Lazy weekend

 We have done very little whilst away, gental walks, meals out, here at Ogmore Castle about 30 minutes drive, a perfect hour out, no rain. I did get half way across these stones before losing my nerve.

Our accommodation is on the shore line, these huge beaches have rocks, rock pools and dunes, vast sandy beaches, loads of places to walk. Plenty of people watching, dog walkers, people swimming, loads of crafts of different types on the water, we are having long warm sunny days.

Plenty of time to read, I ensured I had my favourite authors to read, another taken from the David Raker PI series, his latest case to find a patient who has disappeared from a private clinic which becomes linked to another historic missing man case and the disappearance of 3 women a project covered by Raker when he was a journalist. Book 67 read this year.

My second book by Lindwood Barclay, a mother from New York takes her son away from the city for the summer, it also tells a back story, so you think you know what is going to happen, a new shop opens in towns selling train sets, strange things start happening.  Book 68 read this year.

We are staying in Trecco Bay, near Porthcawl, South Wales, it's  a huge holiday park, we are on the edge away from the centre and all the noise and people, our accommodation is beside a walkway and the beach, it's perfect for sunrises, we walk 20 minutes to see sunset. We are resting and reading alot, no cooking. 

Today is our last full day, we have no plans as yet, just having a lazy breakfast together, should be another dry day, 

Away from home

 

Today is our 40th wedding anniversary,  we became a couple in 1984, when hubby moved in with daughters and myself, we married in 1986.

We are away from home for a long weekend,

 relaxing and enjoying each other company.

A perfect sunrise this morning, seen from our accommodation, we can sit and watch everyone else enjoying the beach and water, it's a perfect spot for lovely walks.

Veg gardens in Heligan

I'm not going to apologise for more photos, I took so many, I was not expecting so many cultivated gardens, they are laid so pretty and full of succession planting, they grow all they require. Northside Dave, you would love to see the well tended rows of different crops.

Hubby with local

They have loads of huge cold frames and old wooden greenhouses, many built along the sunny walls, full of tender fruiting plants and home grown young plants. All the sunny walls had fruit trees and bushes fanned along them.

Love these

It was a bit too early for the cut flower beds, they were planted, everywhere was stunning. Tulips were on their last flush. 

The weather was perfect, dry and hot, some of the lower parts were still a bit muddy, hubby did state he would not have thought to visit, but he was happy to walk around, he took his big camera and tooks loads of photos. I too had my big camera, but most of my photos here are from phone camera. 

Both our car journeys were brilliant, clear roads and no holdups, we did set out for home on Wednesday at 7am, just to beat the heat of the day.

A perfect few days away, Lilly was OK she jumped into my arms when I picked her up, I don't think she was happy being inside for so long. She was straight into our garden where she happily played for hours, later she snuggled on my lap, so I'm forgiven.

Lost gardens of Heligan

 The whole point of this location was to visit the lost gardens, I had seen small visits by various gardeners on TV. Here is the wilder side of the gardens, we spent over 4 hours here, parts looked very prehistoric.

Not so sure about the rope bridge, it was very wobbly as you reached the middle.

The mud maiden was lovely, resting in the woods.

The walk was mainly level, but walking down to the lost valley was steep, the paths had perfect banks with loads of English wildflowers growing, everywhere was so green and lush. Most of the walk back through the jungle was on a wooden bridge, a bit like a boardwalk, looking across and down on the planting, the rope bridge had a one way system which worked. 

After we found a small harbour town, with a pub by the sandy beach to have perfect fresh fish and chips for late lunch, huge portions, well cooked, neither of us ate again. We also purchased some pasties to take home with us, I do love local foods, we had a huge scone earlier at Heligan, with fresh cream and bramble jam.

Cornwall, day 1

Monday we spent most of the day on Bodmin moor, it was a beautiful sunny day with enough breeze to keep us cool. The following are a few of my photos.

Later we popped to Golitha falls, expecting a waterfall, it was a large river with natural weirs, we spent an hour walking along it's banks and then through woodland.

Here money doesn't grow on trees, these coins have been wedged into to cut edges of the remains of this tree.

Hubby wanted to have lunch at Dutchy of Cornwall's garden centre, the menu was not to his taste, so we had a look around and left, it was mega expensive there.

In the evening we went to a small harbour near to St Austell just for a walk, the tide was in and it was very pretty.

We found Bude garden centre and had a wonderful ploughman's for lunch, later we had a cornish pastie, the bakery is very close to our hotel. We did drive to Lifton tulip festival, sadly it had finished the previous day, we did look at the farm shop at Strawberry fields farm. The weather was brilliant, not to hot with nice breeze,  perfect for loads of walking and sightseeing.