{"id":96838,"date":"2025-07-11T04:54:24","date_gmt":"2025-07-11T04:54:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/11\/our-england-trip-cup-of-jo\/"},"modified":"2025-07-11T04:54:24","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T04:54:24","slug":"our-england-trip-cup-of-jo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/11\/our-england-trip-cup-of-jo\/","title":{"rendered":"Our England Trip | Cup of Jo"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n
\"Cornwall<\/div>\n

\"Cornwall<\/p>\n

Hello again, friends! I\u2019m so excited to catch up. This past weekend, we got home after two weeks visiting family in Cornwall, England<\/a>, and seeing friends in Italy (more on that soon). Here are a few photos, if you\u2019d like to see\u2026<\/p>\n

\"Cornwall<\/p>\n

The journey from Brooklyn to Cornwall is no joke: you take an overnight flight to London, rent a car, then drive five hours southwest to my aunt\u2019s house<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\"Cornwall<\/p>\n

But after all the anticipation, entering her village feels spectacular \u2014\u00a0you drive through miles of country lanes, then BURST into the harbor. This is the view!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Lulu always greets us with drinks, snacks, and huge smiles.<\/p>\n

\"Cornwall<\/p>\n

We took a bleary-eyed but happy photo on our first night.<\/p>\n

\"Cornwall<\/p>\n

Anton reunited with his long-lost cousin Jimmy<\/a>, who is his English doppelg\u00e4nger. They\u2019re like little soulmates, jumping into the water, eating salt-and-vinegar chips, and getting into mischief. (Here\u2019s a photo of them<\/a> from six years ago.)<\/p>\n

\"Cornwall<\/p>\n

So brave!<\/p>\n

\"Cornwall<\/p>\n

And Toby finally caught up in height to his same-age cousin Bo. (Here\u2019s a sweet slideshow<\/a> of them through the years.)<\/p>\n

\"Cornwall<\/p>\n

On the height wall, the babies, toddlers, and kids slowly creep up, but teenagers start shooting up four inches every year. My sister\u2019s late husband, Paul<\/a>, also once marked his height in the morning and the evening to prove that people get shorter during the daytime.<\/p>\n

\"Cornwall<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Lulu\u2019s dog, Jane, seemed surprisingly unfazed by all the chaos.<\/p>\n

\"Cornwall<\/p>\n

\"Cornwall<\/p>\n

On days when it didn\u2019t rain (it\u2019s still England, after all), we\u2019d take the little boat into the ocean, where you can see jellyfish if you look over the side.<\/p>\n

\"Cornwall<\/p>\n

\"Cornwall<\/p>\n

The boys would swim from the rocks to the boat.<\/p>\n

\"Cornwall<\/p>\n

And my dad was psyched<\/del> didn\u2019t care when I told him that boat shoes are actually very cool right now!<\/p>\n

\"Cornwall<\/p>\n

If it did<\/em> rain, we\u2019d hit the beach, as one does, haha.<\/p>\n

\"Cornwall<\/p>\n

\"Cornwall<\/p>\n

Lunches were of the smash-and-grab variety\u2026<\/p>\n

\"Cornwall<\/p>\n

\u2026or we\u2019d get fish and chips and mushy peas at the pub.<\/p>\n

\"Cornwall<\/p>\n

We also played a LOT of Go Fish. (What other classic card games do you like? Forever looking for recs.)<\/p>\n

\"Cornwall<\/p>\n

One afternoon, Julia Bird \u2014\u00a0of seaweed art fame<\/a> \u2014 stopped by Lulu\u2019s house, since she lives in the same town. I was so happy to meet her! After chatting about work and children and marriage, she said, \u201cWell, I need to walk the dog and go for a swim, so I\u2019m going to love you and leave you.\u201d How sweet is that phrasing?<\/p>\n

\"Cornwall<\/p>\n

This is Julia\u2019s lovely shop<\/a>. (I brought home a little print for Freddie<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

\"Cornwall<\/p>\n

In the evenings, we\u2019d sit outside and chat\u2026<\/p>\n

\"Cornwall<\/p>\n

And watch the boats.<\/p>\n

\"Cornwall<\/p>\n

One night \u2014 since the sky doesn\u2019t get dark until 10 p.m. \u2014 I lay in bed, looking over the water, and thought about how many times<\/a> we\u2019ve come to Cornwall, ever since I was seven<\/a>. We\u2019ve missed a few summers here and there \u2014\u00a0when money was tight, or when I had babies<\/a>, or during quarantine \u2014\u00a0but overall these annual visits have felt like a heartbeat in our lives. We moved around a lot when we were growing up, but my grandparents\u2019 yellow house<\/a> was always there, every year, exactly the same. While writing this post, I was thinking how there isn\u2019t much new to report, but then I realized, that\u2019s the point. It\u2019s all cousins and wet suits and fishing lines and half an avocado in the fridge.<\/p>\n

\"Cornwall<\/p>\n

The only catch was a stomach bug that passed through the group \u2014\u00a0or, as Toby called it, \u201cthe disease.\u201d We almost<\/em> escaped unscathed, until we drove back to London and I caught it from my brother. But every adventure has some ups and downs<\/a>, right? That\u2019s what makes it a family vacation.<\/p>\n

Thank you so much for reading. We love you, Cornwall! Italy recap coming soon\u2026 xoxoxo<\/strong><\/p>\n

P.S. Many England trips through the years<\/a>, and what\u2019s your #1 travel tip<\/a>?<\/p>\n

\n

\t\t\t<\/p>\n

113<\/span> COMMENTS<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section><\/div>\n