Allie Morgan – Writer & Cancer Survivor

At the beginning of March, before the lockdown began, Yan and I went down to Cornwall for the weekend.

Every summer when I was a kid, my family would spend a week at a caravan park in Cornwall and I absolutely loved it.

I can still remember waking up to the sound of birds singing and the smell of fried bacon, which my dad would be cooking for our breakfast.

I haven’t been back there for years but when I asked Yan where he wanted to go for his birthday trip, he immediately said ‘Boscastle’ and I was really looking forward to visiting a part of the world that I hadn’t seen for such a long time.

Where we stayed

Although Yan’s birthday is in October, I thought it would be nice to book our trip in the spring so we had something to look forward to.

I booked the cosiest Airbnb – the Mill Cottage, just outside of Boscastle.

The cottage is self-contained but it sits right next to the pub and restaurant which means you’ve got your own privacy but you’re not out in the sticks on your own.

It’s a wonderfully quiet place, the only sound being the stream running past the window and the birds in the trees. It’s really idyllic.

After the three and a half hour drive from South Wales to Cornwall, we thought we’d try out the restaurant for tea.

We both had steak which was absolutely divine and I had some sorbet for dessert which was so tasty. The staff are so welcoming and attentive too – it was a really lovely evening.

Once we were back in the cottage, we made the most of the cosy log burner and enjoyed a bottle of prosecco with a few episodes of First Dates on the telly.

What we did

The next day, we had breakfast at the restaurant before we left which was gorgeous. Yan had a Full English & I had smoked salmon with scrambled eggs which I’d highly recommend.

There were also plenty of cereals, fruit and yoghurts on offer which we made the most of before we set off.

We headed to Port Isaac where my grandfather’s family (the Browns) are from.

Port Isaac is the sweetest little fishing village & I would move there in a heartbeat. We’ve visited so many times over the years – my parents even stayed there for their honeymoon.

The coastline was as wild and beautiful as ever and while we got a little bit drenched, we found warmth and comfort in a cream tea at the Chapel Cafe.

Bellies well and truly full, we headed to Tintagel Castle which we had booked tickets for on the way down.

We spent the afternoon exploring there which was just breathtaking. My mother told me that I came here when I was little but I have no recollection of it at all. The rain stayed off for a while and we walked all around the old castle walls – the views were immense!

I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves…

After we’d finished our little adventure, we headed back to Boscastle and looked around a few shops before we had lunch at The Wellington Hotel which was lovely. Yan even picked up a few books in the honesty bookshop.

Driving back, we listened to a BBC dramatisation of a Terry Pratchett book and vowed we’d return to Cornwall again soon.

I can’t wait to go on more adventures when we’re out of the lockdown.

Where are you looking forward to going?

Allie x