As you know back in October we took a mini break with Shiva and Bunter to Bodmin Moor, this was Bunters first holiday!
We booked a four night stay at the lovely Poets Hideaway nestled deep in Bodmin Moor.
The drive was somewhat uncomfortable for Shiva at times. Shiva was suffering with an ear infection which had been stress induced after being attacked by another dog a week earlier. I am pleased to say that alongside her meds the time away did her the world of good and she bounced back to her normal fun loving self quickly.
Day 1
We made the short drive over to Cardinham Woods to take a walk following one of the many trails mapped out.
Half way around our chosen walking trail we stopped and chatted with a lovely local lady and her two dogs.
Upon saying our goodbyes I quickly realised why one of her dogs (Shaun) had been extra friendly towards me, for he had been tucking in to Shiva and Bunters bribery bag which had been attached to my camera bag! Thankfully Shaun left us with a few treats to last the rest of the walk.
After our lovely walk in the woods we stopped for lunch at the rather charming Woods Café located just off of the main car park for the woods. It was heaving with other walkers and their four legged companions which was lovely to see.
Chris and I ordered our coffee and quite literally a couple of doorstop sandwiches! I decided upon the Cornish brie with warm garlic and rosemary mushrooms which was utterly delicious, while Chris chose the sausage and red onion chutney one.
As always the dogs kept a close eye on our food to ensure no crumbs were left unattended on the floor.
Although no crumbs fell, Chris was kind enough to share a little milk with them .
We had been very fortunate with the weather as it looked like the heavens would open all morning and afternoon, yet the rain held off until we were back in the car and on our way back to the cosy cottage for wine and snuggles in front of the fire.
Day 2
After a slow breakfast spent at the cottage we jumped in the car and drove to Rough Tor.
What a stunning drive this was, although at one point a little hair raising as the road falls away down the steep hill. The road appeared to go on forever until we finally arrived at the car park.
Once again the sky held the promise of rain, nonetheless this did not dampen our spirits and on we walked.
There were ponies and sheep scattered all around us, so we kept the dogs on leads so as not to cause any commotion.
It was terribly cold and windy so much so that it hurt our ears and made our eyes water, yet we continued on still keen to get to the top and take in the views.
Once my wind swept hair was held back from my eyes the views were lovely indeed and worth the climb despite the cloud covering.
Back at the car we got out the National Trust book and decided upon our next visit for the day, this was to be Lanhydrock.
Lanhydrock is a stunning Victorian country house and estate with beautiful gardens and surrounded by ancient woodland. Dogs are welcome in the café, gardens (on a lead) and can roam free across the parkland.
Towards the end of the walk the rain came down hard, but as my mother always says there is nothing but bad weather but inappropriate clothing. Think it’s time to order some coats for the dogs.
What better way to end a wet walk than over coffee and a slice of shortbread.
On our table we were joined by little robin red breast so share a few crumbs.
The dals were not amused that the shortbread love was not shared all around.
Clearly coffee and shortbread was not a substantial meal and with this in mind we made a visit to Cornwall’s most famous smugglers in Jamaica Inn.
Here were made to feel very welcome by the friendly staff, the dals too were warmly greeted with pats and a tasty treat.
Day 3
Well, after the wind and rain of the first two days finally the sun came out to play for a day.
Following on from another lazy breakfast we packed ourselves and the dals in the car and drove the 10 minutes over to the coast Port Isaac to be exact.
Port Isaac is a picturesque traditional fishing village and is used in the television series Doc Martin which stars Martin Clunes.
We arrived just as the village was starting to welcome the crowds, however we were still lucky enough to be able to park up in the closest car park to the port.
After a long hunt around for lose change in wallets, purses bags and car doors we managed to collect just the right amount to pay for a couple of hours parking. We soon realised when we went to get the dogs out we, (or I) had forgotten the dog leads! This is so typical of me and my ditsy nature. Chris was not impressed as we headed back down the narrow and winding roads to cottage to retrieve the leads.
We were less fortunate with the parking upon our return to the port and were forced to park in the furthest car park away.
The sun was still shining however and it was to be another nice day exploring. I was now on the hunt for my childhood favourite seaside indulgence – cockles!
We took a stroll though the narrow and winding streets full of old fisherman’s cottages away from the hustle and bustle of the main part of the village.
After spending a late morning and early afternoon strolling around the port we made a move and headed on to Park Head to take in more of the rugged Cornish coastline and give the dogs a longer stretch of the legs.
The views were magnificent and we had to stop to take them in also admiring the isolated beach cove.
Because we had not done enough walking for one day and it was our last evening in Bodmin, we made one final stop in order to really let the dogs charge around before we went back for the evening.
We pulled over on the moor just in time to catch a glimpse of a sunset on our last walk during this visit to Bodmin Moor.
The dals were still full of energy despite all the walking. Bunter ran in to me at 100 miles an hour almost knocking me flying and caused me to temporarily lose the whistle which was in my hand.
My trusty Dubarry boots alongside my Le Chameau’s clocked up many miles over these few days.
We are already looking forward to booking our next holiday with the dogs who were so well behaved and settled in their surroundings.
Love for now Emma and the Dals xxx