UK & Ireland - day 21 (2015-09-30) - Lostwithiel

Today we visited the Eden Project, which is described as the world's largest conservatory, and is a facility to educate people, especially children, about the environment and sustainability.

We had planned to take a taxi as it was cheaper than a train plus bus, but our B&B host, Richard, was driving to St. Austell and offered to give us a ride as it was more or less on his way.  So we saved some money and had some good conservation along the way....the B&B installed solar panels to generate electricity for the grid, and with government grants and 45p per kWh, they get a 17.5 % return on their investment per annum for 25 years.

The Eden Project is another project that has happened due to the vision of one person....he took a disused clay mine and created what is here today, with a lot of financial help.

The Eden Project is comprised of two domed areas (biomes) that are environmentally controlled to replicate a rain forest and a Mediterranean climate.  The rainforest was 32.8 degrees celsius and 58 % humidity.  Within each biome, there are boards describing challenges in these areas, such as deforestation, and what can be done about it.  They have huge outdoor gardens and also sponsor sustainability projects.  At the moment they are sponsoring a large display by Students Organizing for Sustainability (S.O.S.), about "Whole Earth? Aligning Human Systems and Natural Systems".  This program aims to have students identify ways to make life more sustainable.  

                                                              The Biomes

                                                   Inside the rainforest biome

                                           My 3 amigos in the rainforest biome

                                       Inside the Mediterranean biome

We ate lunch outside, and while we ate we watched a very good demonstration on pressing apples, presented by two of the Eden Project storytellers.

                                              Apple pressing demonstration

As we wandered through the outdoor exhibits, we watched people zip-lining across the top of the biomes.  In the photograph below, the white dot at the top of the tree-line, between the 2 domes, is a person on the zip line.

                                              Ziplining over the biomes

                                                  Part of the S.O.S.Display

We stayed at the Eden Project for about 5 hours and then decided to get a taxi home.....wrong!  After 3 pm all the local taxis are doing school runs, with no taxis available until 5:30 pm or later.  So we reverted to plan B, bus to St. Austell and then train back to Lostwithiel. At St. Austell railway station we saw a really old pedestrian overpass, built in 1882.  Thankfully there is a brand new one at the other end of the platform.

                     Pedestrian overpass at St Austell railway station, built in 1882

We got back to Lostwithiel around 5:30 pm but the pub does not serve food until 6:30 pm, so we wandered around the churchyard to kill a little time.  Being such an old town, and a former seat of Cornwall government, there were many old tombstones from the 1700s, but the oldest was an above ground vault from 1652, and still in amazing shape.

                                        Tombstone in Lostwithiel churchyard

We ate dinner at the Globe Inn, talked about the highs (many) and lows (few) of our trip so far, and said our goodbyes to Randy and Marty, who leave tomorrow morning early for Portsmouth and places north.

From here on in, it is just the 2 of us.....

UK & Ireland - day 20 (2015-09-29) - Newquay to Lostwithiel

This morning we said goodbye to Newquay and took the train to Lostwithiel, the ancient capital of Cornwall.  To be completely accurate, we took 3 trains where we should have taken 2 trains.  We had to change trains at Par, and as we got off the train from Newquay, a train to Plymouth (the direction we were heading) was just arriving on the other platform.  So we rushed over and got onto the train to Plymouth.  When we neared Lostwithiel, the train slowed but did not stop, and when we asked the conductor he told us that that train does not stop at Lostwithiel, and we would have to get off at Bodmin Parkway and catch a train back to Lostwithiel.  We managed to do that and arrived at Lostwithiel only 15 minutes behind schedule.

Our B&B hosts were at Lostwithiel station to pick us up, which was a welcome first for us, especially as the B&B was about 3/4 of a mile, all uphill, from the station.

In need of sustenance, we walked up to the cafe at the Duchy of Cornwall nursery.  The walk took us up a narrow tree-lined lane and out into the country.

                           Lane near nursery

The nursery has been around for more than 700 years, and the cafe looks across the valley to a Norman fort on the opposite hill.  The plants were expensive, and the cafe was packed, despite it being after 2 pm when we arrived.  We looked all over for the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall (aka Charles and Camilla), but they were nowhere to be found.

                                    Norman fort from Duchy of Cornwall nursery

Fortified with cream teas and other goodies, we walked down into the town of Lostwithiel, which was once the centre of the Cornish tin mining industry, but it has certainly lost a lot of its lustre.  Our walk took us along the river Fowey (pronounced Foy) to the "Great Bridge of Lostwithiel".  The bridge was originally built in the 13th century, but was rebuilt in the 15th century and extended in the 18th century. So the age of what we were looking at is somewhat indeterminable.  

                                             The river Fowey at Lostwithiel

                                                The Great Bridge of Lostwithiel

When we returned to town for dinner, it was close to high tide, and all of the non-grassed area in the photograph above was under water. 

The plan for tomorrow, our last day with Randy and Marty, is to visit the Eden Project, which is about 6

miles from Lostwithiel, but more on that tomorrow....

UK & Ireland - day 19 (2015-09-28) - Newquay

The day started with sad news from New Zealand that my Dad's sister, my Auntie Noeline, passed away this morning at the age of 94. Thankfully she passed peacefully and without pain.  I hope that I am as lucky when my time comes. 

Today's mission was to walk south on the coastal path from Newquay, with everyone agreeing that they did not want to walk as far as yesterday.  The only catch was that we had to cross the estuary at low tide or take a very long detour around the estuary. Low tide was at 12:10 pm, so we set off just after 10 am, and the tide was well out by the time we reached the bridge crossing the Gannel estuary, so we stayed dry. 

                       Bridge across the Gannel estuary from the coastal path

                                       Jim and Randy above the Gannel estuary

The path took us up over the sand dunes above Crantoch Beach, and then down into Porth Joke (no joke). Before Porth Joke, Randy decided to stop and watch the ocean for a while, so Marlene, Marty and I continued on towards Holywell Beach. I veered off at Porth Joke to investigate the sea caves, while Marlene and Marty walked up onto the next headland. If we had been here last week we may have seen them filming the second series of Poldark, in which Demelza is rumoured to be displaying a baby bump (according to the local newspaper). 

There were several caves around the cove, and I was a little tardy in rejoining the others, causing them unnecessary angst, as with a tidal variation (low tide to high tide) of 8 metres expected today, we needed to get back across the Gannel estuary before the incoming tide covered the bridge. 

The deepest cave was about 30 feet deep, so nothing too daunting to explore.  In one cave I found a deflated rubber ball, which I thought might have been Wilson (think Castaway, the movie). 

                                                              Porth Joke - cave 1

                       Porth Joke - cave 2

                      Porth Joke - cave 3

We made it back across the estuary with barely an hour to spare, so I really didn't endanger the whole group after all.  The climb back up into town was worse than climbing the sand dunes, but we soon found ourselves at Sainsbury's for lunch.

In the afternoon we withdrew cash at a bank machine and picked up a really good take out salad box for dinner, which I augmented with a Cornish Pasty, one of many that I have sampled in the past week....when in Rome and all that.  The Cornish are big on their pasties and there are probably 20+ stores in Newquay selling pasties in all sizes and with a variety of fillings.  However I have not seen Cornish Hen on the menu anywhere we have eaten. 

Tomorrow we leave Newquay for Lostwithiel and our last few days with Randy and Marty. We have several things that we want to do in Lostwithiel, so they will be a busy few days. 

UK & Ireland - day 18 (2015-09-27) - Newquay

There were a lot of very surprised, and very dejected, Englishmen today, after they were beaten by Wales in their Rugby World Cup pool match yesterday.  The local Cornishmen, who are almost as nationalistic as the Welsh, were happy as a few Cornishmen play for Wales (or so they claim....perhaps they were just looking to back a winner).

With a sunny day and 17 degree temperatures forecast, we decided to walk 6 1/2 miles North up the coast to Mawgan Porth, and then get a bus back.  Randy and I even checked the printed bus schedule to ensure that there would a bus, it being Sunday, and given our previous Sunday bus challenges.

The walk took us past Towan Beach, Great Western Beach, Tolcarne Beach, Lusty Glaze Beach (I can understand a lusty gaze, but what the heck is a lusty glaze?), Porth Beach, Whipsiderry Beach, Watergate Bay, Beacon Cove and finally to Mawgan Porth.

We generally stayed up on the cliffs above the beaches, but we had some magnificent views of beaches, caves, villages and open ocean.

                                                Newquay from the cliff path

                                                          Beacon Cove

                                           The cliff path above Beacon Cove

                      Kids jumping into a tidal pool (taken from high on the cliff path)

                                                           Another beach

After 4 1/2 miles we stopped at a swanky hotel in Watergate Bay for coffee (and a much needed bathroom break), where we got to sit at a table on the deck, overlooking the beach and ocean.  The only thing missing was an umbrella to shelter us a little from the sun.  It was hot!

We then trudged on to Mawgan Porth, and the first priority was to check where the bus stop was.  The printed schedule said that the bus stopped outside the newsagent, and would arrive at 2:09 pm, but there was no bus stop sign.  We found a bus stop around the corner, on the road to Mawgan, and the sign at the bus stop indicated that the bus would stop there at 2:44 pm (the pitch and putt versus the newsagent).  We were confused, so I phoned the Cornish Traveline number which was on the back of the schedule and was greeted by Traveline Scotland (the accent was a giveaway).  I was eventually transferred to a Cornish person, who told me that the bus would leave Mawgan Porth pitch and putt and 4:50 pm.  Now we were thoroughly confused!!!  It turned out that the printed schedule ended YESTERDAY, and the sign at the bus stop must have been even older.

                                            Old road sign in Mawgan Porth

Just to be sure, we waited at the road junction until 2:20 pm, but of course no buses arrived.  So we started walking back towards Newquay, 6 1/2 miles away.  Grrrrrr!  

When, after an hour, we got back to Watergate Bay, Randy went into the hotel and they phoned us a taxi which got us back to our B&B much faster, much happier, and only 12 pounds poorer.  No more Sunday walks relying on buses.

After a few hours of recuperation at the B&B we went in search of dinner, which we planned to pick up at Sainsbury's supermarket, but it had closed at 4 pm.  So we wandered aimlessly around town looking for something suitable, finally settling on an Italian restaurant with good views and sun still on the deck.  It turned out to be a good choice.

I  must close for today, as episode 2 of Downton Abbey starts in a few minutes, but hopefully the adventure will continue tomorrow.

UK & Ireland - day 17 (2015-09-26) - Penzance to Newquay

After a week in Penzance we moved on to Newquay today, without having seen one pirate.  The bus driver was quite the comedian, asking us if we were sure that we wanted to go to Newquay.  He had spent his summer holidays in Newquay as a child and felt that now it has been taken over by "surfers and druggies", and is just not the same as it was in his youth.

Our first impressions of Newquay were actually quite positive.  The town is in a great location, with high cliffs and sandy beaches, and is very vibrant, with lots of young people.  

Our B&B is up a steep hill from town, but thankfully we only had to drag our luggage up the hill once.  The B&B itself is great value for money....the cheapest on our holiday and beautiful rooms with excellent views.

                                         View from our B&B room - Newquay, Cornwall

After a little recuperation time, during which we watched Canada play Italy in the Rugby World Cup, we headed out to explore the town centre.  The town was very busy, and it is definitely a tourist destination - amusement arcades, surf shops, and lots of places to eat.

We headed out to a peninsular which separates the two main parts of town - Fistral Beach & Newquay Beaches.

                                            Fistral Beach from end of peninsular

                                                         Jim on the peninsular

Along the way we passed the Huer's Hut, which was built in the 14th century and was used to watch for the shoals of pilchards.  When the pilchards were seen the Huer would make a hue and cry to alert the townspeople, and he would use hand signals to signal to the fishermen as to where to position their nets.  Note the steps to the roof on the outside of the building, in the photograph below.

                                                        The Huer's Hut

We wandered until dinnertime, at which point most of the beachy food places were closing up.  We ended up eating at the Fort Inn (recommended by our B&B hosts) which overlooked the bay.  It was very different to Canadian pubs - it had an impressive indoor children's play area, so children were running around, but they also allow dogs in pubs (and on buses and trains) in England.  At one point we had a little girl at a nearby table screaming her head off, while the family dog provided the chorus.  But the food was good, the views magnificent, so overall a good experience.

It was disappointing to see Canada beaten by Italy, but Canada fought the good fight.  As I write this, England is beating Wales 16 to 6, but it is still early in the game.  Whatever the outcome, I am sure there will be lots of media reaction overnight, as there is real rivalry between the two sides, which are ranked 3rd and 4th in the world standings.

No plans yet for tomorrow, but I am guessing that walking will be involved.

UK & Ireland - day 16 (2015-09-25) - Penzance

Not a lot to report today, our last full day in Penzance.

We got caught up on our laundry while we had a washing machine available and then walked the main shopping streets picking up essentials.

After lunch we walked to the Morrab Gardens, with the intention of checking out the library, but found that the library was a subscription library and it would cost us 3 pounds per day as non-subscribers.  I didn't need to see books that badly, so instead we walked around the gardens, which had lots of interesting trees, including a New Zealand Lancewood.

                                                     Fountain in Morrab Gardens

                                               Bandstand in Morrab Gardens

For dinner we picked up another order of Chicken Dansak, just in case we don't find it in our next few towns, and then had a relaxing evening.

Tomorrow we catch a bus to Newquay at 11:30 am, which will give us a whole new area to explore.

UK & Ireland - day 15 (2015-09-24) - Porthcurno & Penzance

Today was a great day, without any walks, well almost.....

We had booked tickets for a play at the Minack Theatre in Porthcurno at 2 pm, but we set off in a taxi at 10:30 am to give us ample time to explore the theatre and its environs before the performance, and we were very glad that we did.

The Minack Theatre is an outdoor theatre built into the granite cliff, known as Minack Head, above Porthcuno Beach.  The theatre was the life's work of Rowena Cade, who owned the headland and developed a love for theatre.  In 1932 she built the initial theatre for a local production of the Tempest, and apart from a hiatus during WWII, she continued building until well into her eighties, when she gave the property to a trust, which continues to manage the theatre.  The theatre's season runs from April through September, with a different play each week, and the trust is self-sufficient.

                                     Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall

                                       Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall

We began our visit in the cafe, which featured great cream teas (scones with cream and jam) and cheese teas (scones with cheese).  It was good that we took the time to eat something as we did not get dinner until 6:30 pm.  We then had time to view the exhibits about the building of the theatre (Rowena carried bags of sand up from the beach below to make cement), and a quick walk through the gardens before they closed at 12:30 pm to prepare for the show.  We immediately joined the queue for the show, and at 1:00 pm were re-admitted.  It was worth standing in line for a half hour as seating is first come first served, and we managed to get seats in the second row, giving us great views of the stage (and the surrounding cliffs and ocean).

                                              The stage at Minack Theatre

Today's play was "The Rise and Fall of Magbeth", a black comedy depicting how Shakespeare would have written about Margaret Thatcher.  It was based on Macbeth, with the 3 witches replaced by the 3 medias, to whom Margaret would turn for advice throughout the play.  The play was very funny and well acted, especially the part of Margaret Thatcher, which was played by the understudy, as the primary actress was ill. 

All in all, a great venue, and a very sustainable legacy, thanks to one woman's foresight and labours, providing local jobs, and promoting local playwrights and acting companies....being invited to perform at the Minack theatre is an honour for any acting company, and you have to be invited in order to perform.

After the show we walked into Porthcurno, where we caught the bus back to Penzance by way of Lands End.  We sat in the open air upper deck of the bus, and although we had great views, it was cold, windy, and Marlene and Marty (in the "window" seats) had to deal with branches from the road-side trees each time the bus moved left to allow other vehicles to pass on the narrow roads.  Lands End has a huge overhead sign as you enter the village, giving it the impression of being a theme park rather than simply a geographical point - the western-most point in mainland England.

We have two old pubs just around the corner in Chapel Street - The Turk's Head (oldest pub in Penzance) and the Admiral Benbow.  We chose the Admiral Benbow for dinner, as it had a better menu, and we were pleasantly surprised.  The eating area of the pub is decorated with pirate memorabilia, and the rear section is an actual Captain's Cabin from a Portuguese ship.  I enjoyed the steak and ale pie, and the others all had fish.  No complaints about the food, which seemed to disappear more quickly than normal. 

                                  The Captain's Cabin at the Admiral Benbow

What better way to end a great day than to go on a Ghost Walk?  I know that I promised no walks today, but this was a once a week event, and we didn't really walk very far.  The guide was very knowledgeable about Penzance history, especially associated ghost stories, but he was not an entertainer.  Nevertheless we enjoyed our 90 minutes hearing about all the likely places to see ghosts in Penzance, but we didn't actually see or feel any ghosts....maybe next time!

UK & Ireland - day 14 (2015-09-23) - Mousehole & Lamorna Cove

Looking for a quieter day, we decided to walk the 6 Km to Mousehole (pronounced Mowzell), a village acclaimed by Dylan Thomas as "the loveliest village in England", and he was not far off the mark.

Our walk took us through the fishing port of Newlyn, which was alive with fish shops, and apart from checking what was on offer at a couple of them, we kept right on walking towards Mousehole.  On the outskirts of Newlyn we passed a series of garden plots, one of which caught my eye, as it had a great selection of scarecrows.

                                                Newlyn, Cornwall - scarecrows

It was a fairly easy walk to Mousehole, all on pavement, so it did not take us too long to get there, and it was indeed a very nice little village....the narrow streets are a disaster for cars and vans, but wonderful for pedestrians, and the village is built around the small harbour & up the hillside.  I particularly liked the Harbourmaster's office with the mailbox in the end wall and the traditional phone box outside.

                     Mousehole, Cornwall - looking South from the North end of town

                        Mousehole, Cornwall - looking North from the South end of town

      Mousehole, Cornwall - Harbourmaster's office

After fortifying ourselves with coffee, scones & ice cream, we decided to walk on to the next bus-accessible bay - Lamorna Cove.  The trail was definitely more challenging than the earlier section, with boulders to clamber over, and mud to slosh through, and by the time we reached Lamorna Cove we had all decided that we definitely did not want to walk back the same way.

                             Coast Trail between Mousehole & Lamorna Cove

Unfortunately, buses don't actually go to Lamorna Cove, they occasionally go to Lamorna (village), but generally they only go the Lamorna turnoff on the main road (once an hour).  So we walked the mile or so up to the main road and then, as we had 45 minutes to wait for the next bus, decided to walk the 2 3/4 miles back to Mousehole, which has buses to Penzance every 20 minutes.

Our short walk from Penzance to Mousehole had somehow morphed into a 16.5 Km trek, and by the time we reached Mousehole we were ready to sit for a while and to eat some real food, probably missing 2 or 3 buses in the process.

No walks tomorrow, that's a promise (I hope).

UK & Ireland - day 13 (2015-09-22) - St Ives

Do you remember the nursery rhyme? - As I was going to St. Ives, I met a man with 7 wives.  Each wife had 7 sacks, each sack had 7 cats, each cat had 7 kits.  Kits, cats, sacks and wives, how many were going to St Ives?

The answer of course was 1 - I was going to St. Ives.

Today I was that man, but actually there were 4 of us going to St. Ives, or maybe 9 if we counted everybody on the train.  We didn't meet a man with 7 wives, but we did get a heck of a deal on the train - round trip for 4 adults was 11 pounds and 20 pence ($23)....not bad for a day out.

The plan was to do a loop walk from St. Ives to Carbis Bay and back, but it did not really work out that way....I downloaded a free Cornwall Walks app, and then paid to download the directions for the walk that we were going to do.  The location of the starting point was impossible to find - the map in the app had no street names, and Google Maps did not show the parking lot named in the app.   @@#$#%%&*

So instead we walked the coastal path from St. Ives to Carbis Bay and then on to Lelant, by which time the rain was coming down in sheets, and so we sheltered in St. Uny's church until the squall passed through.  With no coffee shop in sight, we ate a snack in the church foyer (with birds nesting above us) and then headed back to St. Ives.

At Carbis Bay we stopped at a fancy restaurant on the beach for a coffee, and the lattes were almost worth the price.  But it was warm and dry in the restaurant, and so we nursed our drinks.

                    Fancy Latte - Corbis Bay

We arrived back in St. Ives around 1 pm and it seemed that every man and his brother was there.  I would hate to see it on a sunny August day.

St. Ives is very popular with art lovers, who come to visit the Tate Gallery and the 500+ other galleries that seem to fill almost every available storefront in town.  There was some very good work, and not overly expensive, but too awkward to carry home.

The town itself is built on the leeward side of a promontory, with a nice calm sandy beach.  How would you like to do a jigsaw puzzle of the picture below?  A very similar 1000 piece puzzle is available.

                                                 St Ives harbour, Cornwall

                                                  St. Ives beach, Cornwall

We wandered along the seafront street, which was mainly restaurants, cafes & ice cream stores, and then through the artsy area, to the windward side of the promontory, where the sea (and the temperature) was very different, as it was a very windy day.  Why would the family in the picture below put up screens to block the wind, when they could just move to the leeward beach?....must be English I guess.

                                            St. Ives windward beach, Cornwall

From here we walked through the non-artsy area which sold mainly touristy items, including the liqueur shown in the photograph below.  I didn't dare try it for fear of what it would do to me, and thought that Marlene might take offence if I suggested that she try it, so we moved on to other stores.

Our train journey back to St. Ives was uneventful, especially because yours truly remembered that we had to change trains at St. Erth.

After a dinner of leftover Indian takeaways, we booked tickets for an outdoor play on Thursday afternoon, which should be a lot of fun - The Rise and Fall of Magbeth, supposedly how Shakespeare would have written about Margaret Thatcher.  No plans yet for tomorrow, so we will have to figure that out over breakfast in the morning.

UK & Ireland - day 12 (2015-09-21) - Penzance

After many consecutive days of walking, today I had a day off, leaving the others to walk out to St. Michael's Mount and back, so an abridged posting today.

This morning we roamed the streets of downtown Penzance, searching for grandchildren gifts, checking out the bookshops, and replenishing consumable items.  We also walked out onto the breakwater and took a few photos.  From the harbour, everywhere is up in Penzance, so we did a lot of climbing.

                                         Small boat harbour - Penzance

From the end of the breakwater we could see our apartment.  In the photograph below, our apartment is the black building with the two gables in the centre.  The kitchen and living area is on the upper level (with the deck) and the bedrooms and street access are on the lower level.  You can see how close to the harbour we are.  Behind the apartment is historic Chapel Street, which runs up to the centre of town.

                           Our apartment (black building in centre of photograph)

After lunch, while the others were out walking, I lazed around and caught up on my emails.  Luxury!!!

We picked up Indian food for dinner, and while wandering and waiting for our food to be prepared, we saw the tree in the photograph below....lots of interesting carvings in it.

And that's it for today.  

There is talk of us going to St. Ives tomorrow, so stay tuned.....

UK & Ireland - day 11 (2015-09-20) - Penzance

We are very happy here in Penzance and don't think that we will have any trouble filling our time here, as there is so much within a local bus ride.

Randy had a rest day today as his knee was bothering him, so we other 3 did a walk that worked with the (limited) Sunday bus schedule.  We planned on taking the number 10A bus to St. Just at 10:15 am, and we were waiting at the bus station well before the scheduled time.  A bus pulled up, with number 20 on it and people were boarding, so I asked the driver if it was the number 20 or the number 10A....it was the number 10A but the electronic sign was not working (a real trap for young players).  So, off we went to St. Just.

In St. Just we walked around the local churchyard, checking the tombstones for any sign of my Auntie Audrey's Wallis ancestors, but no sign :-(   We passed a really nice looking bakery (see photo below), but I was not allowed to get anything, as the ladies wanted to get walking....2 disappointments and we hadn't even started our walk yet.

                      St. Just - Squares in the baker's window (beautifully arranged) 

From St. Just, the western-most town in mainland England, we walked out to Cape Cornwall, which was once thought to be the western-most point in mainland England, but that honour was later moved to Land's End.  This area is real Poldark country, with the remnants of old tin mines very visible, and lots of signs telling you to stay on the paths or you may fall into a mine shaft.  Poldark was actually filmed largely around St. Just.

                                       Tower of old tin mine - Cape Cornwall

At Cape Cornwall we joined the Coast Path and walked southwest towards Land's End, with our destination being Sennen Cove, about a mile before Land's End.  From the path we could see the Isles of Scilly on the horizon, and could also see Land's End and Sennen Cove ahead of us.  It was a little cool, being right on the coast, so the sweaters stayed on, but we were still able to enjoy a picnic lunch on a hilltop along the way.

                             Sennen Cove & Land's End from Cape Cornwall

                          Coast Path between Cape Cornwall and Sennon Cove

In Whitesand Bay, the bay before Sennon Cove, there were lots of people with surf boards, but the waves were not very accommodating to them.  Beyond Whitesand Bay we were able to walk down on to the beach at Sennon Cove, which was a lot easier walking than the path in the sand dunes.

                                             The beach at Sennon Cove

At Sennon Cove we had time for a coffee before the anticipated arrival of the number 300 bus at 2:44 pm.  We were not the only ones waiting for the bus, but by 3 pm we were getting a little nervous as the bus had not arrived.  A few minutes after 3, the number 78A bus arrived, so I asked the driver if it was  really the number 78A or was it the number 300?  It was of course the number 300, but his electronic sign was broken also.  This is becoming a habit!

This bus took an agonizing hour and fifteen minutes to get back to Penzance, visiting every little village and bay along the way.  I confess to having a nap for most of it.

Back at our apartment we watched the All Blacks (narrowly) beat Argentina in their first Rugby World Cup match, before heading to the Co-op to get some food for dinner....we have started shopping daily like the English.  At 9 pm tonight we will watch the first episode of the new series of Downton Abbey, but we will keep the story-line to ourselves.

There is some rain forecast for tomorrow, so we will wait until morning to plan our day.  Stay tuned....