Our Cornish summer continued with another day of misty rain most of the time, and explanations of what we could have seen if it wasn't fogged in. As we drove out of Falmouth this morning we could see about 100m at best from our elevated position in the bus. Travelling once more via the narrow, hedged roadways we negotiated our way to St Michaels Mount. Through the mist loomed the imposing view of a castle mounted on an island only about 400m off of the coast. Between us smashed a choppy grey sea. At times you can walk to the island via a causeway, but the tide was in, and we needed to walk in to town and then take a narrow lane to a sheltered spot, where there was a sea wall surrounding a small area of calmer water. From there we were picked up by a local ferryman (12 max in the little boat) and taken out to the island. We were lucky to get a little break in the rain while we were on the island, which made it much more pleasant an experience that it might have been.
The castle is at the top of the island, and you walk up to it and can tour through it. The family still inhabit the east wing, but other parts can be visited including a dining room with a marvellous long table and hunting scenes from the ballad of Chevy Chase illustrated in plaster around the cornice. There is also a library, complete with chess table ready to go, and a lovely chapel. The gardens are laid out around the house and can be viewed below from the battlements far above. Apparently the gardeners here use abseiling equipment to do the weeding safely. The wind buffets the island and the waves crash savagely on to the rocks. The path to the castle is pebbled, steep and slippery on a wet day like today. Coming down seemed much more difficult than going up.
We wove our way through Penzance to an old tin mine near Bottalack (used as a location for the Poldark series) but the weather was so closed in by now that we could not make out the engine buildings far below on the hill overlooking the waves, and could scarcely see the old chimneys or appreciate the position of the mine. This drive may not have revealed much of the tin mine, but it did bring home how wild this area can be, and how independent they needed to be in such an isolated spot. With the trials thrown at them by the sea, by the hard work of mining and by the rough land they lived in it is no wonder that the Cornish became independent and resourceful people. Their many Methodist churches dotted around this area show none of the fancy craftsmanship of the cathedrals we saw early on. These are no-nonsense places to meet and support each other and to worship their God... Community centres.
Winding our way even further into narrower and narrower roads we finally arrived at the site of the Minack theatre, where we took advantage of another short weather improvement and walked in awe on the theatre steps and stage hewn from the granite of the cliffs. Rowena Cade sculpted this theatre after being inspired to offer a place for the townspeople to perform "The Tempest". The dream became an obsession and over the space of about 60 years she and two successive gardener/helpers crafted what is now a beautiful amphitheater where about 200 people can watch performances against the backdrop of the beautiful Cornish coast. From the stage area the cliffs drop away into the sea far below. Apparently there is some path down that Rowena used to hump bags of sand up each day ready for use the next day - day after day well until she was a quite old lady!I took a photo of a model of the theatre which probably gives a better idea than my photos do.
St Ives was our last stop for the day, and the place to have a real Cornish pasty while in Cornwall. The narrow streets were packed with summer holidaymakers and the drizzle was pretty unrelenting.Little children paddled in the water on the wide sandy beach, between the beached boats. Hungry giant seagulls stole food from the hands of unwary visitors and the many fudge shops, icecream shops and bakeries tempted the tourists in to try their wares.
I must admit that the wide beaches were quite attractive, and the many art shops could have been interesting to browse in, but I'm afraid that crowded wet streets is what I will remember of St Ives along with a bus to get back to the top of the hill so crowded with tourists that it could not fit any more in. Hilariously, the bus has a set of rules posted - including that no-one will stand further forward than a certain point (just behind the driver's seat) . On the way down the hill in to St Ives the driver's son broke this rule (on holidays, so with Dad) and on the way back there were probably five people in the space just inside the door by the driver!!
We have just finished up our day with a three course meal together with the rest of our tour members, which has been a great chance to get to know them a little better.
Tomorrow is a spare day. We can do our own thing, so we will try to sleep in, get our washing done, and see how it goes.
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