Taking the sleeper train to Cornwall
And a few choice meals and activities in the UK.
When done right, meandering train journeys can be one of life’s little pleasures. Especially if you get to sleep on them.
On a trip to the UK late last year, I decided to hit up the county of Cornwall. Somewhere that I’ve always wanted to visit. And while it’s a place that probably lends itself to nice weather, I figured Cornwall in winter would still be pleasant, especially without the holiday crowds.
The whole purpose of this sojourn west really, was to experience one of Britain’s two sleeper trains. Particularly after catching the boat to the Shetland Islands last year.
The Night Riviera leaves from London’s Paddington station. It takes roughly eight hours to make its way to the Cornish town of Penzance.
Man, what a way to travel. The train doors open at 10.30pm (you’re also given complimentary access to the Great Western Railway lounge from 9pm onwards, which has snacks and both hot and cold drinks on offer).
Once you’re on the train, you’re given an introduction by the cabin steward and offered a breakfast, either to be brought to your cabin in the very early morning, or for takeaway. Offerings for us at the time were a pastry (turned out to be a vegan jam croissant, interesting) or porridge.
There are no showers on the train either, but you are made an offer of having a shower at Penzance station, if you so require.
If you’re going to be responsible, you can essentially immediately go to bed if you wish, once you’ve boarded the train and receive a fairly full night’s sleep. The corridors in the carriages are tiny, as are the cabins themselves, as most of the space is dedicated to the beds. There’s an option of bunk buds if you’re not travelling solo, or both parties can each book a cabin and have the interconnecting door unlocked.
If you don’t want to be responsible, then you can make your way to the bar cart, where there are, as the name suggests, drinks on offer. Once there, you can stay up nattering to your friend until almost 2am, before heading to the cabin to get at least some kind of sleep before the train arrives at Penzance at 7.54am.
And how’s the sleep? Well, not too bad. I’ve never slept on a train before, only boats. It was rather nice to be rocked to sleep as the train meandered through the countryside. Towards the latter part of the trip, it stops a bit more often in Cornish towns, and if you’re a light sleeper like the author, that can be a bit disruptive.
All in all, it was a highly pleasant way to travel to Cornwall; particularly when compared to the rather gruelling five hour journey back to London on the day train.
Culinary highlights of Britain
I somehow travelled all the way to the Cornish seaside and didn’t see a single piece of fruits de la mer pass over my lips. However, that didn’t mean that the trip was a culinary failure. Nosiree.
Firstly, a round of applause for possibly the most delicious toastie I have ever eaten in my life, courtesy of The Quirky Bird in Penzance. It contained blood sausage, caramelised onion and brie. Not something you’d want to eat on a regular basis for the sake of your arteries, but delicious nonetheless.
I spent the second night of my trip in a small village called Perranuthnoe, about twenty mins east of Penzance. Stayed at a gastro pub called The Victoria Inn and what an absolutely pleasant surprise it was. Not only was the pub itself delightfully pink, but the food was exquisite. Ended up dining there for dinner and then enjoying a full English (Cornish?) breakfast the next morning.
And of course, when in Cornwall, one must sample some delicious clotted cream.
A few fun activities in London
Only hit up London for a handful of days, but there’s enough fun and weird stuff going on in the city, that managed to fit a few things in.
Touring Highgate Cemetery
One of the city’s Magnificent Seven, Highgate is both a nature reserve and home to some very famous names. The most popular grave there is probably that of Karl Marx – you can’t really miss it, due to the giant bust of his head sat upon the top.
You can tour either the east or west side of the cemetery, the west side being the older section. We chose east for the gossip and it was certainly worth it. Throw in a typically gloomy winter’s day for the atmosphere, and you have yourself a fun few hours out.
The Poetry Pharmacy
Now this was cute, a little bookshop nestled in of all things, a LUSH shop on London’s bustling Oxford Street. There are books galore here, as expected, alongside ‘poetry prescriptions’. I chose to soothe my soul with ‘wild remedies’ and my prescription notes I should imbibe these sweet and soothing lines while bundled up in my favourite armchair, with a steaming cup of tea.
Eel Pie Island
The enigmatic island is home to artist studios, only open to the public two weekends a year. By great luck, the winter weekend married up with my plans. It was great fun crossing the walk bridge onto the island, to poke around the various studios, examining the wares.
As with most of London, this island has a rather enigmatic history… particularly as the home to the former Eel Pie Island Hotel, which hosted gigs for the likes of The Who, The Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd.
Back to the Future: The Musical
Not every movie translates to the theatre, but Back to the Future: The Musical is an epic ride. Upbeat and funny with an amazing set and special effects, I’m crossing my fingers it makes a journey across the world for a run in Melbourne.
The UK is always great fun to visit, even if it takes a really long time to get there from Oz. And I feel the list of things to experience in London will always generally be a mile long.
Catch ya next week. ‘Til then, stay well and well-fed.
-Celine
If you liked this, you may also enjoy:
Going to sleep being rocked on the train sounds like the most wonderful and socially acceptable way to be treated like a baby as an adult. Must try!
Eel Pie Island looks awesome! Can also confirm that the sleeper train to Cornwall and exploring Penzance is an amazing experience! :P