Today I caught the train to St Ives, a picturesque fishing port that lies north of Penzance. The little two-coach train that takes you from St Erth to the town of St Ives goes right along the coast, alongside Hayle Towans and past Carbis Bay. It is probably one of the most scenic train routes in the country. Luckily for me I only live 40 minutes away and I’m home for Easter.

We had breakfast at Porthmeor Beach cafe, overlooking the sea. The inside of the cafe resembles a huge conservatory, with big airy windows and an incredible view of the bay. Poached eggs on toast with a latte made with Origin coffee (a Cornish based company) was the perfect start to the day whilst we waited for the clouds to clear.

I persuaded my mum to come into the Tate with me, which also overlooks Porthmeor Beach. There is currently an exhibition on called ‘The Modern Lens: International Photography and the Tate collection’ which showcases the developments of photography from the 1920s to the 1960s. It is the largest photography exhibition to ever be held at the gallery and whilst I struggled to comprehend some of the earlier work we saw, I really enjoyed some of the more modern pieces from photographer Harry Callahan.

After a walk around the gift shop, we took a wander around some of the little back alleys and winding roads in the town, and I had to keep stopping to take a photograph because something would have caught my eye. The little houses in St Ives are beautiful- it could almost be a town in Italy or France and I certainly felt like I was on holiday for the day. There are little studios and art galleries hidden all over the place, and it’s easy to see why the local artists stay so inspired. After getting a bit lost, the sun finally came out and after finding our way back we took a walk along the main high street and looked in some of the independent shops (I am a real sucker for candles.)

A few hours later it was time for a cream tea (it would have been criminal not to- do like the tourists do) and nearly £8 later for two scones and a pot of tea for two, it was definitely time to go home. We spent almost 7 hours in St Ives and it felt like I’d never properly experienced it before. We sometimes go in the winter, when it is quiet and the streets are empty, which I imagine is a godsend for the residents as it is one of the most popular places to holiday in Cornwall. Small streets plus lots of families with buggies equals no room. Not mentioning the tourists driving 4x4s through the tiny roads. But there is something about the place when it is buzzing with people, who are on their holidays. It makes me feel like I am on holiday too- even though I know I’m not.

(All of the photos were taken on my iPhone 6- I also finished off a roll of film here which I will get developed as soon as I have the money to!)