A couple months ago, lockdown restrictions began to ease in the UK and slowly holidays were allowed again. As much as I miss traveling, I was not one to jump right on the airline websites and book an overseas trip, I hadn’t even been on public transport yet (not to mention the little detail that my American passport is essentially useless at this point)! After a while, I started to go a bit mad in my flat and being restricted to the same 5 mile radius I can walk around in took its toll. Don’t get me wrong, I love London and there’s nowhere I’d rather be stuck, but sometimes you just gotta break free!
Obviously, staycation in the UK is pretty much my only option, but GREAT NEWS, there’s soooo much of the UK I haven’t seen, and I love this place, so the search began. Turns out pretty much everyone in the entire United Kingdom had the same idea, because every hotel anywhere near the sea seemed to be booked, but then I finally found one in Falmouth, Cornwall. I am a huge fan of Cornwall, so this was such a great find. You may have noticed by now that I am not a huge fan of AirBnB and especially with COVID and all the germs in mind, I was not trying to go somewhere I felt like I would need to clean profusely when I arrived (plus I need room service, duh).
The Greenbank Hotel which sits right on the water in Falmouth Harbour was a dream. The website clearly states all their precautions to keep their guests safe, and as someone with a lot of anxiety, that helped me a lot to read beforehand.
So I hopped on a train at a very empty Paddington, wiped down all my surroundings with Clorox wipes, and went on my way!
I’m happy to report that all the precautions listed on the hotel website were true. Door sealed after cleaning for your arrival, sanitizer everywhere, and housekeeping does not enter your room, you just get a bag of fresh towels and toiletries on your door. Not to mention, the thing I feel like I’ve been missing all my life, plenty of social distancing.
Obviously, if I was going to go on a post lockdown adventure, I needed a room with a view, and this one delivered on that front 100%. Harbour view for the win, and naturally I sent flowers and Prosecco to the room for myself.
I pretty much spent the first afternoon/evening enjoying the view in my pajamas and getting room service, then the next day I walked into town. I loved this hotel because it was a quick walk into town, but was far enough that the crowds weren’t around the hotel. Because this just in, everyone in the entire United Kingdom, plus more went to Cornwall that week. I wandered the town plenty before all the people showed up, but not without a coffee and a pasty to start the day, Highly recommend Beacon Coffee if you’re in Falmouth (pasty not included).
After a brief terrifying incident with a bee, I was on my way. Look at this town (heart eye emoji).
By noon or so, the town was getting a bit too people-y for my liking, so I decided to walk out to Pendennis Head, and I thought I would go to Pendennis Castle. Well, after walking up the big hill in which you just have to walk big circles to get up, I found out the castle was only open for online bookings in advance, so keep that in mind If you wanted to go to the castle, but the view from Pendennis Head was worth the walk either way.
After that trek, I was tired and thirsty. All the pubs in town were very crowded, so the chances of outside seating seemed very unlikely. After a stop at the post office to pick up the camera charger I ordered on Amazon the day before because I’m an idiot who forgot mine, I headed back to my hotel where the pub has outdoor seating and a popup bar outside and got a glorious pint (one of coke and one of beer) and some fresh chips with a view of the harbour. It was heaven. Definitely go to The Working Boat if you’re in town.
There was, however, one customer who refused to follow social distancing. I let it slide in this case.
Eventually, I went back to my room and charged my camera just in time for that harbour sunset. It was to die for.
The next day was packed full of things, so here we go. When choosing a place to go, I was torn between Falmouth, Penzance, and Mousehole in Cornwall. Lucky for me, Penzance is about an hour train ride from Falmouth, and Mousehole is a short taxi ride, or not so short walk from Penzance, so I decided to go to Mousehole for the morning. When you think of cute little Cornish towns, Mousehole fits the mold completely. It’s so cute I wanna die.
As cute as it is, I’m glad I didn’t stay in Mousehole because it is very small, we’re talking one pub and one cafe small. But it was great for a short visit. I decided to walk back to Penzance, which is mostly along the coast, then hopped on the train back to Falmouth.
While doing some Instagram research, I had seen a restaurant on the other side of Falmouth thats just off of one of the beaches and looked amazing. I got lucky enough to get the only available booking for that evening, so I didn’t take much time to explore Penzance before heading back. I got back earlier than expected and hadn’t had lunch yet, so obviously I needed a pasty snack. This time I got a pasty from Oggie’s and it was even better than the one I had the day before.
Okay, now about this restaurant. Hooked on the Rocks definitely lived up to the hype. I am obsessed with this place. At that point I hadn’t really eaten in any restaurants since before lockdown and really just wanted some fresh food and fresh air and I got both in epic proportions. I sat right on the corner overlooking the beach, got some rosé, and sadly they were all out of the medium lobster, so I had to settle for the large 😂. Tragic, I know.
I sadly could not finish that entire lobster, but I did my best and as the waitress said, “you did well, he was a beast.” I had another glass of wine for dessert and to soak up the view as long as I could. It’s been over a month and I still think about that lobster and that restaurant. I love it so much.
I took the coastal path back around to the hotel and got back into my pajamas a happy camper with a belly full of fresh lobster. Sadly I had to leave the next day, so I decided to just be lazy in my room until checkout and headed home.
Just a couple days in a hotel with a nice view and some fresh sea air really was a game changer for me. I mostly thrived in lockdown, but then I ran out of things to watch on Netflix and shit was starting to get weird, so I needed a new view. Thank you Cornwall and the gorgeous Greenbank Hotel for saving my sanity.
Stay safe out there. Travel with wipes and sanitizer. Wear a mask.
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