We are just back again from our annual camping trip to Cornwall as an extended family. A Shoulder tradition now. We camp at St Buryan in the deep depths of the Roseland Peninsula and spend most of our time - unless the weather is horrible on the beach. I have written blogs about it before - so no point in eulogising too much about the annual pilgrimage again.
Despite living by the sea on the Isle of Wight - there is something very different about this part of Cornwall that makes the long drive down worth it. Artists have talked for centuries about the quality of the light. There is the old joke - if you do not like the weather in Cornwall - wait ten minutes. It is so true - the weather is very changeable on the Roseland Peninsula. Sennen where we go is adjacent to Lands End - the most westerly point in the UK. I think what it is more than anything that makes the area so special - is a combination of the 1) the remoteness, 2) the granite that forms the bedrock of the area - (as a consequence there are few trees and massive rock cliffs and headlands and 3) it is open and wild and exposed to the overwhelming impact of the Atlantic Ocean. The Atlantic air and waves crash in on Sennen Cove - uninterrupted on their 3000 mile fetch from Newfoundland Canada. The water is so clear - but it is also so cold compared to the Solent waters I am used to. The waves pound in. Consequently Sennen is a surfers beach. We love to bodyboard. The air is so clean too. (although often water laden!). No pollution whatsoever. All this draws us back - and is nothing to do with the wonderful Cornish pasties. (one for lunch everyday - ha!).
This year my two fantastic darling grand daughters were 6 and 4. They are such spirited little characters. It was a fantastic privilege to be able to spend quality time with them as it is with all my family.
For my own indulgence I am going to record three things. Time early in the morning in our tent with Annabelle and Ayla sat with me looking at photographs of birds - especially sea birds. I am confident now they will always be able to identify the yellow beaked Herring Gull! Another is time in the rock pools of Porthgwarra. Annabelle and Ayla are so confident handling crabs and worms - and it was great fun catching shrimps and temporarily holding them in the aquarium (bucket!). The final one is digging a moat on Sennen beach with the girls to "save" the family.
Little things can create a lot of fun. On the last day the tide came well up on Sennen beach. We could have moved back like most people but I knew we were not far off high tide. Anyway I said to Annabelle we can save the family if we dig a moat in the sand in front of the wind break. So we dug away and watched the waves roll up. Is this the one!? A few came over the wall into the moat but we stayed dry. It was so exciting and amusing!
Here are a few snaps for posterity :
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| with Annabelle at Porthgwarra |
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| most of the fam assembled on Sennen - missing Dr Rich and Mike's offspringr on this day. |
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| a short walk to the St Buryan Inn for a sophisticated night out! |
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| will the moat save us?! Typical British summer! |
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| a tight little cove - Porthgwarra - fishing boats hauled out on a steel wire |
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| Sennen Cove beach and beyond |
PS George's fantastic barbecues. James's outrageous bawdy jokes.
