Adventures in Europe, week one

Week 1: Our 2019 Europe/UK adventure 

2/11/19: left Melbourne 10:30pm 

Our first morning in Bath

3/11/19: arrived Birmingham 12:30pm. Drove to Bath, checked in to the Rising Sun Inn, on Grove Street, near the Avon River and the Pulteney Bridge. We walked into town and had a drink at Bath’s smallest pub, the Croen de Lion, then had dinner at the Boaters Inn, just near our accommodation.

The Roman Baths of Bath

Bath Cathedral

The view from the top of the Cathedral

We made it to the top!

4/11/19: lots of walking today! A pre breakfast walk across the bridge and along the waterfront to the next bridge, then home via the riverfront. After breakfast we walked back into town and joined the “Mayor’s walk” around the best of Bath: from the Roman Baths and the marketplace, to the Queens Square, the Royal Circuit and the Circus, where many famous people, including Nicholas Cage, have lived. After a stop for soup and sourdough, we visited the fascinating Roman Baths for an hour-plus tour, enjoyed a reviving cuppa, then finished at the Bath Abbey, with a climb up to the bell tower and steeple. After a reviving shower we ventured out for dinner at Garrick’s Head, once the residence of Beau Nash, a local founding father. 

5/11/19: a morning walk to the start of the Avon-Kennett canal, the waterway built to make transport simpler between Bristol and London. Home for breakfast, then we packed and headed south-east, through Bradford-on-Avon and Trowbridge and on to Stonehenge, for a walk around the historic stones. We continued 

Southwest, past Salisbury and Dorchester, arriving at the seaside town of Weymouth for a late lunch, checking into the Rex Hotel, overlooking the waterfront and the seaside fun fair. Later we walked around the harbour, full of fishing boats and pleasure cruisers, returning to the Rex for a spa bath before a delicious dinner.

Stonehenge :-)

Rex Hotel, Weymouth

Weymouth shoreline

Weymouth riverfront

6/11/19: We walked along the waterfront and the harbour before breakfast, then packed and headed west, visiting the stunning isthmus of Portland Bill to admire the scenery and views from the headlands. Then we continued west, driving the coastal route to Bridport, before joining the highway to Exeter, then Plymouth, turning off at Kernow Mill for lunch, and continuing on to Looe, our seaside destination. The roads in the village are narrow and cobbled, and car parking is nigh on impossible, but we found a room at the Ship’s Inn, and parking on a hillside nearby, so that we could enjoy a night in this quaint seaside town. As it was a wet night, we were happy to eat in and retire to bed early.

Looe fishing boat returning

Looe channel marker

Looe riverfront

7/11/19: we started the day with a walk along the waterfront, past all the fishing boats, resting on the mud in the low tide, stopping for breakfast at “Martin’s dairy and bakery”. We wound our way out of town soon after 9am, following the A390 past St Austell, stopping for a cuppa on the water at Truro and continuing on to Penzance. The narrow roads of the busy town were not inviting, so after a brief stop and visit to the Tourist information we continued on, hoping to find a small B&B along the way. We had a delicious lunch at the Logan Rock Inn then continued on, finishing up at Lands End, where we were offered a Seaview room at an inland price! We checked in and unpacked, then took a drive to Sennen Cove, climbing to the lookout to admire the rugged scenery. A drink at the “First and Last” Inn, then we returned to Lands End for a delicious dinner.

Lands End Hotel

Rugged up at Lands End

Walking around at Lands End - brr!

8/11/19: The wind was howling outside, but the sun was shining so we braved the cold for a walk around to view the stunning scenery of Lands End. Many ships have been wrecked in the treacherous waters below the cliffs and it is easy to see why. Breakfast in the restaurant included awesome views over the rocks, bathed in morning sunshine. We packed up and headed north, following the coastal route along narrow roads, dotted with farms, small villages and the remains of old tin mines. We reached St Ives and enjoyed a cuppa at Carbis Bay before checking in to our B&B for 2 nights. Our hosts, Heidi and Pete, made us feel very welcome! After settling in, we followed the scenic coastal path into town, where we walked around to the outer pier, returning to a pub on the waterfront for lunch and then we climbed the steep hill back to our accommodation. We enjoyed dinner at the local pub, “The Cornish Arms”, a bustling place full of locals - and their dogs!

Fishing boats, St Ives

Ocean side, St Ives

The Cornish Arms, St Ives

Taking the train from St Ives to St Erth

St Erth - St Ives coastal train

9/11/19: We started the day with a walk up the main road to check out our other options for dinner. St Ives town centre is only a bus ride away, but we like eating local. Returning for a delicious breakfast, we ventured down to the railway station afterwards for a trip on the scenic St Erth to St Ives railway line. The track hugs the coast and is a popular tourist trip. We alighted at the station and walked the 3/4 mile into St Erth, a very small village with just a put and a shop. The village market was on in the local hall, so we checked out the local produce and crafts. We dodged a rain shower in the shelter of the Lychgate in the grounds of the lovely old church, then returned to the station and caught the train back to St Ives. We warmed up with soup and local mussels for lunch, washed down with mulled cider - delicious! A walk over to the west beach showed us just how wild and windy the day was, then we walked back to the railway station, caught the train one stop to Carbis Bay, and trudged up the hill to our B&B. After a reviving rest and a nap, we chose to dine at “The Cornish Arms” again, a lot quieter there tonight!

Panoramic view, St Ives