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).