pinkbirdflies

Took a regional train trip from Lucca to La Spezia, a port city and a short ferry ride to Porto Venere which was just lovely….windy…but lovely! Explored the church built on the cliff and enjoyed my favourite drink “Aperol Spritz” in a waterside bar before returning to a meal of Gamberino at a local seafood restaurant…accompanied by the regional white wine of Cinque Terre.

Explored Newquay which is a bit of a surfing mecca…ripcurl shop, quiksilver, surfing schools and lots of ‘surf’ and ‘beach’ cafes although the main shopping area is a bit dowdy and not atmospheric. I resorted to Costa for a coffee which was actually really good but maybe I’ve been in Polperro too long! I was looking for somewhere for lunch and was getting desperate  so gave up and drove around the town and started heading out into the countryside when I came to a tiny cove called Watergate Bay. I parked in the paid parking lot ,as you have to absolutely everywhere here ,and saw a sign near the path to the beach saying “Fifteen” so in I went. It turns out to be Jamie Olivers Fifteen Restaurant, very funky and with a spectacular view of an almost perfect surf pumping in from the Atlantic ocean…no wonder I had seen the surfers in the car park hurredly kitting up with wetsuits, booties, hoods and gloves. It was on! The restaurant was booked out so they sat me at the bar where I had the best, friendliest service with a glass of prosecco and fresh cornish crab bruschetta. I decided to lash out and the barman made me a sensational flat white and I had a blood orange chocolate piece of decadence.