We spent Easter in Cornwall and were blown away by the coast line. Couldn't have asked for better spring weather (although I did ask for warmer water!) -- sunny skies, cool breezes. We headed out on Thursday night to "beat" the traffic. It took me 2 hours just to get to Heathrow where I picked Todd up! The craziness of a big city -- everyone tries to get out when there's a long weekend.

once we got on the M3 we were cruisin' and since the days have been getting longer we actually were able to see some of the sights along the way. The big highlight was Stonehenge. I had visited it in March when Mary Muenster was in town but Todd had yet to see it. We couldn't actually get on the premises but we managed to take some photos from over the fence. Westward Ho!

We stopped just outside of Exeter for the night at the Woodleigh Carriage House. The top floor of this converted carriage house with fantastic views of Dartmoor and the surrounding area. It was a pity we didn't stay longer but we had our sights set on the coast. Friday morning we headed straight to Land's End with a stop outside Penzance to see Mount St. Michael. Foster had a ball frolicking in the water as we walked along the beach -- fortunately the ban on dogs on beaches was not in place until the following weekend! Land's End was truly spectacular, if not a little touristy. It was a good introduction to what we would be experiencing all week. We puttered our way along the coast to St. Ives and enjoyed some oysters at a restaurant on the beach. We learned a quick lesson about oysters and pricing in England -- they sell them individually, so make sure you know how much they cost before ordering a dozen! The place we stopped at were very proud of their oysters at 2.50 quid per! One oyster cost more than my beer! Lesson learned...

We arrived in Whipsiderry by 7:45...just in time for our dinner. I was disappointed by the room as it was tiny and hot and I was tired. So, here I am off to a rough start. Dinner was not very good and I started to get cranky--I had already paid for our accomodations and was feeling stuck. Trying to be positive, I took a deep breath and focused on enjoying Todd's company and the quirkiness of this little small town hotel.

Morning came and we were primed for a little Cornish surfing. We got in about 2 hours worth and that was all our extremities could take--frozen fingers and toes!! Other than the temp, the conditions were great; gentle swell, waning tide, off shore breeze. After an exhilarating start, we headed back to the car to discover our tire had been booted! WTF! 70 quid to get the boot taken off...who does that on Easter weekend?! When I moaned a bit, the w***er with the keys to the boot just smirked and said, "Welcome to England." I gave him a piece of my mind but I'm sure he's heard it all before. It was the "T" on the "limit" for me and I went to pieces. Fortunately, Todd was able to walk me in off the ledge and we shared a laugh about it. We both agreed that we would much rather be in our shoes than his!

After this meltdown, everything else seemed to take on a different air: frustrating became amusing; backward became quirky. The stress really did seem to melt away. That afternoon we went to Newquay(which is to be avoided at all costs!) and kept going to Fistral beach. Our surf instructor told us about a bar overlooking Fistral with a great patio. The sun was shining and we went searching for a spot to enjoy it. We found one patio but it wasn't the place the surf guide mentioned, so we kept searching. In an inconspicuous spot atop a cliff overlooking the sea we found our destination. Before partaking in a cider, we walked to the cliff's edge and saw a seal searching for food. i think we watched him for an hour! the time just passed and it was truly a glorious day. by the time we reached our patio, the sun had begun its descent. still enjoying the warmth of its rays, we enjoyed a cider on the deck. lovely.

dinner at the whipsiderry was much better night 2 with an improved attitude. our little waitress was charming and ditzy - we got a good laugh out of her demeanor.

sunday was a long day of hiking along the coast. there is the most amazing trail system along the coast of England. We drove our car to a car park and hopped out to start our walk. Lots of other people had the same idea, as the day was sunny and warm. despite the numbers, it never felt crowded. we walked for about 6 hours and ended up in Padstow. if we make it back to Cornwall, this is where we will head. The town was mostly closed by the time we arrived but we did find the famous Rick Stein Fish & Chips -- Yum! After our little treat, we hopped on a bus and returned to our car.

when we woke on monday, the sky was grey and the forecast was rain in cornwall. we thought it was sign to head east. our travel took us to and through exmoor -- spectacular! rolling hills (lorna doone) and quaint villages peppering the country...put it on the itinerary for next time.

it was a great easter weekend. i now understand why everyone leaves london on the long weekends!