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A weekend in Cornwall, England
By Wink Lorch
Cornwall is a long drive from London - depending how far down you go, it can take six hours. Whatever you do, to avoid bad traffic jams and a lengthier journey, don't choose to drive down on a Friday afternoon or return on a Sunday evening. And, one more thing - the peak holiday times of July and August are not a good time to go to Cornwall. I guess, because of all this, it's taken me 50 years to discover Cornwall and so far I've only given it 2 1/2 days of my life, but it was certainly time well spent. Among other things to explore in Cornwall are wild countryside, a beautiful coastline, fantastically fresh seafood, impossible-to-pronounce place names and the Eden Project. The Eden Project was a daring venture started over 10 years ago when a disused china clay mining pit was converted into a vast garden in which two 'biodomes' were built. Its an extraordinarily educational and beautiful place to visit for a family or even just as adults (especially fans of gardening). In one 'biodome' they have created a rain-forest environment; the other represents a Mediterranean environment; and the vast outside area simply displays all the many aspects of a temperate landscape. The emphasis throughout is on gentle humorous education with utter respect for environmental issues. You'll need to spend at least half a day there to appreciate it - catering facilities are varied and good and there's an excellent shop too selling everything from plants, to books and souvenirs. The Eden Project is not far from the fishing village of Fowey (curiously pronounced 'Foy' to rhyme with 'joy'). We stayed in a great guest house called Elmswood House nearby in the unpronounceable village of Tywardreath and on the first evening, went out to eat in Fowey, where there is plenty of choice. We liked Fowey so much (once we'd learnt the correct pronunciation), we returned for a walk along the coast before we left Cornwall. Back to eating, one of the reasons for a food and wine lover to visit Cornwall is to go to Padstow, home to well-known author and TV chef Rick Stein's famous seafood restaurant, and some cheaper alternatives too. Whereas we were too late to book a table at the main restaurant there is also a bar in the middle of the restaurant where bookings cannot be made, but you can eat the full menu at the bar, enjoying at the same time, watching the staff prepare the cold starters. The seafood was wonderful and the wine list superb. The other reason for a wine lover to visit Cornwall is to take a wine tour at Camel Valley Vineyards. Here, award-winning sparkling wines along with a range of still wines are produced from a south-facing vineyard above the Camel River. Alongside the Camel River is the Camel Trail for walkers and bikers, so you don't even have to take a car to get to the vineyard. Once a day from April - September there's a guided tour which is well worth doing. We were too early in the year to visit some of the attractions Cornwall has to offer - I would return in spring or in autumn next time, to appreciate the coast some more and also the many gardens open to the public.
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Contributor's Note
For more on the visit to Camel Valley Vineyards, please visit my blog.
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The Eden Project, Cornwall
| Camel Valley Vineyards
| Elmswood House
| Rick Stein
PLEASE VISIT THE CONTRIBUTOR'S WEBSITE
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