Trip to Cornwall / or who put the farting powder in the pasties

I shall type this in in sea green to remind myself on this utterly foul ,wet, cold and windy Saturday afternoon that I was sitting eating fish and chips overlooking crystal clear breakers and golden sands at Sennen Cove in the sunshine. The next bay up from the awful Lands End, Sennen has a wonderful curved sandy beach, a few cafes, a lifeboat station, a small working harbour and after quite a steep climb up the cliff, an old coastguard lookout with views out over the sea to the Longships Lighthouse and in the distance, the Scilly Isles. A little bit of heaven.

In what was a decidedly dodgy week for weather elsewhere we managed to stay dry and relatively warm during our trip westwards. No cossies or shorts, but good T shirt weather. We visited gardens and headlands,a carboot sale, stone circles, an ancient stone settlement and walked the legs off the dog. The carboot was fab and I managed to find somebody selling off studio pottery for £1 a piece. Unable to resist I bought 4 pieces and then just had to fill the boot with plants. Oh such bargains - I wish I could go every week.

The best garden was at the Trevarno Estate near Helston. Hidden down in a valley the paths led you up and down through jungly bits with tree fern and palms. There was a lake with two very feisty swans that chased me, and the delightful boathouse that boasts stained glass windows and a clocktower. As well as the grounds there is a Museum of gardening. They have managed to collect all those things that I would love to find. Old terracotta pots and watering cans, advertising posters, old tools and mowers, seed cupboards and even a mock seed shop filled with old seed packets.

So here I sit, mid afternoon with the lights on and the washing flapping wetly on the line. Welcom home.