“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.

"La Merveille de L'Occident" : Mont Saint-Michel

Has anyone seen the movie The Woman in Black? If not you should, it's pretty good. But anyways, in the movie, Daniel Radcliffe is a lawyer and he gets stuck overnight on this creepy island you can only reach when the tide goes out. Pretty scary. But what's cool is that there's basically a real life version of this island, and it's open for business.

Mont Saint-Michel is a rocky island in Normandy, off the coast of North-Western France. The Mont has held a fortress since early medieval times and also served as a monastery. Today, 44 people live on the island. 

Mont Saint-Michel is a tidal island, which means it can only be reached at low tide. Originally, the road that led to the island was covered during high tide, and the island was completely isolated.  Nowadays there is a raised causeway, so the Mont is always accessible, but it is still very dangerous to go out into the bay alone, because the tide changes very quickly.

I actually wish there was no causeway, because call me crazy, but the idea of being stuck on the island between tides sounds totally thrilling to me. Kind of creepy, but really cool. What I love about the island is the haunting architecture, and the idea that people have been coming to this island and staying in this building for centuries, doing the same things that people are doing here today.

Mont Saint-Michel consists of a Gothic style abbey and the village that was built around it, both of which date back to 700 AD. The abbey is an artistic and architectural feat, and its rugged walls and delicate towers almost seem like a natural part of the island.

What to do? There are several hotels around the entrance to the causeway, as well as within the walls of the Mont. The village’s main street, the “Cour de l’Avancé,” has original historical buildings and shops which sell food, jewellery and other souvenirs in the tradition of medieval shopkeepers. You can visit the Abbey and the Parish Church, which was built in the 1400’s. Classical concerts are frequently hosted in the Abbey. There are four museums on the island, covering the history, culture, archaeology and ecology of the island. Rates are reduced for non-European young adults (score).

What to eat? Salt meadows surround Saint-Michel, and are used for grazing sheep. Apparently, the salty diet of these sheep gives their meat a unique flavour. “Agneau de pré-salé” (salt meadow lamb) is a local dish that can be found in the island’s restaurants. I’ll have to pass, since I’m not a huge fan of lamb, but other specialties include omelettes and seafood from the bay, which can be enjoyed at numerous restaurants within the walls.

According to Wikepedia, Mont Saint-Michel was the inspiration for the city of Minis Tirith in the Lord of the Rings. I thought that was pretty neat. (Apologies if you have no idea what I’m talking about.)

Official Mont Saint-Michel site can be found here.