for work actually. Um I was doing some work at the very exciting National School of Mining quarry in Cambourne.

SPEAKER_01

Well, what was that you were doing?

SPEAKER_03

Uh testing borehole monitoring equipment on behalf of uh nuclear waste storage.

SPEAKER_01

You did ask. I know, I know, and I was thinking I shouldn't have done. But basically we were going to use Cornwall as a place to dump nasty stuff, is that right?

SPEAKER_03

We we weren't, although Cornwall has a very high background radiation level. Um but Oh does it? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

As in a that it's just naturally got a higher from the rock, yeah.

SPEAKER_03

Um but no, it was because that was a quarry that was well characterized and we could do some tests on it.

SPEAKER_01

Right.

SPEAKER_03

Um and I stayed in Penzance and I was I went there a couple of times at least for that, and that was the sort of first time I went, I think. Are there any pirates? No. I'm full of cliches today. And then I've been lots of times socially holiday-wise since. Um probably getting on for ten, I should think, times in total.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, and you you've we were chatting before, and you've been a lot more than me. Uh I've been four that I can remember. Uh mostly walking, uh, but the highlights definitely well, obviously the walking, but food is is really good down in Cornwall. Went to some very nice restaurants.

SPEAKER_03

Seafood, I assume.

SPEAKER_01

Uh yes. I was thinking, yeah. Yeah, certainly the stuff I can remember. Uh and I'm sure we'll we could get onto that now or we could do it a bit later, maybe.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, as as we get into it. I mean the uh the first thing about Cornwall, I think, as you've alluded to, is it takes a sodding long time to get there unless you happen to live in Devon.

unknown

Yes.

SPEAKER_03

Even if you live in Devon, it takes quite a long time to get there.

SPEAKER_01

If you go all the way to the far west, yes, indeed.

SPEAKER_03

The uh the A30 is uh is a horrible thing. I mean it's better now than it used to be, because it's dual carriageway much more than it was. It used to be single carriageway for quite a lot of it. Um but you think you've got to you think you're doing well when you got to Exeter and you've still got a long way to go. You've only just started. Only got a long way to go. Yeah. Um so I mean I've nearly always driven, but I have arrived in Cornwall by a different route. Helicopter?

SPEAKER_01

No, I sailed to Cornwall once. Oh wow. Well that's a you kept that quiet when I was doing my diving live-board and everything. Uh yeah, I did.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, that's the point. I didn't think about that.

SPEAKER_01

Where did you go from?

SPEAKER_03

Uh from just across the border of Devon. I didn't think you'd left from Oxford to be fair. It was from Plymouth. So literally, like just across the border. But we went from Plymouth. So you did a day trip on a boat. No, it wasn't day trip, it was a weekend, and we stayed upon the boat.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, that sounds really cool.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. We went we went from Plymouth to Foy. Spelt F-O-W-E-Y. Um, with a with a colleague from work who had a boat based in Plymouth and his wife and a sailing boat, and I'd done some dinghy sailing, as you know, and we'd um so we sailed down there, stayed overnight in the boat, sailed back, uh, and that was lovely, very interesting. What a you quirkly unique way to arrive.

SPEAKER_01

You mentioning Foy uh brings me on to we should maybe probably apologise in advance uh for some of our pronunciations of the place names down in Cornwall because we're a bit like Norfolk when it comes to how you would normally say it is not how they're supposed to say it. And yeah, the most obvious one is mouse hole. Is that right?

SPEAKER_03

Well, that's how lots of people will pronounce it, unless I think it's mausel.

SPEAKER_01

Is how you pronounce it, but yeah, us and probably many are aware of that one, but I'm sure we're gonna murder a few that we don't know how you're supposed to pronounce it.

SPEAKER_03

I'm sure uh we'll try and we'll try and give spellings when we get the opportunity to do that when we realise we're on Dutch.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, because that is your um my strong point spellings.

SPEAKER_03

Absolutely, definitely. Uh and uh Foy was I mean it's very interesting staying on a boat, as you know already. You know, you sort of moor up in the harbour, it's quite a popular sailing destination, and then sort of row in um and uh had a look round town, and I had a very interesting straight into a reminiscence of arriving on the quay at uh at Foy and uh walking sort of towards a a big cafe on uh at the end of the quay and seeing a Terry Pratchett sat there. Um I mean it was definitely Terry Pratchett, and this was at a time before this was in the early nineties before he became particularly.

SPEAKER_01

Doesn't he just look like a rather big sailor though, anyway? Big beard, yeah, jolly guy. Wearing a lot of black, carrying a cane. It was definitely him. Okay, fair point. But sailors don't wear the cane after the cane or the black.

SPEAKER_03

Um but uh I could have been a bad pirate. It could have been. Blackbeard or something. But I didn't I I didn't, like usual, muster up the confidence to go over and say hello.

SPEAKER_01

Um I've read all your books.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, in fact I was reading one at the time, I was gutted, I'd left I'd left Did you did you carry it? No, I'd left it on the boat. Can I row back and get it? I might be able to get it signed. So yeah, um, I've mostly driven down there, it takes flipping ages. The other obvious option, which is more obvious than sailing there, is uh the train. They run a sleeper train to um St Erith, but bang on St Ives, really. Um I didn't know that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I've done a sleeper train to Scotland and I've only done it once, and it was quite pricey, which is probably the only reason I've done it once, but what a great way to arrive at a place. I love it. I've done sleeper trains abroad and I I really enjoy a sleeper train. Where does I presume that leaves from London?

SPEAKER_03

I think it's I think it's Paddington, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, makes sense. It'd be the west side.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. West Coast that's where they're all going from. Yeah, so um that's that's another obvious recommendation because you know when you get down there everything's if you're going down to that very end point, everything's relatively close. You can walk around that peninsula, there's bus services, you know, you hire a car if you need to, but um but everything's relatively close. So uh so it would be an option, definitely.

SPEAKER_01

So when you say that end point, land's end?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, uh well Or just generally in that vicinity.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah because Land's End, I mean that that's uh that's a thing, isn't it? Isn't it? It's uh yeah. It felt like an amusement park without the amusements.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah it yeah if you've gone all the way. I'm still glad I did it. If you've walked all the way or cycled all the way from John of Groats and you rock a land's end, you're gonna be a bit disappointed.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, exactly. I can't be bothered to finish. What is that? I've come all the way and that's it.

SPEAKER_03

I'm off back. This episode is not supported by the Land's End tourist boards. No, because it's privately owned, isn't it? Like it costs you a fortune to bloody park there.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, expensive cafes and rubber. We pulled in, I got out the vehicle, decided to kiss the ground for some unknown reason, but I thought it's the furthest point of my country, and then high-tailed it out of there to somewhere prettier. I was really disappointed, but I'm still glad I did it. I will at some point, I guess, get to John O'Groats as well.

SPEAKER_03

I've been once with the kids when they were very little, um, but I wouldn't be going back again. That was enough. That once was enough. Exactly. Lots of places in Penzance. I've been quite a few uh in Penzance in Cornwall, I've been quite a few times, but that one I'm not going back to. Fair enough. I have been to John O'Groats as well. Oh, have you? Yeah. But but I didn't I mean it took me a long time to get between the two, and most of it was uh driving. I I didn't do it as one trip, is what I mean. Yeah, it took about 20 years to get between the two.

SPEAKER_01

And we bring you Malcolm's other world record, the longest trip from John of Groats to Land's End.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, but that that end down Penzance, you know, St Ives, which is a places a lot of people will go, um, they're relatively close together.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I mean we we should because we've we've slugged off uh Land's End. St Ives, what a beautiful place. Padstow, amazing. Well, Mausel. All very, very pretty, quaint fishing villages, aren't they?

SPEAKER_03

I wouldn't call St. Ives's. Well, sorry, I sorry St. Ives isn't a fishing village, yeah. You're quite right. Up roar at that.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. It's uh it's an arty boot uh scene, isn't it? Yeah. I meant very pretty, but yeah, some of them are fishing villages. Mausel, for example.

SPEAKER_03

Uh you skipped over Penzance, which is which is a bit more industrial, isn't it? A bit more day. Haven't you?

SPEAKER_01

Or if I did, I didn't notice that.

SPEAKER_03

Well, you must have gone through it to get to Mausel, sure, surely.

SPEAKER_01

Well, probably. I just didn't notice it. Can't remember it.

SPEAKER_03

It's a bit more work a day, really. It's slightly industrial, it's got bigger harbour and stuff. Um But from I mean I I also now generally will skip round Penzance um and head towards Mausel and and further down the coast. But um Newlyn is quite interesting, which is almost like connected to Penzance um and sits between it and Mausel. Has a big uh commercial harbour. Um I think Grimsby, but in a much nicer part of the world. Don't tell anyone tell you.

SPEAKER_01

So when you say commerce 'cause when I think Grimsby, it's uh bringing in cars now, seems to be. It is now, yeah.

SPEAKER_03

I was gonna say like what Grimsby used to be fishing harbour, lots of fishing boats. And I I really enjoy wandering around a fishing harbour. Um uh and the you know, see what they're bringing in. They've got a proper vibrant fishing market and stuff, so fish market.

SPEAKER_01

So um Yeah, it's one of the things I've I've I've never cooked when I'm down there, which is a bit of a shame because I I do like going to buy, you know, seafood and then cook it later. Uh so maybe next time I go down there I'll I'll stay self-catering or something just just so that I get to enjoy that. It's lovely going to the fish market and picking up the the bet the catch of the day or whatever you fancy cooking.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, although one of the times I visited Cornwall, you were looking after my kids for me and I brought you back fresh mackerel straight off the boat. How did that go down?

SPEAKER_01

Uh I can't remember. I think we ate it. There were there were other things going on in my life at that time. That's true. I was separating from my ex-wife, so the your mackerel as lovely as it was, and you didn't know this at the time, but uh there were other things going on. Okay. Yeah, it's a it's amazing what looking after your kids causes uh your to happen in your life. I couldn't possibly comment this episode of Unravel Travel is brought to you by Chiltern Walks, guided walks and holidays. Whether you're a seasoned rambler or just ready for a weekend reset, we'll take care of the roots, the stays, and the little details, so you can simply enjoy the journey. Chiltern Walks, walk further, breathe deeper, feel better. You can find a link to our website in the episode notes.

SPEAKER_03

So you've you mentioned a couple of things that you particularly liked, I think. Um the the Rick Stein um sponsored. Yeah, Pad Stein.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Padstow, yeah. Um liked it, stayed there, I think I went there one Easter, uh, and then we went back the following year because it was we'd really enjoyed it. Um and the weird thing was that and I think this just sort of shows how expectations uh sort of affect you. Um we went well first time we went to uh to Padstow, we went to uh I think all three of the Rickstein things. So he's got a main uh fish fish place uh restaurant, uh he's got a fish and chip shop, and he's got um a deli takeaway type thing. Uh does he sponsor the toilets in the town as well? He may he may well. Uh um and I remember the meal was absolutely amazing that we had at the restaurant, and the fish and chips I was underwhelmed with. Well, but for some reason.

SPEAKER_03

Because you're from fish and chip land, aren't you?

SPEAKER_01

I know exactly, which is maybe why I was underwhelmed, uh, because I'm used to good stuff. Uh, but we went back and we had them again the next year, and it was completely the other way around. We had the same meal, and I think because it had been so brilliant, your your expectations go to an unachievable level, and it was still good, but it just wasn't the blow-away uh feeling. And then the fish and chips was actually the highlight that time. Again, not expecting very much, but then uh probably they were a lot better the first time than but I was because it was Rick Stein, I was expecting it to be some otherworldly fish and chips, and it wasn't, but it it was very good because at the second time it's very good.

SPEAKER_03

And we went we went to the Rick Stein in Port Levin on the bottom coast, um, which uh which has since closed and it's owned by somebody else now. Um but that was a fantastic meal as well, it was really good. Um yeah, I've got a lot of time for him and some of his cookbooks, so yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And then the the other one, I went to a Nathan Outlaw restaurant in Port Isaac, which uh I I I enjoyed more. Don't want to say it was better or not, and have some sort of feuding chef. Because you know how many people are leaving comments on this, you could just see this blowing up the internet, couldn't you? But the the the Nathan Outlaw was was absolutely amazing. Uh really, really good food.

SPEAKER_03

Right. And I've been to a f uh a fa uh I've been and had dinner at Jamaica Inn.

SPEAKER_01

Is that from the is that that's in a in a book, isn't it? A famous book?

SPEAKER_03

It was written by Daphne DeMar.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, it is a famous book.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, who um who who lived in Cornwall. Um so she had a a house at Foy, which you see as you come in from the sea.

SPEAKER_01

Um something to do with smuggling.

SPEAKER_03

Yes, it's the all to do with smuggling. Um and uh and it I mean her book was based loosely around the inn. Um and Petra had just been reading it as and we so he said, Well, it's right on the A thirty, we'll s we'll stop in and have dinner. And and and it it wasn't the culinary highlight of the trip. I mean it's an interesting place. Um you know, it's got some sort of museum there and you know there's plaques in the floor, so and so was stabbed to death here, you know, right next to your table and things like that. Does it still have sawdust? Is it still a spit and sawdust place? He uh i it's a bit more upmarket than that, but the meals aren't. Um so and it and it's big, it obviously caters with busloads of people dropping in. We're we're a difficult audience, aren't we, Malcolm? Yes, we are. It's either too partial or too basic. Yeah. Um so yeah, no, it's good. Uh it's a good good place to stop in anyway, it makes the breaks the journey up interestingly. So so that's um foodie highlights probably. And walking, you've done some walks in Cornwall.

SPEAKER_01

I have uh the southwest coastal path both on the I did can't remember if it was two days walking or three. I think it was two we were gonna do three days walking, but we ended up just doing two, and we wild camped while we were there, but then it just the weather was awful on the um on the last day, so we just spent it in the pub instead. Um but absolutely beautiful. So we were walking tintagil uh sort of area, just sort of six-seven miles a day, just a lot of up and down there. And when you're carrying your tent and uh uh and camping gear, it it's it's hard work on the old knees. Uh we did a we did eat in pubs, so at least we weren't having to carry cooking gear and all that sort of stuff.

SPEAKER_03

Right.

SPEAKER_01

Uh and then I also did a couple of walks on the south uh bit of the southwest coastal path as well, just as pretty. Uh from memory, less up and down, uh, but it was probably just the bit I chose around Tintageur, which was very difficult.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I've done a number of walks around Porth Kerno, which is very getting pretty close to Land's End, um further round the Mausel uh on the southern coast, which is very nice. Cliff long cliff edge walks, of course, everything, pretty much all the decent walks are on the southwest coastal path, aren't they?

SPEAKER_01

So yeah, yeah, very very beautiful. Um just again, hard work and a long way to get there.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, that's true. Um, but I was gonna say not not uh not beatable views, apart from we were just talking in UK walks about how how how there are some pretty good views in Wales as well.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, you were talking about Gower, and I I was on a walk at the weekend and somebody mentioned Gower and I said, Yeah, yeah, it's on my list now because uh I mentioned we were doing a podcast and that you'd brought that up and I'd been talking about Pembrokeshire.

SPEAKER_03

But you but it's difficult, I mean if you want just an in a a total set of walkable views, then you it's difficult to to beat Cornwall really for sea views. I mean, there's just so many everywhere you go, all pretty bays. Um and if you go at the right time of year, there's not many people there. Um I mean well that's the other thing to say.

SPEAKER_01

I've never been in the summer. No, that's just uh nothing worth saying. I when I was walking the coastal path and I said we had awful weather one day, it was in December, it was in between Christmas and New Year, and we were camping out, and it it felt well during the day it was pretty nice weather. Uh and you know, it's one of those weird places in the country where it's December and the daffodils are out. Yeah, it's got its own climate, hasn't it? Totally, totally.

SPEAKER_03

Uh and lots of the daffodils and you know early spring potatoes and all that sort of stuff come from Cornwall, don't they?

SPEAKER_01

Um the other time we went was Easter, which is obviously more expensive in terms of the accommodation. But I can imagine if you're prepared to go something like the February half term, if you've got kids, or if you if you don't have kids, you can go anytime. You probably get some really good deals on accommodation if you you go out out of the the normal season.

SPEAKER_03

Well, and also the ability to actually park anywhere. Um I mean, you know, we've the the couple of times, most couple recent couple of times we've been down, I think we're like February, March, and September, October. And and the weather was was I mean you get the occasional shower, don't you? And you might get unlucky, but generally the weather's pretty good. Um we were swimming in the sea September, October.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, well, probably the warmest times it's had all summer to warm up.

SPEAKER_03

Exactly, yeah, it's had all summer to warm up, it drops off a cliff. I don't su I don't suggest doing it in November, but you know, if it's a nice day, I mean Blimey, it's lovely. Can't beat it. And uh some lovely quiet beaches as well. But if height of summer it's it's a nightmare, isn't it? Too many people.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, and I think we we talked a lot about walking, but I think it's worthwhile uh doing some of the non-walking stuff which Cornwall has to offer.

SPEAKER_03

Definitely. I think that's a great idea. In fact, I think there's so much to talk about, we should cut the episode here and come back for a second episode on the other side of Cornwall. I don't mean the south coast, just the other side. Well, thank you, everybody. Thank you, Malcolm. Speak to you all soon. Bye.