One of the nicest holidays in England is to wander around Cornwall visiting those places that we have all heard of and discovering new treasures.

 

Sometimes popular locations recommended by other people are a let down. St Ives on the west coast of Cornwall lived up to expectations and was a good place to visit. The artist community and Tate Modern attract people who are interested in art and galleries and I went with expectations of finding good art work, quaint tea shops, cafes and pubs where artists gather.

What I found was a town with excellent beaches, a charming harbour, a warren of narrow streets with numerous holiday cottages all done up to look their best with potted geraniums adding colour and a variety of small independent shops. A charming town with lots of interesting nooks and crannies.

Land's End was another possibly questionable place. I had read good and bad reviews about Land's End and the only real way of deciding was to visit and see. The opinion varied from 'nothing there' to 'fabulous place'. Land's End would appeal to anyone with an eye for natural beauty, the types like myself who get excited by a clump of campanula growing out of a rock or find a wild orchid. It would also appeal to bird watchers, walkers and anyone with an artisitic eye because of the splendid varied scenery.

The visitor centre offers a place to stop and eat and a large car park. Most people on holiday like to have a little wander round to see what is on offer but it isn't the real reason to visit - the natural dramatic landscape is. Although saying that, I did enjoy meeting the craftsmen in the workshops at Green Farm and having a chat with them. Tom Brooks makes imaginative and colourful painted wooden signs for doors.

There is a silversmith who makes jewellery and decorative items and a glass engraver who drives classic cars and is a secret motocycle expert. Conversations with all these people made the trip to Land's End most interesting.

 

There were many unknown stunningly beautiful spots discovered during the holiday to Cornwall. The small fishing village of Cadgwith was picturesque and had a working harbour where one could see boxes of fish and crabs being landed.

Kennack Sands had acres of sandy beach, rock pools and few people. There was a cafe and other amenities although limited parking. Perhaps that explained the small number of people on such a beautiful beach.

There were lots of beautiful fishing villages and even old tin mine workings that were thought provoking. Thinking about something completely different to the norm is one of the best ways of relaxing and returning home refreshed after a holiday.