Canon EOS 5D Mk III – EF 24-70mm f2.8 – f10 ISO 100 – Merge of 3 exposure – Starting with the picture of the week, an HDR montage of Watergate bay to compensate for the very cloudy and grey sky. The grass was not so green and the sea not so blue – but I promise the sky was as bad.
Very English holidays this Easter for the four of us – a family week in Cornwall. Our base camp was top class – the Bedruthan Step family hotel near Newquay. The hotel was great in all respect, we went to the indoor pool once a day – plenty of activities for the kids, more than decent food, a very clever baby monitoring system – and a stunning room with a view.
Chiara and Olivier had a blast – and both wanted to stay longer.
Not everything went perfectly though – so on the downside highlights here are a few –
- The Cornwall micro-climate is a myth. Seriously. It was wet and very variable, with a minimum of two showers per day. And the see temperature is 11.
- We had to listen to the “Frozen” soundtrack on average 2,2 times per day. And we were forced to sing at times. I’m having nightmares…
- Privately run parking are a pain. £100 for being 10mins late on a beach parking (costing already £1 per hour) – that’s not fair !
Given we don’t have many pictures, they will be organised per theme. As usual – you can click on any of them for a larger version – enjoy !
Jamie Olivier’s Fifteen Restaurant
Very good food – decent prices, stunning view and one of the most beautiful beaches around – really a dream spot – we had fantastic time for a few hours there.
Canon EOS 5D Mk III – EF 24-70mm f2.8 (from top left to bottom right) – 1- The menu. 2- Olivier is the artist of the family, drawing while waiting his meal. 3- Mozzarella revisited (starter). 4- The restaurant and the beach. 5- Chiara with her (not a restaurant again…) face. 6- Fish feast. 7- Same beach from the top … another way a bit more sunny, it makes all the difference.
Tintagel Castle
Tintagel castle is a medieval fortification located on the peninsula of Tintagel. Plenty of walks/steps. We managed to make Chiara climb all the way for more than an hour while pretending we were searching for ghosts. Once she realised we wouldn’t find any – she suddenly got tired and we had to carry her. Stunning views – bad weather.
Canon EOS 5D Mk III – EF 24-70mm f2.8 (from top left to bottom right) – 1- The view from the top – worth the climb. 2- Chiara climbing, steps as high as her legs. 3- Chiara resting, starting to realise we have to walk down now. 4- Olivier having a very difficult walk up. 5-Dramatic landscape on the way to the castle. 6- Resting after the final walk up the hill.
Bedruthan Steps Hotel
Canon EOS 5D Mk III – EF 24-70mm f2.8 (from top left to bottom right) – 1- The view from our room. 2- Chiara jumping. 3- Olivier eating. 4- Chiara applying for a falconry position.
Beaches
Obviously the highlight of the trip was beaches. It was cold so you will notice children (and us) wearing full winter gear when doing sand castles. Also water was very cold – I foolishly expected Chiara to have enough with her feet – but unfortunately she still managed to go all-in ! Olivier was as usual, much more cautious.
Canon EOS 5D Mk III – EF 24-70mm f2.8 (from top left to bottom right) – 1- Digging in the sand winter mode – with the wellies. 2- Escaping death but freezing. 3- Chiara gaining confidence with her wetsuit. 4- Kids castle defeated by the tide. 5- Chiara, down after putting her head in the water. 6- The builder. 7- Pretty but cold, see you soon Cornwall.