CORNWALL 2017: The Mevagissey Fishing Port

The same day we did the Spit Cliffs walk on a rainy afternoon (last post), we also did a walk-about in nearby Mevagissey that sunny morning.  Don't you love weather!

Mevagissey is only 6 miles SW from the St. Austell area, our homebase.

[Google image]

As we drove along the coast to get there, Pauline stopped the car to show us this view.

Now you know why Cornwall is a MUST for so many people.

Mevagissey is one of many wee fishing ports that makes Cornwall so idyllic.

It's population is only 2K.  

As you turn the corner, there she is.

We arrived while the tide was still mostly in (an important detail we're learning).

Look at how the town hugs its harbor.  It's their livelihood.

When you step back to get the bigger picture, it's a rugged livelihood.

But deep inside the harbor, you feel the coziness of it.

Dare you leave the breakwater, you pass the the massive rock formation to the open sea.

[Am still trying to find if it has a name, that rock!  Surely?!]

Did you see the wee lighthouse in the preceding collage, bottom-right image?

Once you reach it, you are "out to sea," so to speak.

The vantage point from the lighthouse that day highlighted this yellow beauty.

She's the Valhalla BH-9 trawler of the Mevagissey fleet.

How fun to look up these boats like they're people!

And how fun to see evidence that this truly is a fishing port.

While walking back from the lighthouse, guess what!

The tide was now out and we got to see the beached boats that still amaze us to no end.

So Astrid, of course, climbed down to search for treasures, of which she found many
(for her blue bag).

See what I mean about Cornwall?!  So idyllically wonderful.

Don't get me wrong...it has its own economic trials and tribulations.

BUT...it is a treasure to be found and taken care of while cherishing.

CORNWALL 2017: The Facebook Preview

Let's take a break from our Venice/Verona trip!

We just got back from Cornwall late last night, minutes before midnight, and are now up and at it in getting settled back in.  You know how that it.  It's always good to get back home.  Astrid even went back to work today after maybe 4 hours of sleep.  What a trooper!

What you are about to see is a learning curve for me away from the laptop and PhotoShop!  We took only our iPads for this 6-day trip, so I learned how to make collages with the Live Collage app, figuring out every new day how to tweak images the way I wanted there as well as in the Photos app.

So, here goes:

Friday, May 12:  Arrival in Exeter

As soon as Chris and Pauline picked us up at the airport, Pauline said she had a surprise for me!

We think it represents the  Red Arrows from the Royal Air Force aerobatic display team,

even though they usually fly in teams of 9.

Ironically, it was the only weathervane we found the entire trip, other than a couple of arrows.

But it more than made up for the lack elsewhere.

We ate out at a pub that day but that was basically it, before driving home near St. Austell.

Saturday, May 13:  Mevagissey Fishing Port and the Spit Cliffs

Pauline and Chris racked their brains for us on what to see and where to go each day.

But they found out it doesn't take much to make us happy!

 So we first went to the fishing port of Mevagissey, 16 km away.

Lucky for us, we were there during low tide.

Do beached boats enthrall you like they do us who never see them??!!

After eating lunch back at home, we three girls went out to take a walk along the Spit cliffs.

Actually, Chris dropped us off at the beginning and then picked us up at the end in Charlestown.

 During the 4 miles, with the English Channel on one side and a golf course on the other, 

we had intermittent rain but didn't care a hoot.

Sunday, May 14:  Tintagel Castle and King Arthur's Birthplace

When Astrid and I found out there was a legendary birthplace of King Arthur 39 km away,

we made it absolutely clear that THAT would be a highlight of our trip!

So we picked the best weather day to go, which was Sunday.

OMG.  Wait till I show you more later...but for now, that's the statue of Merlin with Astrid, 

overlooking the Atlantic Ocean on the north Cornwall coast.

Monday, May 15:  St Mawgan and St. Eval Parish Churches

After Sunday's gorgeous, sunny day on the north coast, it rained the rest of our time!

Rain limits what you can do, of course, but it didn't stop us from going out to do something.

We didn't need much, especially after the full day on Sunday.

So off we went to see two parish churches, both from the 13th century:

St. Mawgan (top row) and St. Eval (bottom row).

This time on the inside, St. Mawgan (top row) and St. Eval (bottom row).

I love these wee parish churches almost more than the cathedrals, to be honest.

I always think of my preacher dad loving and choosing them for his pastorates.

Tuesday, May 16:  Looe

Knowing we love the seaside ports, Chris and Pauline came up with our final adventure, 42 km away.

We actually arrived while the tide was still in but, after first eating lunch, we got lucky.

Look at that.  Pure magic for us!

Wednesday, May 17:  Exeter Cathedral (and home)

Wednesday started off with a 2-hour train ride to Exeter for our flight back to Amsterdam.

Dear friend, Lisl (from Bath), came by train to join us (including Pauline) for the rest of the rainy day.

After a lovely, leisurely lunch, we walked to the nearby cathedral and had a peek.

No time for a good look that came with an entrance fee, so we did just peek.

For me it was enough...or at least better than nothing.

A great way to end a good week with friends!

You know me...this is but the skeleton to which I will add the flesh in the days to come.

The good news is that we have no further trips on deck till America in October,

so there's a nice, gentle sigh being released as I take my time, now, going forward.