For me, there is no competition. Ask me what my favourite place is and I will always give the same answer without hesitation – Padstow.
Padstow, the little Cornish harbour town, made famous by Rick Stein. It used to be quite quiet, but everyone loves it now and over summer it’s heaving and almost impossible to move. But I love it. I love the little backstreets, the reflections in the harbour, the quirky little buildings, the tide that goes out until it’s almost not there at all… I love every bit of it.
As the weather starts to warm up at this time of year, I always get to thinking about Padstow. And then I realise we still have a long wait until we can go again.
We first went in 1994 with my parents and sister, who wasn’t much older than my younger son is now. In 1997 my husband (still my boyfriend) and I went back to Padstow on our own. In 2001 we had our baby boy and went to Padstow a few weeks later with this little scrap of a baby. And we’ve been back every single year since. With bumps and babies and toddlers and tweens, sometimes on our own, sometimes with my parents or brother or sister. We’ve stayed in different houses. Sometimes we’ve hardly been able to afford a holiday. But we have gone to Padstow every year without fail.
Because we love it. It’s our favourite place.
Linking up to The Gallery at Sticky Fingers. Pop over to see how others have interpreted the theme ‘a favourite place’.
April 16, 2014
It looks a really lovely place and I can see why you keep going back. We’ve never made it as far south as Cornwall yet!
April 16, 2014
It’s a long way for you to go! We never went to Cornwall until I was 20 – my mum and dad thought it was too far when we were growing up – and we were in Gloucestershire!
April 16, 2014
I’ve been wanting to go here since you wrote about it last year. It looks wonderful. One day!
April 16, 2014
Well worth a visit, Rachel! Definitely easier for you know you’re back in Britain.
April 16, 2014
So, are you going this year again?! It’s such a stunning place. Would definitely love to go back one day 🙂
April 16, 2014
Of course we are! It’s not even a decision to take. We just go every year without question.
April 16, 2014
That looks a great place x
April 16, 2014
It certainly is, Susan! A very long way away for you. x
April 16, 2014
I adore Padstow too, I haven’t been there for about 12 years but we used to visit regularly, hubbie and I even went during our honeymoon and I have a painting of the harbour on my office wall here in Canada, it’s such a beautiful spot
April 16, 2014
How lovely! We have a painting of it at home too, but it’s a lot more local to us! It’s certainly got more busy in the last 12 years!
April 16, 2014
It looks like a really beautiful place to visit and with all the boats and little side streets, you really could be somewhere abroad!
April 16, 2014
It’s amazing, Laura! Well worth a visit 🙂
April 16, 2014
I love this photo Sarah, Padstow looks wonderful. Sounds like you’ve had some really great times there too. Happy Easter 🙂
April 16, 2014
Thank you, Charly. You can’t take a bad photo in Padstow, it’s all so beautiful. Happy Easter to you too!
April 16, 2014
It really does look like a beautiful place.
April 16, 2014
It certainly is, Mummy Glitzer! It’s fabulous.
April 16, 2014
What is it about that part of the country? It has such a draw to it. It has such a personality of it’s own and you feel like you’ve come home, even when you’ve not been there in years and years!
April 16, 2014
It certainly feels unique, Tara. We go every year and it feels like coming home every time. I just can’t get enough of it even after all these years.
April 16, 2014
It must be so nice to have a place you visit so often. We used to go to Cornwall when I was little but it’s so far away from us now!
April 17, 2014
I’m with you on this one – love Cornwall!
April 17, 2014
I can see why you have chosen Padstow it looks great. I haven’t been there, but I have been to Cornwall and loved it.
April 17, 2014
It really is beautiful. I haven’t been to other parts of Cornwall, I just love Padstow so much!
April 17, 2014
I love Cornwall but never been to Padstow. Looks lovely
April 17, 2014
It’s amazing, Kizzy!
April 17, 2014
I’ve been to Padstow a few times and yes, it is lovely.
April 18, 2014
It looks like a lovely place filled with lots of memories for you.
April 18, 2014
It certainly is lovely, Mumma G, and we make new memories there every year 🙂
April 18, 2014
So postcard perfect! Wow. #TheGallery
April 20, 2014
It looks beautiful, definitely on my list to visit 🙂 #thegallery
April 21, 2014
Definitely worth a visit, Mama Owl! Even after all these years, we never tire of it!
April 21, 2014
It is a lovely place indeed – a chidhood fave this was when me and my sis were little. Dad loves this part of Blighty.