Sunshine Cafe Penryn

September 18, 2023 - Vicki Leave a comment

The Sunshine Cafe is tucked away in the pretty Cornish coastal town of Penryn. I went just before the Summer holidays, as like much of Cornwall it can get a bit busy there, and with it being quite a small town there is very limited parking. I managed to go on an unusually quiet day and it was so peaceful and charming.

The Sunshine Cafe has been on my radar for a couple of years now, I have had friends recommend it to me & I have also been following them on social media, drooling over all their delicious vegan food and drinks. It did not disappoint, in fact it was a lovely place to stop for a bite to eat. The café space it bright, calm and a very friendly place, I loved the decor and how everything on the menu is plant based with an emphasis on using good local produce. I could have sat in there all day, I felt very relaxed. The food was delicious, I had the vegan beans & sausage on sourdough with a side of sweet potato fritters and an Almond Milk Matcha. I didn’t have room for a sweet treat, but I did spy quite a few options like a vegan croissant, brownies, and carrot cake. If you’re in Penryn, I highly recommend it even if you are not plant based, the food is incredible.

They also have a wonderful yoga space attached to the cafe they offer so many classes throughout the day, from pilates to yoga and guided meditation. I need to go back, so I can attend one of the vinyasa or pilates classes.

Sunshine Cafe and Yoga, Hill Head, Harbour Village, Penryn, TR10 8JU

www.sunshinecafeandyoga.co

Gorran Haven Cornwall

January 31, 2023January 31, 2023 - Vicki Leave a comment

Having lived in Cornwall for almost 8 years now, you would have thought I’d explored quite a lot of it. I have been to so many beautiful places, but there is still so much to see. I have been making it a priority to get out more and be a tourist in my own backyard (or County). So a few weeks ago, in what Cornwall would term “out of season”, I headed for the coastal village of Gorran Haven.

Gorran Haven is just a few miles around the coast from where I live and very close to the neighbouring harbour town of Mevagissey. Gorran Haven is much more sleepy, quaint and unspoilt than many other small coastal villages in Cornwall. I did visit during the Winter, which meant it was very peaceful. The car park is great, you can’t miss it & from there you just walk down the hill to the sea. Gorran Haven was a very busy and important fishing port from the 12th century right up until the 19th century. It was known for its pilchards, crabs and lobsters, but now the harbour has very few commercial fisherman and more holidaymakers.

This small village has a beautiful beach, its sandy shoreline and cove make it protected from the wind and a popular swimming spot. Even in the winter, you will see local residents taking a dip & wild swimming has had such a resurgence over the past few years. Although I do like to swim in the sea, I am not brave enough to go in when it is cold outside.

We visited on a bright, but chilly day and just had a lovely stroll up and down the tiny streets, and along the beach. Apart from the village Post Office, which also sells tea & cake, there was nothing else open. Not even the chip shop, that is the problem with Cornwall in the Winter, so many businesses and amenities either close fully until the end of March or they open for only a short time. If they were open, there is a café on the beach called Mermaid Café and The Beachcomber Café just on the hill overlooking the beach. The Beachcomber Café used to be a boat building shed, and the Mermaid Café used to be in part, The Ship Inn Pub.

There are so many lovely traditional Cornish cottages in this village & so much history down every street. The whitewashed cottages with pretty painted doors and windows are my favourite. They always look so quaint and homely. When I visited the streets were so quiet, and it is not a village that has a lot of traffic, with the streets being so narrow it is almost impossible to get a car through. So it means it is peaceful and the perfect place to soak in the sea air and enjoy the views.

I am sure if you visited from April – October the cafés and shops would be open, and there would be a little more hustle and bustle. I must admit that I like going during the “off season” as it feels calm, and you get time to yourself, so you can amble up and down the deserted streets. On the way home, we did stop into the larger harbour town of Mevagissey, which is only a few miles from Gorran Haven. It is somewhere that is well worth a visit. It has more amenities and I took quite a few photos, so make sure to keep an eye out for a post all about another pretty fishing town.

A Day Trip To Padstow

July 25, 2021July 25, 2021 - Vicki 1 Comment

Despite Cornwall being SUPER busy with tourists & people trying to get a holiday in without travelling abroad, we have been trying to get out & about to enjoy what is on our doorstep. We have lived in Cornwall for almost 6 years now and have never visited Padstow, which is crazy because it is so close to us and is STUNNING. Everyone said it was beautiful and that it is jammed packed full of shops, restaurants and pretty scenery as well as having a very busy and bustling harbour. We spent the day exploring, relaxing and enjoying all the delights that Padstow has to offer. We landed lucky with the weather and decided to walk the 3 miles from Wadebridge to Padstow (and back) along the famous Camel Trail. Most people cycle this route, but we decided to take our time and walk. It was peaceful, and you had some incredible views across the river.

Here are a few of my favourite photos from the day, I took hundreds, and it was hard to narrow it down to the ones I am sharing. There was something pretty to take a photo of at every turn, the views, cottages, streets and businesses are all so quaint and photo worthy. I will 100% be popping back for a second visit – if only for another ice cream.

Fowey Cornwall – Goodbye Summer

October 11, 2020 - Vicki Leave a comment

We are well into October now & the weather has turned colder. Autumn is in full swing, I look forward to this time of year, it is my birthday month (always a plus) and I love the changing colours and the cosy darker evenings. That being said I am sad to say goodbye to Summer. 2020 has been an odd year to say the least and this Summer has felt up and down. I didn’t do very much at all, staying very close to home. I am lucky to call Cornwall home and although it has been so much busier this year with people holidaying in Britain & doing their staycation, I still managed to get out and enjoy what is essentially my own backyard. Nothing like a pandemic to force you into being a tourist in your local area.

I have been browsing through the photos I took over the past few months, April – Sept and thought I would share them almost like a photo diary of some beautiful places we visited. Cornwall did not let us down, the weather was exceptionally warm this year, and I am so thankful for that. The sunshine made such a positive impact on my mood and helped me feel less isolated and cooped up.

Make sure you head off the beaten track a little, the high street is of course worth a visit but the small, pedestrianised backstreets are quiet and beautiful. Winding streets are everywhere, lined with classic Cornish cottages which are often painted in lovely pastel colours & will make you daydream about packing in the 9-5 and moving to the peace and quiet.

Also, Fowey river is a popular place to kayak, sail and enjoy the water. They have guided boat tours or you can hire a small boat or kayak and explore the river yourself, or head out around the coast.

One of our favourite places to stop in Fowey, is Readymoney. It is a beautiful sandy cove and if you time it right it can feel like your own private beach. The beach shop is incredible too, you can get a coffee and treat yourself to a slice of cake, ice cream or even a locally made sausage roll. They have a number of vegan options, which is always fantastic to see. They also have a lot of lovely gift ideas and mementoes, mostly locally made. The beach & shop are well worth the short walk from the village, along the river. I always have to get a tub of the vegan ice cream.

Fowey is a charming, small harbour town and over the past 5 years we have seen a number of quality restaurants and independent shops and cafés open. Less classic seaside beach tat and more locally made, handcrafted quality goods and wonderful food. Fitzroy, Bufala Pizzeria and Brown Sugar are amongst our top places to get food. Although if you want something quick and Cornish, Fowey has quite a few Bakeries, so you will be spoilt for choice.