Monday 11 May 2015

I fall for it everytime







Would you like to go out? asked the bearded one on Saturday.  Perhaps we could drive somewhere and have lunch?  Now alarm bells should have rung at this stage, but in my defence I was in the process of reluctantly dragging the vacuum around the house so clutched at anything that would get me out of housework.  How about Padstow he asked? well the bearded one hates anywhere that may be full of other people, may be seen as a 'touristy' and will be full of overpriced shops. Padstow ticks all of those boxes. Yes I know, at this stage the penny should have dropped, but naive little old me was so delighted to be going out any doubts were kept firmly in check.


I have to say it was a lovely trip out.  Whereas we had clouds over our garden, Padstow had lovely sunshine.   Cornwall is like that, travel a couple of miles and you can have totally different weather,  the coast is often very different than inland.  It was busy, the tourist season has started, but we found a restaurant where I could eat something (always a problem being vegetarian and gluten intolerant), wasn't busy and not owned by Rick Stein so was reasonably priced.   I had an interesting conversation with the waitress, she told me she used to be gluten intolerant, but now she is pregnant she can eat a little with no side effects.  I have a theory that gluten intolerance can be caused by hormone changes, as gluten became a problem for me after my hormones went crazy.  I know its not an exact science, but have any of you had a similar experience? She also told me about a cafe on the harbour front that offered gluten free cream teas, well how could I resist, I haven't had a cream tea in a cafe for years.  Even though we were both stuffed from lunch, we waddled around to the cafe, I was so excited by the thought of having something I used to take for granted.  I could only manage one scone, jam first, cream on top in the Cornish way of course, they helpfully wrapped the other up for me to take home.  Eyes bigger than my belly comes to mind, but it is very rarely I get beaten.  I was brought up in the age of eating everything on my plate before I would be allowed out to play.

Although there were plenty of very expensive boats moored in the harbour, there were also working boats.  It is a town where millionaires rub shoulders with ordinary working folk.  Boat trips were noisily advertised by men who may well have been fishermen in the past, and the crowded ferry plied its trade between Padstow and Rock, the playground of Royals.
























When we got home the t.v. went on.  Yes of course the football was on, followed by cricket, a catch up on the Grand Prix.  Sunday was a repeat, with the Grand Prix and football.  Well at least it gave me a chance to do a little bit of crafting.  Talk about being buttered up before being ignored for the rest of the weekend.

Meanwhile in the garden, Robin wars seems to have broken out, the garden appears to be a favourite for them and they don't like sharing.   In fact all the birds seem to be fighting and chasing each other off at the moment.  Of course by the time I grab the camera their ariel acrobatics have ended, with the defeated bird flying off to wait for its next chance.  Anyone know why they are so argumentative at the moment?


I hope you all had a good weekend,  and your week will be a good one,

Chickpea xx














32 comments:

  1. Hahaha!! Sounds exactly like my hubby! He'll very sweetly make me some tea and toast before scurrying off upstairs to watch match of the day!

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  2. (giggle) We've been married too long for RMan to think of that anymore. He does his thing with sport on the TV and I grab the chance to have some me time on the laptop / weaving loom ;)

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  3. I think all men are the same in that respect. A lovely day out though. X

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  4. It sounds like a wonderful outing, and your pictures are beautiful. The gluten-free cream tea would have made the day worthwhile all by itself. I stopped eating gluten a few years ago and it has helped keep my ocular rosacea under control. Your hormone theory is an interesting one, and I think there could be something to it.

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    1. Gluten and hormones, so much we don't know about both these things.

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  5. Robins are very territorial, we only have a couple in our garden and they go to different sections. Interesting regarding gluten free, my eldest daughter has had problems since her last son was born. As for your bearded one, much the same as everyone else's, but you did get a nice trip out, it's a few years ago we went to Padstow and like you we avoided the expensive Rich Stein places.

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    1. It could be a trigger, can't find anything on it though

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  6. Lovely that you found somewhere for a gluten free cream tea - I think more places now are trying to offer gluten free alternatives, which is a good thing :) Love your photos - we are visiting Cornwall next month for a camping trip and can't wait!

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  7. I am so glad my hubby hates sport, so we are a sport free zone, and he would not be found sat in front of the tv during the day, he enjoys other sporting activities mountaineering, walking, and is soon to take up scuba diving, I like Padstow my mum used to live near there so we visited Padstow on many an occasion :-)

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    1. Lucky you, there is a lot of shouting and jumping around when sport is on!

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  8. It looks like you had a nice outing. I love the sound of a cream tea, I would really like to try one someday. Hope you have a good week.

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    1. A Cornish speciality, with clotted cream ...... delicious!

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  9. Ha! An advantage of being on my own - I retain control of the TV remote!
    Looks like you had a lovely time in Padstow though. :) x

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    1. It was a lovely day out and the weather was kind to us for a change :)

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  10. I so agree with you on the hormone change problems.
    I was in early menopause and it came on big time. Everything changed and I have had nothing but trouble ever since.

    Beautiful photos. The boat phots are so much fun.
    But the Tea Place has the name Stine over the door ?

    cheers, parsnip

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  11. Hormones have a lot to answer for!

    Yes we were surprised to see a bakery owned by Rick Stein, he is usually know for his fish dishes. This wasn't the one with the gluten free cream tea thankfully or it would have cost twice the price!

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  12. We had a lovely holiday in Padstow about 10 years ago when the boys were in primary school. We were blessed with 2 weeks of sunshine and spent our days going to the beaches around and about. We didn't frequent Padstow too much but I'm afraid that we did go for fish and chips at Stein's chippy as a special trip at the end of the holiday. At the time I was studying so on a couple of days I had to sit in with my books (!) and Matt took the boys to the Lobster nursery which they all enjoyed. I think you are so lucky to be able to go out for a quick jaunt to Padstow - even if there was an ulterior motive! Thanks for the lovely memories, Judy.

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    1. You're allowed to treat yourself on holiday :)

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  13. ooh a gluten free cream tea. that sounds lovely. it's a Very long drive though, perhaps I just need to learn to bake scones...

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  14. I so miss clotted cream, we did buy some over here but it was pasteurised or sterilized or something and bore no resemblance to real clotted cream, or cream as we know it.
    Thankfully OH has more interest in watching paint dry than sport.

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    1. Roddas make lovely clotted cream and I think they send it anywhere in the world :)

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  15. The photos are wonderful, Chickpea. Padstow is our very favourite place to visit and, in fact, we are going next Friday (with the caravan) to stay for a few days. There is just so much to see and we never get tired of seeing it all. We love taking the ferry to Rock and spoiling ourselves with a lovely lunch in the restaurant overlooking the bay. I'm getting hungry thinking about it now! I've always loved cream teas too (I agree ...jam first then the cream....) but have to resist them now especially now I know my cholesterol is on the high side....drat :/
    Have a lovely week x

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    1. I hope you have a lovely weekend and that the weather is good for you when you are down. I look forward to hearing all about it. :)

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  16. What beautiful photos. We moved to Bude last year but haven't made it as far as Padstow on our exploring days yet - must rectify that some time soon, it looks lovely.

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  17. It looks like summer in your photos ...all that lovely Cornish blue :)

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  18. What a lovely place on a lovely day. :-)

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