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Tuesday 5 May 2009

Bank holiday


How is it possible that I went away for two weeks to Thailand and Vietnam where the temperatures reached about 38 degrees, and came back with barely even a light tan, and I go away for the weekend in England in Devon and Cornwall where I doubt the temperatures topped 18 degrees and come back looking like a lobster? My freckles are out in full force again too. Can anyone explain this?

It is the damned wind here I tell you. It fooled all of us into thinking it wasn't that hot and so we weren't as anal about sunscreen as we were in Thailand, where it was so hot that if you moved sweat went flying.

This weekend we went here:



Crantock beach, Cornwall



There were waves and everything



Jolly Poke beach, Cornwall. I don't make this shit up.




Tintagel, Cornwall. Supposedly King Arthur was born here. The link is very tenuous though. As in, someone made it up.



Tintagel


This is definitely my favourite favourite part of the country. If only I could live there....

Ok it was still pretty cold, the wind was icy and the water was Capetonian so I did not actually swim or anything. If someone could only crank up the heating a bit I may even get to wear the mythical bikini I went to so much effort to purchase.

But I always feel so much happier when I am near the sea. Our tent got a good airing. And it was so beautiful. I feel like my batteries have been recharged to survive this four day week when (whaha) you insufferable South Africans have your first 5 day week in aeons. Suckers!
update: I checked and actually the beach is called Polly Joke, not Jolly Poke! It seems I DO make this shit up. I kind of prefer my version though.

17 comments:

The housewife said...

Beautiful photos - I think we must give Jolly Poke a visit some time soon.

LadyFi said...

Gorgeous photos.. and aren't we Brits good at making up silly names!!!

Champagne Heathen said...

You mean they have real beaches in Britain!!?!?!?!? People have been lying to me all these years!

Gorgeous!

po said...

Haha oooops guys, I just checked the name of that beach and it is Polly Joke, not Jolly Poke. OOOPS.

Caroline: yeah, so you might want to correct the name before you try getting there.

Ladyfi: yes, although it seems I am contributing to this!

Champagne Heathen: they have stunning beaches in England. They are just quite far away and you have a long drive to get there. But they are gorgeous and people even surf.

Dash said...

those are amazing photos! and I thought England was miserable and dreary!

po said...

dash: shame, everyone thinks that. There are stunning places, and times when the weather obliges. Sadly the long stretches of bad weather are all people remember

Miss Definitely Maybe said...

Loved the photos
but
did you say 'tent'
as in 'you were camping in a tent'
I do hotels
I do bed and breakfasts
I am not even ashamed to admit I have slept in a travelodge
but
a tent?
you would have to get rid of all the wild animals that could potentially eat me up ......like spiders, ants and all things tent camping.

po said...

miss dm: hehe yeah we always do tents. We are super stingy. At least the campsites in Cornwall are clean and nice. The ones in Wales are pretty skanky. But yeah,, its cool, it keeps out the rain (so far!)

Miss T said...

glory i had no idea the Uk had such beautiful beaches...the weather even looks good!!!

Hey did you read the report saying that this year they are expecting it to be an UNUSUALLY warm and dry summer for the UK... please please please please let that happen in Ireland!!!

po said...

Miss T: oooooh I hope that is true!

Anonymous said...

I have a theory about clouds being magnifying glasses- so that may be how you got the tan

On the other hand I'm not really a scientist- although it would have suited my... weirded out mind. I like knowing why stuff is the way it is.

Your pics are most gorgeous.

Weirdly enough I've heard much on Cornwall- always in books and even now though I see it in your pics it feels like a story book. I suppose it'll only sink in once I visit there.

sigh.

Have a good day

Tamara said...

Stunning pics, lobster lady ;-)

Polly Joke or Jolly Poke... it's weird either way!

po said...

Tamara: thanks, I know!

Jeanne said...

Isn't Cornwall the absolute BEST? We've only been to southern COrnwall (around St Ives) but we were blown away how beautiful and how much like home it is. Like yuo say - if only there were some sort of economic activity down there (other than surf schools and B&Bs) so we could earn a living and live there...

po said...

Jeanne: yeah, maybe I could teach people how to surf. Now, if only I could surf...

Dora said...

Right on about the sun. I seem to get burned here much much easier than all those years and traveling in Asia. And when a tropical, hot-weather, sun-acustommed Asian gets burnt, I think the sun here is really up to something...

po said...

Dora it is true. It may have something to do with humidity? I found Thailand very humid and maybe you don't burn as fast there. Or maybe the ozone is thinner? I don't know.