CORNWALL 2017: The Boscastle Fishing Port

Here's one last fishing port from this year's Cornwall visit...which happened to be on the way home from our Tintagel visit to the legendary birthplace of King Arthur (remember?).

So, here we go again, to get our bearings.

The distance from Tintagel to Boscastle is 3.6 miles.

From Boscastle to the St. Austell home base is 28 miles.

As you see, Cornwall is not that big, even though driving around is not like in America.

This is the entrance view to Boscastle, the wee village on the inlet from the Atlantic Ocean.

Here's a fabulous image from Christoper Lethbridge on Wiki.

It shows the 2 protective stone harbor walls built by Sir Richard Grenville in 1584.

This is important because it shows the back of what we saw, from the Atlantic Ocean side.

But first, it so happens that Boscastle is home to the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic since 1951.

"It houses exhibits devoted to folk magic, ceremonial magic, Freemasonry, and Wicca,

with its collection of such objects having been described as the largest in the world."

And, NO, we did not visit it...because it was at the end of our busy day

and we were there only to see the harbor.

And guess what!  It was at low tide, of course!

We chose to walk along the right side on the ledge towards the sea...and were not alone.

You can see the two protective stone walls in the harbor.

I was immediately side-tracked by the abundant slate and the flowers growing in/on it.

THAT slate, both coming and going.

As soon as we got to the  first harbor wall, however, my attention turned to the beached boats.

They looked like toys from our side of the inlet.

On this side, the 2nd harbor wall was the end of our walk,

even though others found a way to climb up onto the ridge above.

Walking back the same way we walked in gave us plenty to see.

Astrid climbed down to the water's bed to beachcomb,

while Pauline sunbathed and I found my own goodies nearby.

You know how they say you should always look backwards as well as forwards on your walks
 because of the views.  We got that opportunity simply by walking back the way we came in.

Don't be fooled by this low-water view at low tide.

In August 2004 there was a flash flood that washed 75 cars, 5 caravans, 6 buildings and several boats to sea.  "Approximately 100 homes and businesses were destroyed, and some had to be demolished; trees were uprooted and debris were scattered over a large area."

150 people clinging to trees and rooftops were rescued, without major injuries or loss of life.

The estimated cost of damage was £15 million.

What we saw, of course, was so calm, cool and collected...on another gorgeous day.
If we ever go back, we'll walk on the left side and see another world altogether, I'm sure.

CORNWALL 2017: The Looe Fishing Port

If all I did was visit the fishing ports all around Cornwall, England, for the rest of my life, I'd be one happy camper.  Seriously.

I really love Google maps, don't you?!

The coastal fishing port of Looe is 25 miles from our St. Austell homebase.

The population is ca. 5K.

When you pass a shop window like this from the parking lot to the coast, you know what's coming.

THIS.

Just pay attention to both sides of this bridge across the River Looe.

As you see, we arrived while the tide was still mostly in.

It was raining off-n-on the entire day, and we didn't care.

But once on this side of the bridge, it felt like a good stopping point for lunch.

Maybe it was the "DO NOT FEED THE SEAGULLS" that made us hungry?

Pauline says it was the BEST fish-n-chips she had ever eaten.  So fresh.

I'll take her word for it because it was, indeed, excellent.

It was also a delight to sit by the window and look out on the Looe world.

When we came out from the pub, this is what we saw.

Just give it an hour or two and look what happens to the tide!

We KNOW it in our heads...but to SEE it is another thing altogether.

Think about all that money spent on these boats!

I think I'd want a berthing dock for my investment, too, at low tide...every day.

See what I mean about wanting to see this the rest of my life?

We walked along the quay towards the sea where the river was still mostly full.

We were short of eyes...looking towards the sea and back towards the bridge.

Both sides of the river!
[BTW, did you know the Brits say towards and the Americans say toward?
So why does it sound normal for me to use the British English?  HA!]

THIS on our walk back to the bridge!

We then walked across the bridge (top) to the other side (bottom)....

and then back to where we began the day, but now at low tide.

To there and back again with myriad impressions.

It doesn't take much to fill our cups, as you know by now!

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.

ENGLAND 2016: Cornwall's St. Michael's Mount

Even though this is what we saw and did on our 2nd of 4 days in Cornwall, this is my last post of this series, before going back to the Bath area with Lisl and Michael.  So YAY for getting this done...before Astrid and I leave tomorrow for our annual trip to America.  (See, there WAS a reason for my urgency!)

Astrid and I had the great privilege of seeing France's Mont Saint-Michel back in 2010.  Back then, we had no clue there was another St. Michael's Mount...off the coast of Cornwall, England.  So when we discovered that last year, we knew we'd eventually see it...this year.

OMG.  It's not the same as in France but similar enough and just as wonderful in a different way, if that makes sense, on a smaller scale.

Our first view of the mount was in the context of a group of students drawing it.

What a way to start!

We were there at low tide and had full access to the causeway going in.

St. Micheal's Mount is one of 43 tidal islands that you can walk to from mainland Britain.

Astrid was a kid, looking for treasures left by the sea.

Walls or breakwaters surround the civil parish of ca. 35 people.

Once inside the parish, you see the homes and shops...

as well as the cozy harbor.

Seeing everything atop the breakwater walls was our highlight of the place,

since we did not climb to the top to see the castle and chapel (like we did in France).

Why, you ask????????

We had a decision to make...walk back before the tide came back in at 12:25 p.m.,

or wait and go back by ferry.

We opted for the walk back and made it by the skin of our feet...

but only my right foot was deluged...and with wonderfully warm water.

It's one of those memories you never forget.

But as we looked back, the ferries were already starting up their service to the mount.
Those tidal schedules are exact, we found out.

We rendezvoused with Chris, Pauline and Carrek, the dog...

before finding the Cutty Sark restaurant for lunch, with Cornish cider and pot pies.

That was another main reason for not taking time to visit the castle and chapel.  

Choices!  Decisions!  It was time for lunch and lunch overruled!

Besides, Pauline had something else in mind for us to see!

So we walked back to the car, enjoying our last views of Marazion, the town linked to the mount.

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What Pauline wanted us to see was the fishing harbor of nearby Newlyn, 8 miles away.

See the tiny dot south of Marazion?  Yup.  That's St Michael's Mount.

Newlyn is a fishing harbor only a mile from Penzance and part of its parish.

Lucky for us, just as we arrived, a fishing boat was unloading its haul of crabs.

Sometimes you have to see it to believe it.

After all that excitement, we walked up and down the wharf,
starting with this Old Soul, PZ513.
It took me awhile but clearly PZ stands for Penzance.

Pauline knows us well.  This was a photographer's heaven.

See what I mean?

It capped off a delightful day after the fog-shrouded views of St. Michael's Mount.

And even though this was done on our second day in Cornwall,
it seems like the perfect way to say Good-Bye for this year and THANK YOU to Chris and Pauline.
We do want to go back every year, as often as possible, for these great treasures.

Oh, and speaking of treasures, here are the weathervanes of our 4 days in Cornwall:

Does it ever get better?
(I actually think England and Holland could duke it out for quality...but not for quantity.)

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And now I need to go pack.  Tomorrow's 9:30 a.m. flight to Atlanta will come awfully early.....