Edith Pattou

Once again, I had the Veggie breakfast. This time without the avocado, it was much more to my palate.

After breakfast we checked out and dragged our luggage through the city centre to the car park. We loaded the car and then drove to Wells to visit the Cathedral to get another stamp in my Cathedral passport. We found the Cathedral was a lot busier than it had been on our previous visits. Even busier than it had been during an Easter visit.

Inside the Cathedral there were a lot of tourist groups making it difficult to see and enjoy the normally serene surroundings. I missed seeing the quire because, as I passed the first time, it was full of tourists so I decided to wait until I passed it on the other side. Unfortunately, when I got there the quire had been closed for choir practice.

During our visit the finishing touches to the Mythical Creatures adventure for children (of all ages) over the summer months was in its final stages of completion. Some of the mythical creatures were not hard to miss, we were greeted by one in the nave of the Cathedral. The creatures were drawn from works in the Cathedral’s chained library.

Our visit to Wells brought back happy memories of our stays in a lovely Wells B&B as well as regrets that our planned Easter visit in 2020 was cancelled due to Covid.

Later, we stopped at Gloucester services and were interested to note that the northbound side of the carriageway was not quite as good as the southbound side.

In Wells and Gloucester services we purchased food for both our Saturday and Sunday evening meals. So back home after unpacking bags we were able to enjoy ‘fine dining’; salmon with lemon and chive mayo, cubed potatoes and pea shoots. It was the second best meal of the week.

After a good night’s sleep in the extremely comfortable bed it was time to sample Hotel Indigo’s breakfast. As with the other Indigo hotels that we have stayed in there is a continental selection and a menu for cooked to order items. I chose the small vegetarian option which included crushed avocado. My instincts that this would not go with the other breakfast items were correct but at least I can say that I tried it.

Straight after breakfast we visited Exeter Cathedral and found it to have a lovely atmosphere. The Cathedral has lots of interesting features, far too many to take in on one visit. We also visited the treasury exhibition which is included as part of the ticket. Before leaving I purchased some books and an advent candle from the shop.

We walked to the quayside where we had lunch in the Riverside Café. We chose to eat inside due to the intense mid-day sunshine. I chose a toastie and Elderflower cordial to drink. It was served in an interesting way; the cordial was in a jug and served with bottled water. You could mix the drink exactly to your taste.

After lunch we visited the nearby Custom House which houses an exhibition of history of Custom House itself, smuggling and the quayside area of Exeter.

Back in town, Mr C dropped off his rucksack at the hotel before embarking on a shopping fix; Brook Tavener, Pro Cook and Lakeland. He bought a few shirts from Brook Tavener but couldn’t find ‘just the right’ gadget in either of the cookshops. We also visited Waterstones where I was able to pick up the latest book in a series that I am reading.

Back at the hotel we chilled out and freshened up for dinner. Again, we had a pre-dinner drink on the rooftop bar, although we weren’t able to secure a prime position for the best view. We dined in The Ivy which we had booked on our travels earlier in the day. I chose fish and chips, a first for me in the ivy. The service was attentive when we first arrived but became less attentive as the evening wore on. We even had to summon someone to pour the remainder of our wine (which is always kept in a cooler away from the table).

Walking back towards the hotel after the meal we could hear music through the open doors of the Cathedral from the Bowie concert that was taking place. We had intended to return to the Ship Inn for a nightcap but as we neared the venue extremely loud karaoke music was emanating from inside so we returned to the hotel instead and found it refreshing to fine the bar was open when it was supposed to be and didn’t shut earlier than stated. Even when the tills had been closed residents could order drinks to be billed to their room. Much more civilised than some of our other recent experiences.

For my last breakfast at the Watermill, I chose the safe small portion option of ‘one’ Belgian waffle. After breakfast we were departing for our next destination, Exeter.

Mr C had planned that we would visit Polperro and Looe on our journey to Exeter. However, we arrived at Polperro to find that car parking was a flat rate of £7 for the day. This was not value for money when we only intended to stay for a short while so we retraced our steps and parked in Looe which was more reasonably priced.

We enjoyed the harbour and mooched around the shops before heading to Oakhampton which Mr C had added to the itinerary after we had decided not to visit Polperro. We stopped in the town of Oakhampton for lunch and noticed the fish and chip shop.

We decided to dine in the restaurant but we were told they were closing in a few minutes but if we knew what we wanted they would take our order or we could go downstairs and order from the takeaway. We took the hint and ordered from the takeaway where I ordered a fishcake and Mr C ordered a fish. The service was almost as surly as it had been in the restaurant upstairs. The food, however, was delicious. My fishcake was battered rather than breaded and we enjoyed our food sitting on a picnic bench in the square. We heard the distant sound of seagulls but thankfully they didn’t get any closer…

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After lunch we drove the short distance to the castle. Mr C was left feeling slightly disappointed that it is one of those that is free to enter and explore, which means no guide book to be had.

When we arrived at Exeter finding the hotel (Indigo) proved to be a challenge. We arrived in the inner-city centre but could not locate the hotel and the SatNav was no help. We parked the car and Mr C set off on foot, located the hotel and asked for directions to the car park. Even with directions the entrance to the car park was elusive.

Whilst we were unloading the car, another car decided to park next to us leaving me with a narrow gap to navigate my case through. At least the driver had the courtesy to ask me if I had enough room, although I did wonder why he hadn’t parked in one of the other empty spaces!

We checked into the hotel; the receptionist helped us with our luggage and showed us to our room on the 7^th floor. The room was amazing, we were lucky enough to get one with a Cathedral Heritage theme; the other two themes being The House That Moved and Colson’s Department Store. Hotel Indigo always has themes related to the heritage of the city in which it is located.

We unpacked our bags and chilled out in the lovely room. We had a pre-dinner drink in Becketts rooftop bar, overlooking Exeter Cathedral before dining in the nearby Sabatinis. I chose lemon sole followed by limoncello tart. After dining we had a circular tour around town, getting an excellent view of the cathedral along the way to find the Ship Inn Which turned out to be just around the corner from our hotel.

On the quest for a smaller breakfast, I ordered only one Belgian waffle in preference to the usual two. This worked, I had just enough on my plate.

The warm and sunny weather was perfect for a visit to the nearby Lost Gardens of Heligan. We chose to do the woodland walk first which took us past famous sculptures and down to the recently installed leaping fox sculpture, Lowarnes (Cornish for Vixen). The sculpture is crafted from a 150-year-old Rhododendron which fell during Storm Darragh in December 2024. As the sculpture ages the red will fade silvery grey in much the same way as a vixen’s fur changes after becoming a mother.

We made our way to the café for a refreshing drink but whilst we were being served at the counter Mr C decided we might as well have lunch. I felt I had to rush to choose quickly rather than taking time to peruse the menu because I was conscious of holding up the queue. I chose a scone with clotted cream and jam; well, we were in Cornwall! With more time to look at the menu I would have chosen something savoury.

After lunch we walked round the formal gardens, along the way noting some of the memorials to men from the estate that had served in the first world war. With no-one to tend to the estate the gardens had been lost to brambles over the years. The gardens were restored in memory of those that tended the garden and estate before departing for the Great War, many of whom did not return.

Before returning to The Waterwheel we browsed around the shop and had another drink in the café.

Back at the Waterwheel we decided to walk through the gardens to the Holy Well. The pathway was blocked by a chain. We weren’t sure if we were on the correct path so we retraced our steps. Later we found out that we were on the right path and we should have negotiated the chain to continue on the walk. Maybe next time…

We chilled out in our room before dining in the Waterwheel. Afterwards we got chatting to another couple about Formula 1 and bucket list travel destinations until it was time to retire for the evening.

Hoping for a smaller breakfast, I ordered just a few items from the full cooked breakfast. This didn’t work as my plate was filled with extras of the items that I had ordered.

After breakfast we drove to Falmouth to visit the National Maritime Museum. The museum has displays of boats along with galleries displaying different aspects of seafaring history. There is also a temporary exhibition space which is currently housing an exhibition on surfing.

The building is partly built below sea level at high tide. You can walk to the lower levels to see the tide level which was at its lowest point when we visited. At high tides these levels are under water.

We finished our visit to the museum in time for lunch but there was not enough time left on our parking ticket to have lunch without moving the car. I was hoping for crab sandwiches which would have been available in the many cafes near the harbour.

Mr C did a quick Google search and found a recommended café, Lizard Shellfish at Lizard Point. As we were driving there Mr C realised that it was further than Google had suggested but the crab sandwiches were well worth the wait.

Next, we parked at the nearby Lizard Point to say that we had been to the most southern tip of England after visiting the most western point of England when were at Lands End.

We returned to the Waterwheel to freshen up before driving to Fowey where we knew there were lots of restaurants suitable for an evening meal. Fowey was also a bit further than expected so when we passed The Bell Inn we decided to stop there. We both had fish and chips, which were delicious.

After dining we continued driving to Fowey. By this time, it had started to rain and the car park was a little way from the bay so we decided not to stop.

We returned to the Waterwheel were we had a nightcap in lounge which was very quiet compared to previous evenings.

For breakfast I ordered the full English breakfast minus a few items, but it was still too big for me.

We visited Truro to visit the Cathedral so that I could tick off another Cathedral in my Pilgrim Passport. We arrived to find that children were practicing music in the crossing. There was a sign saying no photographs but we were told that photographs of the building were allowed, but not to photograph the students.

One of the school supervisors spotted cameras and rushed over to tell us that we mustn’t take photos of the students.

We found the Cathedral interesting but the only part of the Cathedral to have a calm and serene atmosphere was the south aisle, which is the only part of the original parish church that remains. The rest of the parish church, which had been rebuilt and remodelled more than once since the first Parish Church of St Mary was established in around 1259, was demolished in 1880 to make way for the new Cathedral when Truro was announced as a Cathedral city.

Later, after browsing in Waterstones and coming away empty handed, we visited Charlotte’s tearoom for lunch. It is a quaint old-fashioned tearoom. I was still full of breakfast so I chose a lighter albeit more indulgent option, warmed apple and almond cake.

Before leaving Truro, we visited Cornwall Museum & Art Gallery which houses an eclectic collection of artefacts, not all of which are connected to Cornwall. It also has temporary exhibition galleries, one of which is currently displaying, ‘Cornish Myths & Legends’. The theme tied in with some of the things we had seen in the Museum of Witchcraft & Magic.

On the way back to the car, we went into the shop formerly know as W H Smiths. I was looking for the next instalment of a series of books I am reading as I had earlier in Waterstones. Yes, I could order it online but is much more fun to go on a bookshop hunt. I didn’t find that book but I picked up a couple of other books (buy one get one for £1).

We returned to the billet to freshen up before dining in the restaurant. I chose scampi – the portion was enormous! Afterwards we sat in the bar area chatting to another couple.

We had a lovely breakfast sitting in the conservatory window and looking out on the garden. There was a small buffet selection and a choice of menu options that were cooked to order. I chose Belgian Waffles with fruit compote. They were delicious but the portion was enormous!

One of the reasons we chose to stay near St Austell is it was very near to the Eden project and that is where we headed straight after breakfast. We visited the Rainforest Biome first and, considering it is a rainforest climate, it was less humid inside than it had been outside for the past few days.

We finished exploring this Biome just in time for lunch, after which we visited the Mediterranean Biome. The plants in this environment were much more familiar to us. Next, we visited The Core building which houses the Invisible Worlds exhibition alongside other temporary exhibitions. The architecture of The Core is based on the structure of a sunflower, which is made of hundreds of seeds that combine to create something greater than the sum of their parts.

One of our favourite artworks in The Core was Infinity Blue. The sculpture almost reaches the roof. It pays homage to one of the smallest living beings, cyanobacteria. Inside the sculpture steam is produced and puffed out as rings. It was lovely to see children running around the sculpture trying to catch them.

By this time, after over 5 hours in the Eden project, we had run out of steam so we returned to the Waterwheel to chill out before dining in The Longstore in the nearby Charlestown. I chose lemon sole with Rosmary potatoes and Mr C chose steak. Both meals were delicious.

Afterwards we walked round Charlestown harbour before returning our billet for a nightcap in the bar.

We had one last breakfast in Padstow. I reverted to the veggie option before checking out. We loaded our luggage into the car and drove to Boscastle to visit the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic. We arrived at the museum just after a coach party had arrived and so were advised to wait about fifteen minutes before visiting. We bided our time visiting the nearby National Trust shop.

The museum is well worth a visit I found it interesting, intriguing and disturbing in equal measures.

Before leaving Boscastle I picked up a book and a hat clip from the National Trust shop and Mr C found a nice shirt in the outdoor clothing shop. We also took the opportunity to have a browse in the pottery shop. It had some lovely items on display but weren’t tempted to purchase anything.

Another place on Mr C’s bucket list was Tintagel Castle, so that was our next port of call. We found a suitable car park where Mr C inadvertently paid for (only) a two-hour parking slot This meant that after lunch we only had around an hour to explore Tintagel Castle. I had explained that a visit to Tintagel is about walking in the landscape and that you need time to explore the area. Having visited before I knew that one hour was no where near enough to enjoy the site.

It was extremely hot and very windy so I only went as far as I knew I could manage in the time we had available leaving Mr C to stride out further whilst I retraced my steps to allow us to get back to the carpark on time.

Walking across the new bridge that scans the gap between the two parts of the castle the wind was howling across the gap making it difficult to stay upright. On my way back I was walking a steady measured pace, bracing the wind when the couple in front of my stopped to look at the gap between the two parts of the cantilever bridge. Just as I overtook them, they decided to walk on causing me to break my stride. The lady of the couple asked me if I wanted to link arms so that I didn’t get blown off the bridge. This, and being asked if I needed help to get up the steepest park of the path near to the visitor centre, made me feel old!

Interestingly, I would like to go back and explore Tintagel again when I have more time to enjoy it whereas Mr C was a little disappointed with what he thought would be a more substantial ruin and not so inclined to return now it is ticked off his bucket list.

Next stop was The Waterwheel near St Austell where would be spending the next few nights. We checked in, unpacked and chilled out in our room until it was time to dine in the Inn’s restaurant.

For dinner I chose Mediterranean tart with salad and new potatoes, and as we were dining, we got chatting to a couple on a nearby table. Before retiring for the evening, we had a nightcap in the bar where a man started chatting to us. He told us he was a stonemason which led to a conversation about English Cathedrals and which were the best. He had no hesitation in saying York and then after consideration he added Winchester.

After a while he left to watch the England match in his room leaving us to our own devices.