Monday 23 September 2019

Cali has been to St Ives

We both wanted to visit the St Ives Festival so booked three nights at Trevalgan Touring Park, a private site a couple of miles outside of St Ives.  As it was a private site we had to pay for the pitch in full prior to our arrival so even though the weather forecast was grim for the weekend - we still went away.

We were both on holiday on Friday so had an early start.  We drove to Long Rock car park and walked into Marazion for a look around the craft shops and walk around the village.  Although it was a lovely sunny day it was very windy but we found a lovely sheltered spot to eat our lunch overlooking the beach and St Michael's Mount.

Marazion towards St Michael's Mount

After lunch we walked back to Cali to drive to the site.  We both liked the site as soon as we arrived - it's very we maintained and the staff were all very friendly.  The facilities block was excellent and even had underfloor heating in the showers!  We had booked a hardstanding super pitch which was sheltered by hedges on three sides but it was still so windy we decided to leave the roof down.  We sat outside for a while and retreated indoors when it began to get cool.

 Pitch 9 Trevalgan Touring Park

After a very blustery night we woke to a very cloudy sky but as it was dry we decided to walk into St Ives.  There were a lot of footpaths from site, the one to St Ives was initially across fields and then the coast path - it was a lovely walk and well marked.

Approaching St Ives

We had just arrived at St Ives when it started to rain so we took shelter in a cafe for a while.  It rained on and off for most of the day so we pottered around the town and had a look in a few of the shops.  Sadly due to the weather there were very few street entertainers for the Festival, so we caught the bus back to the site.   A lot of the entertainment was in the evening but as it was so wet we decided to stay on site and not go back into town.

It poured with rain all night and was still raining when we got up on Sunday so we caught the bus into St Ives again.  Once we got to the town the sun came out and it was a glorious sunny day so we walked to Carbis Bay.

Carbis Bay from Coast Path

It started to cloud over by early afternoon so we had a quick walk back to St Ives and managed to beat the rain.  We caught the bus back to the site again and stayed in Cali all evening.

This is a lovely site and we will definitely return again but probably not for the Festival again.

20-23 September 2019

Monday 16 September 2019

Cali has been to Bude

Another good forecast and another weekend away in Cali.  We chose Wooda Farm Holiday Park which is a site that's affiliated to the C&MC, situated just outside of Bude.  We don't normally book large parks, but thought we would try this site as it's out of season and hopefully wouldn't be too busy.

After arriving on Friday we were both unsure of the site as it was so large with holiday chalets, static caravans as well as the touring pitches.  The site also had a shop, restaurant, take-away, cocktail bar, sports hall and nature trails.  Pitches are allocated and ours was fine, probably not the location we would have chosen but it was sheltered.

The weather was glorious on Saturday so we walked to Bude.  Sadly there wasn't a footpath across the fields, but the lanes weren't too busy to walk along.  We pottered around the town and visited the Jaunty Seagull shop where my cousin sells her stunning jewellery - KC Jewellery.  We then went for a walk along the canal where there are lots of cafes and craft shops.

Bude Canal - Cafes and Craft Shops

We retraced our steps back to the site and went to the bar for a drink before returning to Cali to sit outside until late evening.

Pitch E8 Wooda Farm

Sunday was a lot cloudier but it was dry.  We decided to go to the sports hall for a game of badminton, which was great fun.  We also had a walk around the fishing lake and the nature trail, spotting all the little pixies that had been put into the trees.  There were dozens of them and we were like two kids trying to spot them all!

A Wooda Pixie

After quick showers we headed to the restaurant for a meal in the evening.  It rained overnight and as we had to leave our pitch by 10.30am we packed up and left after breakfast coming back home as we both had a lot to do at home.

We will return to the site out of season, but would avoid it during the main summer months as I can image it would get very busy.  We also spotted some pitches we would have preferred and although actual pitches can't be requested they will try to allocate in the same area if at all possible.

13-16 September 2019

Sunday 8 September 2019

Cali has been to Woolacombe

We have had another last minute booking as the forecast for the weekend was good again.  As Steve still can't wear his walking boots, we booked the Willingcott Caravan Club Site so we could walk the cycle track into Ilfracombe which is an easy walk for him.

On Saturday we walked to Ilfracombe as planned and spent the day around the town and harbour, visiting St Nicholas Chapel where we had a good view of Damien Hirst's Verity whilst eating our lunch.

Verity

After lunch we walked back to the site, noting all the footpaths we can walk on our next visit.  Once on site, it was shoes off to enjoy the sun outside of Cali.  As this can be a windy site we had found a lovely sheltered pitch behind a Devon Bank so it was very warm to sit out for the afternoon and early evening.

Pitch 39 Willingcott

The weather was glorious on Sunday morning, so we packed up after breakfast and drove down to Woolacombe for a short walk towards Combesgate Beach before heading back to Cali and returning home.

Woolacombe Beach

We both love North Devon, so this is definitely a site for us to return to next year.

6-8 September 2019

Monday 2 September 2019

Cali has been to Devizes

We hadn't got anywhere booked for this weekend, but when we checked the forecast it was for a fine weekend so we made a last minute booking at the Camping and Caravan Club Devizes Site.  As Steve was working all day on Friday we booked Saturday to Monday for this weekend.

After an early start on Saturday we visited Stourhead again to see the gardens in a different season and to have an easy walk as Steve was still having problems with his foot.

 Stourhead

We arrived at the site early afternoon and were met with a very warm welcome by the Site Managers.  We had a choice of pitches and settled on one that was sheltered by hedges and wasn't too far from the facilities block.

 Pitch 69 Devizes

The site is close to the Kennet and Avon Canal so we walked the tow path, past the Caen Locks to Devizes.  This was another easy walk, but not so easy for those on the canal to get through 29 locks which have a rise of 237 feet over two miles!

Rowde looking up Caen Locks

All too soon the weekend was over and it was time to return home on Monday.  This is definitely a site to return to as there are plenty of other footpaths near the site, not just the canal tow path.

31 August-2 September 2019