Alpaca Cria

Hideous as it was to come back to an office piled up with mail etc, there was a cracking brown female cria on the ground in the birthing paddock on Thursday. Her mother was huge, weeks overdue, and we had hoped she would have it when we were here in case we had to pull it out. Apparently it took her a while but she did deliver this girl unaided. She is a great looking cria, by our black Ikon, with fantastic bone and lots of promise in the fleece.

Cornwall was fantastic. We drew up outside the swanky Hotel Tresanton in St Mawes, which is on a narrow road running round the harbour, next to the palm trees as directed. A charming flunkey was there with a list and our names were on it! He took our luggage and parked the car some way up the hill where there is a hotel car park. The hotel is all taupe, those carpets made out of seagrass or coire or something, with some huge fossils here and there. We had a sea view and real windows that opened, I hate those plastic windows that just open a crack. We strolled around the harbour, collapsed for a nap and had an excellent dinner. The birthday boy seemed happy. We realised that you don’t need a car as there are ferries everywhere and as the birthday boy had forgotten to pack knickers or socks (he’s 60, not many brain cells left) we got the ferry to Falmouth. The weather was fantastic, flat calm, sparkling sea and very warm. We ambled around Falmouth, I bought a couple of paintings which are going to be sent on when framed. We went into another art gallery where there were some very serious paintings. Lots of Terry Frost – why can’t I afford one? – at £16,000 a pop although there was one for a mere £6,000. Maybe I could afford one if I stopped buying alpacas. The gallery owner seemed familiar but I can’t work out from where and he suggested along with two of his sculptors who were there that most things in the gallery would look much better on our walls than theirs…hmm. See you tomorrow, he cried, as we shuffled off.

Next came a walk to the castle at the end of the point. You walk up a steep hill with the dockyard below where a P&O ferry was in dry dock. Chas was fascinated by all that was going on beneath him and it was a good opportunity for a Cornish ice cream whilst gazing at the scurrying workers miles below us. Eventually we got to the point and sat around for a while hoping our feet would cool down and then walked back along the coastal path. This went through the most stunning bluebell woods. We caught the ferry back to St Mawes (£7.00 return). Chas could have got the over 60’s price but hasn’t quite got his head round that yet.

Lay around for a while on very comfy loungers on the hotel terrace reading and sipping a gin and tonic (Chas, not me) before another splendid dinner. Breakfast was a complete hoot as it was warm enough each morning to have it outside on the terrace. I had the most sublime dish – muffin, ham, poached egg and hollandaise sauce. And there was a wacky herring gull who took up position on a flagpole where he could keep an eye on the diners. If they left the table he was down sharpish gobbling up the butter. In fact he took our butter when I had gone off to get something and Chas was still sitting there. A bit clumsy herring gulls, must be those big webbed feet, as the crockery often ends up smashed on the floor. The waiting staff therefore are really quick off the mark and the moment anyone stood up were out there rescuing the butter. There were a few jackdaws and a blackbird who were much more refined and just ate anything on the floor.

It was a great couple of days and the hotel staff were amazingly attentive and pleasant and there were lots of them. Sometimes it was like being at an auction where you try not to raise a hand in case you inadvertently make a bid or in this case three waiters rush up to see if you want anything.