“The House in the Sea” : Newquay and Cornwall, England

Cornwall, England has always been known for its culture, charm and beauty. Tourists flock to Cornwall to enjoy the warm climate and tranquility of the region, despite the fact that it is fairly removed from most of England’s main tourist attractions.

 

 

Newquay Island is an idyllic retreat off the coast of Cornwall. When the tide is in, Newquay appears to be an island – until the tide goes out, revealing that Newquay is actually a rocky, free-standing outcrop, 70 feet high and surrounded by smooth, sandy beach.

 

Between Tides

When the tide is in, the island can only be reached by a narrow suspension bridge which connects it to the mainland. The bridge was built in 1900 and is wide enough for only one person across (don’t worry – it is checked and maintained for safety every year). I have to say, I would not enjoy dragging my luggage across the suspension bridge.

 

 

There is only one house on the tiny “island,” which is rented year-round to vacationers. The house is surrounded by beautiful gardens until the edge of the cliff drops away, nearly vertically, and the island is surrounded by ocean or by the sand of Newquay Beach depending on the time of day. Stone steps lead down from the island to the beach, which is open to the public.  

 

Low Tide

 The cottage on the island, called The House in the Sea, is a unique home-stay experience. The house sleeps six, has three bedrooms and includes wifi and televison (although why you would bother with that when you could be outside is a mystery to me). Other features of the house are the top deck, which faces out to sea, and the lower deck, which is perfect for sunbathing. The coastal views from the house are spectacular, and watching the sunset from one of the decks would be spectacular.

 

The Conservatory

The House in the Sea is a little more luxurious than the places I typically cover. This is probably not how I would do a trip to Cornwall, since it’s quite pricy and I would prefer a more natural, authentic experience of Cornwall, but I thought it was worth blogging about just because it is so charming! If you could afford it, this would definitely be a lovely get away.

 

What to do? Most of the entertainment around Newquay Island is pretty posh (golf, private surf lessons, etc.) and not really my thing. (Like I said – I prefer to travel in a more down to earth way). The attraction of Cornwall for me is the small fishing villages and the old cottages, so I would love to take a few afternoons exploring the villages, driving the coast and discovering the countryside. Newquay is close to the village of St. Ives, which is a popular destination and known for its charm. You can also walk the cliff-top Camel Trail along the mainland, and get fish and chips at the quay in the village.

 

Camel Trail

What to eat? The house includes a fully equipped kitchen so that you can cook for yourself, and there is also a bar-room. I would also make sure to get a meal in one of the villages for some traditional English pub food.

 

As I said, I would probably never be able to afford this, and this is not really how I would want to experience Cornwall anyways. It’s too removed and aloof for me – I would way rather stay in one of the fishing villages at a little bed and breakfast and explore the county all day. But that’s just me, a lot of people love this kind of retreat, so I thought I’d cover it to give you guys something new. It’s a different kind of travelling in my opinion. But of course, if I was ever offered the chance to stay here, I would not turn it down!

 

Details & Rental Info.

“The Jewel of Crimea” : Swallow’s Nest Castle

Swallow’s Nest Castle is an ornamental castle in the Ukraine, perched precariously on a cliff overlooking the Black Sea. The “castle” is a miniature – only 20 m by 10m, and 12 m high, which only adds to the enchantment. The lonely little house is 130 feet above the surface of the water, exposed to the elements, and looks like something from a fairy tale.

  

Swallow’s Nest has a long and eccentric history. The first building built on the cliff was a wooden cabin, built 1985, which the builder named “the Castle of Love”..... Fifteen years later, a German nobleman bought the land and promptly tore down the “Castle of Love” to make room for the beautiful Swallow’s Nest Castle which is still there today.

Three years later, however, he sold it and it became a restaurant. Throughout the 20’s, the building was used only as a tourist attraction, and in the 30’s it was used by a book club for meetings (awesome for the book club, not so great for everyone else…) After that, however, an earthquake damaged the cliff and the castle was deemed unsafe for visitors, so the castle was closed and empty for about 40 years. There was very little damage to the actual castle, but large cracks had appeared in the cliff. Fortunately, in 1968 restoration efforts began. The cliff was strengthened with concrete and the castle was cleaned up. The castle was fully functional again in 1975. It became an Italian restaurant, and still is to this day.

The castle was built to be decorative, not to protect, and therefore it’s really just a very fancy house. It is literally right on the edge of the cliff – parts of the balconies actually extend over the edge of the cliff, supposedly because a chunk of cliff fell away during the earthquake.

The castle is an architectural marvel: delicate and weightless, but at the same time grand and sturdy (so sturdy that it survived an earthquake 6 or 7 on the Richter Scale with no structural damage). The castle has two stories and includes a main foyer, two bedrooms and a guest room. A stairway climbs to the top of the tower.

 What to do? You can reach Swallow’s Nest by road, or by ferry, which provides a spectacular first view of the castle. The castle is not visible from the road, which adds to the feeling of seclusion. A small fee will get you into the grounds, which you can explore. Inside the castle you should probably have a meal, since it is mainly a restaurant. You can then go out on the decks for a spectacular view of the Black Sea and the distant shore. You can also walk the Tsar’s Path, a nearby scenic trail.

What do eat? I think everyone can figure this one out for themselves… don’t want to be redundant. But I love Italian food, so win-win all around.

Honestly, this place is unreal and I would absolutely love to go here someday. (Apologies for the overuse of pictures but I just can’t get enough of them.) Definitely near the top of my list.

More info.

“Cave of the Three Travellers” : Fangweng Restaurant

Imagine dining in mid air, hundreds of feet above a sweeping gorge with a beautiful river at the bottom. Cool? Terrifying? This is pretty much what if would feel like to dine in the Fangweng Restaurant, in the Hubei Province of China.

 

The restaurant, also known as "the restaurant near sanyou cave,"  or the "cave of the three travellers," is about 30 minutes north of the city Yichang, in the Xiling Gorge, a scenic range of cliffs and park. The cliffs are riddled with caves and the Chang Jiang river flows through the bottom of the gorge.

 

The entrance to the Fangweng Restaurant is marked by a small building that is pretty darn ugly. The real wonder begins once you pass through the building. To get to the main restaurant, you must take a precarious walk along a boardwalk built into the face of the cliff. The walk is said to be spectacular. On the left, the cliff face goes up almost vertically, and on the right only a small railing guards the boardwalk from the perilous slopes of the gorge and the river below. Historically, the cave was used as inspiration for many famous poets and artists.

 

When you arrive, you will be seated. Most of the tables are inside the restaurant, which is actually a naturally formed cave in the cliff – how cool is that?! The strange combination of being in both a Chinese restaurant and a cave makes for a pretty unique atmosphere. Some tables, however, are on a deck built out over the gorge. I can’t even imagine eating a mean with only a few deck planks between me and a sheer drop to the bottom of a gorge. The view is amazing, but I would be terrified (I’m not good with heights).

 

 
What to do? Well, eat, obviously. The best time to go is during the day, when the restaurant is not crowded, and the light is good for viewing the gorge. Other than that, you can hike, bungee jump, or take a boat tour throughout the valley, among other local activities.
 

What to eat? The menu consists of a combination of local specialties and traditional Hubei cooking. Dishes include freshwater fish, duck, pork and if you’re feeling adventurous, you could try turtle (not for me, personally). Most of the dishes include sauce, vegetables and strong spices.

 

I just think this would be a fantastic and breathtaking (but scary) experience you would never forget, and you would be hard pressed to find another place like this one.

There's not a ton of information on the Fangweng restaurant, but this travel blog covers it pretty well.