Flying solo

missrlr

Oh the Eden project is amazing, the food in the cafe is proper homemade and proper portions for a full main meal.
Also if you get chance go to the Lost Gardens of Heligan, awesome
I know the area well after many years visiting family there! There is a beautiful caravan park site outside St Austell at the bottom of the hill which is dog friendly too.
I so wish I could jump in the car with Doglet and join you. Sadly that would mean being signed off by doctor so I could escape work and I am still trying to work out if that's feasible as it means 2 months of sign off and 2 months less money which with the bills I have just had could be the undoing of us.
As you can tell this is a decision in progress.

*Robin*

Aha, glad to read that you all think the Eden Project is worth visiting - thanks to everyone for your encouragement!

We're camping just down the road tonight, although might try to find the other site you mention tomorrow, Missrlr, because although the owners here are lovely, our fellow guests seem to be a dour lot (GF and I - separately - tried 'the Spanish Test' on 'em; walked around the site accompanied by CD, wishing everyone a pleasant "Good evening" with a smile, but not one single person responded to either of us! ).

The weather tomorrow looks promising but Sunday and Monday not so good [alas], which might prompt a slight change of plan; go to Eden first thing and look around outside, then as Dansmam and Missrlr suggest - find Heligan. Afterwards we like Sparky's idea of spending some time at a local beach while it's still sunny.
In theory our tickets will permit return visits to Eden so we'll go back and look in the domes when it's raining on Sunday (taking turns to stay with CD in the van as she's not allowed inside).
Lucky I'm looking forward to seeing the rainforest plants, it will be a nice change to be hot again for a while. :rotfl:

Doubt we'll be eating out this weekend even if the food on offer at Eden's cafe is tempting, because I do need to catch up on last month's over-spending; we got a good deal on the tickets but they were still quite expensive, and there is plenty of food in camper-van's cupboards (plus no shortage of volunteers to produce excellent home-cooked meals ).

Spends:
Fuel - £45
Eden tickets - £82
Camp site - £26

joeyjimbles

Eden is definitely worth taking your time over. We go to Cornwall most Easter holidays and stay in Polruan so its relatively close by. Personally I've been less impressed by the food at Eden than the others but perhaps because we've not been in prime holiday season things may not have been in full swing. It certainly looks homemade.
Adored Heligan too, and Cornwall generally. I hope you have good weather so you get the most of that beautiful light and vast skyscapes.

*Robin*

Hello Diary and MSEers, :hello:

CD and self have just returned to the van, leaving the youngsters enjoying their second visit to Eden. Dear CD has walked about fifteen miles since yesterday and been petted by countless children so she's flat out in doggie-dreamland now..
Couldn't find my ol' best-mate who's been working at Eden since it started, but there are lots of her poems scattered about the place so guess she is still here somewhere; lovely to see she found an outlet for her poetry as well as her practical gardening skills (it must be the perfect job for her!).
Lots of plants and trees in the Mediterranean Dome looked very familiar, but they must have it set on 'winter' at the moment because I found it quite chilly. The rainforest Dome was fascinating, although even there I wasn't tempted to remove my jumper until nearly at the top - if that's an accurate representation, I really would like to go and visit the real thing!
There certainly is plenty to see, and learn - very tempting to collect an armful of plants at the stall on the way out, because there are lots which would thrive at the Nest but I've never seen at local garden centres in Spain.. Ridiculous idea of course, so contented m'self with one small pot, which I may give away if it doesn't enjoy living in the van.

Had an unpleasant experience last night; think we found the camp-site Missrlr mentioned, but it was fully booked, as were the next three we tried. A local man sent us on to another small site which looked much more our 'cup of tea'; a lot less regimented and with maybe thirty campers and vans.
Just inside the gate was a house with two young people about DS4's age playing scrabble in the garden. They grinned, waved, and motioned DS3 to drive in and go around to the right, so he did, pulling up next to one of those ginormous four-wheeled caravans which was on the end of a row of motor-homes.
Immediately a red-faced, incandescently furious man appeared; screaming at DS that he was the owner, get out get out we were ruining his land - Divo Three couldn't get a word in edgeways! No matter that the four-wheeled caravan must weigh at least twice what our camper-van does, in fact ours was smaller than all but one of the others already parked.. Nor that his adult kids had told us to carry on into the site..
We left pronto, absolutely aghast..
Ended up hiding out in a small car-park hidden from the road which turned out to be popular with local youths at pub chucking-out time, and 'others' a couple of hours later - DS3 reckoned it was a doggers' hang-out so we just locked van's doors, pulled down the blinds and pretended to be asleep! Eventually at about three ayem it went quiet, and we did finally get a good nights' sleep.
..Such a difference in attitude between Cornwall and Middle England - none of us feel like spending much more time here, so visiting the Lost Gardens will have to wait; there are plenty of friendlier interesting places to see on the way back to Oxford.
Sorry to anyone who considers Cornwall to be their spiritual home; maybe the natives are nicer when it's not jam-packed with tourists?

Spends:
Mimosa Pudica plant - £5

missrlr

Yes Cornish and tourists make for argumentative types. Sounds vile and thankfully you escaped.

I am feeling very smug have achieved a LOT of washing but am faced with the vileness of working notice with some unpleasant types who practice psychological warfare for their own advancement.

Dansmam

Oh Robin what a horrid campsite experience. It takes all sorts but I sometimes wish it didn't! Sorry you'll miss the lost gardens but another time maybe. Dog walked, supper eaten, book read. All would be well if I'd just had an update from DD (Hungary) and DS 1 (Scotland - driving way up north with new GF in a car neither of them have driven before). Mothers huh? They don't half worry. Sleep tight in the van x

*Robin*

Quick update from a damp car-park somewhere in Devon: DS3 cooked a wonderful roast chicken dinner, GF washed up, DS4 presented everyone else with Baileys / hot chocolate and yours truly with tea (due to low booze tolerance - need clear head for driving tomorrow). As I supplied the ingredients we all agreed it was a magnificent combined effort to end our quick trip to Cornwall.
The morning offers a blatt up the M5, stops at Cheddar Gorge and Avebury Henge [if we get up in time, lol] before heading towards Oxford and returning DS3 & GF to work on Tuesday.

Missrlr - well done for housework, commiserations on miserable work-mates - but fear not, the travail will soon be over and you will be free! (((hugs))) ..Thinking positive thoughts for you for tomorrow.

Dansmam - remember the Mums' Mantra: No news is good news (because you would certainly hear about it if either of your dear offspring had a problem)!

Goodnight all. :wave:

tunathe_cat

if in northampton shire/ Billinq aquadrerome this coming weekend friday weekend balloon festival (near oxford) come to milton keynes and see our concrete cows!

Brightspark87

Robin sorry to hear about Cornwell being not welcoming and horrid nights sleep - I love it but then I stick to the North coast most of the time. Highly recommend 'off season' North Devon too. On the way through if you pass through Portishead - highly recommend a stop there! Gorgeous and not too busy. x

*Robin*

Hello Diary and Gentle Readers, :hello:

Tuna - thanks for the suggestion, but DR is missing us too much for DS4 and self to hang around in the midlands after dropping off DS3 & GF - last night was complaining he'd had nothing to eat at midnight, and nobody has done the washing up [since DS4 and I left] so there are no clean plates or cutlery anyway..

Sparky - yes I do feel we didn't see Cornwall at it's best. Am thinking of changing m' return ferry ticket to leave from Plymouth which would give me another chance to visit the Lost Gardens and Eden again, as well as a distant relation who lives somewhere on the North coast..

The Lads are in charge of driving today which means I am at liberty to play with lappy in the back of camper-van. It's a bit bouncy but quite a novelty..
We're in a traffic jam on the M5. Heading for Avebury on the grounds that it'll be cheaper than visiting Cheddar Gorge [plus we have access to a local cave system in Andalusia which is far superior if m' memories of Cheddar are accurate, and Nerja only costs 10€]; the youngsters made the decision - my kids are truly MSE, bless 'em! :rotfl:

Stopped at Okehampton to find more drinking water; accidentally spent £60 on re-stocking grocery cupboards and fridge.