Tuesday 1 July 2014

A postcard

Dear Bloggy Friends,

We're having a lovely time here in sunny Cornwall.

Visiting beaches,


and throwing pebbles into the sea.  This is Lizard, the most southerly point in Britain.  Nothing between here and Spain.


Still playing football, except now it's overlooking the sea.


We went in a pedalo.


It all came screaming back, the last time I got in a boat with the little people, and I also remembered swearing I'd never get in a boat with them again.  And yet here we were.  It all went well for a while, until the novelty of pedalling wore off.  Everyone wanted to steer, which involved quite a bit of precarious seat swapping.  Those who were not having a turn at steering were cross about it and tried holding the pedals still deliberately in protest while other people were trying to pedal, and before I knew it, it all started turning ugly.

The eldest steered us towards a seagull while shouting, "Get a picture, get a picture".


My lens cap fell overboard.  The water wasn't deep, and for a while we could see it, resting on the bottom.  We tried circling round back to the exact spot, which is astonishingly difficult in a pedalo.  I even debated climbing out.  In the end we gave up.  Everyone was ready for dry land by this time.

On the way back we passed a little island with trees and ducks.  The eldest spotted a poor baby seagull with something enormous jammed in its mouth.  He was distraught, it had to be saved.  We pedalled in, reluctantly, for a closer look.  It was clearly stuck fast,an enormous circular thing, propping the bird's beak open wide.  The bird eyed us and waddled off a bit.  We got right in among the foliage and up to the bank.  Tree branches were hitting me on the head by this point.  The eldest was giving out instructions.  The ducks were starting to panic.  The seagull put down the bread roll he had in his mouth to get a better look at us.  I wondered what on earth I was doing.  How do I let this kind of thing happen all the time?  We pedalled back out like mad, and shot through the middle of a bush.  Literally I went through a bush backwards.

It was only a twenty minute boat ride, but honestly, it seemed like so much longer.  That's what I call value for money.

We went to Lizard yesterday, the most southerly point in Britain.  There were more than a few splashes of colour there.



Today I'll be sticking to dry land and having a quiet day...

Wish you were here, love, CJ xx

37 comments:

  1. All looks pretty heavenly, and look at the weather you got !!
    Have a super time,
    Kate x

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  2. I love your pedalo description. I though it was only me that didn't have those picture perfect holidays where everyone smiles all the time without a cross word said! Enjoy the rest of your holiday. Xx

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  3. Oh I do love to visit here, you always make me smile. Enjoy the rest of your holiday :)

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  4. Sounds like a typical holiday day with family!! Do hope you manage to get in a bit of relaxation and peace and quiet in amongst the hassles too! Hope the weather stays fine for you as getting soaked as well as all the rest might make you wish you were home! But they do say a change is as good as a rest.

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  5. That looks so lovely. I can't wait to for August. Well i can, but 'oh' to have a holiday and escape from it all.

    Happy holidays...

    Nina x

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  6. CJ, stick to dry land today, it's safer! Lovely to see those glorious blue skies.
    I wish I was there too..

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  7. Ha ha, I knew there was a reason for me staying on dry land while sending Mick off on boats with the kids when they were small. Sounds like you're having a fab time, that'll be me next week.

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  8. Hello gorgeous, I have really missed visiting here and it is so lovely to see you are having a fab time in Cornwall. I hope the weather continues to shine down on you. Sending you much love xoxo

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  9. How nice to get a holiday card post. I had to laugh at your boating exploits and baby seagull chasing. Enjoy the rest of the week. Flighty xx

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  10. You had me in stitches with the pedalo story!!! Oh dear, it sounds as though it was a very hard 20 minutes! Glad to see that the weather is being kind to you though, I was a bit worried with the rain that we had at the weekend if you would be dry. I hope that the rest of your stay is wonderful and less fraught than the boating episode! xx

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  11. The colours in the last two photos are gorgeous. You've got me in the mood for the summer holidays!

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  12. You really bring vacationing with children to life. :) It looks like a beautiful place to visit. I'm glad you're enjoying your stay. I hope you come back relaxed and refreshed, as much as can be expected. :)

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  13. Oh...you and pedalos! Remind me to never, ever get in one. Good job on saving the duck though! ;-) It all looks pretty spectacular to me though, and I do hope you're having fun. x

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  14. Ha ha, love it, you really do get up to some adventures. Have a fab dry land day.

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  15. Wow, thanks for taking us along.. look at those colorful seaside cottages!! Love them!! I loved hearing about your sailing adventures and rescue efforts and losses overboard.. such is life when you set sail! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  16. GORGEOUS FRIEND!!!!!! My goodness is that shot of the sea out of this world! I am so happy that you are taking it all in! This beautiful setting makes me want to be there! And those colorful shots of those homes are stunning! All the best to you and the fam....glad you survived the boat ride! Nicole xoxo

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  17. Glad you are having a good time, I'd have had nightmares about being on that pedalo.

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  18. ΅What a wonderful post! never been to Cornwall but all images I have seen of this area are stunning! Enjoy your vacations!
    Olympia

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  19. I wish I was there, too! It looks so beautiful with the wide expanse of sea! That boat ride does sound longer than 20 minutes--how eventful! Glad everyone came back to dry land safe and sound:)

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  20. so funny! I swore I would never take my children in boats after they steered into a giant weeping willow once, and we got VERY stuck..............

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  21. Yay it looks like beach days for us both. Those homes at the end are freaking awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  22. Enjoy the break, the scenery looks lovely. We still have to wait a bit, school isn't even over.

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  23. How lovely to have a 'sunny' week in Cornwall; it can be such a different holiday if it's wet. I think the splashes of colour in those cottages are to combat the grey winters! Very bold of you to venture onto a pedalo; with boys, every day is another adventure and you sure had one that time! Lucky you didn't step out for your camera lens cap, the water may have been deeper than expected! (Although I'd have been tempted too … ) Enjoy the rest of your week, CJ!

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  24. Oh my goodness! Beware of young boys "rescuing" injured animals and birds! I hope you have a bit of relaxing time while you're away. I love the brightly coloured houses.

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  26. If there were a literary award for deadpan delivery, perfect comedic timing, and sheer life enhancing hilarity you would absolutely win it. Thank you for, yet again, starting my day with a silly grin.

    Have a fabulous holiday friend x

    (Apologies for the deletion ... something else to giggle at ... I forgot I wasn't commenting on Facebook and tried to correct a typo ... oops!)

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  27. Thanks for the postcard, it is rare that we get them these days. The colours in this town are amazing! I nearly choked on my bread roll :) reading your pedalo story. It is the same in my family, steering is fun, pedalling not so much after 30 seconds, lots of seat swapping, loosing stuff and trying to home in on poor wild life. The joys! We are going to Cornwall next week, Roseland peninsula. I just can't wait. x

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  28. We've only been to Cornwall once and it was lovely. Enjoy your holiday!

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  29. Thank you for the beautiful photos they are truly like a holiday postcard. Your story of "boating" with the boys had me giggling pretty hard, ha! It sounds like a great adventure you're all having :) Hope you got your quiet day in, but we'll take more from Cornwall, please.

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  30. Thanks for the laughs CJ! That is just like my husband and I - we seem to always find animals in distress (glad your seagull really was not) and wonder how we are going to save them, when anyone else would just let nature take its course. I have never heard of Lizard - looks like a funky place.

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  31. I love the colourful houses at the end, have you more photos? Your boat trip sounded eventful (and fun!) Enjoy the rest of you holidays...

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  32. Wow, Lizard certainly is a colorful place! Your "life with kids in small boats" segment was hilarious. I am glad everyone survived to tell the tale. Love that shot of football while overlooking at the sea.

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  33. Oh the seagull story did make me laugh. Don't you just hate it when that happens and you end up getting angry with yourself but laughing hysterically later when you relive it. Maybe your next boat trip will be a little more successful. Enjoy the rest of your break xx

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  34. Looks like you've had fab weather! Loved the pedalo story! x

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  35. Great photos! The ABO took BigR on a pedalo on one of the lakes in Italy last year. No life jackets, no problem with her age...we could've had a family trip with LittleR balanced in her car seat on the back!! BigRs feet didn't reach the pedals so poor Daddy was pedalling in 90degree heat for 30 mins!! I stood by and took pics!!

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  36. A wonderful postcard from Cornwall. Glad you too had a wonderful time! At least your boat trip will add to your catalogue of family memories ! Sarah x

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  37. Thanks for the postcard CJ! I love how the kids play football wherever they go. For some reason it reminds me of my childhood, although my sisters and I didn't play much soccer together.

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