All the walls are stone including in the kitchen and baths.

The drive to Tredarupp to our new holiday rental was longer than we’d expected. Leaving Falmouth at 10:00 am and with check-in at 2:00 pm, we decided to take a longer route and visit the town of St. Ives. A popular tourist location was suggested to us by Barbara and Chris at dinner last Tuesday night.

The owners thought of every possible amenity included insulated grocery bags available for our use.

Although it’s very cool now, I doubt we’ll use the wood-burning stove, preferring not to make a mess.

Before our “stuff” began cluttering the spacious house, I zipped around and took photos while admiring every space before us. There wasn’t a single aspect of the place we didn’t like.

We’d lived in another 300-year-old house in Boveglio, Tuscany, Italy, in 2013. It’s a 300-year-old property renovated but holding to its original stone structure and thick stone walls. Here’s the link to photos of that property. 

This is the area where we’re seated now as I prepare today’s post, sitting on the sofa on the left while Tom sits in the plaid chair to the left, all very comfortable.

However, the Italian property had several obstacles, some of which were hazardous. See our link regarding those issues here.  However, this property in Tredarrup does not have obstacles other than accessing the back entrance, where parking is located, via eight uneven stone steps to the house. I’m extra careful.

The den, an area we’ll be unlikely to use when there are windows and comfort in the living room.

When we walked in the door, we immediately felt at ease, seeing that everything was even more lovely than depicted in the photos.  The lovely owners, Lorraine and Graham, were greeting us when we arrived, reminding us to notify them immediately if we needed anything at all.

This morning, we had breakfast at this dining table.  Note the size of the refrigerator. Although not full-size, it is much better than the “shortie” we had in Falmouth. But, there again, we improvised and made it work during our two weeks by the sea.

The only item I may need is a large bowl, but there is every other kitchen gadget imaginable. I’ll wait a few days and see how I can improvise without it, perhaps using the largest of the cooking pots, of which there are plenty.

The king-sized bed in the master bedroom.  The bath is not ensuite but next door to the master bedroom.

What can I say? We’re immensely comfortable in this house and slept like babies in the king-sized bed with lush linens, blankets, and pillows. I never awoke once during the night.


Both bathrooms are located on the lower level resulting in the necessity of going downstairs many times a day, again, great exercise for me. I’ve already been up and down about ten times as we continued to get organized.  

This is the guest bathroom with a nice tub with a shower (inside the tub).

This morning we drove to the tiny town of Camelford to the “Food Co-Op” market for groceries. Yesterday, we visited a local farm where we purchased all the meats we’ll need for these first seven days. (More on that tomorrow). 


Tonight we’ll grill two lean ribeye steaks on the Weber grill on our veranda accompanied by sauteed mushrooms and a salad of fresh greens and veggies. The weather continues to be dreary, rainy, and dark.  

The second of three bedrooms.  We placed our open suitcases on each of these twin beds for easy access as we live out of our bags, ideal during these short two-week stays.

Of course, I can’t wait until it dries up a bit to walk out to the paddock and see the pygmy goats, pigs, sheep, chickens, ducks, and geese. Most definitely, photos will follow shortly after that.

The master bath with a shower and lo and behold a medicine cabinet, ideal for our toiletries.  Few bathrooms in houses throughout the world have ample counter space or cupboards in the bathroom.  Cruise ships typically have more storage space in the toilets than in holiday homes.

As for today, we’ll stay put. On Monday, I am committed to preparing our tax information for our accountant. I have tons of receipts to scan (using the camera) and log into the system. It’s a tedious task, but I am determined to put this nagging task behind me.  

Our accountant arranged for an extension since I was in no shape to tackle that daunting task only days after I got out of the hospital for the two surgeries on my legs. Tom does the “heavy lifting,” cooking, laundry, and researches our future cruises and travels, and I do the “paperwork.”

The entrance to our new home, Mill Barn, a finely renovated 300-year-old stone house.  It’s extraordinary!

Once I am done on Monday, we’ll be heading out on the first sunny day. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for us during our remaining 13 days in this part of Cornwall. It will pass all too quickly!

Accomplishing dreaded tasks is a fantastic way to feel uplifted and immensely accomplished. May your month of September be so fulfilling.

The lions were very far from us, and thus, these photos aren’t as straightforward as we’d have liked, but we were always excited to see them.  For more photos, please click here.