Visitors gives us the chance to do something different. When you have been in a place three years, you tend to the obvious. The always welcome appearance of David and Jennifer took us first ten-pin bowling. None of us the best but enjoyed by all.
On another day we went to Falmouth. First a splendid birthday lunch at The Royal Duchy Hotel where we were then able to leave our car for the afternoon’s trip. Then into town.
Always a great place to visit, apart from its seaside connotations Falmouth has some nice streets…
and some brilliant houses and buildings – often the historic homes of sea captains.
Being a Bank Holiday, the shopping streets and harbour were full of people and atmosphere.
We however had decided to take the ferry across to St Mawes which is always a really enjoyable trip with plenty to see…..
at both ends…..
After a little paddle…….
……….it was good to see David and Jennifer were still enjoying themselves. We then walked along the ‘promenade’ through town to the castle.
On the way this time I noticed a very quirky little gunnel or alleyway (don’t know what they call them in these parts……where we used to live in York it was ‘snickleways’}. Anyhow very picturesque.
Not a single house in St Mawes I wouldn’t give my right arm for……
The castle, looking across to its sister in Falmouth, was impressive as always….
But we decided it was all thirsty work and called to Olga Polizzi’s Hotel Tresanton for an ice cream and cup of Earl Grey….very nice.
But 
All in all a lovely two or three days. And when they had disappeared back to London it was still Bank Holiday and one of those days when, in going to Looe to collect our daily paper, we found the sea busy as well as the beach…there are’nt many days like that!
We also enjoyed the Lambretta parade through town…….maybe 50 or 60 of them.
Rescued this ‘Shooting In The Dark’ from ‘unread books’ section, and found it was set in York which is where we used to live once upon a time. It’s Crime Noir North of England, and good for that. Location is so important to me even in crime novels, and John Baker ensures you know you’re in York. It got good reviews in The Sunday Telegraph, The Independent and from Val McDermid, so I had high hopes and I was not disappointed. I must explore what else John Baker has written. The first third in particular read like a hard-core New York novel with humour, and then it settled into its plot the main protagonists being Sam Turner, an world-weary private tec and two vulnerable sisters one of whom was blind. This gave an entirely different slant to things. Basically they were being stalked by someone who wanted revenge for a childhood disaster. I really liked the fact that the characters were sympathetic and nearly all of the time I appreciated the minor characters being highly intelligent (much philosophising, particularly on existentialism). Recommend? Definitely……
Trollope himself considered ‘Can You Forgive Her?’, ‘Phineas Finn’, ‘Phineas Redux’ and ‘The Prime Minister’ to be the four novels that constitute the Palliser series. In his autobiography he wrote…….”To carry out my scheme I have had to spread my picture over so wide a canvas that I cannot expect that any lover of such art should trouble himself to look at it as a whole. Who will read Can You Forgive Her?, Phineas Finn, Phineas Redux, and The Prime Minister consecutively, in order that they may understand the characters of the Duke of Omnium, of Plantagenet Palliser, and of Lady Glencora? Who will ever know that they should be so read?”. Self-deprecating as usual, he thought that his reputation would soon wither, and that in no time at all he would be forgotten.
Katherine and Aiisha came hot-foot from Spain to share a birthday weekend. My 70th. On our way to our first ‘adventure’ – ice skating at the Pavilions in Plymouth, we passed Charles Church, bombed out during the war but given almost a sculptural quality with the background of the Drake Shopping Centre. It almost seems planned to set the old church off….perhaps it was. Skating was good. The next day we chose to have lunch at the Duchy Garden Centre so that Katherine could look at some plants for her new garden in Edinburgh. Aiisha and I decamped for a short while to the new children area which was very nice indeed…….
and we loved the wheeled gypsy hut, where Aiisha showed off her versatility with her Dad’s instrument of choice…
Lunch over we set off for Carlyon Bay where Katherine had bought tickets for a show by the Knee-High Theatre Company called The Dancing Frog. After a lacklustre start it developed into a really really fun show. I haven’t enjoyed myself as much for a long time, and I really must write them a review. Pleasure and laughs were had by all and I did think the puppetry was amazing. Ten out of ten. The audience of all ages were captivated.
We then couldn’t’t resist the beach where the tail end of a storm was apparent. Luckily the weather held off for us.
The biggest ‘adventure’ perhaps came the next day when we visited the nearby and well-named Adrenalin Quarry. Neither F. nor I were participants, but we certainly enjoyed watching. Katherine and Aiisha proved fearless in attempting first The Giant Swing…… 
Apparently the first drop from what seemed an enormous height was ‘scary’ but thereafter things got a little better. Aiisha was heard to say in the gentler parts ‘I want to do it again’ at which those watching burst into laughter…they were absolutely stupefied that one so young had attempted this in the first place!
Next was the zip wire which went from the heights at one end of the quarry to the other. Not quite the longest or most terrifying in the world, but certainly up there. Rather them than me. Who knew such things were within 15 minutes drive of us?
We then celebrated all that bravery with snacks in the nearby American Diner which was actually enjoyed by all of us.
Whilst Katherine did some work the next day, Frances, Aiisha and I drove to Looe to play the arcades as it was a bit inclement. We all had a great time playing the twopenny dip where you roll coins to displace other coins (and prizes). 
Aiisha’s top said it all. Lucky. We won an enormous haul of sweets, of which you can see a part……
We crossed the river on the little ferry for a change, and thoroughly enjoyed our trip to the seaside.
Adventures were now coming thick and fast. A riding lesson got us up early the next day. After kitting out…….
……..Aiisha showed much aplomb in dealing with her horse – and with the lady instructor who was to say the least formidable. All the adults looking on were quaking in their shoes. However the lesson was indoor and out, and went down very well with our intrepid rider.
A fine day was then promised so we went on one of our favourite walks the circular route from Lerryn (our favourite Cornish village) to St Winnow. After stocking up at the terrific local stores we set off along the for now dryish river…
crossing the medieval bridge…..
and crossing and re-crossing the stepping stones.
All the cottages are without exception lovely and, unusually it seems to us, nearly all lived in as opposed to used or owned by holidaymakers. That accounts for the hugely lively village life.
Our first objective was a particular bench with a view, and this is where we had our pasties and cakes from the shop. One of the best lunches ever!
We then aimed for St Winnow’s and along the way Aiisha picked up and fashioned her own walking stick which not only proved useful but also was a great prop for her impressions of “an old lady walking”. Very good.
The church was bedecked for a wedding and whilst this was all very pretty, it had meant the closure of the ice cream stall. Not as disappointing as it might have been as we were all ftb. 
Pulling up from the hamlet (just a farm and a cottage and a church (plus usually an ice cream stall!), we soon had good views.
There were several kinds of trees with plenteous nuts (perhaps betokening a hard winter?).
And pretty garden fronts as we descended once more to Lerryn.
The tide was now in. All in all a special day and a very long seven and a half miles for young feet…all done without a grumble!
Our last full day together was my birthday and we had lunch at the Godolphin Arms now turned into a somewhat boutique hotel. Sensational views from the car park…
and the restaurant where we eat well.
We planned to look at the beautiful gardens on St Michael’s Mount but on the way to the ferry (the tide was in) we were waylaid. 
Marazion itself is quite captivating…….
Six ferries were in continuous use (it was Bank Holiday after all), so we didn’t wait too long.
On reaching the island we found the gardens were closed, but this enabled us to climb up to the castle itself, looking for the Giant’s Heart on the way up……
and making use of the odd canon for a resting point…..
Inside we did a rapid tour and completed a successful quiz, and enjoyed the special atmosphere of this amazing place. We also were able to see some of the gardens!
The queues for the ferries to get back to the mainland were long to say the least, but we made our own amusements. 
Enjoying Cornwall... 