Trudeau's
Potential itinerary
So what does Canada’s prime minister do with some down time in Cornwall, England?
Plenty for an outdoors guy like Justin Trudeau. Known for sandy beaches (over 300 of them!), seaside villages & resorts, wild moorland and towering cliffs, he and his family have lots of options for hiking, cycling, surfing and exploring.
Cornwall in Southwest England will be playing host to the G7 Summit of world leaders, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, June 11-13.
And since we’re hoping he gets some down time, or chooses to extend his stay, we’ve put together an itinerary so he can explore what Cornwall and neighbouring areas have to offer for him and his family.
Top-notch
accommodation
World leaders will be staying at the Carbis Bay Hotel, Carbis Bay near St. Ives, awarded AA Eco Hotel Award for 2019 for its commitment to sustainability. From installation of its on-site Energy Centre that provides power for the resort, plus its pathways and promenade made from recycled plastics from the ocean (the equivalent of 3.5 million plastic straws!), the resort is committed to the environment. A luxury resort that welcomes families, it has an award-winning spa and fine dining serving Cornish gourmet food. For a luxury eco hotel just for grown-ups, there is Scarlet, its spa offering a range of treatments, including hot tubs infused with Cornish seaweed.
Carbis Bay Hotel
Outdoor
family fun
Trudeau and his family can often be spotted on hiking trails in Canada, so what’s a better way to explore the beauty of England’s Southwest than to go for a walk along the newly-opened English Coast Path. Take a peek at some of the superb coastal views through Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset. A new series of Treasure Trails around the Cornish coastline are guaranteed to keep children entertained. Crack the clues along the way for a fun family day. It’s always surfs up in Cornwall, attracting surfers and kitesurfers from around the world. Trudeau could try a lesson offered by Extreme Academy to get the adrenalin pumping. Cornwall has 12 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty from the dramatic cliffs of the North Coast to the beautifully bleak hills of Bodmin Moor.
lost gardens of heligan
Glorious
Gardens
PM Trudeau and his family will be wowed when by visiting the Eden Project located on the Southeast coast of Cornwall. A huge rejuvenation project, it was created out of a depleted clay pit, and the huge crater is now a thriving garden featuring massive Biomes housing the world’s largest rainforest in captivity, stunning plants, contemporary gardens and exhibitions. And next year, the property’s first hotel will open, a 109 bedroom accommodation designed by Tate Harmer with the highest standards of accessibility, energy-efficiency and sustainability. For another garden paradise, the Prime Minister and his family would enjoy exploring the Lost Gardens of Heligan, near Mevagissey, an estate left to decay after WWI, but rediscovered and reawakened in 1990. Today its 200 acres are considered one of the most romantic and mysterious gardens in England.
Eden Project
Check out
Cornwall's Art
As a former drama teacher, no doubt Trudeau would enjoy taking in a performance at the open-air Minack Theatre , constructed on a rocky granite outcrop jutting in the sea. Located at Porthcurno, the season normally runs from May to September with a selection of outdoor performances. Continuing on with a cultural adventure, it’s time to check out St. Ives, a seaside town known for its local art scene. British sculptor Barbara Hepworth lived and worked in St. Ives; visit her Museum and Sculpture Garden. For more on St. Ives artistic community, stop by Penwith Gallery and Leach Pottery.
leach pottery
Myths
and legends
Theatre and storytelling go hand in hand, and Cornwall’s Tintagel Castle is inextricably linked with the legend of King Arthur. Situated along the dramatic and windswept coastline, the castle ruins echo with stories from centuries ago. Built half on the mainland and half on a jagged headland projecting into the Cornish sea, the new Tintagel Bridge brings the two impressive sites together. Journey by boat or by land causeway when the tide is right to St Michael’s Mount, just offshore at Marzion, tells tales of Archangel Michael and a Giant Killer named Jack. Archangel Michael was the patron saint of fisherman, guiding seafarers to safety along the rocky shore. Cormoran the Giant made his home on the Mount, stealing cattle and causing mayhem until a young lad named Jack lay a trap, luring the monster to his death.
Tintagel Castle
Fresh
Approach to food
Cornwall is definitely on the map for dedicated foodies. Top chefs such as Rick Stein and Paul Ainsworth (who make Padstow a must-visit hotspot) and Nathan Outlaw (with two locations in Port Isaac) deliver the finest in fresh seafood and local Cornish produce. Since PM Trudeau is known to enjoy Asian cuisine, may we suggest dinner at Kahuna Restaurant in Newquay where the chefs feature a Pan Asian menu inspired by years of travel. For more traditional fare, there are fresh-from-the-sea fish & chips, Fal Oysters, Cornish Sardines, decadent Cornish Cream Teas and Cornish pasties. Did you know that at least 120 million Cornish pasties are made each year?!
Padstow
Craving
some down time
After a couple of days of intense meetings, where better to relax and recharge than the Isles of Scilly, billed as Cornwall’s own tropical islands. Just 28 miles off the coast of Land’s End, the grouping of 140 islands (only five are inhabited) provide the perfect escape of crystal clear waters and idyllic beaches. Easily accessible by ferry or a 15 minute flight, the islands have been visited by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Dame Judi Dench, who holidays on Tresco. St. Mary’s is the largest island (population 1,800). Its capital Hugh Town offers plenty of character and charm with shops, cafes, galleries, restaurants and pubs. Along with St. Mary’s, the islands of Bryher, Tresco, St. Martins and St. Agnes round up the top five islands, each offering something different for visitors.
Paul Ainsworth
Treasure
Hunting
The Trudeau family could make like explorers and head east to the Jurassic Coast, an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Yes, it is THE place to go fossil hunting as each year fossils are eroded from the cliffs and tumble onto the beaches waiting to be discovered. The Jurassic Coast begins in Devon and continues for 95 miles to Old Harry Rocks in Dorset. The rock cliffs at Charmouth and Lyme Regis contain thousands of fossils of animals that swam in the Jurassic seas. The film Ammonite, starring Kate Winslet, is set in Lyme Regis and tells the story of amateur fossil collector Mary Anning. She and her brother were the first to discover a complete Ichthyosaur skeleton and a complete Plesiosuar. Some of her fossils are at London’s Naturel History Museum. Find out more about Anning’s life at the Lyme Regis Museum. The Museum of Jurassic Marine Life is home to some of the first fossils found. The famous Weymouth Bay pliosaur is on exhibition at the Dorset County Museum.
Jurassic Coast
Canadian
Connections
Next door in East Devon, there’s a little bit of Canada in the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Canadian flag flutters above Wolford Chapel, which is owned by Ontario. It’s the burial place of John Graves Simcoe, Toronto’s founder and the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada (Ontario). In Kent, Quebec House in Westerham is the childhood home of General James Wolfe, who won the Battle of Quebec on the Plains of Abraham but lost his life doing so. The churchyard of All Saints Church in Orpington is the resting place for 90 Canadian soldiers who died in the town during World War I. More than 100 Canadians fought in the Battle of Britain during World War II, and 23 lost their lives. Find out more about the battle and see the memorabilia collection at the Battle of Britain Museum in Folkstone.
Wolford Chapel
Elementary
my dear Trudeau
The Prime Minister is a Sherlock fan, so it makes sense that on his visit to England he’d want to take do a little sleuthing about the famous detective. He can start first by going next door into Devon and traipsing about Dartmoor National Park featured in The Hound of the Baskervilles. From there, it’s a journey to London to the Sherlock Holmes Museum located at 221B Baker Street, one of the world’s most famous addresses. The Sherlock Holmes Walking Tour of London covers literary and filming location sites featured in the books and real sites that inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. More Sherlock sites include New Scotland Yard, Irene Adler’s House at 44 Eaton Square, Belgravia and the Sherlock Holmes Pub.