A Cornish Christmas

We're just back from St Ives where we spent Christmas this year.  We haven't been away from home for Christmas since my elder daughter (now 19) was a year old.  Our families lived in Scotland and the prospect of lugging cases full of warm clothing and Christmas presents on and off crowded trains never appealed.  However, now that they are older and able to cope with pared down celebrations, we decided to get away from it all in one of our favourite places in the whole wide world.

The memories I will treasure for many years to come include:

• standing on the Island with arms stretched out being buffeted by gale force winds
• downing mugs of mulled cider in the Sloop before proceeding to ...
• midnight mass at St Ia's church by the harbour with all the candles and incense I could desire
• Iona writing Merry Xmas in the sand
• sipping mulled wine and eating Mrs Ferrell's mince pies while sun went down and the tide came in on Porthgwidden beach
• watching a pod of dolphins feeding off Porthmeor beach
• dunking biscotti in my early morning cuppa at Carrick Du and watching surfers ride the waves
• knitting by the window looking out on this view ...