On or second full day we had a pleasant duty to perform. Getting the Christmas presents for our friends. I have no worries about detailing it here because after years of getting the same presents none of them will be greatly surprised. We headed to the Shawcross vineyard. As we arrived a rather distracted woman also arrived, in order to avoid an accident I let her go in first, so while she was being served, we were ushered off to look at the vines.
I have no idea whether 2016 is a good year or not, but I was impressed with the yield on most of the vines.
They grow quite a few varieties, and it was a pleasant walk around the edge of the vineyard, although not at all challenging. On returning to the shop we sat outside while the tasting was prepared. All the wines were good, but as is always the case, the final selection was a compromise. Jo and I have very different tastes. We had tried six different wines and then placed our order. Having loaded the boxes into the car we were offered coffee, which was a welcome refreshment, and it being a pleasant morning we sat in the yard for a while longer.
We then drove to Framlingham to see the castle. I thought that I had visited all the English castles, but cannot remember ever seeing this one before. It is an impressive place, so we picked up the free audio guide and climbed the stairs for a walk around the wall.
When we arrived we had parked in the shade in the overflow car park with the coaches. The castle was full of school children, most of whom were enyoing the good weather and playing on the steep banks. I assume the trips were 'educational', but in reality just being in the castle is educational, and hopefully will spark a lot of questions. The castle building has a fairly unusual history, as can be seen from the houses built inside the walls. They now house the exhibition.
There is no cafe in the castle, but you can come and go as you please, so we wandered down into the town to get some sandwiches to take back to the castle to eat. We passed plenty of places where we could have stopped, but there seemed to be no take-away until we got to the Co-op.
A short walk around the town, then back to the castle to eat our sandwiches.
After lunch we took a longer walk around the town, and came across some Alms houses, we also walked through the meadow under the castle, which it is believed was once flooded, and provided fish as well as defense.
Later we drove to Southwold and strolled along the sea front, and
through the town. We ate fish and chips from the Sole Bay Fish Company -
by far the poshest take-away fish and chips I have ever had. It came in a custome made bag, which was lined to keep the food warm and included a slice of lemon. They also offered us some of their home made tartar sauce. Sadly though, no protection from the gulls that constantly swooped overhead in the hope of a chip. A lovely evening on the top of Southwold cliffs.
Following a surprisingly good night's sleep and after a good English Breakfast, we are off to Minsmere. I remember it is a rather long and strange drive out to the reserve, along narrow roads through the woods, never quite being sure where the reserve starts. Still we get into the car park and it really isn't that busy. At the entrance we are given the map and a brief explanation of the site. We have decided to buy another pair of binoculars, for me this time, so we head for the shop first. After a little while browsing we get offered help. Do they watch you to decide if you're serious before offering help? Anyway, we weren't far off what we eventually bought, and the staff kindly offered to repair Jo's pair, which they did in a few minutes, and for free. Great service from the RSPB!
We took the longest route first, out to the mere and spent a while in various hides, only one of which had a lot of birds. We identified a very few, and puzzled over even more, we are only beginners, but I thought we could do better. Later I would find out why we didn't, when we got to the last hide before the walk back. In that hide were a couple of RSPB guides, and they showed us different birds and explained how their plumage was changing for winter. That explains the difficulty, so birds are in transition - very confusing.
On the way back to the reception area and cafe, we stopped off to visit the dig at Leiston Abbey. Very interesting it was too.
The Abbey had been repeatedly flooded and eventually the monks were given some land further from the sea and moved the whole Abbey 'stone by stone'. This must have cost a fortune, but their money making schemes were quite profitable and even at the time decidedly illegal! They seem to have diverted ships from the real port and unloaded them, and charged the appropriate taxes etc. None of that money left the Abbey, it seems. There were various law suits against them, but that doesn't seemd to have made a difference.
We spoke to a number of the diggers and heard what they had to say. Most were older people, so there's hope for me yet maybe. Many had paid for the privilege, because the dig was being run by DigVentures. From discussions about how to determine what is worth getting out of the trench, to the very obvious changes in the colour of the soil, and the constant references to the ground radar that is so helpful in showing where to dig, I was fascinated.
We eventually returned for Lunch. Simple food was available, soup, jacket potatoes, sandwiches and the like. The jacket potatoe was OK, but not that hot, and the order wasn't correct, although that was quickly fixed. We sat just outside the cafe, but still under cover, not to keep warm, but to stay in the shade!
After lunch we walked round the other two circuits (together, shorter than the first) and saw almost nothing in the bird line at all, which was very disappointing. We did see some rather impressive Red Admirals on the blackberry bushes, and I managed to get a reasonable picture.
On our way home we vistied the 'new' Leiston Abbey. Still a ruin, but MUCH more to see.
According to the information plaques: "The abbey was of the Premonstratensian order, a very strict order who favoured remote locations (like Minsmere) well away from towns. The order was started in 1119 by Saint Norbet or Premontre in northern France. The inmates wore black and white robes and were ordained priests unlike the monks of mother religious orders."
Norbet / Norbert just set me thinking - shouldn't have really!
After a walk on Thorpeness beach we headed for the Parrot and Punchbowl in Aldrinngham (where, we later found out, two of our friends were married). We had a lovely meal, and a very long chat with some sitting at the next table, who clearly wanted someone to talk to.
For various reasons our Holiday this autumn was truncated to just 3 days. We left on Tuesday and headed to Suffolk, to a small village called Yoxford, near Saxmunden. On the way we stopped in Wickham Market to get some lunch, and found a little tea shop - The Tea Pot Tearoom, where we had a light lunch - a ploughmans followed by a piece of cake, and a pot of tea. Which while very nice, was a little on the expensive side. After lunch we walked around the town and vistied the church, which is our regular habit.
To our surprise it was open, so we took a look inside. What a lovely updating of an old church, I don't think I've ever seen one this good.
Outside again I was talking about how impressed I was with how they had updated the inside of the building, when I saw the notice board, and realised they had also unlocked the secrets of time travel!
As we arrived at our B&B - Oak Tree Farm, the rain had just started. The hosts came to rescue us, and we sat in the breakfast room for about 90 minutes before the rain stopped and we could unload the car. I had been reading about Labrador Retrievers, and watching the bird feeder out of the corner of my eye. Plenty of birds, none of which seemed to mind the weather.
Once we got into our room we had to find somewhere to eat for the night. The Griffen didn't look like it was still open so we elected to go back to the A12 and try the Kings Head. A nice large car park, but quite a small pub, still the importatnt thing is that they served food. The specials board was amazing, loads to choose from , and the started in particular I struggled to choose. Rarely do I find so many things I like, and am (just about) allowed to eat.
After a very good meal we drove out to Dunwich to see the dark skys and try out the constallations app on my phone. The app was not great, so maybe I need another, or more practice. The dark skys are darker than at home, but still the Milky Way was not as bright as I have seen it (a long time ago), and the clouds soon meant we had to return to the B&B.
Sat 2 Jul 11
We drove to Squirrel Cottage, Laymore, Winsham, Somerset (5 miles from Chard).
After long delays on M25 around M4. we stopped at Fleet – a horribly small services for lunch – and a dog walk(ish).
Went to Chard for shopping in Sainsbury's and left Brody tied up outside – he was OK.
After tea we drove to Bridport – West Harbour and walked along the stony beach – small uncomfortable stones but the cliffs are eroding so could also walk next to cliffs and avoid the stones. Brody went for a swim – Jo was not pleased, but it must have been cold – it woke him up and made him crazy.
He stole another dog's ball, and then ate something. Jo was shouting at me to put him on the lead. I was reluctant, but as we came closer to the beech parties there really wasn't a choice.
Sun 3 Jul 11
After a very disturbed night in which Brody was very unsettled, we eventually got going in time to miss the morning service at St Stephens. Walked into Winsham and diverted toward Ford Abbey, then across country and back to the B3162 and into Winsham, there is not much there, by the time we arrived even the Post Office, the only shop, had closed.
Walked around the church and kept the doors carefully shut, as requested, to keep the swallows out. We got back to the Squirrels Inn for lunch about 14:00. The carvery was just £5, even with drinks and sweet the total was about £26 for both of us. The meat was lovely, mainly pork, but one small piece of beef. The vegetables were over cooked and almost cold – the penalty for being almost last at the table.
After lunch we watched the Wimbledon mens final: Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal in 4 sets. I was relieved that Nadal didn't win again.
Around tea time we drove to Lyme Regis for a walk along Monmouth beach. There really isn't much of it, not enough for a proper dog walk. Brody had another swim. Even now his coat doesn't smell too bad. Then we queued for chips and had a wander around the harbour wall. Brody is an excellent conversation starter. Tried to find the Jane Austen garden, there were many sign posts but we could not find the garden.
Back in the cottage, the upstairs floor level window curtain rail fell down when I went to close the curtain Now it's time for bed, but the fretting dog needs his cage put up before he will sleep.
Mon 4 Jul 11
The day starts around 3am, Brody needs the facilities of the grass outside. Then it is almost dawn and its hard to get back to sleep again. Jo is very tired. Once again we were up late, not so bad today 9:00 ish. Went in to Chard and to the Tourist Information where the lady was very helpful, but they don’t take cheques any more and have no card machine so it has to be cash. The banks are easily winning the fight to remove cheques.
A little shopping in Sainsbury's, to cover the cost of the car park ticket, where we bought a meal for two for £10 (it's one of their deals) and back to Squirrel Cottage to make lunch. Then off to Chard reservoir for a dog walk.The area around the reservoir is split into different types of meadows and is great for dog walking. Brody almost immediately lost the ball in the long grass. He was fascinated by the meadow grass and went running through it and bounding about in it.
We had our picnic and then wandered on to the cycle trail for a mile or so, tuned back and walked down the road. As the reservoir is a bird sanctuary - no dogs are allowed in. After a while we drove to Taunton to look for a dongle. None are to be had . We found PC World easily enough (amazing!). O2 and Vodafone have poor coverage of our postcode. Thanks to the excellent staff in PC world who checked their facts diligently and didn't try to sell an inappropriate product. We left to try for Orange in the town. The Orange shop haven't got any dongles and won't be getting any. Phones 4U said that Orange only do monthly contracts, but I was after pay as you go- I only need it for a week. Finally, I tried the '3' shop. They checked the postcode and said no indoor reception – outdoor only – so I am off the net for a week. Difficult when so many of the leaflets refer to web sites these days.
The £10 meal was very nice – Sea Bass, leaf salad, a bottle of Pino Grigiot blush and a sticky toffee pudding. I'm quite ready for a blog, but no internet. Josh (from work) texted me about a billing failure, but the signal is so poor texts take a while to get delivered (and I expect received as well) so I wasn’t much help. He said they had sorted it out though.
Tue 5 Jul 11
Another early start, taking Brody outside at just 12:30 (00:30) after only 2 hours of sleep. The rest of the night was also disturbed by the dog. The weather was supposed to be poor and the rain had already started when we left the cottage. We went to Heale (near Corfe), which the Sat-Nav didn't know, but the OS map did, for a walk in the Black Wood Hills. As we parked in the road the rain finally stopped. We made our way back along the road to the bridleway and across the meadow. Full of corn flowers and daisies it was a beautiful sight. We made our way around Orchard Wood and then south to Staple Park Farm. From there we followed the road and joined the B3178 for a while, finally leaving it for a footpath that cut off the corner and put us on the road where we left the car. By now it had started raining again.
All the paths were well maintained and reasonably well signposted, the only exception being the first field we had to cross on the last footpath which was blocked by an electric fence. The way around was barely passable due to thistles and nettles. On the way home the rain got worse and it seemed as though we were driving through fog.
We arrive home and had sandwiches, then some rest. Later we drove the shop in Winsham and posted some postcards and brought some vegetables for tea.
After tea we drove towards Bridport to try to find Eype beach. Lower Eype was not on the Sat-Nav but we chose a place close by and followed the road signs. The beach is below a high cliff and is made up of larger stones deposited in tiers by the sea. The car park which costs £2 after 4pm and has an honesty box. Ours was the only car, we arrived after 6pm and were there for less that an hour. We paid a reasonable rate. From the car park, down the steps on to the beach we turned right (west) and walked to the end of the beach. Brody paddled in the sea, but was not sure of the waves which were breaking on the beach with quite a force.
Wed 6 Jul 11
We had up a number of leaflets with walks in the Blackdown Hills from the TI. This one was '6 circular walks in and around Stockland' Walk 3 starts at the Stockland village hall. We found it easily enough and confirmed with a woman about to play tennis that it was OK to park. The instructions are clear enough, so is the map. We passed the church, there is no footpath sign. There is a gap between two hedges that could easily be a footpath. We tried to walk down between the hedges. The hedges are high on both sides, the path overgrown with nettles and other vegetation almost up to my shoulder. It was muddy and stoney underfoot, eventually we turned back. As we were turning round Brody pushed past me and took my one stable leg from under me. I landed in the nettles after stepping on his paw. We returned to the car and drove off to try to find Walk 1 “Happy Valley and the Umborne Brook”. We found it after a few diversions and joined half way round. Before we started, the rain began, so we ate lunch and by the time we had finished the shower had passed. We were soon walking through the woods and following the stream. Brody spotted a pool that had been dug and was off down hill. We called and called but the only response was a loud splash. We continued calling and there were a couple of other splashes then it went quiet. I made my way down the hill and saw him swimming around. The pool was deep and the banks steep and high. All his splashing had not made the pool muddy. He looked a little bemused and was swimming in a circle – looking for a way out I expect. I found a corner where the bank was not so steep and attracted him with a dog biscuit. He came out, but it was a bit of a struggle. From then on I had a damp dog pushing past me every few hundred yards. On the way back we passed through a field of cows, who took a dislike to our dog. He had his best run in this field – and he needed to run – the cows were quite aggressive. On the final path back we were stopped by a local farmer and asked if the path was clear. He maintains the path – we were very pleased to hear that some of the paths are maintained.. As we got back to the car a lady on a horse asked us to keep the gate open. Brody barked at the horse and would not stop. Once in the car the rain came again.
We drove back towards Chard and stopped at the Yarcombe Inn. Despite the sign outside, it was closed, but further along the A30 the was the Howley Inn we took a diversion and enjoyed a coffee. They even allowed us to take the dog in. We also bought some of their eggs. Then it was back to Chard for some shopping and back to the cottage for tea.
Thu 7 Jul 11
We decided earlier in the week that we would join the walk advertised in the Post Office. We arrived early only one person was there but he had arrived early as well. Soon there were about 15 of us. They are just a group of local friends who go for walks once a month. They were happy for us to join in. We had a circular walk around Winsham. We came around to almost the Squirrel Inn and then back to The Bell the pub where we had met. The walk lasted just over 2.5 hours. We stayed for a drink and lunch. The walkers had pre-ordered lunch and there were some cyclists in, so lunch took a while. The pub gave Brody a treat and would have provided water if we had needed it.
After lunch we headed for the Wellington monument, an obelisk visible from quite a distance. We had hoped to get some good views of the area but there was too much undergrowth. Here we played with Brody for a while. The views were available from further down the road.
We came back to the cottage and cleaned up. Then headed to the Squirrel Inn (next door to the cottage) for an evening meal. Simple pub food, but well prepared and enjoyable.
Fri 8 Jul 11
After Brody trying out the shower (by now he did need a wash), we headed for Axminster where we visited the TI and followed the town trail. We passed possibly the grumpiest old man who had just left the cobblers and told Brody not to lick it (the glue he was carrying) and asked why he had to walk in the road to pass us. The answer I didn't give was “because you're too impatient to wait while the dog moves”. We then went to Seaton to ride on the tram line to Colyton. At Colyton, we wandered into town and brought ice cream and wandered back to the tram line. After a walk around Seaton we drove to Lyme Regis and parked at the top of the cliff. We walked into town and out toward the Jurassic coast. We only went a short way, the tide was coming in, Back on the sea front we had fish and chips, then more ice cream at Rinky Tinks. Finally we returned home to feed Brody at around 7:30pm.
Tintagel Castle is one of the places associated with King Authur. Exactly why anybody would want to build a castle in such a reomte location is something I cannot fathom. It doesn't appear to have any strategic value at all. Nevertheless its an interesting old ruin. I remember visiting Tintagel as a child, and later when my own children were young. From the town, we walked down a long road, there is a Landrover if you can't make it down or back. It is definitely not the entrance I remember. At the bottom, almost on the beach are the entrance ticket booths, toilets and a visitor centre. On the other side of the ravine there is a café, a little further up the hill. We watched the film in the visitor centre. The history certainly undermines the myth. After the film we walked out on to the headland – up and up narrow steps until we got to the top quite puffed out. Then we wandered about through the broken and abandoned walls, visiting settlements that had been there over hundreds of years. We were looking for the arched window that we both remember Andrew running towards, down hill at great speed. Our memories are slightly different, Jo remembers a tunnel, I do not. We saw various pieces of building and watch young couples take pictures of each other . It's a lovely place in the summer, but I imagine very cold and windy in the winter. Down again and across the narrow cliff – crumbling fast and soon to be gone completely but for the work of English Heritage and a lot of cement. Up, and up again on the other side to what was the church. Here I found what I am convinced was the original entrance, and could picture the path to the car park on the other side of a hill. So eventually it was time to go down again, and we decided to eat at the café. Good, simple food, but slightly expensive, we sat outside looking up at the cliffs. After lunch we walked away from the castle along the Cornwall coastal path for a while. When we eventually stopped we spent some time watching a Kestrel hovering over the undergrowth, diving, and then moving on. Hovering again, its head stationary, but its body moving just enough to keep it in one place, riding the wind. We walked back via a different foot path and came into Tintagel another way. Then we walked the length of the town and spent some time in the Tourist Information / visitor centre. Finally for Tintagel it was back to the 'Old Post Office' – a strange little house, one of the oldest buildings, with a well in the garden. It had only been a post office for a short time. There were pieces of old furniture in the house to give an idea of what living there might have been like. Very Spartan, with no running water and few possessions- still the idea has its attractions! Next door was an exhibition and sale (of needle craft mainly) and we had a chat about the green credentials of linen nappies verses disposables with the lady minding the stalls.
Then it was off to Boscastle. We mainly remember Boscastle because of the miracle of 16 August 2004 when a flash flood destroyed much of the village, but no-one was killed. There is evidence of the work that has been done to limit the effects of a similar incident happening in the future. The river bed has been lowered and the car park next to it raised. We also saw the new bridges across the river. We spent some time in the visitor centre reading about what had happened and the history of the area. Then went to the Riverside Restaurant where they were still (only just) serving the day time menu. Through the restaurant across a bridge and on to the decking on the other side of the river. Here there is the odd gull, but the jackdaws are the birds to beware of! So there we were eating soup (very nice , home made soup – orange and fennel, if I remember correctly) on quite a hot day. The sweets – from the evening menu were huge and very enjoyable. I also tried a pear Rattler – its a perry really.
After eating we strolled up the river for a mile or two, sat on a bench listening to the birds, and then returned to the car for the long drive back to Falmouth. It was fairly late and we soon went to bed. As we relaxed Jo heard the sound of dripping. I couldn't hear it a first, but then after listening more carefully there it was. One of us had not turned the tap off completely. We had been almost asleep and were now almost awake “Falmouth water torture” I joked as Jo returned to bed. It's the best I could manage.
Sun - “Bad food day”
So far the breakfasts have been lovely, with the occasional kippers, or just beans, tomatoes and mushrooms. Not a full English but there are limits that I have to keep within. This mornings was not so good. A small part of the kippers was not cooked. I ate the parts that were OK and left the rest. It was the only time I had the slightest concern about the breakfasts.
We made our way up the hill to Emmanuel - Falmouth Baptist Church. The service was similar although the minister preached. Fro other parts of the service other people lead. There was also the welcome of a child. (Baptists do not Christen people, that has to wait until they are old enough to so “I Will” to following Christ for themselves. After the service we walked into town for lunch. It was pretty busy, being Fathers Day.
Eventually we went in the Quayside pub to get a roast lunch. It looked a bit run down on the outside. When we got in I now realise I should have known better. There were flies circulating around the middle. We ordered food, even that took a long time as the system for ordering failed to be operated properly, and the girl on the till started doing drinks. Someone else was assigned to that and had already served me with mine. As I returned to the table I was told of some of the others around us receiving the wrong order. If I hadn't paid, I'd have left then. Eventually someone came to our table and took our order again, the computer had failed. Staff were apologising to just about everyone around us. One man responded “Never mind, it happens”, the waitress said “It happens a lot here”. Which we already knew to be true. Our chicken roast dinners arrived. Another apology was immediately forthcoming – they were pork, not chicken. After another short wait our Chicken roast dinners arrived for real. I should think the chicken had been cooking since 10:00 am. Even so it wasn't exactly hot. We ate what we could and followed the advice of the mother and son (I assume) on the next table as the elderly lady said “lets get out of here quick”.
Wondering if our stomachs would survive the night we walked through the centre of Falmouth and out the other side as far as the Green Bank Hotel. It looked like the sort of place I where can't afford the entrance fee.
In the evening we had tickets to see The Miracle Theatre Company's production of Romeo and Juliet (To die for ..), or at least we had booked tickets.
So we decide to try to find the place a little early and look around. We found it easily with the Satnav, so we drove around local villages and came across one of the strangest place names I've ever heard of – Praze-an-Beeble. Back at the house where the performance was to be given we were shown into the garden and invited to start a new row of chairs – as the second row, so we had an excellent view. Here is a scene from the play, taken from the web site. The play we saw had a temporary two story stage. The six actors played many parts each. It was a mixture of Shakespeare and modern. All the classic lines were kept. At times the play spilled over into the audience and the rest of the garden. It was very well done, particularly to by a stand-in who had to read his lines from a script, carry his props and climb about on the stage!
A very enjoyable evening. By the time we left it was getting dark and quite cold. We were glad we had brought winter coats – they were needed.
Trebah gardens are lovely. From the top where the house is the gardens goes all the way down to the beach. There are some wonderful old trees and some very nice views - not just from the top, but from the bottom up to the hose, and from various places in the gardens. We wandered around enjoying the view and the shade on a very hot day. At the beach there is a shed selling ice cream where the seller clearly had no idea of the prices of his goods and tried to over charge us. I really hate this approach to selling. The sales people can read the price list as easily as I can. Walking back up to the house we made friends briefly with a cat (or did we just happen to be going the same way?) and at the top had some lunch. The restaurant was very modern and the food very nice. We also discovered Helford Creek apple juice – some of the best cloudy apple juice I have tasted. After lunch we looked at the parts of the gardens we had not yet seen then drove to Portlevan we parked in the car park. The single ticket machine was out of order. I decided to try to pay by phone, but when the message told me the fee would be paid because of the convenience I enjoyed paying by phone I declined. We left the car with a note and hoped. As it turned out the guy who said “No-one cares, I've been here all day” was correct. We decided to walk along the beach, it was horribly stony, with tiny stones that were very uncomfortable to walk on. We got a fair way along the beach and over a couple of rocky breakwaters. All the time looking back and trying to decide whether the tide was coming in – it wasn't, but even the local lady I asked didn't seem sure. We had walked past a few restaurants and decided to try Amélies at The Smokehouse. The waitress had an accent that reminded me of Calypso in the Pirates of the Caribbean films, but didn't look anything like her (of course). She gets a mention here because she was very helpful and skilful, carrying the 'Hake Tower' I ordered all the way from the kitchens to our table outside in the corner. Amélies is another restaurant that is well worth a visit.
We drove to the church of St Just in Roseland. We had heard that Jesus visited the place. While this seems unlikely, it is not impossible as we know little of his life when he was growing up. The church sits almost on the edge of a small natural harbour and is surrounded by a steep graveyard where the graves are set to form 'steps' up the sides of the hills. The church is probably more notable for the windows in the roof that let in light and give the church a better atmosphere than the darkness of some old churches. Inside we were met by a guide who spoke to us about the church and the developments they are planning. The church needs a new roof, and with all such things it will be difficult for the small congregation to raise the funds. The are also planning a visitor centre, where they will be able to serve refreshments, but is must be a little way away from the church to avoid ruining the peaceful atmosphere. To get to Roseland we had used King Harry's Ferry – a chain ferry to get across the river. There are only a few of these in England. According to the Sat-Nav its top speed on our crossing was 2.8 mile per hour. We parked in the car park (free) in the village and walked the half mile down a steep hill to the church. This was not a good idea, as you have to walk back up the hill later.
After our visit to the church we drove into St Mawes and after lunch at the Café Roseland in the Tourist Information bought a pack of walks around the area. We declined a sweet course and set out of Walks one and two. Two being an extension to One. We walked along the coast from St Mawes to Just-in Roseland and back along the top of the hill – to the Café Roseland, where refreshments were greatly needed – a distance of about 5 miles.
Later we visited Veryan, where I walked around the Church of Saint Symphorian which has a swan on its notice board (Jo had had enough walking and took a rest). We were looking for somewhere to eat, but the local pub did not look appetising. We also visited Portscat but finally found the Punchbowl & Ladle on the way home. It looks like a very old inn, and the ceilings were quite low. We had to wait for a table and only got one just as the party that had booked the area we were asked to wait in arrived. The food was very good when it came, but the service was slow everywhere – even for drinks. They do serve Tribute, which is a very good ale.
Wed - “59 games all, final set”
We set off on the longish drive to the Lost Gardens of Heligan. The gardens have seen some development since we were last here in the 1990's. Still there are the vegetable gardens with all their unbelievably large vegetables and the other pieces of the formal gardens. It is a lovely place, but even in June is quite busy. Some of the paths can be steep, especially out of the main gardens on the estate. The restaurant is expensive, but the food is good enough. We emjoyed our time in the gardens and again appreciated the shade they provided.
After the gardens we went to Mevagissy, where many years ago as seagull stole my chips. Here we also came across more Cornish Car Parking madness. Arriving at 5:40 you must pay for a full day's parking (£3.50) and if you are staying after 6pm you must pay a full evenings parking (£2.50). I save a foreign tourist from getting his ticket a 2 minutes to 6. We had our evening meal at Blue Café Bistro. There are only eight tables in this tine shop. Most of them were reserved, but one was available. The two ladies in the café cook and serve. It's almost like being in your aunties lounge. The food is cooked in sight of the diners and has a genuine home-cooked quality. It is cheap too, compared to the prices we had paid elsewhere! We had a lovely meal, and as we left two others arrived to take our table – still the only one not booked. Tonight was another England game in the 2010 World Cup. The result: England 1 – 0 Slovenia. Amazing, they'd done it and were through to the next round. A more unbelievable sporting event was on the radio as we travelled back to Falmouth. Isner was playing Mahood in the Wimbledon Tennins Championship. The score stood at 59 Games All, in the Final set as play was suspended for the day due tyo failing light.
Thu - Return to Eden
The Eden Project is a sight to see. Three plastic domes at the bottom of an old quarry. Inside the domes are a tropical region and a Mediterranean region. As we entered we were asked to complete a survey, and then repeat it at the end. It was to test the projects effectiveness at communicating the environmental message.
Inside the tropical zone are plants from Africa, Asia and South America. There is also lots of information about the damage we are doing to our world and some suggestions about how to improve things. The real question was not addressed though. The planet Earth cannot support an ever increasing population. In truth it probably cannot support more than about 3 thousand million of us comfortably. IF we are ever to address the problems of climate change and environmental destruction we must first reduce the population. Until we do we will have problems sharing scarce resources.We had passed the Norway Inn on many occasions as it is alongside one of the main roads into Falmouth. We'd both said it looked nice and that it was probably expensive. The food was indeed excellent and the prices were also quite high.
Isner beat Mahood 70-68 in the final set
Fri - "Back on the train"
A driving free day was required as tomorrow the holiday is over and I will be driving back home. We walked the short distance along the coastal path to Swanpool, a nature reserve. Swanpool is a unique mixture of salt water and fresh water. This is a rare habitat and is now carefully protected. The roads around Swanpool have a 20mph limit and it is 'give way to ducks'. Once round the pool was probably a waste of time as there isn't much round the 'back'. The we set out across country, eventually returning to a built up area we found ourselves at Penmere Station and decided to get the train back to Falmouth. We then had take-away fish and chips, but it was nowhere near as nice as the food we had eaten in the restaurant. In the afternoon we had tea in the shop run by the town centre church. The two ladies on duty fussed around the customers and each other, there were a reasonable number of people there. What will England be like when the older generation is finally gone – when it's our turn to be old? Sandwiches for our evening meal and for the journey were bought from Tesco and the day ended quietly as it should.
Sat - "Homeward bound"
Traffic news on the radio is a marvellous invention. The program we were (sort of) listening top is interrupted and some other channel tells you that the road ahead is blocked and there is a 5 mile tailback. We stop for a dring and program the Sat-nav to take us via Crediton. Thus avoiding the A30/M5 junction and the traffic jam. It was a lovely cross-country drive. After three breaks and just over 6 hours 30 minutes we are home.
Saturday - “The Night of the Bleeding Chicken”
The journey was uneventful, it took about six hours, including two short breaks or about 30 minutes each. Esmond House seems OK, we are on the first floor and have our own balcony, something we haven't had before. In the evening, after unpacking, we walked along the waters edge up to the Princess Pavilion. We decided to eat in the bar, I should learn that when a place is empty it is not a good sign. We ordered Chicken and chips. After a short time it arrived, when I cut into my chicken it bled onto the plate. Jo's was not quite so bad but still clearly uncooked in the middle. They readily replaced the meals and gave gave us the sweet course as compensation. Otherwise it was very quiet. Fortunately we did not suffer any long term effects. After we had eaten we took a tour of Falmouth churches to decide which one we would go to the following morning. They all seem to start at 10:30, so we would have to choose and stick with it. I have to say they all looked rather dead. The Anglican church, in the town, even had its gates locked so we couldn't get to the porch to see what the church was really like. The last one had a graffiti board with Jesus written in large letters (see below). That was the one for me, it was also the one closest to the guest house.
Sunday - "Fish fortnight begins"
Sunday started as each day during the holiday would. Up about 7:30, in the shower. The shower was rather small and the curtain did not have weights, so tended to move in at the bottom and wrap around you as you turned. Still there was plenty of hot water. Then down to breakfast for 8:30. A full English breakfast was served if you wanted it. I had cereal followed by beans on toast with tomatoes and mushrooms most days.
We met Delwyn and enjoyed his light hearted chatter. After breakfast we went back to our room and sat on the balcony, enjoying the good weather and reading bible note and a book. Jo did some of her cross stitch. After 20-30 minutes it was on with the sun cream, collect up the supplies for the day and make our way to the first event.
Today's first event was Falmouth Baptist Church, about 10 minutes up the road from where we were staying.. Ship of fools has a pretty accurate 'Mystery worshipper review'. We were lucky enough to have a visiting speaker who was very good. The songs were mostly known to us, and the style was very familiar. The only difference seemed to be lack of a general confession.
After church we walked down a long hill to Swanpool, a nature reserve next to the beach. We had lunch at the beach cafe (rolls and a drink), then walked back along the coastal path to Esmond House. We watched the F1 Grand Prix, and in the evening returned to Swanpool, this time by car, to eat at Indaba on the beach. Indaba is a seriously nice restaurant, although it looks nothing special on the outside. I started my 'fish fortnight' here.
Monday - "Doctor!, Doctor! When will it get better?"
It's Monday and we need supplies, so our first event is to go shopping at Sainsbury's. We bought sandwiches for lunch, lots of water and various other 'goodies' to help us through the week. Then it was off to Lands End. What a strange place! Partly and exhibition centre partly a nature reserve (of sorts) and partly the End of the Land. We wandered round and visited the RSPB hide, we watched the birds on the cliff for a while. There was a strong wind, despite that visibility was poor!. We went to visit the Air-Sea rescue 'ride'. It was OK, but it could have been so much better, and we visited the Dr Who exhibition. This was largely based on the first of the new series and features Christopher Ecclestone and Billy Piper. As exhibitions go it was OK, but by now a little out of date. There are some animated Daleks, the video of one of them is here. In the full display you are surrounded by Daleks, but I didn't find that out until I'd persuaded a small frightened girl that she really couldn't miss hearing them say "EXTERMINATE!" You can see the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDOly7N33rQ, as it no longer embeds.
After lunch and a wander round the rest of the site we decided to visit Sennen Cove. There is a lovely beach, which we walked along until the sea would not let us go further, and then we stopped in the tea rooms on the way back.
We decided to drive to Lizard point. When we got there we walked down to the Light House but by then it was getting late and the lighthouse was closed, so we returned to the town. We stopped at 'The Witch Ball' for tea, and ate in the Garden. Fish (Fillet of Brill), chips and a local ale, in the company of your wife – what more could you want? It was a very pleasant evening when we started but got cold towards the time to leave.
Tuesday - "Creamless Tea"
The piece of water between Falmouth and St Maws at the sea, and up to Truro is known as the Carrick Roads. There is an excellent picture on wiki. We took a ferry from Falmouth to St Maws. The water was calm, and the ferry was much larger than I expected. The journey was pleasant with the crew giving the odd pieces of commentary on the crossing. On arriving at St Mawes, we walked up the road to the castle. Even from the entrance there is a lovely view – it is immediately obvious how important the castle is for defence. We walked around the castle following the English Heritage Audio Guide as it took us all around and explained what they knew, and in some cases what they didn't. The problem at St Maws is that the castle is not at the top of the hill. That makes ground defence difficult. We had our lunch, which we had brought with us, in a seat overlooking the Carrick Roads. The sun was warm and there was almost no-one about. Just occasionally the sound of a boat's motor on the water in the distance. It was very peaceful. After lunch we returned to St. Mawes and caught the ferry back to Falmouth. We returned to Customs Quay, which was a different point from our departure, but we knew Falmouth sea front well enough by now.
We went into a very small tea rooms, on google street view its called “Citrus Cafe”, but the name doesn't ring a bell. It's on Arwenack St near the Church Street End. Jo ordered a cream tea, I ordered a cream-less tea. Either way the food and the tea was very nice. WE like the place and their commitment to local supplies. After that we did the Falmouth Town Trail, which we had picked up in the Tourist Information. Then we had our evening meal at Harbour lights. It is a huge Fish restaurant, at the rear it overlooks part of the harbour. It was quite full, but we were lucky enough to get a seat at the back. They have a webcam on their website, follow the link. The food was brilliant and the environment was good.
Wednesday - "A cold night on a Cornish cliff"
As we approached St Michaels Mount we came across Car Park signs far earlier than I expected. We parked the car and paid out fee (£2 for the day, if I remember correctly). It was quite a long walk to the mount. As the tide was in we would have to take a boat to get to the 'island'. Don't buy a return though as the causeway will be open later and we can walk back. Some of the literature seemed to suggest that visiting this place was going to be very expensive. That turned out not to be the case, although it was not cheap. St Michaels Mount is just what it says, and very steep in places. We started by walking around the gardens. In places they are spectacular but in other places the paths are barred, probably because they are crumbling. The map we were given did not seem to match the gardens, and we missed some of it. We had some lunch in the National Trust Cafe. A long building, with rows of long tables, which seat about 16 people, so you have to share at some point. The food was very good and the portions quite generous. We both enjoyed the meal.
Then there was the long climb up the hill to see the castle. Up and up and up some more. There is the legend of the giant, at least with his long legs he would have got there quicker. People still live in the castle but most of it is open. It would have been nice to have an audio guide here too. The castle and the associated church are stunning, as are the views from the top of the mount. The picture shows the causeway, back to the mainland.
.. and a sculpture of the act for which St Michael is famous:
We had tea at a little tea rooms and beach shop. It was only a snack, but they didn't have anything that was on the diet list. In the end I had a toasted ham ciabatta. They did not seem to want to cater for anything non-standard, then they wanted payment up-front – which I dis-like intensely. It was close to closing time – that can be their only excuse.
In the evening we had decided to see James and the Giant Peach at the Minack Theatre, so we made our way to Porthcurno. We visited the theatre box office and purchased our tickets. Then we parked the car and and walked down to the beach. It is very sandy, although rather small. There is another beach around to the left but the tide was too far in to get round to it. Walking near the waters edge my feet (and sandals) got wet for the first time this holiday, the water was very cold.. Finally it was time to return to the Minack. In the car we changed from our summer clothes into something more suitable for a clod night on a Cornish Cliff, and joined the queue for the theatre. Imagine our surprise when we were told that our tickets were for tomorrow! - and they were, we hadn't even checked them. Fortunately it was soon sorted out and we were allowed in. We walked down the steps to our seats, and placed the 'seats' we had hired on the rock/grass where we were directed to sit. Some very loud Americans soon began causing trouble, but we realised quickly that they were the cast and then enjoyed the fun. It was a superb production of a very simple story. “There really is a giant peach” we had heard said, and there was. An excellent 'summer pantomime' ideal for children and the young at heart. The cast of the Illyria company did an excellent job with almost no scenery and very few quite inventive props. It did get quite cold and we were glad to be back in the car and driving back to Falmouth as the last rays of sun disappeared from the sky.
Thursday - "Smuggling Days"
Pendennis castle complements St Mawes. Between them they cover the entrance to the Carrick roads. To get a ship past you must first disable one of the castles. We took the scenic route up to Pendennis castle past the Falmouth dock yards where they build and maintain large expensive yachts. They also do work for the military, and we looked on as the workers did things to an anonymous grey ship. There were one or two lonely looking men taking photographs – I wonder if they were spies? Pendennis is larger than St. Mawes and easily defended from land, but perhaps more vulnerable from the sea. English Heritage have done a good job of making the castle 'come to life'- the gun room is impressive, even down to the rat!
Back in Falmouth later we had lunch at Rick Steins Fish and Chips. This along with the Tesco where we bought much of our food is in a recent development similar to Cardiff Bay – but a lot smaller. This is another place where excellent food is served but again somewhere where I have to choose carefully. Traditional beer batter is not on my menu, sadly. After all the walking in the morning we decided something more relaxing was in order – a boat trip to smugglers cottage. From Falmouth, up the Carrick Roads towards Truro. A very pleasant trip. Smugglers cottage is now a public house, so a pint was most welcome as we relaxed waiting for the return trip. Around Falmouth the water is very deep. All the way up here ships that no longer have a use are stored. It makes for an ugly backdrop for the cottage, but no-one seemed to mind. We sat on a terraced bank and consumed our refreshments discussing how the 'ship situation' might be resolved, not that it was anything to do with us!
On our return we visited Tesco and purchased some sandwiches and fruit for tea, which we later ate on the 'beach' near the guest house. While we were eating the tide was coming in. Both Jo and I kept a careful watch on different parts of the beach, and when the water reach a certain point decided that it was time to move. Eating on the beach was nice, but we were accompanied by a very determined sea gull. I tried to dissuade him by throwing an occasional stone in his general direction, but it was really a pointless exercise.
Friday - "Flight of Fancy"
A very early start today. We are booked on the 7:30 flight from Penzance to St Mary's one of the Scilly Isles. Our hosts had provided some breakfast for us the night before, and we ate it in our rooms before we left. We arrived at Penzance just in time. It was the first time either of us has been on a helicopter. The fare was not cheap and we may not have done it if we had not received a gift some time ago. This definite counts as one of the '25 things' plan which has been so disrupted by my accident. One of the first things you notice about a helicopter is the noise. It is something you notice all flight. We walked from the gate to the helicopter, past the hot, unbreathable exhaust gasses, under the still spinning rotors and up the steps. It is a relief to get inside, but the noise doesn't stop. I've been describing a helicopter ride as a slow motion theme park ride. You can never tell what it will do next. At the start of the flight it went straight up, stopped , turned 90 degrees right, stopped, the front tilted down, and then back to level, the turn continued to full circle, or thereabouts, the nose went up and the helicopter move away from the airport, gaining height. The outward journey was at about 3000 feet, the return at about 1500 feet. No point in going higher than you need to. St Mary's was soon on the horizon, the flight only lasts 20 minutes, and we are back on the ground. The helicopter company have a very efficient taxi service to town and back. They dropped us outside Lloyds bank, and picked us up again in time to be back at the airport for check-in.
Once on St Mary's we have to decide what to do. We were there only a couple of years ago, so we know the layout. First, visit the Co-op and buy some lunch. Then visit the Tourist Information, where they are just about open, and are chalking the days activities on their black board. A guided history walk around Star Castle caught our eye. We had not bee able to get in the Castle before – it is a hotel now. So we paid our £5 each and our knowledgeable guide walked us around the castle, inside the grounds, around the battlements and back into town. We finished at the lifeboat house. That just left us a couple of hours to wander round before we were due back at the bank. The helicopter was late arriving for the return journey, so we ended up back at Penzance later than expected.
We decided to go to St Ives for tea. Here's where Cornwall starts to get a little mad. We were directed to the park & ride. There were no other useful sign posts. Arriving there and talking to the bus driver we found that the buses stopped soon, well before we would be back. Other passengers told us that they get a taxi back for about £3. The park and ride itself was £3.50 and the bus would have been a further 75p each. We drove around a bit and found another car park, quite close to town for £2.50. No bus required.
The parking story will get worse.
It is the night of England vs Algeria in the Football World Cup. England are expected to win easily. The town and the pubs are full – very full - overflowing - there are people in the streets. We found a pub – it looked a little dismal from the outside, but there appeared to be some room inside. We went in, and were informed that there would be about an hour's wait for food. We decided to stay put. We couldn't see the T.V. So had no idea on the progress of the match – only that there were no loud cheers or groans. The food arrived, a little inside the hour. The grilled mackerel was the best of the holiday, better than Harbour lights (which was very nice).
England drew nil-nil, a disastrous result. We walked around St. Ives and watched the 'killer' gulls. Well they didn't kill anyone, but there were so many warnings not to feed them I felt I was in a Hitchcock film. Fortunately I had brought the Sat nav with me, because we were lost, and couldn't remember where the car park was. Our guess though was good, we were just one road away and soon back at the car.
This is our travel day. We drove across England to Stoke Gifford, where our daughter is working on a year out. Having made contact and enjoyed a coffee and a piece of cake, we proceeded to Bristol Airport. We arrived massively early. We gave our car to the car park people to look after and were taken to the airport, less than a mile up the hill. We'd been there a while, waiting for check-in to open, when I discovered I'd left my phone in the car! They were kind enough to retrieve it and bring it to the airport. Is that three hours before or two hours before? Anyway, we checked in and after waiting around some more went through security. We were eventually called, and watched the safety video on the ground. I should have realised what that meant, but I didn't. A large airport bendy-bus picked up the 12 or so of us and drove out on the apron. We passed a jet, and a turboprop, and then parked in front of our plane. In our party there was one trio of note, a mother, here grown up daughter, and her small grandson. It's only worthy of note because it annoys me so much. Why will modern parents only whine at their children, instead of speak to them intelligently? I really believe they would behave better if things were EXPLAINED. We got on the plane, and she asked if there should be such a smell of petrol. They had just filled the plane with fuel, so I was rather glad of the smell - it's reassuring to know you have enough fuel. I sat on the front row, and watch the pilots all through the one and a quarter-hour flight. It was fascinating trying to guess what all the controls were for, watching them constantly balancing the plan, dealing with the icing up as we flew through clouds, and pumping fuel from one tank to another. Landing on St Marys on a short runway that runs up hill and then on to grass was also a surprise. Apparently this is one of the harder airports to land at in the UK. We had not planned onward travel from the airport, but I was pleased to see that the airline had, and we were transported in a mini-bus to our accommodation. There are no road name signs on St Mary's, so It's just as well the drivers know where all the guest houses are. We stayed at Colossus. After we'd unpacked, we rushed into the town because it was getting late, and all the restaurants would be full. We ate take-away fish and chips in a small park, and started to get acquainted with the sparrows.
