Last week we holidayed in Cornwall sharing a cottage near Looe with Jeff's parents and brother, as we had done in 2009. We had a lovely time despite the almost daily drizzle, even more drizzle than the year before.

We visited...

Looe in the drizzle on the Sunday - Banjo Pier and looking at the huge tractor in the Lifeboat station (it can go in water up to 2m deep).

The Eden Project on the Monday - they had special summer activities of water play and den building for the kids (and parents).

Polperro, a historic fishing village on the Wednesday.

 

Followed by Lanhydrock House and Gardens, a National Trust property complete with fun grass slopes and hats to try on.

Wednesday we went up to the north coast of Cornwall. Visiting Boscastle in the wind and rain in the morning. It was here that suffered a frightening flash flood in August 2004.

See the green arrow and line in the photo below, this was the level the flood water reached at it's peak. Imagine the water stretching across the roads and river in the photos above and up to that green level mark in the photo below (which is the building on the left in the photo above) - wow, incredible.

In the afternoon we travelled a few miles further down the coast to Tintagel and visited The Old Post Office (another National Trust property),

and Tintagel Castle, where it's believed King Arthur lived. The day we went there they had storytellers telling tales in the old castle ruins, the boys were fascinated.

And this is 'Merlin's cave under the castle where legend says Merlin found the baby King Arthur.

In the evening we went to Padstow and had take-away Fish and Chips for dinner from Rick Steins.

On Thursday we took a car ferry across the river to Fowey. The streets were incredibly narrow and packed with the loveliest of shops!

Late afternoon we headed to a little beach at Polkerris. While the boys played, Jeff and I kept warm with take-away coffees.

On Friday we headed back into Looe and did something that Matthew had been wanting to do all holiday - crabbing! (We caught, and released 34)

Our last morning before heading home we returned to Polperro. This time the tide was out and we were able to walk down onto the little beach and reach parts we hadn't been able to before, like these amazing steps.
  
 

We spent a lot of time in and around the cottages where we stayed. We used the swimming pool (Matthew swam on his own for the first time with armbands), we played mini golf, tennis, croquet and had great games of football.

Since last year, the games rooms and reception area has been refurbished, it is lovely now. We played lots of table tennis, table football, pool, lego and they even had a Wii room.

Plus they had a very good DVD, books and games library which we could borrow from and take back to our cottage. I had taken my laptop, so I had some late nights watching The Time Travellers Wife and The Notebook in bed.

And you may now breathe a sigh of relief - that's all the photos I have to share, with the exception of this funny one - the sword in the stone!

I am very lucky to have such lovely in-laws - thank you Hilda and Denis for inviting us to holiday with you.