Monday 24 April 2017

St Ives

We've just returned from a few days in St Ives, one of our favourite places. At short notice we managed to get room only at a hotel with parking that didn't involve having to drive in and out of the narrow town streets. We were able to walk along the coastal path to reach the town centre.
The landscape is a natural garden,
with cushions of pinks

and a carpet of other wild flowers.
I loved this small allotment that we passed each day.




Breakfast at our favourite place overlooking Porthmeor beach.
Fish for breakfast,
and for midday starters gurnard, clam and lobster sauce.
Fried sea bass with chilli caramel, pineapple and Asian salad for my tapas supper, delicious!
The sea always looks inviting
although far too cold for swimming,
but these children loved dodging the waves.
St Ives is a great place for wandering
up and down the narrow streets
never too sure exactly where you are 
or what you will discover.
A garden in Victoria Street
and two little girls decorated with garlands and posies who were going to a wedding.
The street names are  amusing and descriptive; 'Teetotal Street', 'Virgin Street' and an area called, 'Downalong' which was supplied with water from this well until the 1840's.

The patina on this old door was a work of art!
Not repainted since 1802?!!


We found a quiet spot in the harbour to read the weekend paper.

And were back at the tapas bar as the sun went down.




15 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing the lovely streets and views of St. Ives with us. For me, it brings back memories of Rosamonde Pilcher novels, the closest I've ever been to St. Ives is only through her books. Maybe someday .... but it's a long way from Southern California.

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    1. It felt quite a long way from North Yorkshire never mind Southern California! It's a favourite place of ours that we've visited often. Sadly, on this occasion we were there to attend the funeral of a good friend.

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  2. What a lovely weekend holiday -- thanks for sharing it with us so we can be armchair travelers! Best, -Beth

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    1. That's what I like about blogging, Beth, getting a peek at all the places that I doubt I shall ever see in person.

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  3. I love that hotel. Our friends own the new eco house up the lane from it, but we used to stay there before they demolished the old one. Getting the car up the lane was just about possible...

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    1. It was a last minute find for us, booked the night before. We were traveling from oop North in order to attend our friend's funeral. A great relief not to have to drive through St Ives and feed a parking meter!

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    2. Yes - the top road, avoiding that steep one past the graveyard!

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  4. That is such a magical place! I also have a nursery rhyme hovering around my brain. I met a man from St. Ives? Something about cats and wives?? -Jenn

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    1. Yes, Jenn, you are remembering an old word teaser - As I was going to St Ives I met a man with seven wives...The seven wives had seven cats and so on. How many were going to St Ives? Only one, the person talking!

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  5. What a beautiful place to visit. Maybe one day...

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  6. Hi Rosemary! :) I love the photos!!! The trail is so beautiful...gosh I'm envious! :) I LOVE the photos of you reading the paper! Thanks so much for sharing! This is how we get to see parts of the world that sometimes we will never have the chance to visit, so I'm really grateful! PS: I will eat those meals EVERY DAY if I could!!! They look so delicious!!!

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    1. The sea bass, I ate it twice!
      Ha ha, me on the beach, that's what it's like here in Blighty, jumper, scarf, socks, hat. But the colour of the sea is such a tempter, I think I'm going to have to buy a wetsuit.

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  7. What a great weekend, the food looks wonderful. It is raining buckets here.

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    1. We were in Cornwall to say goodbye to a friend. His funeral last Friday was on a perfect day, a clear blue sky, Cornwall at it's most beautiful. We visited the places that he loved. I'm going to write a little about him on my Miss Cellany site.

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