Plunging into Cornwall

A few weeks ago, we were invited to stay at Talland Bay Hotel which is west of the town of Looe, Cornwall.

The hotel is described as a cliff top fairytale. The lush tropic gardens were dotted with curiosities – a recapturing of inhibited childhood imagination.

Everywhere you looked there was something to discover.

This continues on into the interiors of the hotel with a lot of references to Alice in Wonderland.

Around every corner, down the hallway, up the stairs, even in the rooms, there were quirky pieces of art installations.

After taking it all in at Talland Bay Hotel, we went to discover what lied beyond the grounds of this fantasy space.

The hotel sits on a cliff, away from the crowds, in a quiet nook. Talland Bay was known as a landing spot for smugglers and also had been the scene of many shipwrecks.

We went on a walk along the South West Coastal path to the next town, Polperro. The coast was as others have described it – undulating hills, the sky above and waves below.

After almost an hour up and down the path, we finally caught sight of ‘civilisation’ – that was how Mum felt. Polperro was in sight and we were once again on paved roads! LOL!

Polperro is one of the most quintessential fishing villages, with boats in the harbour and ancient cottages climbing up the hillside. We meandered through the village streets checking out the shops.

After all that walking, it was time for replenishment. We were told to look out for Three Pilchards, the oldest pub in Polperro. Situated on the quay, Three Pilchards takes its name for the catch that made Polperro a hub of vibrant activity. It definitely looked that way when we were there – the most popular place for lunch and oh so many doggies!

We sat on the terrace and had a view of the seaside village while the humans had some delicious crab bisque. They had to have seafood whilst there.

And believe me, Mum wasn’t walking back to Talland Bay. LOL! That was enough walking for her – and to be fair, she did have a troublesome knee.

A day in Cornwall wouldn’t be complete without a beach run – so off we went down to the beach which was a short walk down the road. But we needed to be on a leash – I think we were both attached to the same long lead! 😉

All too soon, our stay at Talland Bay Hotel came to an end. Taking in the view one last time, Mum let me off for a run around the manicured lawn amidst the beach huts before we leave for London.

But just then, I spotted a rabbit! Surely it had to be the White Rabbit! Curiosity and chase took over! I did hear Mum yell my name and I did pause for one nano second. Remember Mum recently sang my praises about very good recall. I do, but I was … curious. Chasing after the elusive rabbit took dominance. My sense of pure curiosity made me think I will gain much satisfaction of meeting the rabbit face to face.

Mum watched me hurtle into the bushes that separated the hotel grounds and the neighbouring property. When I couldn’t find a way through I ran the length of the border with Mum hobbling after my tracks hoping that her presence would restore sense into my confused and delirious mind. And helplessly, she saw me slip through the fence!

There was no way Mum could climb over the fence (bad knee, remember?) and down the other side. I dashed around in the neighbour’s lawn as I frantically nosed the rabbit scent. Mum called Ju-Li for assistance who adeptly clambered over the fence and in no time, she too was running back and forth around the garden shouting after my name, when from the corner of her eye, she noticed a woman in her robe, supposedly the neighbour, standing by the window and we hoped, watched in amusement!

Ju-Li couldn’t see me but Mum heard a lot of rustling in the thick undergrowth. She directed Ju-Li (Mum’s very good at giving directions) to the far left corner. But the dense undergrowth was impossible to get through.

Mum hobbled back to the hotel to ask for assistance. Sounds familiar? The same thing happened years ago when we stayed at The Scarlet Hotel, also in Cornwall.

One of the hotel staff, Callie took charge from there. She scrambled through the hedges, broke off branches as she pursued the rustling sound, all the time calling my name. She finally did see me – or rather my tail as I was trying to bury down the rabbit hole!!! Whatever happened next I don’t remember. All of a sudden my “rabbit dream” was interrupted and I found myself in the arms of a stranger. And handed back to a very annoyed and embarrassed Mum. She had only told all our blog readers how good I was at recall. Oops!

May’s comment: We did manage a quick breakfast and caught the train back to London. What would a trip be if George didn’t have an adventure to tell? Just when I thought he had overcome the street dog in him.

The rescue team – THANK YOU!

George pursued the rabbit out of pure curiosity and probably believed that catching it would give him some satisfaction. I am pretty sure he wouldn’t know what to do if he did catch it! Yes, that was a heartstopping end to what was a tranquil getaway to one of the most unspoiled sections of the south west coast of Cornwall.

We were invited to stay at the Talland Bay Hotel to check out how relaxed they are about dogs. And there must have been about six other dogs the two nights we were there.

We had Afternoon Tea and an excellent supper in the conservatory where we could dine with our dogs.

Talland Bay Hotel is a country house in the shade of grand pines is a place of intrigue. On a hilltop overlooking Talland Bay at Porthallow, Looe PL13 2JB