London to Alabama

This morning we left Cornwall heading back to London; stopping by Truro to return our rental car and catch the train.   It was a 5 hour train ride back to London.

We checked in to The Grand at Trafalgar Square and set out for our final walk of the trip.  There was one thing significantly different on this afternoon.....it was cloudy with a light drizzle.  Now that's the London I remember.  

Buckingham Palace

Maybe the rain made us a little giddy!

 Our final dinner in London was at none other than The Sherlock Holmes!   

The next morning we walked to the tube station and made our way to Heathrow....then to Atlanta....then to Huntsville and home.

It was an amazing trip with friends that became family; family that are friends.

Penzance, Mousehole, Minack Theatre, St. Michaels Mount

Promptly at 8:30 am, we hear the light tapping on the door.  We were beginning to love Debbie and couldn't wait to see what goodies she had brought us.  It was sort of like waiting for Santa!  She never disappointed us.

This was our last day to explore Cornwall and we had a lot of ground to cover.  We headed off to the Minack Theatre but missed our turn so we shifted our itinerary around and drove on to Penzance.  There wasn't much there to see so we hopped on a bus that took us to Mousehole.

While waiting at the bus stop in Penzance, Hank struck up a conversation with an elderly lady.  She was from Brighton and told us she goes to Mousehole about twice a year to have tea with a friend.   During their very indepth conversation, she told us that she was 8 years old when the London bombing occurred.   When the bus arrived, Hank, the gentleman that he is, stepped up and helped her board.

At the end of the trip, when discussing high points of the trip, Hank said this was one of his high points.

After returning from Mousehole, we once again embarked on the wrong side of the road and headed towards the Minack Theatre.  The idea for the theatre was born when Rowena Cade, who lived in Minack House at the top of the cliff back in the early '30s, decided to create a place for local drama enthusiasts to perform Shakespeare’s The Tempest.  She and her gardener moved endless granite boulders and earth, creating the stage and the lower terraces of the theatre.  Naturally, its evolved over time to include the latest technology in sound and lights.

Dress Researsal During Our Visit

Its an amazing ampitheater overlooking the Atlantic ocean!

Last but not least, we drove to St. Michaels Mount.  We arrived just in time to gain entrance to the castle before it closed at 4 pm.  The guard told us that if we hurried, we might just make it.  It wasn't quite low tide, so we quickly removed our shoes and socks, rolled up our pants legs, and waded across the rock causeway to the island.  Only at low tide is the causeway completely above the water.

St. Michaels is managed by both the National Trust and the St Aubyn family. The St Aubyn family gifted most of the island and the causeway to The National Trust in 1954, and is responsible for its conservation and upkeep. The St Aubyn family, have lived in the castle since the 1650s and still do so today. They run the Mount day to day and open it to the public.

When we got over to the castle, the doors had been closed.  We were out of breath from running and I guess the attendants felt sorry for us because they came out and told us we could go in.  

From St Michaels Mount towards the causeway at low tide

 At least the walk back was dry!

An undulating pathway to the castle!

Portreach, St. Ives, St. Agnes

We were staying at the Atlantic View in Portreach for three nights.  This was a welcome change from packing and unpacking every day.  

Debbie had told us about a lovely walk from their B&B so we got up early this morning and headed out before breakfast.  She was right.  The views from the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic were awesome.

We got back to our rooms shortly before 8:30 am, just in time to hear a light tap at the door.  We opened the door to find a large basket of breakfast goodies.

Debbie included enough food to be packed up and taken for lunch.  

Today, we set out to the north to visit St. Ives and St. Agnes.  There were lots of cliff walks available.

In St. Agnes we walked to the Beacon, which is 630 feet high and from this height the view out to sea to the horizon stretches an amazing 30 miles.

The walk up was worth it. The view from the top of St Agnes Beacon is one of the most impressive in Cornwall. Standing beside the Trig Mark on the summit it feels as if the whole county is laid out beneath you.  The beacon was used during the Napoleonic War, when a guard was permanently stationed on the summit. His job was looking out for potential invaders. By lighting the fire the guard could warn the whole county.

The cliff walks at St. Ives were impressive.  ⥁💚

CB& Hanko enjoying a quiet moment!

We found a little pub in St. Ives for lunch.  There was a large group enjoying a rugby game on the tele.

CB fully embracing the moment!

Low tide in St. Ives!

We just happened upon the St. Ives Society of Artists.  There was a line outside the building and the art sale was about to begin.  Naturally, we queued up!   Our art connoisseur Hank didn't leave without making a purchase.