Wednesday 18 April 2012

16. Penzance, Cornwall, UK

 
Penzance reminds me of how you don't necessarily need good weather to enjoy a holiday (which is just as well if you're trying to holiday in the UK.)
My husband and I had a holiday in a caravan close to Penzance in 1991, just before we were married.  As you may have guessed from my intro - it was windy, chilly and/or rainy every single day!
When I'd booked the caravan, I'd gone for one that allowed dogs in order to save a bit of money as we had our wedding coming up.  We discovered that the caravans that allowed dogs were cheaper for two reasons:
1.  They were old
2.  They smelt of dog.
 
Well, you live and learn!
 
Here's Barry looking thrilled to be in a manky, dog-smelly caravan on a chilly, rainy day in Penzance:
 
 


You can see how salubrious the caravan was!

HOWEVER, it was one of the best holidays we've had!  Maybe it was the excitement of our wedding looming, snuggling up in bed with the wind and rain lashing outside, or maybe it was just the wild beauty of Cornwall.  I came home with lovely tanned legs from stubbornly wearing shorts whatever the weather (wind-burn mostly!) and I still think back to the (whiffy) cosiness of that van with fond nostalgia.  We were a few miles out of Penzance where the terrain was windswept fields and winding lanes.  There was a pub about half a mile up the road and Barry delighted in disappearing into fields and howling like a werewolf to freak me out every time we walked there through the inky blackness of those cloudy Cornish evenings. (And, yes, every time I freaked out!) We climbed rocky outcrops, sat on beaches in our thick, Aran sweaters and just enjoyed being together (with the exception of one hushed but stressful row in a Penzance restaurant - all his fault, naturally.)

Here's me at Penzance - note the wind-swept hair and the wooly cardi!


And here's Penzance on a much better, picture-postcard day (not during our holiday!)


Did you ever end up really enjoying a holiday even though it didn't initially live up to your expectations?

5 comments:

Claudia Moser said...

I so enjoy 'old' photos, they have their charm!

Annalisa Crawford said...

lol I'm sat here, in my house in Cornwall (well, just) looking out at the exact weather you described.

Sometimes I feel sorry for people down here on holiday when the weather's bad - other times I just grumble it's their fault my petrol prices are so high! :-)

Anna (herding cats-burning soup) said...

Definitely have had trips like that where the weather just won't cooperate. Some have turned out to be absolute blasts regardless :)

Love the looks of the place. That really is a postcard worthy picture!

Anna@Herding Cats & Burning Soup

Dana said...

My husband and I went to Miami Beach when I was three months pregnant with our first child. It was July and incredibly hot. I don't like hot weather normally, but being pregnant and dealing with the heat... I didn't think I'd make it! We did end up having a great time, though. I stayed in a lot during the day, and we took advantage of the cooler temperatures at night.

Nice entry. Love that last pic!

Joy said...

Cool post. Thanks for visiting my "Penzance" blog earlier today. Nice to meet you!