From Cornwall to the Queen—and Everything in Between

Executive Editor Vivian Vassos (pictured above, left) recently returned from her whirlwind trip to England, celebrating all things Cornwall—Poldark, Doc Martin, great food—as well as jolly old London, for a Gin revival, a little rock ‘n’ roll and the 40th anniversary of punk and, then, on to Windsor, for Her Majesty’s birthday, of course. God save the Queen.

Follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @vivianvassos; Facebook: Vivian Vassos.

Click through below for some of the highlights, and come back next week for part II of Zoomer in England for the Queen’s 90th and beyond.

This ancient mine at Botallack in Cornwall stands in as Wheal Grambler, a location for the hit TV show Poldark. Its oceanside perch only adds to the remoteness of it.

The Cornwall coastline, along Botallack. ‘Nuff said.

Cornwall is also the home of Rick Stein, a founding father of the foodie movement, particularly with the incredible wealth of fresh fish and seafood in this area of England, as seen here with these scallops at his bistro in Padstow. Since Stein made Cornwall his culinary home, other top chefs have followed, including Michelin-starred Nathan Outlaw and Gordon Ramsay.

Of course, you can’t come to Cornwall without a visit to the sweet little fishing village of Port Isaac, home of visionTV‘s Doc Martin. My dear friend and Zoomer booster Liesa Bissett snapped this shot through a hillside garden overlooking the boat launch and beach below.

This is Tintagel, in Cornwall. It is believed that the myth of King Arthur and his lady love Guinevere was born here, the shards of the castle still standing as an epic reminder of the days of knights and conquests. It has always been on my bucketlist, and it was worth the windswept climb to its epic summit. The view alone is breath-stealing, the aura and sense of what may have happened behind these walls, awe-inspiring. Myth? I say where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

Below the ruins of Tintagel, just off the beach, is a stoney outcrop where one intrepid sculptor has carved an idea of what King Arthur may have looked like. At once eerie and beautiful.

Back in London, it was time for tea – and a bit of whimsy. Just in time to celebrate the new film, Alice Through the Looking Glass, The Sanderson Hotel has launched the Mad Hatters Tea. Go ahead, go down the rabbit hole, and drink up.

It is remarkable just how many green spaces a city the size of London, England, actually has. Many, however, are private and secluded. I discovered a secret shady square off the drawing room at The Draycott Hotel in Chelsea, and I couldn’t resist snapping the carpet of pink blossoms that covered the ground.

You can’t do London without a bit of gin—shaken, not stirred. At Dukes Bar at Dukes Hotel in St. James (just down the street from the Prince Charles and Harry’s offices, I might add), Alessandro has been inspired by the books of Ian Fleming, and created a cocktail menu to boot. Book ahead, as this place is intimate and popular.

At Windsor, Her Majesty the Queen’s Easter-season hometown, the festivities were focused to her 90th birthday, with a special nod to one of her favourite things: horses. 900 of them, as a matter of fact.

Here’s my Instagram post: And of course, Men in Uniform—Her Majesty has a great respect for the military, including our own RCMP—and a Cinderella carriage. And all wrapped up by midnight. @visitwindsor @VisitBritain #VivTravel