Already I have a new interest in darts, who knew? I don't like to play them but I love watching it. This is even more unusual since I would think playing them would be more fun than watching... for me it's not. Babz is into his darts and watching it on the sports channel here and I hadn't really been that much interested in it. But then this world championship came on and I was only watching because he was and so I needed to know how the scoring worked so he explained that to me. Sounded pretty simple, and there I am suddenly waiting for the next competition and had my favorite players I was rooting for. So yeah, darts.... my new thing. :P
I've also started watching Downton Abbey. OH-MY-GOD! What have I been missing!?? I am loving this show! I am binge watching it and I can't stop but I know I have to or else it will finish too fast and I don't want it to. I am so glad I didn't watch it when everyone else was because having to wait a whole week for shit is just too much for me. I die when this happens for me with Game of Thrones and Walking Dead.
Babz and I saw our first movie of 2016 as well already.... The Hateful Eight. I don't consider myself a Tarantino fan at all, yet I've seen all his movies and like most of them too, a lot. But still, I don't feel like I'm a fan. Anyway, Jennifer Jason Leigh killed it. She kicked ass in this role! So there ya go.
Anyway, so we go back on the road for the new year and we are in Cornwall. Oh how I love Cornwall! I never really thought about how lucky I was to go there as often as I do until recently. Most people who live in Britain only get to visit there once a year on their summer holiday. Expats like me probably only ever visit once or a couple of times ever. And the weird thing about it is that it isn't even that far. About 2 1/2 to 3 hours from me, it's about 4 hours from London. Nothing is really too far here. Let's not forget that England fits into Texas about three times! So why everyone thinks places like this are far, I have no idea.
England.
If you don't already know, Cornwall is a county in England. It's not the kind of counties we have in America. You can think of them more like mini states. They have their border lines and even their own flag.
Southwest England County Map
We live in Dorset, literally 10 minutes outside of Bournemouth. And well, you see where Cornwall is. It's such a beautiful county. So many coves and beaches, dramatic cliffs, never ending moors, breathtaking forests... the list is never ending. There is so much to see and do there. We've probably been about a dozen times since I've been in England and we've still haven't seen and visited all the places I would like to yet.
Our route from Poole to Lostwithiel. Roughly 2hours/50mins.
So we're headed out back there for a couple of days. We weren't going as far out as we had in the past but it's always a long drive especially for the time we have to leave in the morning. Thank god for the gorgeous scenery along the way!
Somewhere near Bodmin. Cornwall, England. 2016.01.13
Cornwall Sunrise. Somewhere near Bodmin.
Rise and Shine. Somewhere near Bodmin.
Of course every time we go we are up and out on the road before the sun is even out. Usually we are driving for a whole hour before you start to see the sun peeking outta the sky. It didn't help that it was cold, it was very cold... even icy in some parts! But I was bundled and prepared.
Our first stop would be Lostwithiel. We came down this gorgeous little road to get into the town, I don't even know the name of it but it was about 1-2 miles of peaceful serenity!
Road to Lostwithiel. Cornwall, England. 2016.01.13
The last time I was here was 2 years ago (blog post here) and when I came, I only visited the castle while Steve was in an appointment in the town. This time I would be in the town as well. I walked to the church that wasn't far away from where we parked. I tried to go inside but it was surprisingly locked, unless I just didn't pull the handle correctly.
St Bartholomew Church. Lostwithiel. 2016.01.13
St Bartholomew Church grounds
I made my way to the river that was nearby I wanted to see the town's historic bridge. It was definitely old. According to the sign on the bridge the River Fowey was first bridged by the Normans, who founded Lostwithiel. "The Great Bridge of Lostwithiel" first documented in 1280, had nine arches. The foundations of the four most westerly arches are said to be under the street. The Bridge has undergone changes over the centuries and was rebuilt in the 15th century. It narrowly escaped being blown up by the Parliamentarian Army in 1644 during the English Civil War. Over time the river has changed course and the four easterly arches were added in the 18th century. Until the bypass was opened in 1939 this bridge was the main road between St Austell and Liskeard. Today it still plays a major role in the life of Lostwithiel as a central part of town activities and celebrations.
The River Fowey. Lostwithiel, Cornwall. England
Lostwithiel Bridge. Cornwall, England.
It was pretty cold out so I took a few more photos and vids and decided to head back to the warm heated seats of the car. :)
Lostwithiel. Cornwall, England2016.01.13
Me ifo the River Fowey and Lostwithiel Bridge. (using this cool app I discovered)
Once we left Lostwithiel, we headed to a couple of other towns that Steve had appointments in and then we finally settled our heads after a long long day.
I spend most of my time travelling many parts of England with my husband, snapping photos and blogging. I've become obsessed with traditional cream teas, never wanting summer to end and love a pint of cider. I'm blessed to have found my soul mate, even if he was across the world. Some days I feel lost, other days I feel like I'm right where I belong, but every day I am still fascinated by England's glorious landscapes, rich history and olde worlde charm. ღ
