By Layla
For two people whose defining feature is the love of overseas travel, we have just had a very unusual fortnight: an English holiday! And what's more, with Kaseki the dog in tow. Fortunately we did adhere to our usual principles of impractical connections. During the course of our holiday we have stayed in Grasmere (Lake District), Cheltenham (Gloucestershire), St Ives (Cornwall), and Totnes (Devon). For the benefit of those not familiar with English geography, these places are not next to each other. And of course we increased the difficulty level by doing it all by train. Fourteen trains to be precise. And Kaseki was an absolute king on every one of them. Not a complaint. Which is more than can be said for me…
And so, a snapshot of each destination. Grasmere is a charming little village in the heart of the Lake District, known for its gingerbread and lovely walking. I should also argue for its scones, which were superlative. Kaseki was most confused when we checked into our first Air BnB but rapidly got with the programme – between the rain showers. We had some incredibly beautiful walks along the lakeside (or mere-side as I suppose these routes are known in the Lake District), and up hills, including a brilliant hike up a hill just after the rain when the trail had turned into a little river. The views and countryside and walks in general were so spectacular, we gazed at each other in embarrassment: we’ve been travelling all over the world for such things without realising the riches waiting for us just a few train rides away… We had tea in Rydall Hall, and in a charming lakeside ‘Faerieland’. We had local beer and gin in a charming pub. And we walked and walked and walked. It was truly glorious.
We were sad to leave after five nights, but Cheltenham awaited – a handy stop en route to Cornwall. It turns out to be a particularly charming town, with nice buildings and streets, a lovely hipster-ish area called Montpellier, a fancy version of Cineworld where we saw The Spy Who Dumped Me (which was a little trashy but mostly very enjoyable) and best of all, an adventure-themed minigolf course. I’m happy to report that I won. Most unexpectedly, Cheltenham had an outstanding hike, part of the Cotswold Way, which started on the top of a hill at a golf course just out of town and had truly spectacular views – and lots of sheep. And quite amusingly, we stayed in a posh but dog-friendly hotel where Kaseki got sausages for breakfast.
Next up was a full week in St Ives – a week we may have miscalculated as the bank holiday weekend had brought half the English population to this little seaside town and it was extremely crowded. And of course we had an AirBnB apartment right on the main street. At first we were anxious. But then we realised that few of these people were interested in walking – and we were introduced to the absolute glory of the SouthEast (and SouthWest) Coastal path – a 270-ish mile walking trail along the coast of this farthest mainland point of the UK. The views and trail were so amazing that we have possibly been spoilt for any other walks anywhere in the world. We did the trail in both directions from St Ives, we took a taxi to an amazing section where Virginia Woolf’s lighthouse AND an array of seals were both located (AND a little café that did cream teas). And we bussed to St Michael’s Mount (cool little castle across a causeway) and walked to Penzance, and bussed to Land’s End, and walked from there to the charming Minack Theatre, across cliffs with views that felt they must be in Hawaii or some such tropical location. Roz’s arms got increasingly strong as Kaseki preferred not to go uphill – or to walk over stony ground. And I got increasingly fat as I sampled the ice cream and clotted cream of Cornwall. And we went to the cinema to see the slightly odd film Christopher Robin (odd for being seemingly aimed at neither for children nor grown-ups).
Obviously I couldn’t assess Cornwall’s dairy products without a good comparison. Next stop Devon, or to be more precise, a little inn (which opened in 1320) between Dartington and Totnes. More walking awaited, punctuated by posh but lovely cafes on big estates. The town of Totnes (twinned with Narnia) was particularly delightful with all sorts of nice shops – and Kaseki’s first museum: a bizarre art installation called the Timehouse which is closing next week, and has had an array of accolades from publications such as the New York Times. It was also Totnes Pride but we missed the festivities due to our enthusiasms to walk around a deer park. We also got to go to the cinema in a posh barn, and very much enjoyed The Children Act. And visited a winery and cheese-ery in beautiful countryside.
But all good things must come to an end. Totnes was alas a staging post for London, so after two lovely nights there, it was time to board the London train and head for home. But not before we booked our next few holidays – which includes some more lovely exploration of England’s coastal walks. This holiday was a risk for us foreign travel aficionados – but it paid off. We had a beautiful time, and bringing along our furry son added some extra joy. Next stop: London.
Books read while on holiday:
Layla – Resist by Sarah Crossan (3/5), The Death of Grass by John Christopher (4/5), Paris Adrift by EJ Swift (3/5), One by Sarah Crossan (4/5), Vox by Christine Dalcher (4/5), Kindred by Octavia Butler (5/5), Dawn by Octavia Butler (5/5), Adult Rites by Octavia Butler (5/5), Imago by Octavia Butler (5/5), Take Nothing With You by Patrick Gale (5/5) and Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler (4/5)
Roz – The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers (10/10), A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers (10/10), Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers (10/10), Take Nothing With You by Patrick Gale (10/10), The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier (6/10) and Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier (8/10) and in the middle of Golden Hill Frances Spufford.
