We spent Christmas in Cornwall, with Cat's parents, Doug and Helen.
We hired a great little cottage called "Sandpiper", in the fishing village of Mousehole. Mousehole is just a few kilometres from Land's End, the most westerly point of mainland Britain.
Sandpiper was a perfect place to relax and unwind (and, as it turned out, for each of us to recover a pesky cold). We spent a lot of time in front of the open fire, reading and playing games of 500 (for the record, Helen and Doug emerged victorious), or enjoying the views back down over Mousehole and out to sea.
We also spent a lot of time exploring Mousehole, and its various drinking and eating establishments, our favourites being "2 Fore Street" (which we ate at twice, including once with my cousin Amanda and her husband, Rich, who were coincidentally in Cornwall for Christmas) and "The Coastguard Hotel".
We spent the rest of the week exploring Cornwall, including visits to nearby Penzance, St Ives, Pendeen, Cape Cornwall, Sennen Cove and Land's End. We had a cold and blustery round of golf at the beautiful Cape Cornwall Country Club, which hugs the cliffs that rise up from the Atlantic Ocean. On the drive back to London, we stopped at Tintagel Castle, claimed to be the home of King Arthur, although we didn't stay long due to the gale-like winds blowing in off the Atlantic.
For mine, the week had two obvious highlights:
1. 25 December - a wonderful Christmas lunch. Helen cooked a perfect roast turkey and roast ham, complete with all the trimmings, and Cat cooked a delicious chocolate pudding. Doug and I kept the fire burning.
2. 23 December - "Tom Bowcock's Eve". Mousehole is famous for its Christmas lights, which are switched on midway through each December, to celebrate a legendary Christmas when the village was starving due to continued heavy gales and rough seas. Legend has it that a town resident by the name of Tom Bowcock set sail with his cat "Mowzer" (which, says the legend, sung the storm to sleep and enabled them to make a huge catch of fish). On their return to Mousehole, the storm is said to have intensified, and the sky darkened, but Tom and Mowzer were guided back into the harbour by the people of the village, each holding a lantern. Tom Bowcock's Eve is still celebrated each 23 December, with the children of the town making lanterns, which they carry down to the harbour, and then set out to sea. "Stargazy Pie" is then baked (pilchards covered with a pastry crust, with the fish heads protruding... disgusting) and served to everyone present. It was a great night, but one which unfortunately I was unable to capture on film, as the flash on our camera was broken.
A very enjoyable and memorable Christmas.
Sandpiper
The view from Sandpiper
T'was the night before Christmas
Christmas Lunch at Sandpiper
Mousehole
Cat and a cat in Mousehole
Helen and Doug at lunch at The Coastguard Hotel
St Ives
Cat, Doug and Helen (and a seagull) in St Ives
Pendeen
Cat and I at Pendeen
Cape Cornwall
Sennen Cove
Cat, Doug and Helen at Sennen Cove
Land's End
Golf at Cape Cornwall Country Club
Tintagel Castle
