Fantasy in the fog

The weather has been the most curious I can remember for the time of year. Before Christmas there was lots of snow and now there’s tons of rain. And in between was… the fog.

I don’t know if you’ve ever been to Cornwall? I spent part of the recent holiday there, though I might as well have been on the moon, considering the circumstances. I understand that virtually the whole of the UK was swathed in similar low hanging cloud at the time, but this sort of climatic condition regularly affects the Cornish peninsula. I was once there for a week in June when the weather was exactly the same. I went to see a play at the outdoor Minack Theatre and could barely see the stage for fog – though it rather added to the authentic atmosphere of The Scarlet Pimpernel.



































Some people find the Cornish mizzle strangely romantic. It can be eerily beautiful to see the gnarled branches of Lamorran wood rising out of the fog. Or to accidentally stumble upon an apparition of a gothic style mansion with lion-topped gateposts - the quirky turrets vaguely visible through the mist (I wasn’t trespassing, honest!)







Talking of gothic, we’ve some gorgeous feather-trimmed, fingerless gloves at ShopCurious – and they’re on sale now too.

Anyway, I’d like to know what you think of this type of weather? Does it make you go all misty eyed? Or are you wary of the ghosts that may be lurking, hidden inside the curiously creepy fog…

Are you?

Last of the Summer sun?

When I saw the photos of Lenorenevermore’s day at the beach in the sun (with fiddly oysters), I felt compelled to revisit my own snaps from last weekend in Cornwall. Am I a masochist or what?

Obviously, I’d paid extra for a room with a sea view. And here is my prime view from a deluxe room. Of course, this is not just fog… this is Cornish fog.

Us Brits are hardy folk - we'd barely bat an eyelid in a hurricane, but once in a while, too much bad weather can get to us.



Anyway, I calmed myself by watching a local fisherman bring in his catch. He’d come back early due to the unfavourable conditions out at sea, though had still managed to pot four trays full of rather lively looking crabs. When he told me how little he’d be selling them for I nearly keeled over.












I’m probably becoming a bit crabby as I get older, but sometimes the prices at ‘quaint’ hotels and restaurants in the middle of nowhere are so astronomical it makes me very curious… If you’ve ever been to Cornwall, you might have noticed the prices creeping up over the years, in much the same fashion as a Cornish fog. So plateau de fruits de mer at £58 a pop is not uncommon.





Ever since Olga Polizzi took over the Tresanton Hotel in St Mawes, the prices of property and hotel rooms in the Roseland Peninsula have sky-rocketed. Of course, St Mawes has always been known as ‘Belgravia-on-sea’ and considered even posher than Padstein, or any other of the northern Cornish Cameroons.








But the St Mawes effect has spread its tentacles all around the coast, leaving almost no part unaffected by London level prices. Which is kind of odd - considering where Cornwall is in the UK, and the availability of crabs…and the fog.








Thankfully, there are still some havens of sense amidst the smugglers’ stew. Whether it’s moules mariniere, fish and chips, or crab and crusty bread you’re looking for, I’d suggest a visit to the Pandora at Restronguet Creek for hearty seafood fare at good old fashioned prices. And if you’re shopping for bargains, remember to check out the ShopCurious sale too, because next week it’s all change - with new stock and wonderful Winter curiosities for the coming colder months.

Typical that now our Summer holidays are over, the sun’s come out again – albeit with a marked autumnal chill in the air. Never mind, there’s always next year to look forward to.

Are you?