Buenos Aires

So with boxes finally away and paperwork sorted, and plenty of draining but wonderful goodbyes, it was onto the Heathrow Express (what a treat for my departure) headed for Buenos Aires.

A partied- out Bulli was there to meet me on a very dreary early morning. We had a quiet start to BA but once the jet lag and post-tour come down subsided we were off and running. We explored most neighbourhoods, and stayed in San Telmo, the fleamarket district. Really nice and lots of traces of old style Buenos Aires from the days when the tango was born out of the large but overfilled homes of immigrant families who filled the neighbourhood when the upper classes fled the yellow fever plague.

We visited the cemetery in Recoleta which is renown for its ornate chambers, I think Evita's is one of the best known tombs.

And speaking of Evita we got the deets on why she is so beloved in Argentina on our excellent walking tour. We got a rundown on Argentina's turbulent modern history and visited the union building which is like a 1950s time capsule. This incredibly dedicated and beautiful old man has created a museum to Evita and it was moving to hear him speak 60 years later about the impact she had on him and others (shows his impact and passion given I can't understand Spanish but could feel how important it was to him!)

Another highlight was visiting the brightly coloured La Caminita in The Boca neighbourhood. We also went to a game at the famous Bombonera to see Boca Juniors. Outside the stadium the atmosphere was expectant and a bit eerie, everyone is very orderly and you are searched before you go in. Inside there is an explosion of colour and fun and the singing is awesome. The most boring football game we have ever seen but the atmosphere did deliver.

We had a couple of famous Argentinian steaks, rare was the best way for us, and enjoyed malbecs and empanadas. Had a fun night out with some of Bulli's tour mates and visited Palermo on a Saturday when all the locals come out for shopping and coffees.

La Poesia was a favourite cafe - pages and pages of sandwiches and a lovely colonial 50s style feel. We also visited the famous cafe Tonino.

So Buenos Aires was not a big tick list of sights, more about people watching and soaking up the modern history and current way of life. It looks like a city that shone in the 50s and 60s and now is a little ragged around the edges as they've had other things to worry about, but beautiful in its way.

Little quirk - people sell all sorts of things on the metro! Socks, colouring books, street directories! They pop it on your lap, you like, you buy, you don't, you leave!

In the thick of it

Have been doing my best to well and truly soak up London this week, despite the constant drizzle and white/grey cloud.

You can't relive eight years in a week but you can walk around capturing as many pictures in your head as possible, that also remind you of all the sights and sounds over the last few years.

The week has looked something like:

Farewell to my wonderful, special workmates, was all a bit overwhelming!

A drained drink at The Cock in Fulham then Italian ( Best Mangal had special event so no luck there)...

A super fun and nostalgic evening at The Cumberland Arms...

Marylebone High Street and the Sunday menu at l'autre pied, fabulous, a stroll around Selfridges...

The disappointing Man U v Man City derby...

Dinner in Hampstead and baguettes at Bon Bon...

Strolling through Kensington and Notting Hill, just following my nose...

Afternoon tea at the elegant, art nouveau St Pancras Grand...

Plum Valley, drinks at the Soho Arts Club and a dash through Soho to find a table, finally at at Taro...

Where Dale convinced Al to try the sake challenge...

Sitting in the snug with mates at the newly refurbished Harrow off Fleet Street...

Then of course finishing off where every London tourist starts, Borough Market, stocking up for my weekend of TLC from superhosts Ben and Ara.

Thanks so much to Win and Dan too for everything this week, made it fun and so much easier for me.

Port Quin to Port Isaac

On our last day in Cornwall we squeezed in another walk, this time from Port Quin to Port Isaac. We took the coast path to Port Isaac - lots of steps up and down! It was only two and a half miles but very undulating! It was magnificent scenery, and we passed only five people so it felt like we had it all to ourselves...

We stopped in Port Isaac, where there a fair few people strolling through the lanes. It's a really cute fishing village, definitely liked it more than Padstow. It's also famous as the setting for the tv show Doc Martin.

I picked up a super fresh crab sandwich, saw the fish for the day coming in, and we set off on the inland route back to Port Quin. I loved this walk, it was definitely one of the most picturesque walks I've done.

House in Port Quin

Port Quinn

Looking back on the track so far

Bulli strikes a pose

And looking ahead to the track to Port Isaac

Bulli enjoying the scenery

Looking down to Port Quin

Looking down to Port Isaac

Port Isaac streets

Bluebells

I never really believed that you could just come across flowers like buttercups and bluebirds easily in fields or that they would look exactly as their name suggests. I sort of thought their abundance was just something authors like Enid Blyton made up. Well, bluebells aplenty on the Camel Trail...

The Camel Trail - Cornwall Pt 3

Today we took on the Camel Trail, an old disused rail line that runs along the Camel River. It was a great day cycling. From beautiful woods to beaches, we covered 50kms. We're stuffed...

But we did haul ourselves out of the B&B to get to Polzeath for a truly stunning sunset over the Atlantic and another beautiful beach.
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As if you'd take a call when there's scenery like this to explore!

On the way to Padstow - or PadStein as the locals joke (Rick Stein, seafood chef)

Cruising

Old train platform

Minack Theatre and Land's End - Cornwall pt 2

The skies were much better on day two of our Cornish exploration. We said goodbye to the lovely Bay Lodge B&B and headed firstly for the unique Minack Theatre. In the 1920s a lady called Rowena Cade moved to Cornwall from Cheltenham and had the stroke of genius to carve theatre seats into her hillside, with the ocean as the backdrop to the stage. It was called the Minack Theatre (Minack meaning rock in Cornish) and, with only two other gardeners, spent her life working laying and carving the seats for the theatre. It had to halt in WWII when it was sealed with barbed wire as the coast was first defence in the War, but apart from that interruption it carried on and grew to become a famous outdoor theatre.

Second stop was Land's End. Bit of a rort to pay 5pounds to park your car to walk around the most westerly mainland point of the UK, however we had to do it I suppose. The coast around the Minack theatre was probably more striking, but it was still beautiful. I just sound spoiled!

Then we went to another unique spot, St Michael's Mount. Separated from the mainland by the tides, St Michael's Mount has been a monastery, a fortress a port and a family home.
The same family live and manage the island as they have since the 17th century. Can you imagine having that much knowledge of and, I guess continuity in your family lineage?

We had a quick lunch at the market town, Marizion, which looks out to the Mount. Charles II reportedly spent a night in an inn there before he made for the Scilly Isles.

Finally we cruised up the beautiful coast before turning into the cryptic country lanes to our second B&B in St Mabyn, an old chapel with more lovely hosts. We managed to navigate our way to the St Tudys Inn for dinner; it is such a cute village, like something out of a story book, and the publican was such a host, in his bowtie and red cords, and has created a beautiful little nook, with the roaring fireplace and big wooden tables.

St Michael's Mount back to Marizion

Tide's out - taking the path to St Michael's Mount

St Michael's Mount

Land's End

Minack Theatre

Looking down to the stage

I do like to be by the seaside - Cornwall part 1

On Easter Sunday we took the early train to Penzance, Cornwall from Paddington. Five hours later, we were off the train and all sorted in our B&B. We spent the afternoon checking out the very quiet Penzance, watched Man City lose to Arsenal from the comfort of the pub, then had dinner at the Turk's Head, reputedly the oldest pub in Penzance.

Easter Monday we were ready for a big walk, but the weather had other ideas. The best option was to catch the bus to St Ives. It's such a really pretty little town full of art shops, cafes and of course pasty shops. I thought of it as a beachside Maleny.

The beaches are so sandy and on a sunny day they would look super inviting. We took on the elements with a bit of a walk around the headland, but after that it was a delicious fresh crab sandwich for me, and pasty for Bulli, then a few hours just warming up in a pub with a glass of red wine and books.