Saturday, September 17, 2005

Holywell Bay And Newquay

I've been quiet again as we've had a nice little break this week. We went for a short break down to Cornwall. We were staying in a Holiday Camp at Holywell Bay. It was our first time there and I have to say I loved the location. The beach at Holywell is awesome. It has giant sand dunes at the back, massive waves and towering cliffs all around - wild, rugged and expansive, just how I like 'em.

I have a love / hate relationship with Cornwall that I won't go into. There's a lot more love than hate, and it was magic to be back down there after 10 years. I had the pleasure of living in Cornwall (Falmouth) for 3 years when I did my degree, but it drove me barmy at the end. Whenever I go down that way I get a weird sense of magic and history. It was no different going back down there this time.

Holywell Bay had it in spades, a weird familiarity and beauty and a sense of magic that you can't put a finger on but it lingers on the mind. I definitely want to go back again. We only had one day on Holywell beach and the weather was pretty grey. The other two days we visited Newquay, which was about 6 miles away from where we were staying. I wasn't so fussed on the place, it was a bit big and uninspiring, unlike the smaller Cornish tourist traps.

The one day we took Elis to see the Bluereef Aquarium which we thought he'd love due to his recent love of Finding Nemo. He wasn't impressed - so we shot through that and spent time on Towan beach at Newquay. We only had 3 full days so we returned to Newquay the last full day to look around more as the weather was turning grey and rainy.

We had planned a day trip to Falmouth to see how it'd changed in the last 10 years, but didn't in the end as Elis' routines wouldn't fit in with the travelling involved and the I didn't think he'd enjoy that as much as a trip around Newquay. Maybe next year...

Due to the weather and stuff I didn't get so many photos, but there are a few I really like and as ever Elis is a handy prop to making landscape photos slightly more interesting. As ever here are my favourites, hover for more info.

Elis chasing seagulls on the beach at Holywell Bay, Cornwall

Photogenic rocks and reflective sands at Holywell Bay, Cornwall

Elis looking for more seagulls to chase

Imposing clouds and dark Cornish light

Ditto - Holywell Bay, Cornwall

Elis and Mrs Dio on Holywell Bay Beach, Cornwall

Refelctions, outcrops, sand, water and more grey skies

Elis of the sands

Dad, it?s a rockpool - what else were you expecting me to do but jump right in?!

Towan Beach, Newquay

Overlooking 'The Island' at Towan Beach, Newquay, Cornwall

At the Bluereef Aquarium, Newquay. Which one's the trout and which the spectator?

Oh yes, then joy of joys we got stuck behind some selfish fuckers, sorry, truckers as we got over the Severn Bridge when we caught the fuel's too expensive protests. There's a whole rant I'm not going on. They're complaining about the amount of tax and price of petrol. Personally I think they should be paying an nth amount more tax for the damage and pollution they cause. But then again, that's just me wanting a decent future for my son rather than some short term cost cutting, ho-hum silly me.

Anyway, I'm back to flat out these major web projects I'm doing at the mo. I will fill you in more when they're ready - until then, expect occasional outbursts here in blogsville. You could always subscribe via the most excellent Bloglines - save coming here and being disappointed at my lack of appearances.

Posted by Dio Bach at 23:13

2 Comments:

greg said...: Nice end-of-summer trip with the family. Thanks for the cool photos. I've heard that about the Cornwall magic. Heard sometimes it's easy to get lost in the moors as the mists shift.

What's Isle of Anglesey like up there? I imagine it's suffused with the spirits of dead druids. Perhaps not.

Good luck with the web work!; 3:57 PM
Dio Bach said...: Thanks Greg. As for Anglesey, its very disappointing. Like most of the North Wales coast, its has some great views ruined by man's intervention.

As for the druids, the Romans killed 'em all back in AD 78 - but as for spirits, the many pubs and off-licences on the island are the most likely place to find them... :D; 9:52 PM