Where: St. Mawes & Padstow, England
When: May 5, 2013
With: Dave
Leaving behind the western shores of the Cornish peninsula, we ventured east for a deeper dive into the county. Our first destination was the small fishing village of Padstow.
Padstow has been around since 500 AD, and walking around, not much has changed in this old town. Winding, cobblestone streets weave between small homes and buildings and the entire place has a relaxed and happy vibe. Ice cream shops are everywhere and seafood is almost as abundant as the fishing boats in the harbor that sits in the middle of the town.
Adding to the vacation vibe, this group of buskers had a great song about how they just want you to give them your money. At least they were honest.
We were so surprised by how adorable and picturesque this town was. I definitely wish we'd had more time here. Just outside the center there were great hiking trails and all the locals were walking their dogs and kids in the warm, spring sunshine.
Continuing on our journey, we kept heading south to the other side of the peninsula. Our final stop was the village of St. Mawes. An even tinier fishing village than Padstow, this one road town is surrounded by water on three sides and there looks to be more boats than people.
As the sun was fading we took a casual stroll along the water, loving the backdrop of rolling green hills and crystal clear water.
When: May 5, 2013
With: Dave
Leaving behind the western shores of the Cornish peninsula, we ventured east for a deeper dive into the county. Our first destination was the small fishing village of Padstow.
Padstow has been around since 500 AD, and walking around, not much has changed in this old town. Winding, cobblestone streets weave between small homes and buildings and the entire place has a relaxed and happy vibe. Ice cream shops are everywhere and seafood is almost as abundant as the fishing boats in the harbor that sits in the middle of the town.
Adding to the vacation vibe, this group of buskers had a great song about how they just want you to give them your money. At least they were honest.
We were so surprised by how adorable and picturesque this town was. I definitely wish we'd had more time here. Just outside the center there were great hiking trails and all the locals were walking their dogs and kids in the warm, spring sunshine.
Pleasantly surprised, despite what Dave's face is telling you.
But the main reason we traveled here? The seafood. The reason we came here was because of a restaurant aptly named The Seafood Restaurant. Simple on the outside, and modern on the inside, British chef Rick Stein designed this restaurant to serve top-notch seafood in a new and innovative way. And given my love of shellfish, we couldn't miss it. The meal did not disappoint, with fresh mussels and sea bass that were amazing.
Across the street from the restaurant appropriately sat the National Lobster Hatchery. Again, we love kitsch.
In the hatchery, lobsters are bred and seen through the critical early stages of development before being released back into the wild, therefore improving the population available for fishing. The babies were so teeny! But they were already developing their delicious claws.
From the northern shores where Padstow sat, we headed straight south. Right in the middle of the peninsula sits the Eden Project. Like a scene from the movie Bio-Dome (credits to Dave for making this call), these are the world's largest greenhouses.
The whole area is dedicated to finding new ways to grow plants and food in environments that are not normally ideal. One of the domes is dedicated to tropical plants in a rain forest setting. It was sweltering inside here, and while there was a roof over our heads, it felt like we were outside in a jungle in South America.
This tropical greenhouse gave you the opportunity to climb up several flights of stairs to a trellis that hung from the ceiling so you could look down on the entire place. It even had a giant waterfall that helped stir the air in a natural way.
Bananas growing in the greenhouse. Yes, Dave, we see.
The next greenhouse had a different kind of heat: the dry, arid, Mediterranean heat (a welcome change cause we were sweltering from the other place). It wasn't as large or diverse, but they were offering 15-minute massages to guests, so I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Even the outside had its share of wildlife. Part sculpture garden, part weird and wacky plants.
Continuing on our journey, we kept heading south to the other side of the peninsula. Our final stop was the village of St. Mawes. An even tinier fishing village than Padstow, this one road town is surrounded by water on three sides and there looks to be more boats than people.
As the sun was fading we took a casual stroll along the water, loving the backdrop of rolling green hills and crystal clear water.
After a late afternoon tea, we took one last stop at the St. Mawes castle before starting our drive back west.
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