Smart Vacation

The English countryside. The County of Cornwall

When you drive west from upcountry as the locals in Cornwall say, you notice something dramatic about the light as you enter mid Devon, on the A30, near the upper heights of Dartmoor. Suddenly the landscape seems more alive, more myste- rious and you have a sensation the further west you head of entering a land of other worldliness, not completely affiliated to the country of England. Which in fact is true. For still in Cornwall, or Kernow as it is called in the native Cornish tongue, the county is distinctly different from their anglo-saxons across the border in Devon and beyond, or as they say, ' t'other side of Tamar'. For when you cross that bridge heading west, with the Tamar River below, you know you are leaving true Anglo- Saxon country behind and heading into the Celts land.

So first destination - Polperro. on Cornwall's south coast. As pretty a picture postcard village as you could find anywhere, a truly delightful spot, with higgledy piggledy narrow streets. The harbour here will delight every photographer and artist without a shadow of doubt. There are many good places to eat and a few very good pubs and inns also, still very authentic inside where you can knock back a decent local pint of beer. Polperro is also home to the Smugglers Museum. Perhaps walk or sit by the harbour and wonder how they managed to build such gorgeous cottages whose foundations must have been dug at low tide, or simply sit and watch the myriad of fishing boats bobbing on their moorings. If ever there was a place to retire, for peace and quiet, for contemplation or writing that book you always dreamed of completing, this has to be the perfect spot.

Just next door to Polperro, not more than 3 miles away east, is the bustling port of Looe. A small town, again myriads of cornish cottages, and tiny winding alleyways and streets, a real joy to explore on foot. A sizable fishing fleet works out of Looe and there are several very high quality fish and seafood restaurants in the town as well as numerous art galleries. The town consists of west Looe and East Looe, both spanning the river. You can also enjoy from here many boating trips or fishing trips to explore and see the wonderful Cornish coastline. Further upstream, many delightful walks can be enjoyed strolling along the riverbank in thickset oak woodlands. One of the best ways to get into the town is via the railway which nestles along the edge of the river bank.

A little further down the coast is arguably Cornwall's most beautiful town, Fowey. You could be forgiven here for thinking that you had landed somewhere in the Mediterranean and not Cornwall at all. The light here is truly astonishing and similar to Looe, you can enjoy several fine seafood restaurants, or exploring on foot the towns many elevated views, over the har- bourside. Catch the ferry across the river via Boddinack. Not far from Fowey is the charming tiny hamlet of Portloe and Caerhays Castle.

Continuing west, jumping past the port of Falmouth, where you can explore the stunningly exquisite River Fal, deepest natural harbour in the world and third largest, you come across the Helford River on the eastern side of The Lizard. Daphne de Maurier made this spot famous with her well known book writing, and particularly her novel, Frenchmans Creek. This creek does actually exist and is a must see for any visitor to the county. The banks of the Helford River are aligned with ancient oak woodlands where branches of trees dip their toes into the dappled sunlit waters below. A quiet and very mys- teriously beautiful part of Cornwall, come here for sheer peace and quiet, solitude and serenity, a more tranquil spot you would be hard pushed to find. Close by are the sub tropical gardens of Trebah, the Garden of Dreams, and Glendurgan, plus Carwinion Garden. These gardens are especially stunning in the months of April, May and June with many rare plant species from all over the world that grow nowhere else in the country, thanks to the micro climate here enjoyed and the warm air brought in by the gulf stream.

On the other side of The Lizard is a particularly gorgeous cove called Kynance Cove. Your jaw will quite literally drop open when you see this place. Best viewed at low tide. It's difficult to put this place into words, such is the incredible beauty of the cliffs here. Arriving by car you drive over a very flat area of open moorland completely unprepared the first time for the scenery that awaits you, as you then take the final descent on the footpath to the beach. Refreshments are available at the cute little cafe at the bottom of the cliffs in summer. Out of season certainly take a flask of tea with you both to keep warm and to give you the energy to climb back up again at the end of the day. The colour of the sea here is a deep turquoise accentuated by the glistening very fine golden sand. Even if you cannot manage it to the bottom of the cliffs on foot, sit on the top of the cliffs and watch how the sunlight catches the waves as they collide with the rocks below, a totally mesmorising experience. Kynance is famous for it's position close to the most southerly point on mainland Britain and the rock here, called Serpentine is found nowhere else in the country.

Moving further down the coast, sweeping past storm battered Porthleven, you eventually come to St Michaels Mount at Marazion. Again wait for low tide here to walk on foot across the granite cobbled walkway to the mount itself, a magical experience. On top of the mount sits a rather beautiful and utterly enchanting castle and this is perhaps, the most photo- graphed spot in Cornwall. As far as I know you can enter the castle after paying an admission entrance fee.

A little further down the coast past Penzance and the fishing port of Newlyn is the small fishing village of Mousehole, pro- nounced Malzal. Tiny streets, a beautiful harbour and very safe place to swim for younger children. Surprising for a small harbour, the sand is particularly soft and fine. Certainly this is one of my favorite small harbours in Cornwall.

Moving towards Lands End the very tip of the country, you will pass several beautiful locations. Lamorna Cove, Penberthy Cove, Logans Rock and Porthcurno, home to the Minack Theatre. This is a 750 seat auditorium built by one Rowena Cade and the theatre is cut from the granite cliffs themselves, surely there can be no other theatre like it, where almost all the seats have literally been cut from out of the cliff face. Many plays take place here in the summer months, both in the afternoon and the evening - performances can be up to 2-3 hours in length. Worth every penny, the views are extraordinary and out of this world.

Author: Andrew Price.Andrew is the owner of [http://www.england-villages.co.uk]

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