Super skies

The Red Arrows came to town....

....and boy were they good!

Considering these photos were taken on a simple Nokia phone, it just goes to show how amazing they were on the day.

 We watched from the shore in Falmouth, but I bet the view from the boats was amazing.

Wait for it....

Not finished yet...

Isn't that great?

Summer froth

The hedgerows and lanes are so frothy at the moment, with tons of cow parsley and lots of beautiful pink and purple flowers. Everything is growing as though it's on steroids, and this ancient signpost is in danger of being swamped completely!

Gig rowing

I've finally fulfilled a dream I've had since moving to Cornwall, and tried gig rowing. It is the fastest growing sport in the South West, and probably the only one where men, women and children can all take part in the same boat!

A Cornish pilot gig is a six oared rowing boat that was originally used to rescue people who were ship-wrecked, or to guide a ship into port. Today, there is a growing sport associated with it and the World Championships are held every year in the Isles of Scilly. 

I joined the Helford Gig Rowing club on a lovely sunny evening. The river is a beautiful place that is worth the effort just for the views of the wooded banks, herons and sandy beaches. 

We set off from outside the Ferryboat Inn, two boat loads of mainly amateurs plus one dog called Ruby who came along for the ride. Although I often 'caught a crab' by dipping my oar in too deeply,  I wasn't made to feel awkward or embarrassed. The cox was kind and there was a lot of laughter on the water. I'll definitely be back. 

Flora Day

Cornwall is a land of ancient stones, myths, legends and traditions that go back hundreds if not thousands of years. The Cornish people do their best to keep these alive, and prepare for the festivities all year.

Flora Day is a Spring festival in the Cornish market town of Helston that takes place every May. It is designed to welcome in the Spring, and celebrate the season of renewal and vitality.

 The townsfolk decorate the outside of shops and houses with greenery and wild flowers, which creates a beautiful backdrop to the traditional dancing and music.

Windows adorned with the Cornish flag

Wild bluebells decorate doors

The mayor is there to welcome everyone

The day starts very early - with a big drum at 7am kicking off a series of dances that last for hours and brass bands playing the Flora Day song. 

I love the fact that everyone who takes part dresses up, so the men wear traditional top hats and tails and the ladies wear flowery dresses, wide brimmed hats and gloves. Even the children look fantastic all dressed in white for both boys and girls.

There are adult and children's dances which tell the story of Hal an Tow, with the participating characters singing about the challenge of the Spanish Armada, the English patron saint, St. George and the fight between St Michael and the devil.

My son was born in Helston, and I was hoping that this would mean he could take part in the dancing when he was older but apparently you need to live there so instead we'll just enjoy watching everyone. 

Sunshine days

What a start to the Easter holidays! We were teased earlier on with glimpses of sun, but this week has been a real treat. The warmth has been much appreciated by everyone, and means we can finally start digging out summer clothes rather than automatically looking for something waterproof. 

Some of you may recognise this view of Gyllyngvase beach in Falmouth, it made the front page of The Times a few weeks ago with a cool photo of a paddleboarder. I'm not sure how to share the photo but you can find it on WeSUP's Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/supschool/timeline?filter=2

This is the popular Gylly Beach Cafe, it has great views overlooking the beach and I think if you half close your eyes you could almost imagine you were somewhere like Sydney!

Paddle boarding has really taken off down here in Cornwall, and is a great way to explore the hidden coves and intricacies of the coastline. It's a sport that complements surfing, so that when the conditions are too calm for waves you can still get out on the water. I hear it's great for building up good tummy muscles and core body strength. It also looks much easier than surfing, which is good if you're a complete beginner like me. I think it's so much easier to exercise if you can find something that you enjoy doing, don't you?

Surprise visitor

Look who turned up in our churchyard the other day! Apparently he was found wondering around the village, so someone tied him to the tree to keep him safe. There was much hilarity, and for a few hours he was a local celebrity with people offering up carrots, turnips and taking his picture. We eventually worked out that he belonged to the local pub and was apparently quite an experienced escapee!

Dunes

Recently we headed over to the Towans, a huge set of dunes near Hayle. Tewyn means sand dune in Cornish. The dunes boarder one of the most lovely beaches in Cornwall, Gwithian which is popular with surfers, boogie boarders, swimmers and rock-poolers. Luckily, with miles of sand there is plenty of room for everyone. If you look closely, you can just see Godrevy lighthouse in the distance. 

The dunes are quite high, and it's a fair slog to the top but totally worth it as the views are amazing. We met up with some friends who live nearby, who fortunately brought hot drinks with them when we needed to rest and refuel. 

There are lots of different size of dunes, but this is one of our favourites. 

It's incredibly steep, and the scale is impressive. This probably only shows half of it! We had a great time running down and then huffing and puffing our way back up to the top. It was the most fun we'd had in ages, with the added bonus of being a great way to get in some free exercise.