Mum and dad came down to stay and this time we were blessed with much better weather. After a pasty lunch we went on the Lizard Lighthouse tour. Having lived next door to the Lighthouse for the last six months I really felt it was time to look around it. The exhibits were really interesting although I already knew quite a lot about my home it was good to find out more. And then we went up the lighthouse tower - my house is beneath the second visible chimney along and the part sticking out is my kitchen/diner and bathroom.
Then we walked to Housel Bay Hotel for cream tea and we fortunate enough to sit on the terrace enjoying the glorious afternoon sun.
Top of my list for the next morning was Kynance Cove. Last time mum and dad were here over the Spring Bank Holiday it was so windy we couldn't even stand up as we walked to the cliffs from the car-park and had to give up.
We got there for low tide and were surprised how busy it was at 10.30am. We had a nice cup of tea and flapjack and then moved on to Penrose.
We had a lovely walk past Loe Pool to Loe Bar and then mum and dad carried on along the coastal path to Porthleven whilst I returned to the car and joined them at The Twisted Currant for lunch. Oddly the service was bad, or rather just non-existent, as though our waitress (the owner's daughter) had lost the power of speech. However, lunch was delicious and mum had her first crab sandwich of the holiday, as did dad. Then out onto the sunny harbourside for ice-creams in the sunshine.
Then home to rest our weary feet and enjoy home-made Leek and Potato soup. Love from The Lizard Girl
Thank pasty it's Friday - well it was when I took the photo!
I reckon there's an aura of light around this sublime blackberry and apple pie baked and served at Kynance Cove Cafe.
I took this a few days before mum and dad's visit. I woke up to lovely weather early on Sunday morning and popped down to Kynance while it was still relatively low tide. I wanted to get some good pics so ended up backing up and backing up until I found myself on a narrow cliff path. Not a great idea first thing in the morning when there's not another car in the car-park and no-one to spot you dangling off the cliff-face. However, the shoot passed without incident and I'm really happy with this shot. Just wish I had a wide-angled lens. (I actually shot this on my mobile - I took both cameras with me but prefer this pic out of all of them.)
August Bank Holiday Monday dawned hot and sunny so I packed up a picnic (my last of the season in hindsight) and headed off to Rinsey. Had a lovely few hours soaking up the sun on one of my favourite beaches.
On Tuesday I headed off to St Ives for my last visit before I leave. I took the park and ride from Lelant Saltings. There's no point struggling to get into, and then trying to find a parking space in, St Ives when you can let the train take the strain and it's all part of the fun. Well it would have been more fun if a big, arrogant man hadn't pushed past me (and his wife) to bag the best seat. I took a picture of him as he annoyed me. Not because he bagged the seat but for barging, but I won't sully my blog by posting his big fat back.
St Ives at low tide.
I treated myself to lunch at The Porthmeor Cafe, again last time for a while, and then took a stroll along the beach.
The view of Porthminster Beach at St Ives, walking back to the station.
I got off at Carbis Bay to spend a few hours on the beach. It wasn't as nice as it looked in the distance. I thought it would be a bit special and posh as it belongs to the Carbis Bay Hotel but it wasn't and my tea and cake were downright disappointing. Should have saved my money. This is the view as you walk back up the hill to the station; taking in the sweep of Carbis Bay, then Porthkidney beach, Lelant, Hayle and round to Gwithian Towans with Godrevy lighthouse just visible in the far distance.
This is the view from the train looking back towards Carbis Bay with St Ives in the distance.
And looking ahead to the wide open expanse of Porthkidney Beach.
I spent most of Wednesday at home but did pop into Mullion Cove. Even though it's so near to home I hadn't been there since the day I came to view Peninnis back in January, although I pop into Mullion village occasionally.
A friend posted this video to my Facebook wall showing the coast line around Cornwall. As I live in a landmark building I'm luckily enough that my home is shown at 1 minute 20 seconds in. It looks better in full screen, unless it ends up too blurry.
I found this one on You Tube as well. It shows the amazing peninsula I've been lucky enough to live on for the last six months, opening with Lizard Lighthouse where I live. This one looks better not in full screen.
Both videos are produced by Visit Cornwall, the Cornwall Tourist Board. There's lots of other ones to look at on You Tube. Love from The Lizard Girl
On Saturday morning I could put it off no longer. I've been about to do the walk from Mullion to Kynance Cove for the longest time. Ie arriving at Kynance Cove from the opposite direct. I knew it was going to be quite a tough six mile hike. The weather was perfect; warm but not sunny, a light wind and no rain. As I was leaving I shared my plans with lovely Patrick the car-park attendant. As a Mullion man he was delighted I was doing the walk but suggested I park at Predannack rather than Mullion. I heeded his advice and nosed the car down the usual Cornish narrow lane with narry a passing place in sight.
Not sure what I love more about this sign - the wording - or the fact that the field had an electric fence!
And, of course, there's a National Trust car-park at the end. The usual well guarded Cornish secret. Heavens it would never do to actually tell people there's a perfectly good car-park here, just like the National Trust car-park at Rinsey and the one at Degibna or Botallack...
Looking towards Soapy Cove below Gew-graze valley
It was Saturday of the August Bank Holiday weekend and I hardly came across another soul. Apart from the poor lady, walking with her husband, who was too scared to walk through the valley of cows. She had been chased by cows years earlier and was understandably nervous although I did try to explain that these are free range cows in every sense of the word and are used to visitors. I think they ended up doing a massive detour. It was a shame as the cows were in Gew-graze valley which is one of the highlights of the walk. Although my poor calves didn't think so as the path going down and up again is steeper than it looks.
Some pretties for you: Rose hips and heather
Sheep's-bit
The 'back' of Kynance Cove with Lizard Lighthouse teeny-weeny in the distance - if you click on the photo you should be able to see it. The Lighthouse looks as if it's inland because it's round the corner from the headland.
In the first photo you can see there is still a lot of sand but the tide is coming in from both sides.
... in the following photo there's probably about half an hour left before the whole of this side of the beach is submerged. If there was anyone left on that spit of sand they'd have to swim round to the main beach of Kynance Cove as that's the only way out. Or scramble onto Asparagus Island and wait for the tide to go out again.
A little tour of Kynance Cove from the cliffs
After lunch I headed back and, although not quite in the spirit of hiking, was glad that by parking at Predannack I had shaved about a mile off the walk! However, my best friends; walking boots, fleece and perfect sized backpack with his mate, water, are great travelling companions.
The Lost Gardens of Heligan are well over an hour's drive from the Lighthouse but seeing the gardens has been on my To Do list for ages so mid-morning I struck out for St Austell. I'm going to let the pictures do the talking, save to say I found the Northern Gardens very moving. When the door to the overgrown gardens was opened for the very first time by Tim Smit and John Willis in 1990 they named the first tiny room they uncovered 'The Thunderbox Room'. There, in the flaking plaster, was the names of the gardeners over the years, many of whom died during the Great War which is how the garden became neglected all those years ago, as so many of them didn't return. In 2013 the Imperial War Museum recognised The Thunderbox Room as a Living Memorial to 'The Gardeners of Heligan'.
The only pineapple pit in Europe. Not exactly cost effective as the first pineapple grown cost about £10,000 in terms of construction, labour and cultivation (and horse manure I guess). The gardeners ate the first one! The second pineapple produced was presented to the Queen for her Golden Jubilee. In the second photo you can see tiny pineapples growing.
Here, in no particular order are my favourite photographs of the day. Mainly taken in the Northern Gardens. Starting with a lovely photo of a wall. I would love a walled garden. Especially a secret walled garden,
My final destination was the Woodland Walk and my final Heligan photo is of the Grey Lady - so ethereal she's almost invisible.
As I was so near I popped into the bustling harbour town of Megavissey for a cream tea. It's been at least a week! It was delicious and served with an apricot scone. According to the lovely waitress who served me at Tea On The Quay her mum's bored of making the same old same old so she's experimenting. It was delicious.
The view from my table at Tea on The Quay.
And home to The Lizard after another lovely day. Love from The Lizard Girl
