My second day in Cornwall proved to be even
wetter than the first; so much for my dream of strolling along a sunny beach
with a Cornish ice cream in hand. I donned my rain jacket and grabbed an
umbrella, reminding myself that I was experiencing authentic British weather. Despite
the rain, the coast of Cornwall was spectacular.
|
Minack Theatre, Porthcurno |
Our first stop for the day was the Minack Theatre, an open-air theatre overlooking the sea. This dramatic site
was carved from the cliffside by a determined woman, Rowena Cade, and her
gardener.
|
Minack Theatre Stage |
From the hilltop I could also see Porthcurno
Beach which was used in filming for the British TV series, Poldark.
|
Porthcurno Beach |
Our next stop was Land’s End, the most
westerly tip of England, but the headland was lost in the fog. Later we would
stop to see the relics of a Cornish tin mine but these too were shrouded in
mist.
|
Land's End Visitor Centre |
|
Land's End, Cornwall
|
|
Relic from Cornish Tin Mining Days |
After finishing my pasty, I got my chance
to walk the beach and breathe the salty sea air.
The last stop on our itinerary was the
seaside town of St. Ives, a popular art colony for more than a hundred years. The
sidewalks were crowded with holidaymakers so we slipped into a quiet café for a
Cornish cream tea (a pot of tea served with scones, clotted cream and
strawberry jam). It’s a good thing I’d burned a few extra calories climbing to
the top of the mount!
|
St. Ives, Cornwall |
|
War Memorial |
|
A Cornish Cream Tea |
Back at Merchants Manor in Falmouth for
dinner, I ordered the West Country Surf and Turf: a Philip Warren Ribeye with Cockles
and Samphire. I’d never heard of samphire before (and had only a vague idea
about cockles) but the meal was excellent. Cockles are tiny sea clams and samphire
is a crisp, salty sea vegetable found in coastal shallows.
|
Merchants Manor, Falmouth |
|
Heritage Tomatoes with Pine Nut, Peach and Basil |
|
West Country Surf and Turf: Philip Warren Ribeye with Cockles and Samphire |
|
English Strawberries with Lavender, Clotted Cream and Meringue |
The next day was a free day to explore Falmouth,
Cornwall’s largest port. I hoped I could trust the weather forecast which
called for clearing skies. And with luck I might find a new bird for my
collection.
Wow! What a beautiful travelogue. I've had Cornwall on my travel wish list for a long time, but your post makes me even more eager to visit! I'd never heard of Cade's theater. What an amazing woman!
ReplyDelete~Tui, dropping by from TuiSnider.com via #MondayBlogs
Thanks so much, Tui. I loved Cornwall - I'd happily go back again if I ever get the chance.
ReplyDelete