Spend a week in a new part of the UK with me
09/07/22 - 16/07/22
From no plans to visiting a new part of the country and a relaxing few days at an old favourite, I've spent the pasts of couple weeks unwinding and really appreciating the destinations that are right on my doorstep.
Sometimes I get so swept up in the excitement of planning a trip to the airport and deep dives for accommodation around the world that I forget there is truly the most amazing places a tank of petrol away that's far more accessible at the drop of a hat.
A few weeks back I was invited on my friend Bailies family holiday to Newquay, Cornwall. I paid £240 to share a room with her at the Invernook Bed and Breakfast for 7 nights, making it £500 for the weeK. I also drove the 4 hours myself due to returning the day before her parents. Much to my surprise, petrol only cost me £83 for a full tank of premium petrol , which lasted me the whole way there and back, with a £20 top up in Cornwall.
This was my first visit to Cornwall, I don't know what I was expecting but it wasn't that. Not to say it was any worse or any better than I had imagined, but for some reason I have always had it in my head that Cornwall was a rich area, filled with the posher walks of life... which I can safely say I am not. However, what I can say about Newquay is that it is simply beautiful.
For me, I think I would have been happy with 5 days there opposed to 7, but never the less It was worth the extra pennies for the additional days. If you're someone, who like me, enjoys sitting on the beach, cocktail in hand and tan slowly coming along for a few hours but eventually gets the need to get up and explore, this may not be the best place for a long trip away, but here me out first!
When we first arrived we dropped our luggage off to our B&B, where we were greeted by Roz, the owner. As this was Bailies yearly family holiday, they were on an almost family basis with the owners which I thought may leave me feeling a little out of place, I could not have been more wrong. After minutes of convocation. I felt comfortable and welcomed and I can go as far to say it was made to feel like family away from family.
As the rest of the week followed, we enjoyed many home cooked full English breakfasts and fresh
orange juices, followed by days at the beach and evenings watching the sun warm the rocks with its orange glow. From 'crinkle-crabs' to the ice-creams that survived the gulls, the week was a perfect get away. To make the most of being away, we managed to try a good selection of places to eat and drink so to save you time reading, I'm going to give you my top recommendations.
1. MisoMiso
I know it's not the traditional British seaside dinner, but if you enjoy Asian cuisine, Miso Miso is the place. The noodle bowels were around £15 each, but they were plenty big enough and when you treat yourself to some of the crackers too, you really can't go wrong! The cocktails were also delicious and the waitress was perfect. If you sit outside it is also the perfect location to sit and people watch.
2. Inca Mar Restaurant & Cocktail Bar
I can not reccomend dining here enough. Initially we were hesitant to go in as through the window the restaurant looked empty, little did we know there were 2 massive terraces with beach views seating everyone who had already took a chance on it.
The food was very Spanish/Italian and wasn't too expensive...unless you get drunk and don't add up how much you're spending on cocktails as you go! We enjoyed a tapas spread, with arancini balls, calamari, potato bravas, meatballs, muscles and whitebait, and a perfectly healthy number of sex on the beach and tequila sunrise!
There was only 3 people working when we visited, but I wouldn't fault the service for a second. The gentlemen who was serving our terrace was doing the best he could while keeping a smile on his face and feeding the gulls their very own spagbol so they wouldn't steal anyone else's which I thought was a perfect touch.
Not the mention the fact the sunset at the beginning of this post was the view from our table! Absolutely stunning.
3. Paulines Creamery
I'm going to count Paulines as one of the best places to eat because their meal deals on the beach followed by a chocolate pudding pot or a Mr Whippy ice-cream can not be faulted.
When I visit new places I think its easy to walk past the places that don't look new and inviting but sometimes the places that still have that hearty look about them are the ones that are most worth our time. Paulines is a small place, with seating upstairs for those who wish to dine in and a counter at the front for people like me who would rather eat their chicken mayo baguette on the beach under a towel to protect it from the seagulls!
I always feel so frustrated with myself when I'm writing about something but didn't take any pictures to back up what I'm saying, the only thing I do have is a pic of our ice-creams before Bailies got decapitated by a ruthless gull.
If I am to be completely honest though, my favourite meals and moments must be the ones that were unplanned. Doritos and dip on the beach, watching the waves crash against the sand and fish and chips along the front with half of the gulls in Newquay. The crepes at the harbour and the dominos walking through town, sometimes it isn't about what you're eating and more about the moment you're in.
If you do get to pay a visit to Newquay through summer, I reccomend making the most of what you can't do at home. Yes a meal might be the best food you've had, but there are nice restaurants everywhere, make the most of the views and the beach stands. It's the only time you will experience that moment, so make it one that you wish you could replay.
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