It is a very long way to get to, but it was well worth the all travelling to enjoy a cheeky weekend break in Cornwall. The trip was really all about ticking off another item of Heather's 'to do' list as she had never visited Lands End but as ever we managed to pack a few extra things into a couple of days. Leaving Derby at around 1630 on the Friday it was a five and a quarter hour trip to St Austell with the through CrossCountry service travelling via Bristol, Exeter and Plymouth. Sadly we couldn't enjoy the famous sea wall at Dawlish as it was dark by the time we were at Bristol - the return journey back north allowed us to do so however. The White Hart Hotel, in the centre of St Austell, was less than a ten minute walk from the railway station so we were checked in, unpacked and able to enjoy a drink and some live music in the bar before closing time and settling in for a good sleep. After breakfast on the Saturday there was enough time to have a quick wander around St Austell before catching the 0920 train to Penzance. Sadly this train was formed of a two car Class 150 so there was no first class travel available for the one hour trip to the end of the line, however the Cornish scenery, dotted with derelict tin mines and glimpses of the sea made up for it. From Penzance it was a leisurely connection onto the First Kernow operated double decker 1A bus to Lands End. The journey of just ten miles took about an hour along roads that seemed barely wide enough for a car let alone a bus. The bus was actually very busy with tourists, mainly from Asia, heading to the tip of Cornwall for the £7.50 return fare. Despite the touristy nature of Lands End there are some things you can do for free and arriving by bus meant no parking charge (or entry fee) had to be paid. The weather was certainly very kind to us and afforded great views of the coast and sea. We walked part of the coastal path to Sennen Cove, which was just over a mile, and had enough time for a 'cheeky one' at The Old Success Inn before catching the bus back to Penzance. It was great to spend a few hours exploring Penzance, it has been many years since our last visit and it also brought back a memory or two of visits to the town with friends in the late 1980s and early 1990s. There is something I quite like about the town, some nice shops, plenty of quirky pubs and views out across the bay to St Michael's Mount. There was enough time for a very late lunch, some Rattler cider, a Cornish Pasty and some locally brewed beer before catching the GWR high speed train back to St Austell. St Austell is not the busiest of places on a Saturday evening, maybe in the summer it is, but if honest it did not really inspire. Given we had eaten a late lunch in Penzance the thought of a full restaurant meal in the hotel didn't appeal so after a walk we called in at the Taste of India for a curry and a naan bread. It was OK, but not stunning - we are somewhat spoiled at home in Derby for Indian restaurants. Sunday morning saw us head to Plymouth, on a GWR high speed train, a journey of an hour from St Austell. The Cornish countryside passed by and of course crossing the River Tamar, in either direction, is always special on the Devon/Cornwall border. Isambard Kingdom Brunel's stunning bridge, dating from 1859, spanning the river is an engineering masterpiece and with glorious weather enhancing the views it was all the more impressive. Fab-u-lous! Arriving into Plymouth we met friends, Sarah and Simon, and headed to The Barbican area of the city with views over the water for lunch and drinks. The Stable served up a cracking pizza range and had a huge selection of cider was on offer too from the bar so a sampler rack was the best way to try a few local beverages. It was great to see Sarah and Simon and we really shouldn't leave it so long until the next time to catch up. So that left just the journey back north to Derby to close out the weekend and a bit of fortuitous planning saw us travelling on a CrossCountry high speed train back home. The run along the sea wall between Teignmouth and Dawlish Warren is a great piece of scenic railway to enjoy and to breath in the sea air, with the wind blowing in your face through an open window on a train is absolutely brilliant. This really is Glorious Devon at its best.