Day 14 #grandtour13 – The Admin Day!

After yesterdays exertions, I made a command decision and decided that today should be an “Admin Day”, to give the “Other Half” time to recover and also to sort out the van, after living in it for 8 consecutive nights with a few more still to go.  I absolutely refute the spurious allegations doing the rounds, that our lay-up is in response to the blister I have on my right heel! (My lawyers are watching, and its not a blister, it’s Epidermal Trauma…with capitals!).

The dog monitors the admin party

So today has been all about cleaning and maintenance. I also did the 200m “Walk of Shame” with the shit-bucket to the waste disposal point. Past all the rustic holiday cottages and fresh faced city-types called Edward and Jemima and their broods of well-spoken kids. Just me and my Thetford Waste container, its plastic wheels trundling and clattering, it sounded like the Rag n Bone man doing the rounds!…I could hear the sniggers,  I wouldn’t mind, but only 25% of it belongs to me….I’ll say no more on the subject, i’m just too much of a gentleman!

The site here in Cornwall we’re staying on is called Carnewas Farm.  http://www.carnewasfarmholidays.co.uk

We have a beautiful spot, in a small bowl set around 3 small ponds..complete with lilypads frogs, wild fowl and allegedly a kingfisher(not seen). Only us and one other long-termer caravan at our part of the farm. They also have another site, on a higher field, which will take 5 caravans. Additionally they have a field allocated to tents. Its a really great location, just a short walk from the coast. The price is £11 per night including electric, which is exceptional when you consider the location and time of year. The owners Wendy and Richard are very welcoming, they keep the site open throughout the year, so if your into camping or similar and want access to the coastal path, we can highly recommend this location. At the front entrance to the farm lane is the bus stop, which will take you to Padstow to the north or south to Newquay, so getting around is fairly easy.

View from the van

So we’ve spent a really lazy day, mooching about, a little bit of reading and listening to Absolute 80’s. The music is actually better than I remember it, although in fairness, they’ve not yet played “Shaddupa ya Face” or “Grandma We Love You”….Still in the words of Daughter No 2…”Top-choooooons”, who incidentally is off to Amsterdam shortly for a cultural weekend!, I’ve given her the full brief as required by the universal fellowship of fathers;

“Don’t mix your drinks. Make sure you’ve got €10 for the taxi. Don’t mule drugs back to the UK! 

That is all.

Day 11/12 #grandtour 13 – Padstow/Bedruthan Steps

Sunday: After a heart-stopping sail through the flash-flooded roads of South West Cornwall, we finally arrived at the outskirts of Padstow. On a Sunday afternoon the place was predictably rammed with tourists (we’re not tourists, we’re motorhomers!). So much so, we even had to park the chucklebus a mile or so outside the town and use the “Park n Ride”.  For those who know me, you’ll be aware that my mantra is “I don’t do public transport” so the situation was pretty dire. Anyway, we eventually got to Padstow proper, had a quick look through the window at Rick Steins place(rammed with even more tourists 😦 ) and then made our way to the harbour area for the obligatory photos and a Cornish Pasty.

The “Other Half” humanely deals with a distressed Cornish Pasty!

The town is very picturesque,  I think out of summer season would be a better time to visit, just too hectic for an old boy like me!.  So we were quickly back on the bus and “Pronto to the Chucklebus Mr Busdriver“. On arrival at the Park n Ride, I dispatched the other half to the next door Tesco to stock up on supplies, whilst I grabbed 40 much needed winks!!. She came back about an hour later, laden with 6 full carriers bags and claiming the store was mental…(Note to self, continue your “No Supermakets on Sunday” policy)….Well done Missus.

Then a little more of me displaying my coastal skippering skills as I manoeuvred the chucklebus through the rain sodden Cornish lanes, before we ended up at our final destination and home for the next 7 days;  Carnewas Farm, which is opposite Bedruthan Steps. Right on the coastline.

We’re very happy with the site location, especially at £11pn and offering unfettered access to the coastline. Basic facilities, but includes electric which is all we need. So this week we’ll be mostly walking the coastal path, exploring the surrounding area and getting wet!

A snipers eye view of the chucklebus

Monday: After a full night of torrential rain and a bit more this morning, we finally emerged from our cocoon at 11am. The windbreak we’d erected the day before was still standing…but only just. Other than that all appeared OK.  So we packed a rucsac and  tramped up to the National Trust site opposite our location, which affords access to Bedruthan Steps.

The views from the cliff-tops here are truly stunning, the Cornish coastline at its best. This part of the coast is fairly treacherous, with many ships coming to grief on the rocks along here…conjuring up images of “The Wreckers”

Bedruthan Steps

The steps down to the beach are steep and there’s lots of them!

If the dog could talk “Dad, you’re having a F….. Laugh!

Once down on the beach, you get a feeling of how dangerous this area is. Lots of little coves, with very few areas for the unwary beach walker to escape up the cliffs from rising tides! The beach is pretty spectacular though.

The climb back up the cliff steps was a proper killer, I was blowing out of my backside. So after crawling up the last step I sat on a boulder and amused myself for 20 mins watching the faces of the other visitors as they reached the top…Young and old all trying to look cool as they emerged from the steps, no chance….This was survival!!

So now back at the van….Todays activities are over,  I’m off for a pensioners!

That is all.