Sunday 6 July 2014

Re-entry

It's that tricky post-holiday time.  Everyone is tired, no-one wants to get back to normal life, expectations have been raised, ice-cream is expected on an almost daily basis and I am missing having a bedroom with a balcony looking out over beautiful Cornish gardens with the tiniest glimpse of sea behind the trees.



Almost every time I walked into the room I was drawn outside.  I'd stand there just absorbing it all.  The wood was warm beneath my bare feet and there were birds singing in the big tree in the next garden.  It was good.  Very good.

I have photos and notes.  Could you stand it?  Too many photos, but, you know, it was that week.  The one  I look forward to all year.  The one by the sea with the people I love the most.  Together, all day every day.  So I can't stop myself, but do feel free to scroll through really fast all the way to the bottom.  Take a deep breath...


This one's for all of your yarn lovers out there.  Knitted cakes!  Clever, clever, clever.  


We found some really beautiful beaches.  The Lizard peninsula is a really lovely place, unspoilt for the most part, quiet and wild.


Just us and the jellies.  There were lots on this beach (Coverack), pink ones and purple ones.  Such striking creatures.


There were some very pretty villages and cottages.  Hard not to dream about what it would be like to live here.



On Wednesday I met up with Leanne.  She was an absolute delight, and it was such a pleasure to sit and chat with her.  She brought a crab line and bucket for the boys, as well as some artisan chocolate made in her home town.  Oh how well she knows what boys like.  They were thrilled and a little obsessed with crab catching.  I'd never tried it before (what with being a girl and everything).  The first one was HUGE and there was another one as well that we didn't manage to catch because it got away, scuttling sideways back to the sea.  The other one was so big and strong it climbed out of the net.  I ran up the harbour steps shrieking.  Somehow it was transferred to the bucket and I ventured a little closer.



I think I found my best ever beach.  How beautiful is this?



It's called Kynance Cove, and it is honestly paradise.  Owned and maintained by the National Trust, who have done it all beautifully and sustainably.  Everything blending in and eco-friendly.  That one beach alone made me want to join and support them, their work is so very worthwhile.

The eldest and OH went for a cliff top walk to look for Cornish choughs, rare birds that have been making a comeback here lately.  They're quite hard to spot.  The eldest thought he might possibly have seen one, but they look a bit like crows, so maybe he didn't.  He was very happy to have had the opportunity to spend some time looking for them though, and he did see some other birds that made it all worthwhile.

I stayed on the beach with the littles and we balanced piles of stones and ran away from waves and things.




I went for a swim and decided it was the best day of the holiday.  There's always a best day, right?

It occurred to me that it was nearing the end of the week and there wasn't a single photo of me.  Does that ever happen to you?  It's like I was never there.  The eldest pointed his camera in my face.  I haven't seen his shots, but he got quite close, I don't imagine it's a pretty sight.  But I found this one that the littlest boy took while scrambling over rocks with my little camera.  Look, I was there!


The last day was grey and a bit damp, so we went to Falmouth for a wander.



We tried to catch more crabs.  I couldn't look, there was such a drop to the water.  I honestly can't stand it when they stand near the edge.  I lie awake at night worrying about it.


It started raining after a while, but the biggest boy was desperate to catch one.  We had to drag him away.  The seagull's keeping a close eye on him, just in case.


So now we're home, with some happy memories and a bit of a suntan.  Re-entry is hard, it always takes me a couple of days to regain my equilibrium.  I'm happy to have found such a beautiful place.  One day I'll go there again.

37 comments:

  1. Glad to see you all had a great time. We are off to Spain tomorrow. Not back until the beginning of August. I can't wait. But like you I won't be in many photos. I must try and remember to appear on the other side of the lens sometimes.
    I hope the adjustment back to normality goes well. Xx

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  2. Ahh what a great vacation. Kynance Cove is gorgeous!!!!! Glad you had such a good time and got in 1 picture, haha. So far I haven't gotten in 1 beach photo but it's hard to when it's just me and my 3 year old doing things. Close up selfies are not my best friend. I wish I had a balcony like in that bedroom, I would keep the door open and just lay in bed all day :)

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  3. Wow. So you actually went to heaven on holiday! What a stunning place xx

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  4. Re-entry is always hard after a splendid holiday. Yours looked gorgeous, lots of time to have fun. I am never inpictures which is actually fine with me.

    Love your trip, thank you for taking us along,
    Meredith

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  5. What an amazing place friend! WOW! That beach you discovered about knocked me off the couch! The water is crystal blue! And the whole atmosphere of the town is perfect! And can I just say that you look stunning in that photo! It is wonderful to see you in the scene! I can see where it would be hard to come back from a magical place like this! Wishing you a lovely week ahead! Nicole xoxo

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  6. Wow, you guys had a wonderful time in a beautiful place! There were not too many photos.. I would have been happy for more! That cove you found was completely magical. Lucky you! You are gorgeous in the photo.. hope they get more of you in the future. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  7. How wonderful is the place you have visited! All photos are beautiful but some of them (7th,11th,14th,18th and 20th) are unique! Holidays are always precious but when we spend them so happily, they give us much more energy...Welcome back!

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  8. All sounds wonderful I do hope you go again one day and in the meantime you have so many happy memories to pull out and revisit whenever you want to.

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  9. Yes, re-entry into normal life is never easy! There is something magical about a balcony, I used to live in a flat with a balcony in the kitchen. Your holiday looks fab and there's so many memories to go back to, these will keep the magic flowing for a long time. Do your children have to go back to school now? I am never too clear about English school terms, so different from ours. This post is a perfect warm-up for our own Cornwall holiday, starting this Friday night (it is a long way from Scotland!). I am ever so exited and will revisit this post when I feel stressed about the packing. x

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  10. Si different from when we walked along the cliffs above Kynace Cove in driving rain with the wind threatening to blow us over. We were soaked to the skin with rain dripping from out noses, We later found out that a yacht race taking place at the time had suffered major losses.

    We also have had two holidays in Falmouth - one beautiful weather and the second it rained all fortnight - what a difference the weather makes!

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  11. What a wonderful holiday you have all had! Re-entry into normal life is soooo hard especially when you have had a good time :). We visited Kynace Cove a while back and loved it too.

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  12. Hey CJ,
    I'm so glad that the boys had such fun with their crab line! It's quite addictive. And I really hope that your eldest did spot a Chough. It was a pleasure to meet you too. Maybe we will again one day - perhaps when I'm in Bristol?
    Leanne xx

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  13. I'm so glad you were able to join them on holiday eventually. :) I have the same problem, I'm not in any pictures. Your holiday sounds wonderful and it must have been lovely to meet up with Leanne. I'd like to meet up with you ladies too. Thanks for sharing the happy time you all had while you were away.

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  14. Such a lovely post about this heavenly place....makes me want to return to Cornwall straight away. Thanks for sharing, Anita xo

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  15. It looks and sounds just perfect, lots of memories made, even if you're not in many photos! (I'm never in any either) the one of you and the boys on the rocks is lovely though, very natural. I remember crabbing a couple of times as a kid, I loved it!

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  16. It's always so hard coming back from a vacation, especially one as fantastic as this one! The pictures of the sea and beaches are beautiful and make me want to head there now. Glad that you all had a wonderful time:)

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  17. That looks so beautiful...and relaxing.

    Nina x

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  18. Fantastic images. Isn't Cornwall just fabulous? Kynance Cove looks amazing. It's probably the one place in Cornwall we haven't been. Oh I do love an excuse to go back - not that I need one. :) Looks like you had a lovely holiday, glad teh sun shined for you.

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  19. I'm so glad that you had such a great time, everything looks beautiful!! Especially the view from your bedroom window. How great that you got to meet up with Leanne, lovely for you both I'm sure. xx

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  20. What a great holiday! I'm a girl that hasn't been crab catching before. I've been talking about not having enough photos of me with the gang. I'm glad you are working on getting photos for them too.Your photos are transporting as usual. I confess your best beach ever looks to be ... the best.

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  21. What a delightful holiday post and wonderful pictures. I'm not surprised that you liked Kynance Cove so much.
    I used to visit that part of the country quite often as I had family who lived in Truro so reading this bought back lots of happy, if somewhat faded, memories.

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  22. That beach looks really beautiful. And one of my absolute things about being on holiday is the feeling of warmth beneath your feet.
    I'm glad you enjoyed it. Keep telling yourself, 'There's no place like home' ;)
    Sarah x

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  23. It looks fantastic CJ! And glad to see you in a picture! Did you swim with those jellyfish in the water? I think they would have kept me out. I'm surprised you shared the name of your idyllic beach - some would have kept it a secret! :)

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  24. looks heavenly. I find re-entry hard too, although I do like the comfort of my own bed whenever we get home too. x

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  25. ohhhhhhh. catching up after a horror week or two at work.... please, i want to be there. how beautiful. even with the purple jellyfish (!!!).

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  26. Oh my, that beach looks amazing!
    Settling back into a 'normal' routine is always tricky - it often makes me wonder how I cope with it all year round.

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  27. Cornwall is so beautiful! Glad you had a super time. Coming home is always a little strange but I'm always p,eased to get back to my bed!

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  28. A very interesting place to be visited. Beautiful beach and the cottages too. It must be a very nice moment with your family. Enjoy your day, have a wonderful week.

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  29. It looks like the perfect holiday destination!! I know what you mean about getting back into the swing of things, that's always so hard, it's especially hard after weeks off and then a return to school! I love your new profile picture, you have the most gorgeous hair!
    I hope the rest of your week is fantastic!
    Much love,
    Tammy

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  30. Your holiday, images and words are so magical even in the rain. I'm glad you had a lovely time when you met up with Leanne too. Kynance Cove looks amazing! Sarah x

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  31. Looks like you have just had a magical week CJ, one to treasure and remember.
    Gill xx

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  32. What a lovely week you had - it's my favourite part of the country. I'm a Cornish gal that can't afford to move back after uni but make do with visiting my mum each month. In August we go down for a week to stay with her and I honestly can't wait. That is my week - which like yours, will be hard to come home from - perhaps more so because I will be leaving my mum and childhood home again too. We are lucky to see these parts though eh? Hope you're readjusting now... the mud flats don't quite match it eh?! LOL. Take care, J9 x

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  33. Oh gosh, yes that feeling of re-entry is awful isn't it? I love Cornwall, especially the Lizard, we stayed in a thatched cottage in Coverack one Christmas, it was just beautiful. Glad you had such a great time
    Caz xx

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  34. Welcome back! Your adventures by the sea sound like the perfect thing for everyone. Those jellies really are crazy looking. I've never seen one in such a deep purple. I'm glad you included a photo of yourself. You are so much a part of the story and it's nice to see you enjoying yourself there by the water. That spot looks magical.

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  35. I know just what you mean - re-entry is very hard indeed. (I always well up a bit when we drive north up the M1 as, much as I try to make the best of it, the North is not my home. God I sound like a nutter.) It takes a couple of days for me to get out of my post holiday sulk, People say it's great to be home and I think really? Is it? But, but, WOW, your photos!! It looks like you had the most wonderful week. I am very jealous that you've met Leanne - we are going to St Ives next week and I'm stalking her on facebook to arrange a meet up... And Kynance Cove looks like a stunning spot. I'm so glad you had good weather and I hope you are re-settling in to life at home. xx

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  36. I'd do anything to take mine to the Cornish and Devonshire beaches I loved so. Your post was a lovely walk down memory lane. Hoping you all have a lovely summer. x

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