Nearing the end of our week in Cornwall we decided to push the boat out a bit
and visit another Rick Stein restaurant, this time in nearby Falmouth
It seems that the last time we visited we didn’t go far enough into the town. And the sun was sparkling on the sea
It was the weekend, so many people were attracted to this pretty port
England has always been a seagoing nation and, judging by the number of boats, they still like going on the water
We parked in the centre of town and, after rather a long walk through the town
and losing our way a couple of times, because the satnav on our phones misdirected us,
we arrived on the quayside near this large wharfside building. just in time for our booking at Rick Stein Fish
Warmly welcomed by the staff and manager, we were ushered to our seats
The restaurant has lots of light and space; it feels relaxed and not at all pretentious
No blaring music, thank heavens. Lots of wood and natural fabrics
It is not a complicated menu and the prices are very reasonable
John was tempted by the mussels, Lynne by the Crab Linguine,
but then we spotted the tasting board going to someone's table
and we realised we could have a taste of several dishes on the menu in one go
So we ordered one each
and when we saw the wine list, we had to giggle and send a quick WhatsApp
to winemaker Matthew Copeland at Vondeling to ask if he knew his Rosé was on Rick Stein's wine list?
He didn’t and was extremely happy. Sorry Matthew, but we didn’t order it -
we love it and drink a lot of it at home, but wanted to try the Granfort from France
(French Rosés always bring extremely happy memories of our visits to the South of France)
and Rosé goes with so many different foods - and we couldn't ignore the £8 (R110) price difference!
We ordered the 500 ml carafe and the menu description was right about the raspberry and strawberry fruit,
so enjoyable with the food. Very good glasses
The tasting board. L to R, the Padron peppers, covered in flaked salt and like a food version of Sauvignon Blanc
- they are not at all hot, just delicious
The calamari were crisply battered with semolina and tender soft within
Then two huge prawns covered in what resembled the amazing Prego sauce we used to sell in Main Ingredient,
which was made for us by Chef Pete Ayub; we got nice and messy getting involved with them
removing the shells with firm and sweet flesh inside (Yes, finger bowls were provided)
A classic Greek salad, well dressed and with good creamy feta
and two warm battered balls of salt cod and parsley on an aioli dressing
We were going to order main courses, but this was delicious, filling and very satisfying
The restaurant soon filled up with people who looked like relaxed holiday makers
The bar was busy and the staff attentive. We had a chat with the manager about the food and the restaurant
If you visit Falmouth, we thoroughly recommend it. With a tip, the bill came to £55 = approximately R1073
Not bad for lunch with wine for two
On the seashore, more young kelp gulls
learning to catch thermals
The town's streets are narrow and filled with interesting shops
This gull could not believe its luck
The anchor chains were covered in live mussels and the gulls were eating their fill, and more
We walked past a restaurant in the high street called Amanzi
We thought you might be amused to see the menu
for those homesick Africans, some very familiar food including monkey gland steak,
for those homesick Africans, some very familiar food including monkey gland steak,
a spicy, fruity sauce served with steak, (no monkeys involved!) an SA speciality
Bobotie is very common in the UK, especially in pubs but they amusingly call it "bobbity"
No, we didn’t eat there
We think that the prices show that the Rick Stein Restaurant is not expensive compared to other local restaurants
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The next day we set off for Fowey. This is the view of the coastline looking North East from the turnoff to Mevagissey
Some friendly cows in the field came to greet John
Fowey is another seaside town on an estuary. If you have watched The Coroner (UK version) on TV,
we have been told that some of it was filmed here
we have been told that some of it was filmed here
Parking was an absolute nightmare but we managed to find a place on the front eventually, near this slipway
Embarrassingly our car alarm kept going off. "Someone" had not closed the back door properly
That’s when you thank alarms,
as we did have things in the car that could have been stolen had we not found the open door
Some lovely Georgian houses; this one impressed
The Scallop Shell House in Fowey. It marks the site of a medieval resting place and the embarcation point
for hundreds of pilgrims leaving for the Camino de Santiago (The Way of St James) in Spain
The canopy above the door is a large scallop shell which has long been the symbol of the Camino de Santiago
It’s said that, after St James' death, his disciples shipped his body to the Iberian Peninsula
to be buried in what is now Santiago
Off the coast of Spain, on the way there, a heavy storm hit the ship
and St James's body was lost overboard into the sea
After some time however, it washed ashore undamaged and covered in scallops
The shell also served practical purposes for pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago
It was the right size for gathering water to drink or for eating out of as a makeshift bowl
Buildings of different ages and upper floors overhanging the street
The sign says that it's the oldest house in Fowey; it is now a micro-brewery
The tidal river flows peacefully out to sea
We had sandwiches sitting out on the front with a beer from a local pub
Then back to our AirBnB for our last afternoon in Mevagissey. We wanted scones, cream and jam one last time,
so we bought some scones and some clotted cream and enjoyed them in our sunny garden
Dinner that night was this half a crispy Gressingham Duck from Sainsburys
It cost £6 (approx R117) and all Lynne had to do was spread some of the supplied hoisin sauce on the skin,
roast for half an hour and shred
They also provided the perfect pancakes. All we had to add was some shredded spring onions
It was absolutely superb
Half a Peking duck in Cape Town costs upward of R300, if you can find it in a Chinese restaurant
The selection of ready-made or "cook briefly at home" food in UK supermarkets is quite fantastic
and prices are not as high as we are currently paying. One can indeed see why many in Europe are not cooking much at home with this selection of good food on hand
And then it was time to head for London. It was quite a long trip up the A303/M3, a very familiar road to both of us
And thank heavens for SatNav;
we arrived on time at our friend Angela Redman's house in Wimbledon
Like many in Britain she has renovated her Victorian house and made it open plan at the back
which gives a lovely large living area and spacious kitchen with light flooding in from the garden though the bifold doors and skylight
We are of course discussing what wine to have with supper
She is such an amazing hostess and cooked superb meals for us each night while we stayed with her
We are very thankful to have had such a warm welcome and such a stylish and comfortable place to stay
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