Close your eyes and imagine this….You’re just waking up from a deep sleep, you can hear waves crashing gently on the beach outside your window, a seagull calls to its friends, the sun is beaming in through your window, and amongst the delicious sea-salty air, you are also getting wafts of freshly brewed coffee and toast….
That’s what we woke up to on our first morning in Hope Cove. And if I thought I was dreaming, looking out of the window to this brought me to my oh-so-lucky senses.
We headed down for breakfast and feasted on lashings of tea, salmon and eggs.
After eating, I had to catch up on some work, so the boys went to explore and an hour later we met up on the beach for some much needed relaxation. I don’t know where the weather came from, but it was incred-ib-le.
I grabbed this appropriately titled book before I left the house - it was one I think I must have bought ages ago - and settled in for a good read.
Hope Cove is just a tiny little village not far from Salcombe, and on a non-school holiday Monday, was practically deserted apart from a few families with very young children getting their first taste of the English seaside.
We stayed in The Hope and Anchor which is a pub right in the heart of the village, and just on the beach. It is friendly, informal and whilst not fancy-schmancy, I couldn’t have asked for anything better. What’s more they have a busy bar and serve really delicious food.
But I digress - back to the beach.
After a particularly hard couple of hours bathing in the sun working up a hunger, we headed to a beachside cafe where there was only one thing on my mind - a cream tea.
Now, there’s more than just one ongoing debate about scones. Not only do people like to argue about the pronunciation - I am a “skon” kinda person (rightfully so), Mr B is a “skown” kinda guy (wrongfully so - bless him and the thousands others who get it wrong on a daily basis) - but also how to top ’em is quite contentious too.
In Cornwall, they like to pile the scone with jam then cream; in Devon cream then jam.
I thought I had better give both a go and see for myself which was best. But before all that, at the risk of many a high-arched brow, I like to slather mine in butter first. Why miss an opportunity for butter? Ever.
You can see I took this task pretty seriously.
One scone done the Devonshire way.
I’d give it 10/10 for appearance.
One Cornish way scone.
I didn’t do quite so well in making this one look pretty, sorry.
And the taste test, I hear you ask?
Well, following the rigorous testing, I would say both are delicious whichever way the jam and cream are spread on top as long as they are both spread nice and thick. Research completed.
Want one?
We ate at the beach bar owned by the same people as the pub, but this wasn’t the only place serving amazing looking cream teas - one place The Cove Cafe Bar had massive scones that would make any shop bought scone shrivel up with embarrassment.
After eating, we jumped in the car and headed over to neighbouring town Salcombe - little winding streets with boutique shops, a harbour and lot’s of people into sailing.
We had fish and chips on our knees, watching people crabbing over the harbour wall.
Before heading back to Hope Cove to watch another spectacular sunset.
Like this post? read about our first day Arriving in Hope Cove.
