A couple of years ago we had an incredible family holiday in Crantock, just outside of Newquay, at a place called Trevella Park. It was a special holiday for all sorts of reasons, not least because our hypermobile two year old had only recently started to walk. Watching her tottering around on the beach, running towards the sea, is a moment I’ll never forget.

Two years on and we’re returning to Trevella. Last time we stayed in a safari tent. This time I’ll be coming up for eight months pregnant, so as much as I loved the safari tent, I’d rather be near my very own toilet for those frequent nightly toilet trips. We’re staying in a luxury holiday home which has a loo, proper bedrooms and a kitchen and living area. I’m a fan of camping, but the comfort of a static caravan rather appeals to my pregnant side.

So why am I asking for your help?

Well this holiday is going to be a bit of a milestone one. It’s our last holiday as a three, before we begin life as a four.

The thing I loved about Trevella when we last went there was the laid back atmosphere. It’s not the type of place where you’ll find children’s entertainers hyped up on Pro Plus. There are no kiddy discos or loud bars. Instead, it’s about enjoying free range fun, making the most of the beautiful beach, the stunning scenery and the incredible nature right on the doorstep (or tent step).

We’re going to be using the newly launched App for Cornwall during our stay, which offers suggestions of activities and events across the region, but I also need some other pointers.

I know Cornwall pretty well – I lived there for a year when I did my journalism training. But there are so many different (totally free) things to do and places to see that I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of what the county has to offer.

We’ve narrowed down a potential list of (free!) things to do, but I’d like your help in prioritising them. The two activities that get the most votes will be on our “Definitely Doing List”. These are some of our favourites from the suggestions on the Trevella website:

• View a Cornish sunrise from the South West coastal path.
• Have a barbecue on the beach at Crantock.
• Take a kayak tour of the Gannel Estuary.
• Go crabbing.
• Go for a night time bug hunt.
• Go on a Ranger Trail.

As well as these activities, we’re keen to visit one of the following places too. But which one should we opt for?

• Crealy Adventure Park.
• Flambards.
• Lost Gardens of Heligan.

Last time we went to Cornwall we visited the Eden Project, which was amazing, so we’ll almost definitely go back there too. Plus we went to Lappa Valley back on our 2012 visit, as well as the Blue Reef Aquarium, which I know Frog will love even more now she’s that bit older. But we don’t want to spend the whole week rushing from place to place, so we need to pick just two or three to do. I just can’t decide which ones!

So, what would YOU do? Where would you go? Which of the activities and places on our “Possibles List” need to move to our “Definitely Doing List”? 

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Big thank you to Trevella Park for inviting us back to review the site again this year. Can’t wait! 

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With a husband who works as a teacher, I’m not familiar with holidaying in September, despite the fact my child is yet to start school. I’ve always thought of September breaks as being the sloppy-seconds of summer, imagining empty resorts and depressingly deserted beaches. But last week, on our break in Northern Spain, I found out that a trip taken out of season doesn’t have to be second best. In fact, there are many reasons that make it far more appealing.

We travelled by ferry to Santander and drove 45 minutes west to a little seaside town called Noja. This is an expanding resort popular with Spanish holidaymakers at the height of the season.

With dramatic mountains set against huge swathes of golden sand, Noja is certainly a scenic place – but there is also a sense of normality that removes it from your typical tourist resort. There are no pseudo Irish pubs, for example, nor cafes proclaiming “The Best Fry-Up in Spain”. It’s low-key, especially in September when many of the restaurants and bars have closed and the heat of the peak season has waned. 

We were staying in an apartment rented through Brittany Ferries, a fifteen minute stroll from the centre of town. The Apartamentos Quinto Sueño Torre Cristina is spacious, light and airy. Covering three floors, it boasts three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a living and dining room, kitchen and shared pool. There’s also a terrace with sun loungers and outside table and chairs. The decor is traditional, with marble floors and bright colours on the walls.

It’s part of an L-shaped complex consisting of ten apartments, which all share a pool. Plus, it has parking for two cars, which is a huge bonus in a resort like Noja – I imagine this comes in especially handy during high season.

The two flights of stairs and sharp marble corners don’t make this apartment ideal for a family with babies or toddlers, but for us – a group made up of mum, three year old and grandparents – it was perfect. There was room for Frog and I to have our own space, while my parents had a whole floor to themselves with their huge double bedroom (and en-suite bathroom complete with jacuzzi bath) on the top floor.

Cantabria as a region is ripe with lush green vegetation, golden beaches and towering mountains. I never associated Spain with so much green until I visited the Northern coast. It’s much cooler, with temperatures not peaking above 21 degrees while we were there. It’s hotter in the summer, but still more temperate than resorts further south.

If you’re a sun worshipper, then I wouldn’t advise going to Cantabria in September, as you won’t be guaranteed unbroken sunshine. That said, we had spells of beautiful blue skies and warmth – although these were mixed with showers and gusty winds on other days. As a verified heat lover, I was a bit grumpy on our first morning when I saw grey skies, but that bad mood instantly vanished once we got out into the area and I took in the breathtaking views. Rain or shine, these are impressive – and you don’t need hot hot heat to enjoy time playing at the beach anyway.

There’s something incredibly calming about wandering along a quiet beach, as the waves crash against the shore and the sun peaks through the clouds. I lost myself in the mountains and the water and the sense of space this place has – with no sun loungers to pick a path through, or games of volleyball to dodge. I imagine this isn’t the case mid-August, although the more relaxed pace of this part of Spain means it’s never over-run with British tourists. I quite like that.

Our nearest beach was a fifteen minute walk from our apartment – ten if you walked quickly. Even in low season there was a lifeguard there at one point, keeping a close eye on the few surfers in the water.

Ten minutes in the opposite direction we came to the town centre and another beach, with the few cafes and restaurants that were open all year round, whatever the season. That’s where we stumbled across a thriving local market one morning (in the town square) and the best supermarket I’ve ever been to. More on that in another post.

I’d love to go back to this part of Spain and explore it a bit further. Noja makes an ideal base to get to know the area, plus it really worked for us as a group made up of different ages all wanting varying things from the break. While it didn’t get hot enough to sunbathe, we still managed to spend a good chunk of time at the beach playing, running, building impressive sandcastles and just watching the sea. And, of course, we managed to fit in a delicious meal at a nearby restaurant and a couple of lovely evenings eating local food we cooked back at the apartment.

If you’re the kind of person who hates the crowds and loves stunning natural scenery, you’d love this place – especially in September. If you crave the heat and enjoy the hubbub, though, you’d be better going a month earlier and enjoying Noja during peak season. At that time you’ll find it lively with Spanish tourists, but still low-key enough to avoid the reams of British themed pubs and 18-30s types. The prices reflect that too, meaning your euros will stretch further than in other parts of Spain.

You can read my other post in the series so far: Spain in September – Getting There to find out how we made our way to Noja. And come back later in the week to find out what we did while we were there and how we enjoyed the local food.

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Prices start from £1169 for a week’s stay at Apartamentos Quinto Sueño Torre Cristina – this price includes property rental and return ferry crossings on selected sailings to Spain, for a standard car, 2 people and a cabin each way. 

Our accommodation and ferry crossings were provided for the purpose of this review. All opinions remain my own, as always. 

The post Spain in September: Where to stay appeared first on Mother's Always Right.

The year before, we hopped on a plane with our (then) baby, to spend a couple of weeks in Turkey.

We’ve never travelled by boat. Until now.

In September, I’m going to be taking my three year old and her grandparents (my mum and dad) on a very lovely looking Brittany Ferries ferry to Spain, where we’ll be reviewing a short break in Cantabria.

I Can. Not. Wait.

We’ll be staying in a gorgeous apartment with an inviting-looking pool, a short stroll from a beautiful beach, with some brilliant attractions and days out nearby.

I love Spain, but I haven’t been back for a very long time. I’m excited to explore Cantabria, a region I’ve never been to before, and eat huge amounts of delicious Spanish food.

It goes without saying that my three year old loves the beach, but I’ll be finding out what else the region has to offer in terms of multi-generational family fun. You never know, this could finally be the time when my dad gets his own guest post slot on the blog, as he offers a grandparent’s insight into the break too!

We’re not leaving until September, so there’s plenty of time to get ready for the trip and plan my holiday reading. So what I want to know is, have you been to Cantabria? Do you know the region? What must I see / eat / do when I get there?

And is the Sangria as good as I remember?!

The post We’re off to Spain! appeared first on Mother's Always Right.

Photo Credit: Photo Credit: ny156uk via Compfight cc

Lists. I am drowning in lists.

On little pieces of scrunched up post-it notes. On bigger sheets of A4 paper. On the back of old envelopes and empty cereal boxes.

Lists fill every nook and cranny of my house. No sooner are they written, then they are hastily discarded for a fresh list; an updated stream of random items all jostling for a place in my head.

Remember how, pre-kids, packing meant chucking a few things in a bag or a box and being on your merry way? How is it possible that once kids come along – even if, like me, you only have one of them – the level of packing hysteria reaches such a giddy new height?

Rather than a rushed ten minute task, packing is now a full day’s activity. It needs to be approached with purpose, methodically, with lists and highlighter pens.

I hate it.

We are currently in the midst of packing for various different events. As well as a few short breaks away (a couple of weddings, a week with my parents and a festival), we also have a huge, incredibly massive, scary, intimidating packing experience that involves numerous highlighters. I can’t think about that final packing experience without going a bit weak at the knees.

Pre-kids, I remember packing used to be part of the fun of an event. Whether it was a holiday, moving house or just an overnight trip to see friends, I used to quite enjoy laying out my clothes and whatever else I wanted, while I relished the fun or newness that was to come.

No longer. Oh no. Now, I would quite happily pay a large amount of money to someone willing to take the responsibility and faff out of my hands.

If we had a big pot of cash to pay for that kind of service, I imagine it would save many a family row. There would be no need for the (self-proclaimed) Northern Love Machine to yell, “There’s NO WAY we need this much!” or for me to retort (sobbing), “WELL YOU BLOODY WELL PACK NEXT TIME THEN!”

My toddler wouldn’t get cross over not being able to wear her wellies to bed, due to them being stored safely in her suitcase. We wouldn’t all swear to never leave the house ever again. You never know, we may actually look forward to arriving at our destination rather than dreading the packing bit.

Surely I can’t be the only one to detest family packing with such a vengeance? In fact, I detest it so much, I’ve just put it off for an extra 30 minutes by writing a blog post about it.

I am a packing failure.

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Three weeks ago I was checking the long-range weather forecasts constantly. Not content with just one website, I’d check three or four – at least five times a day – to try and come up with the best outlook. I was desperate for sunshine for the first week of the summer holidays.

As our glamping holiday at Trevella Park in Cornwall approached, the rain thundered down with increasing ferocity, becoming heavier with each passing day. I was resigned to the prospect of our first family holiday being a complete washout.

As luck would have it, it wasn’t. The sun shone down on us for the entire week we stayed in our Safari Tent at Trevella, although it wouldn’t have been such a bad thing if the rain had followed us down to Cornwall, seeing as our accomodation didn’t really count in the realms of camping as I’ve formerly known it.

Having grown up with long summers in various tents in France, I’m used to the finer points of camping. I spent my school holidays trekking across soggy fields for a wee at 3am, or lugging bowls of washing-up to the nearest wash block. I was used to sleeping on flat lilos in a two man tent, waking up with sand in my ears and the hot sun making any form of lie-in unbearable. Tent pegs and guy ropes and awnings are a part of my holiday DNA.

Not anymore.

When you glamp (to “glamp” is to “camp” the “glamorous” way) you give up all that stuff. Instead, we slept on proper beds, in a pre-made tent the size of my cottage. Our floor was a wooden one. We had a kitchen complete with microwave, fridge, kettle and TV. We even had our living room area, with the futon sofa coming in handy for my parents’ fleeting two night visit.

There was even a big verandah with a table and six chairs, so we could while away the evenings in the outdoors and watch the sun go down. Or play stacking tubs. Whatever.

The tent came equipped with almost everything we could have needed. There was no need for plastic camping plates or old knives and forks. We did end up buying a cheap chopping board from the Morrison’s situated just down the road, along with a couple of 40p wine glasses, but to be honest we could have done without these frivolities.

We took along foam bed guards for our toddler, but if she hadn’t recently made the transition from cot to bed then we would have simply hired a travel cot from the reception. Ditto with the highchair.

For me, the main advantage of staying in a Safari Tent was to give my daughter the experience of camping, while saving myself or the (self-proclaimed) Northern Love Machine the headache of putting up a tent with a toddler in tow.

The mornings waking under canvas, the evenings watching the sun go down, the eating outside and the freedom to play in a safe, green and open environment…. all of these were huge pluses to staying in a Safari Tent.

We still felt (sort of) like campers, taking our washing-up to the nearest wash block in the evenings and plodding past the hardcore campers in the mornings with our toothbrushes, dressed in last night’s pyjamas. But when it came to making a cup of tea, or warming up Frog’s milk, or switching on CBeebies in emergency tantrum situations, it was glamping all the way.

In terms of the facilities on offer beyond the realms of our wooden verandah and enclosed glamping field, there were two wash blocks to choose from.

For families with kids as young as Frog (so if you have babies or toddlers) it may be an idea to bring your own baby bath. This is because there are only shower facilities available, excepting the one bath in one of the family cubicles in the toilet block at the lower end of the campsite.

If you have shower-phobic children (like mine) this could make washing the sand and mud away at the end of a busy day playing, a bit of an ordeal. On the other hand, if your kids are happy to shower, the family rooms in the newer toilet blocks are more than spacious enough, but be prepared to queue during high season as this is the preferred block for families with kids.

Trevella Park has a lovely relaxed, family atmosphere. It steers away from organised evening entertainment and doesn’t have an on-site bar, although there is a cute little cafe where you can grab your evening meal if you can’t be bothered to muck around with the barbecue or camping stove.

There are two playgrounds. One is for young children (which Frog loved), with your basic swings, slide etc and another is an adventure playground for slightly older kids, with all sorts of wooden play equipment, ropes and bridges.

There’s a heated outdoor swimming pool and two well stocked fishing lakes, which are a great destination for a leisurely evening meander. My dad (the family fishing enthusiast) tells me these lakes made “great fishing”, stuffed with “carp and other fish of the coarse fishing variety” (I have no idea what this means).

If you have older kids and you’re used to the kind of sites that put on evening disco’s and magic shows (I’m looking at you Northern Mum) you don’t need to worry.

With a laid back family atmosphere, play areas and lots of campers, the children all seemed happy to amuse themselves, making friends and enjoying playing outside in a safe environment. This, of course, meant their parents were free to kick back and enjoy a cold glass of wine while tending to the barbecue. Everyone was happy.

When it comes to beaches, you have countless options.

The nearest beach is Crantock Beach, around 5 minutes drive from Trevella (with a carpark free for National Trust members). A beautiful river flows into the sea here, clearly evident at high tide. This is where you’ll find a roped off swimming area that resembles a swimming pool, so clear and calm is the water.

Further along on the main beach you’ll find surfers and bodyboarders, with lifeguards manning the waves and keeping a watchful eye over any over-ambitious swimmers.

We also ventured to Polly Joke Beach, just around the headland (although a steep climb down from the carpark means this probably isn’t the easiest beach for young families to access) and to Towan Beach on the edge of Newquay Town. For the serious surfers amongst you, Fistral Beach in Newquay is the place to be seen.

Whichever beach you plump for, you’ll be sure of clean, wide expanses of sand, perfect for making sandcastles, with various rockpools crying out to be explored.

If you tire of beach living, there’s a whole host of other things you can do. Situated a short drive from the picture perfect resorts of St Ives and Padstow, Trevella Park is a great location to explore the surrounding parts of Cornwall.

Or if it’s child-friendly day trips you’re after, I thoroughly recommend Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay, down by Towan Beach. Frog loved to press her nose against the glass and peer in at the giant lobsters, sharks and octopus.

We also visited Lappa Valley Steam Railway, around 15 minutes from Trevella Park by car. This was our favourite of all the places we explored, as the outside setting made it easier to keep our constantly nosy inquisitive toddler occupied.

With three railways complete with mini trains to ride, a canoeing pond, pedal karts, adventure play areas, crazy golf, cafe and maze, this place has enough to keep kids occupied for hours. And it’s in a beautiful setting, amidst the old tin mines that this part of Cornwall used to thrive upon.

If you’re really keen on day trips, Newquay Zoo is also worth a visit. But be warned – there are peacocks roaming free, which are like a red rag to a bull for a bossy, over-affectionate toddler…

It’s difficult to sum up how much this holiday meant to us as a family – and how much we needed to spend a week together away from home and work and the stresses of “real life”.

I woke every morning to the sun on my face, with my two year old babbling away in my ear and the knowledge that the day ahead would be a good one. The best in fact.

You can’t want more than that from a holiday.

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More information:

A Safari Tent at Trevella Park, accomodating up to 6 people, costs £522 per week during the main weeks of the school summer holidays. You can find out more about glamping and mobile home prices here.

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Disclosure: We were provided with a 7 night break in a Safari Tent along with a Cornwall Pass by the Cornwall Tourist Board, giving free entry for up to 2 adults at all the attractions featured in this post. All views are my own.

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You know when you’re on holiday and time sort of stands still? I’m there right now.

The days just merge into each other, with any sense of urgency or routine melting away. You wake when the sun comes up, spend the day doing exactly what you want, when you want, and sleep the sleep of perfection during the night. No dreams about work, no never-ending to-do lists. Just calm, relaxation, laughter.

I’m currently on a review trip at a beautiful campsite called Trevella Park in Crantock, Cornwall. It’s a five star campsite, with stunning fishing lakes, play areas, a swimming pool and some of the most breathtaking views I’ve ever woken up with.

We’re enjoying time together. As a family. With nothing to worry about but just making ourselves happy.

We’ve mostly been waking up to this:

Doing lots of this:

And this:

And (once Frog is tucked up and snoring in bed) enjoying a little of this:

The (self-proclaimed) Northern Love Machine is well and truly over his camping phobia. Although coming from a family of camping enthusiasts who actually enjoy the hardship of sleeping on a lilo and trekking through fields for a wee in the dark, I’m not sure this holiday really counts in that category.

Glamping is the perfect compromise. For me (a camper of the extreme variety) and for the NLM (an absolute non-camper) the Safari Tents at Trevella strike a happy medium.

We still have the outside living. Frog has the freedom to roam in a safe and green space. We have the romance of sleeping under canvas. But there are proper beds, wooden floors, a sofa and even a TV. And the verandah – it’s something you’d never find in a mobile home or tiny two-man tent. I love it. We all love it.

 I’m told it’s Wednesday (totally lost track of the days now) and already we’ve crammed in day trips, beach trips, barbecues and the odd bottle of wine. I’ll write more about all that when I’m back.

But for now, take it from me – glamping is THE best way to spend a sunny week and Trevella Park in Cornwall is a lovely place to do it.

Now, where’s that wine?

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Disclosure: A 7 night break in a Safari Tent at Trevella Park has been provided to us for the purpose of this review.

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You know when you really need a holiday and you’re so excited you can hardly contain yourself and you can’t wait to spend a week away from it all with just your family and you know you’ll love every second and the very thought of it makes you break out into a massive grin?

That.

We’re heading down to Devon tomorrow for one night’s stop-over at my parents’ new place, before continuing on down to Cornwall for a week “Glamping” at Trevella Park in Crantock.

We so need this holiday.

A week of family time, laughter, playing on the beach (whatever the weather), glasses of wine outside the safari tent in the evening (again, whatever the weather) and more family time couldn’t be more welcome right now.

What is it about holidays? It always seems the week before you leave goes so slowly, because you want the day of departure to hurry up and get here already.

I feel like I’m eight years old again and it’s the night before one of our family holidays to France.

Just one more day to go until we pack up and leave town for a bit.

Can. Not. Wait.

The post Nearly there… appeared first on Mother's Always Right.

Photo credit: Mackerel Clouds and Disappearing Sun, by Lovestruck

I’m going glamping this summer. It’s like camping, only more glamorous. Glamping.

I’ve been persuading the camping-phobic (self-proclaimed) Northern Love Machine that it’s going to be fun. He’s yet to be convinced.

Our holiday involves staying at the 5 star beach location that is Trevella Park campsite in Crantock, Newquay. That’s in Cornwall, for any of you not familiar with the South West.

The campsite has a heated swimming pool, play areas, lakes full of fish and is in a stunning setting with the choice of two beaches. There’s even crazy golf. Still, the husband is yet to be convinced.

He doesn’t share my memories of camping as a child, you see. Those happy days, being at one with nature, playing outside until dusk settles, eating barbecued sausages every night and waking up to the smell of fresh dew on the outside of the tent. For him, camping sounds like a lot of hard work, especially with a toddler.

Except it’s not camping. It’s glamping.

This means we don’t have to put a tent up. Instead, we’ll arrive to a Safari Tent, complete with spacious bedrooms, comfy beds with duvets, real furniture and a proper kitchen with a fridge. There’s also wooden decking with an outdoor dining set. Let’s hope it doesn’t rain.

We’re going to be reviewing Trevella Park while we’re there. Which means that we don’t actually have to pay for the holiday. That said, this is EXACTLY the type of holiday I’d be more than happy to fork out for in the future. Providing my marriage remains intact.

If this is something that appeals to you, I have a bit of an exclusive offer for you. The lovely people at Trevella Park have arranged for readers of this here blog to get 10% off all glamping, mobile homes and touring pitches there, for holidays taken between 27th April to 28th May 2012, 11th June to 14th June 2012 and 3rd September to 29th Octover 2012.

To claim the offer, all you need to do is enter the code MUMS10 when booking your holiday on the Trevella Park website.

And remember. It’s not camping. It’s glamping. (Unless you like putting up your own tent. In which case camping is on offer too.)

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This is not an advertorial. I have been paid no money to write this post. I’m simply excited about our review holiday in the summer and wish to share the love. Consider the love well and truly shared.

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