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As I’ve mentioned, we just got back from visiting family in England, and I’d love to share a few photos, if you’d like to see…
My grandmother lives in Polruan, a tiny fishing village in Cornwall. It’s so small that you have to write “Polruan by Fowey” when mailing a letter so the post office knows how to find it.
Fourteen of us piled into her house, and the rest of our relatives rented cottages nearby. There were 20 adults and 6 children under four years old!
For decades, my grandmother has had a growth chart on her wall. It was sweet to see how much everyone has grown, and we added Anton’s teeny mark.
We really lucked out on weather — sunshine almost every day — and many days we went to the beach.
The rocky beaches and bracing water were perfect for splashy fun afternoons.
One afternoon, my aunts and cousins were sweet enough to take care of Toby while Alex and I took a long walk (with Anton in tow). We hiked along the cliffs above the ocean.
The funny thing about walks around Cornwall is that paths often run through cow fields. Sometimes you see adorable calves…other times, BULLS!
How stunning are those views, seriously? I did this walk so many times as a little kid that it felt really lovely to carry Anton there.
We learned on this trip that Anton is a real water baby! He was fearless and wanted to dunk his whole body in.
Also Alex can skip stones like a gazillion times. Always something new with that guy!
We ate delicious food in Cornwall, including pasties, which are dough pockets filled with beef, potato, carrot and onion stew. We also tried “chip butty” sandwiches, which are french fries between two slices of bread. Not for the faint of heart!
In the evening, we’d put the little guys to bed (with varying success) and sometimes sneak out for a last little walk.
The local pub was great…
…but more often, we’d have drinks at home before dinner. It was such a nice daily ritual.
Here’s my cousin Eleanor, who everyone still calls by her nickname “Bunny.” (Meanwhile my 27-year-old cousin is still called “Squirmy,” and my 30-year-old cousin is still called “Bear.” Cute how nicknames stick!)
My cousin Livs and her husband…
A Pimm’s Cup cocktail (and the aforementioned grey sweatshirt!)…
My cousin’s husband Nick is an entertaining GENIUS and always refills drinks the moment they dip below the 1/4 line. Instead of asking, “Do you want more wine?” he says, “Would you like a top off?” EVEN IF YOUR GLASS IS COMPLETELY EMPTY. So smooth. We were feeling no pain:)
The other funny thing is that Nick and Alex look so similar, and they basically wore the same clothes. We all kept confusing the two out of the corner of our eyes.
The final day, we visited my grandfather’s grave. My grandmother sometimes brings whiskey to pour on his grave, but this time my aunt Lulu brought rosemary, garlic and olive oil, since he loved rack of lamb. I felt especially nostalgic this year because Anton has his top lip.
I can’t resist sharing a few photos of a shoulder ride around town with Anton and “Opa”!
Finally, we snapped some group photos.
Not pictured: VERY early mornings, tantrums, teething, jet lag, squabbles… One day, I should do a post of vacation outtakes, ha!
Anyway, it was such a great and wild trip, and I’m homesick for England already. We’ll be back, please don’t forget us! Lots of love and thanks so much for reading. xoxo
P.S. Our last trip there, two years ago.
