I’ve been visiting the Roseland Peninsula in South Cornwall, staying in the family cottage on the coast since I was a baby. It’s a place that brings back happy memories and conjures up magical new ones, where the views are breathtaking and ever-changing, and where the world slows down just enough to breathe in the clean sea air and fully relax.
Last week The Boy and I enjoyed five days together in solitude and it was blissful. A week filled with surfing, kayaking, swimming in the ocean, seafood, beaches and sunshine; He and I reaped the benefits of this unspoiled Jerusalem.
We started off our holiday with Cornish smoked bacon and fried egg sandwiches – an indulgent tradition of my family’s, followed by tea and ginger biscuits. Nostalgia kicked in instantly.
The view from the cottage is mind-blowing. The expanse of ocean stretches from Nare Head on the left, to Portscatho and Carne Beach on the right, with the colours changing from slate grey to vibrant turquoise. For 24 years I’ve had the privilege of seeing this view, and each time I look at it I am as thrilled by it as if it were the first time.
(The view from the cottage over to Carne Beach)
On our first day The Boy and I walked the 6-7 mile roundtrip to the lovely fishing village, Portloe, and back, along the coast with the white, bright sky above us and the thundering waves below. What fun it was, powering up the hills and running back down, stopping simply to take in the natural beauty surrounding us. A crab sandwich for me and fish (the juiciest, flakiest piece) and chips for Him at the Ship Inn in Portloe re-fuelled us mid-way, ready for the final haul back home.
On the third day, we kayaked in the sea just outside of Falmouth, but the waves were a little too choppy for us so we stayed in the bay rather than explored the area fully. Something to try next time. However, the residents of the nearby houses probably enjoyed (definitely enjoyed) our shout-y renditions of “Oh Happy Day” and “Hey, What’s Going On?”.
A highlight of the week was surfing in Watergate Bay, to celebrate His 27th birthday. I’d never been surfing before but the amount of people out enjoying the 3ft waves (perfect for beginners) made me feel confident that I’d be able to ride them like the water-baby I aspire to become. I managed to catch some brilliant waves, feeling alive and exhilarated as I sped towards the shore. I decided that on my first time surfing I’d focus on having fun rather than struggling to stand up so stayed mainly horizontal on my board for the majority. However, The Boy was fab and by his second attempt he was standing up and looking like a seasoned pro. The sun shone, the waves were blue and clear and my hair was covered in salt-water, turning my curls into lovely salty waves; “you look like such a beach babe”, He said. Thank you 😀
(A happy Boy, post-surf)
The evening was a complete 180 from our afternoon of getting smashed in the face with waves and surfboards, as we spoiled ourselves by having a birthday supper at Jamie Oliver’s beach-side restaurant, Fifteen. I started with a mackerel, giant cous cous and nduja salad and followed with a whole (yes, whole), sea bream. It was absolutely delicious and I was the happiest little eater as I pulled out the whole bone from its tail to its head and tucked in. We then shared some home-made vanilla and hazelnut ice cream, just because we could. Best of all was the incredible sunset that we were treated to as we became more and more satiated throughout the evening.
(Sunset over Watergate Bay, as seen from Fifteen)
In between all the water-sports, the walking and the over-indulging (seafood, salads, pies, puddings…) we managed to fit in a P90X3 workout, Triometrics, which was completed on the cottage’s terrace with the view in front of us; it was probably the most beautiful workout we’ve ever done together! Afterwards, a spot of yoga to keep me bendy…
(Gettin’ flexi on the terrace)
A trip into Truro lead us to the weekly farmers market and a fresh fish stall with an abundance of treats on offer, including monkfish tails and fillets, ling, pollock, haddock, cod and whole crabs. I was in heaven. When asked the question, “If you had to eat meat or fish for the rest of your life, which would it be?”, my resolute answer is “fish”. The variety of flavours, textures and species makes my mouth water so this stall had me salivating. We picked up some fresh crab and monkfish fillets and proceeded to make monkfish ‘nuggets’, with roasted vegetables and salad for supper that evening.
(Our new best friends at the market)
The Boy’s birthday was our final day, and we finished off the week on Carne Beach, which was our first proper relaxing beach day. Using up the rest of the larder, I made a picnic including a salad of raw tomatoes, peppers, red onions, jersey royal potatoes and cucumbers with boiled eggs and oatcakes. Sounds odd, but it was actually very tasty!
The sun was warm, the sand soft and creamy and the breeze light. We hadn’t swum in the ocean properly (not counting the surfing or kayaking), so promptly stripped off into our bikinis and ran full-pelt into the ocean. It was FREEZING but invigorating…! A perfect end to a perfect week.
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