Chris and I were amused by this sign outside a shop in Port Isaac a few days ago while we were having a short break in North Cornwall. And there sure were a lot of seagulls. For the most part they were either resting on the cliff tops or merry-making in the air above the cliffs and roof tops; many were having fun gliding in the strong winds and some were dare-diving down to the turbulent waves, then shooting off again. They didn’t seem bothered that there were few tourists from whom they could scavenge or steal their lunches – perhaps the pickings were easy enough in the surf. The gulls obviously didn’t mind the thick fog either; rather, they appeared to be highly delighted with the weather conditions that kept most human-folk indoors.

After our own easy lunch in “The Golden Lion” Chris and I found the air even more bracing as we took the cliff path back to the car park.

“Now that’s what I call a cabbage!” exclaimed Chris observing a strange, cabbage-like plant growing from an enormous stalk. Even a passing seagull showed surprise at seeing such huge cabbages growing along the cliff.

The fog and mist clung to us wherever we went on our little break…

But we always had fun… be it on Mawgan Porth beach or at Padstow Harbour…

There was so much to see… and eat!

At the end of each day we returned to Rosie’s pretty cottage with views of the church from our bedroom windows and the wood burning fire in the lounge room…

We had to come home yesterday (or it wouldn’t have been a short break). In usual fashion the fog accompanied us – if anything, it was thicker than when we arrived – and it stayed with us all the way to the Devon border. At the “Welcome to Devon” sign suddenly it was as if a light went on, the fog disappeared and by the time we arrived back in Dawlish the sun was shining to greet us. Apparently the weather was quite good at home all the time we were away in North Cornwall – so close and yet so far! We didn’t mind – like the gulls, we just wanted to have fun; we were free as birds and that was fun.