When it comes to Valentine’s Day we’re not ones for sitting in a restaurant surrounded by plastic roses eating a meal that on any other day would cost a third of the price. No, what did we do on the so-called romantic day of the year? A 10K coastal walk, that’s what!
We’re a big fans of Clevedon, a beautiful seaside town only a 30 minute bus ride from Bristol. With its wonderful Victorian pier and its dramatic, rocky beach it’s the perfect spot for a day out.
We’ve travelled that 30 minutes several times but for this trip we’d thought we’d do it differently and caught the bus to Portishead, six miles from Clevedon.
Once we’d navigated our way around the Waitrose and generic bars in the modern marina area, we hit the place we’d really come to see. Just like Clevedon, Portishead had a rocky coastline and with its outdoor pool you’re transported back to the hayday of the traditional Bristol seaside holiday.
After a stroll on the beach we set off on the walk. Maybe it was because everyone was tucking into their £39.99 Valentine’s set menus but we can’t have seen more than 10 other people on our three hour stroll. Basking in the crisp winter sunshine we enjoyed glorious views as we strolled along the very well laid out paths. At no point do you have to venture into the streets and away from the coast which means you constantly get awe inspiring vista of stoney beaches, lighthouses, wooden jetties battered by the waves and wind swept grassland.
Almost as if we were filming a promotional film for Visit Clevedon, we arrived in the town as the sun was setting and got a view of the magnificent pier that we’d never seen before. We stood for a good 20 minutes and admired its beauty as the sound of laughing children playing on the beach peppered the air. It was so perfect, we expected George Glooney to appear on the pier at any moment filming his latest chick flick.
With our tummies rumbling it was time to have a Valentine’s Day meal after all. But we opted for the local pub with a couple of pints and a platter of garlic bread, humous, fried mushrooms and halloumi.
Now that’s what we call romance.
