I think I was in Marazion when I left off writing. The town is old (1257) but is most famous for being right across a little waterway from St Michael's Mount. Elizabeth and I visited St Michel Mont when we were in France, and this is her little sister. It was built back before time began by the giant Cormoran, whose wife brought him all the rocks he needed by hauling them in her apron. She dropped several rocks, most notably Chapel Rock, and he was so angry he killed her! He lived on his mount out in the ocean all alone until Jack came along and killed him and ended the race of giants. The legend doesn't mention any beanstalks, so I don't know is this is Our Jack.
Sitting at the Godolphin Arms (I am such a sucker for great-sounding names) you can see the causeway is only partially visible. George and Pat had come to this area by 10:00 AM and walked over the causeway; by 12:30 it was mostly underwater. (They had to take a boat back).
Since Cormoran, the isle has been used to defend the harbour at Penzance, as a trading center, and as a mystical retreat. I am eating my lunch (Cornwall crabcakes) outside at the Godolphin Arms. There is a large terraced eating area with about 10 picnic tables, and we are atop a 20 foot sea wall make of huge granite (?) boulders. Down on the sandy beach there are all sorts of interesting things going on, most notably a maypole. About twenty people are holding ribbons and quarreling about who is supposed to go which way. Lots of dogs, both on the terrace and down on the beach. Several huge Irish wolfhounds (not belonging to the same people) and many more little terrier types.
You can rent or buy a windbreaker, and several sunbathers or families with children have erected these - about 10' of canvas with maybe 6 long poles anchoring it in the sand. The parents and children have great fun piling sand between the beach and the bottom of the windbreaker and then they have their own peaceful warm patch of beach to enjoy. Those without windbreakers have to content with a very brisk wind blowing sand and whatnot over them, and it is probably pretty chilly to be sunbathing unless you are protected.
as I sat there, the causeway slowly disappeared and by 2:00 PM it was completely covered.
There have been lots of shipwrecks along this area of the coastline, although local folk deny charges of "wrecking" - deliberately enticing ships to the rocks along the shore line by false lights.
I've been here five days now, and I'm starting to get a little lonely. I get into conversation with lots of chatty people, but there is not one I can share a secret snicker at some of the "quaintness" or share a dropped jaw moment at the stunning scenery. That will probably be to this advantage of this journal I am writing though - I like to ramble on and on and am doing it in writing instead of verbally!
I left Marazion, back through Penzance, and visited Newlyn and Mousehole, then back up to St Ives, Resruth and home to Truro. I stopped the car a million times for pictures, and wanted to stop a million more. Some of the roads were so small that two cars can't pass - I took pictures just to prove to myself that I had actually driven those roads and come out okay. On the way home I finally got back onto a respectable road, and negotiated 7 roundabouts with a problem. I was disappointed the Tom didn't congratulate me and applaud. I blew it on the 8th roundabout though, but got back on track pretty quickly. I had planned to stop at a pub for supper, but was exhausted after about two hours of the small roads. I expect to sleep well again tonight, but it won't be as much from the walking and adventuring as it will be from the clenched teeth and deathlike grip on the steering wheel for the past hours.
I decided against the male voice choral. Janet and Evelyn from the hotel are going - they drove down from Bristol just for this performance, but I would not appreciate it enough to fight the weariness.
Great supper here at the hotel. They are very lucky in their chef - everything I've had here is superb. Tonight I had freshly made mushroom soup and hot and spicy prawns with salad and sweet chili dip. I have such great meals and I don't think it's just the "this is my holiday and I'm going to enjoy everything to the max" attitude, although that probably helps.
They tell me they will do a load of laundry for me here - 5 pounds per wash load and 5 pounds per dryer load! That will be about $15 to do one load of wash! Tomorrow it is supposed to raid so I am not driving out but will stay in town and I will add looking for a laundromat to my list. I am planning on going back to the cathedral where I can look at everything closely without feelling I am committing sacrilege, going to the Museum, have a cream tea with clotted cream at Charlotte's tea house, and finding a genuine English rain hat.
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