England - Cornwall in May 2026

 Back to Cornwall - 6th to 16th May 2026

Sapphire - on the Terrace of this jewel in Cornwall

Carbis Bay Beach

Cornwall in May is becoming a bit of a tradition and a very nice one we have to say. This time we had a two centre trip although our 'Bay" locations were not very far apart. Three luxury nights in Sapphire, Carbis Bay and a comfortable week in a fixed caravan at St. Ives Bay.

The weather was not terribly kind to us this time. For the the majority of the last week we were battered by strong, cold North Easterly winds. The great thing about Cornwall, however, is that as it has a South Facing coast and a North Facing coast it is possible to avoid the worst of the weather. Go South Old Man was our mantra.

Porthminster Beach, St Ives

Porthminster Beach

St. Ives

The light in St Ives is pretty special and coupled with sandy shore results in the wonderful blue sea. The walk from Carbis Bay to St. Ives is pretty special. We walk down past the Hotel then take to the Coastal Path over the Railway Line then wander along Haines Walk. We have been doing the walk for nearly 30 years so we notice any changes along the way. A few of the nice houses along the way have been redeveloped and it's not quite as rustic as it use to be but still nice. The sea at Porthminster Beach looked very inviting and it would be rude not to have taken a quick dip into the icy water. Now in St. Ives we stopped for a coffee at Pedn Olva, a Hotel at the Northern End of the Beach. The Hotel name is a bit unusual, it means 'headland on the rocks' in Cornish. Anyway, it has a nice sunny terrace overlooking the beach where, a few minutes earlier, I had taken the plunge. St. Ives had not changed in the last 12 months and we had a pleasant wander along the Harbour and down narrow streets to Porthmeor Beach before heading back to the Railway Station for the short journey back to Carbis Bay. The train trip is good value at £1.10.

Saint Michaels Mount and Trengwainton Gardens

Trengwainton Gardens

We visited one of our National Trust favourite properties, Trengwainton House and Gardens, near Penzance, in the morning. It was hit quite badly in the January 8th storm and they were still clearing up the mess. Our nice coffee and cake in the walled garden was accompanied by a chainsaw melody! They have lost a few trees and much of the gardens was cordoned off. We enjoyed our shortened tour and then headed a few miles along the coast to Marazion and St Michaels Mount. The island is accessible by a causeway when the tide is out but we had to take the short boat ride. They have a couple of eateries on the Island, the Harbour Loft and the Island Cafe. We went for the cheaper and quicker option, the Island Cafe. We wanted to see the Castle and we were running out of time. We sat in a very pleasant sheltered garden to eat our sandwiches. A lady in front of us lost some of her cake to a hungry gull which gave her a bit of a shock. They are big birds! 

In the Garden at St. Michaels Mount

The view to Marazion

Our lunchtime view

Up on the ramparts

Waiting for the boat back to the mainland

The family that owned St. Michaels Mount gave the Island to the National Trust to avoid Death Duties but retained a lease on the castle and still operate the boats and the hospitality. They still live in it apparently. We have both been to the Island before but previously we did not visit the Castle. This time we took the steep Pilgrims Steps up to the top and it was very worthwhile.  Apparently the Queen visited when she was 86. She used a secret lift to avoid the difficult uneven granite steps. The gardens were lovely. The Mount also lost a good number of trees in the January storm. Spot the trunks turned into seats.

Lamorna Cove

Lamorna sits in a deep wooded valley that opens suddenly onto a tiny granite cove. It sits between Mousehole and Porthcurno. It has a small beach and is probably ok for quick dip in good weather. We parked up the road from the small hamlet near The Wink pub and walked down to. There is a car park at the bottom but the machines only take coins and we did not have any. There is a Cafe, the Lamorna Cove Cafe and, of course, we had to have the obligatory coffee and cake. I asked the Lady behind the counter if they had a toilet. She said Yes, Number Two! I was a bit taken aback. I did not expect her to ask what my intentions were. Then she quickly said there was a Wheel on the door. Aha, now I get it, it's door 2 with a wheel. My Number One was a great relief.

Sennen Cove

One of our favourite spots is Sennen Cove and last year we were able to hit the beach in warm sunshine. This time it was exposed to the North Easter! Have to say I was a very reluctant wanderer.

Hayle Beach

We headed back to St. Ives Bay and, with an extra layer, we headed out for a beach walk. The wind was pretty strong and we got very wet. It is a lovely beach though.

Stormy weather!

Godrevy and Gwithian

Have to say I would prefer to remember our local beach area as it was on the first Sunday. Clear blue skies with a cool breeze. Perfect for a bracing 40 minute walk to the Jam Pot Cafe from our caravan. A nice friendly Cafe was the destination. The people next to me had bacon baps, they looked lovely. There is no Car Park adjacent to it but it is a pleasant walk from the NT car park at Godrevy and a shorter walk from the expensive Council Car Park at Gwithian Beach.

Godrevy Lighthouse

Lighthouse Man

Stunning Cornwall - Upton Towans Beach

The Jam Pot Cafe

View from the Jam Pot

Perranuthnoe

The Cabin

We did make another, failed, attempt to go to Trengwainton. Unfortunately, it is closed on Friday and Saturday. Apparently the owners of the large House within the grounds made it a condition of the donation of the gardens to the NT that they would be allowed two days of peace and quiet. So, after leaving and getting horribly lost in Penzance due to a road closure we headed for the small village of Perranuthoe along the coast. We had a wander through the village and enjoyed a tour of the lovely Church. If you kneel in the pews here you get the benefit of a beautifully embroidered cushion. It also has a decent beach that sadly disappears at High Tide. Lunch was taken at the recommended local eatery, The Cabin.

Pew Comfort

Trelissick Gardens

Trelissick is located near to the King Harry Ferry. From Hayle is takes about 45 mins. The Gardens are beautiful and May is a great time to see the Azaleas and Rhododenrons. There is a Cafe near the entrance but it was rammed full with a large queue so we opted to take a walk and return later. We had not been into the House before but happily found a big surprise - coffee and cake. Before the building was passed to the National Trust the contents were all sold off. As there are no Chippendales to worry about its possible to live the high life as you can get your coffee or lunch and then sit comfortably in the dining room or parlour with a grand view of the Gardens stretching down to the water. Very nice! When we were leaving we joked with one of the guides that we had decided to move in. She laughed and said we wouldn't like the cold.

A friendly Robin

Handkerchief Tree

In the Orangery

Bird of paradise

The surrounding area is lovely and really lives up to the description of a green and pleasant land. After our garden exploration we headed for Feock and the Loe Beach Cafe.  The Cafe was a great escape from crowds at Trelissick. It was really nice and quiet, the food was good and the service friendly.

Loe Beach Cafe

Loe Beach

Coverack

Another escape to the South to dodge the wind took us to Coverack, a favourite of ours. It’s a fairly straightforward 45‑minute run from Hayle, although this time we were held up by temporary traffic lights near RNAS Culdrose. As you drop down towards the harbour there’s a handy car park near the bottom of the hill.

Coverack never disappoints, and we made our usual stop at The Loft for coffee and cake. The choice was a familiar one — the same lemon and lime sponge we enjoy at the Jazz Café. We’ve now discovered it’s supplied by a distributor in Devon, which explains its repeat appearance across the South West.

We took a gentle walk south along the Coastal Path, then circled back to The Loft for a proper Cornish pasty. Afterwards, we headed out again, this time in the Falmouth direction, following a rugged stretch of coast with dramatic views.

We heard about Roskilly's in the Loft and decided to check it out. It's between Coverack and St. Keverne and it serves delicious Ice Cream and Sorbet. Apparently it's also famous for its Sunday Lunches. Have to try that next time. There were a few animals about and the stars were a pair of Tamworth pigs in their mud Jacuzzi.

Mud, glorious Mud

Turn Right for the Bar

Austria - March 2026 in Bad Hofgastein

 The end of the Winter show - March 1st to March 24th

Getting there -

Just the two ski holidays for us in Winter of 2025/2026. For our March trip we trod the familiar path from home to Gatwick on then hopped on BA to Salzburg. On arrival in SZG we thought we had enough time to get through immigration and get the bus to the Train Station. Wrong! We made a big mistake. On arrival we were ushered to towards one of the new scanning machines just inside the door where we queued to have our finger prints and photos taken. This took us ages but, suitably photographed and finger printed, we then had to line up again for the immigration police. This queue was even slower! It seems that going to the entry machine was optional and many of our fellow passengers by-passed them and were being laboriously scanned at the Arrivals desk. This was extremely tedious. Kids also need to be given the face and finger treatment and a wretched child in front of us kept sticking out his tongue at the nasty selfie machine just as it was taking his photo. Very amusing - Not! Grumpy old man muttered and fumed and then moved to the back of the adjacent line. We escaped but had to get a Taxi to the Station to avoid missing our train. This whole EU Schengen business is Bureaucracy gone mad. We are scanned when we arrive and scanned again when we leave, what's the point of the Passport? 

With the help of our speedy Taxi driver we caught our train and were soon heading for Bad Hofgastein and then the 558 Bus to our little place. We arrived a week earlier than normal to overlap with some friends and as we sped through Town we could see that things were busier then we are used to. The first week in March is pretty much still High Season.

Ski Report

Where skiers meet - the junction of H1 and H2

Going Up

I picked up my ski's and boots, safely stored as usual at Sport Fleiss. It's a bit of a luxury but with an arthritic knee cap it best to avoid carrying too much to and from the Apartment. Keeping my equipment there means I can take the exceedingly pleasant 10 minute 'warm up' walk across the fields to the lift station unencumbered and avoid the busy 552 bus.

Happily, the Piste conditions were excellent. I am pretty selective on when I ski these days. The snow and the visibility both have to be good. Fortunately both were within specification for a good number of days on this visit. I had some excellent runs in the morning in both Bad Hofgastein and Dorfgastein. My mantra these days is to start early, finish early and stay high. I only skied down to the Valley once, the snow was too heavy under the death arches. Of course, I usually found time for a coffee and perhaps a strudel at the Haitzingalm.

My ski fun ended at the Middle Station, often with a lunch at the Baerstein Alm, our favourite, where I would meet up with TW who can access on foot.

Coffee Stop at the Haitzingalm

Waking up to the Hirschenhutte

Specklinsen mit knödel at the Hirschenhutte

Blutwurstgrostlel with sauerkraut at the Annen Cafe

Who has Been Framed - up top at Kleine Scharte

The hearty option at Herzweiss (Felding Hutte)

Lunching at Hirsch und Maus

Hirsch und Maus, we call it Cat and Mouse, is a recent addition to the Schlossalm. We used to go pretty regularly to the previous Kleine Scharte Restaurant at the top of the old cable car. The Cat and Mouse is very functional, nice terraces with splendid views. It will be useful for us in both Summer and winter and I know we will get used to it. The menu is not traditional but it is already a very popular venue. On one Saturday, when no-one could sit outside, it was absolutely bursting with humanity, it seemed a  bit like an Airport Terminal with lots of delayed flights. We beat a hasty retreat!

Birthday Treat

It was an out of valley experience for TW's Birthday. A scenic drive to Dienten! It takes about 30 minutes in total by car from Bad Hofgastein. We picked up one of the shared e-cars for the day. The car share has worked well for us so far. We book it on-line on an App on the phone. We walk across the park to the Therme, where the vehicle lives, unlock it with the App and head off. Remembering, of course, to remove the charging cable first. When we return we lock it and set it charging. We get a bill on the day for the car usage and a monthly bill for any power charging. For our trip Dienten the charge cost was 16.27 Euros and the usage 48.10 Euros for about seven hours.

Dienten is a lovely little community, and just before you reach the village, its church stands proudly on a hill. A little earlier on the road there’s a winding path that leads up to the Grunegg Alm. We usually park by the roadside and walk from there — it takes around 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how often we stop and how slowly we wander. The path doubles as a toboggan run, so I imagine it gets a bit lively in peak season, but today it was sunny, quiet, and not too slippery. The first half is on tarmac before it turns more natural. There’s also a cable car that goes up, though we haven’t tried it yet.

The Grunegg Alm itself is a wonderful spot — traditional food, warm atmosphere, and a superb setting. A perfect reward at the top.

Mid-March at The Grunegg Alm - Dienten

Birthday Lunching at the Grunegg Alm in Dienten

Birthday Girl