Cornwall - A Day in Padstow

I went out again for another adventure around Cornwall with my friend Trigger, this time to the South Coast, past New Quay and over to Padstow. Yet another seaside town filled with shops on narrow streets and beautiful boats in the harbor. But of course, the ride there and back was half of the joy. I'll never tire of riding along the narrow roads that carve through the rolling green hills. This time I also got to enjoy the beauty of the sea as well as the land. Once we arrived in Padstow we went to a nice pub just off the harbor, The Old Custom House. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of the front of the building, but this is the view just in front. Not too bad huh. 

It was an inviting atmosphere and we found a nice table in the back area. I was pleased to see a map of Cornwall, also known as the South West country on the wall to help me get my bearings as to where we were. On the menu was the usual pub grub type of favorites. I settled on the classic ham, eggs and chips and a pot of Earl Grey with milk. These may have been the best eggs I've ever eaten in my life. Just look at the glorious amber-orange colour, the hallmark of cage-free, corn-fed chickens. And the chips were proper chips. I find when I'm back in the States I really don't care for fries anymore after proper chips. It's like what your Mom would make in an American home. Potatoes that are freshly peeled and cut into larger strips, not frozen potatoes from a bag. The pub was also dog-friendly, of course. I should create a post on how dog-friendly Cornwall is. In short, if you don't like dogs, you really may wish to spend time elsewhere. Dogs are welcome in nearly every establishment in Cornwall and that definitely includes those that serve food. 

After enjoying brunch we walked around the harbor. There was a lovely sailboat I had a momentary daydream about taking out on the open sea and then took in some sightseeing around the town. Because the sea is such an integral part of life in Cornwall, a nautical theme is always present. I wish I'd taken another picture so as to get the perspective of how big this beautiful anchor is.

I saw one the beautiful old farmhouses that kind of stuck out like a relic from the past in the midst of more modern shops. It had a beautiful wrought iron fence around it, but what really caught my attention was the stone figure in an ornately carved little alcove that looked shockingly like an Ellegua head. I do wonder what this was meant to represent or honor. I'm pretty sure Ellegua isn't highlighted in Cornwall. Maybe, but I sincerely doubt it. 

There were so many beautiful flowers all about. St. Austell pubs are often known for having a lot of hanging baskets on the outside. This one had bright fuschia petunias that caught my attention. 

We were surprised to see a grapevine with clusters of new grapes forming. We also saw a beautiful claddagh doorknocker. Maybe that is another thing I should feature as a brief weekly post because there are so many unique and beautiful ones that I've seen.

It was such a nice day and I can't wait for another day out with Trigger. He is such great company and I really appreciate him showing me so much of beautiful Cornwall.