I was invited to share a holiday with my friend Susan. Of course, I accepted and we drove down to Cornwall on Saturday 21st May. We stopped off at Charlestown and had a quick walk around in the drizzle before driving on to Hayle to collect the keys to the apartment in St Ives. I dropped Susan off with the luggage then drove up to the secure car park, left the car and walked down the hill. After unpacking we had a quick explore of the harbour and a filling meal of fish at the Harbour restaurant. The apartment is Polmear - Susan booked with Aspect Holidays.
 |
| A couple of bird shots in Charlestown |
 |
| On Porthmeor beach |
On Sunday we did part of the coast walk from St Ives to Zennor and then circled back over fields and some very high stiles. Very tired at the end of that. Then I had to do some sunset shots and Susan came and waited patiently with me, despite the chill.
 |
| Looking back towards the island |
 |
| Surfing lesson |
 |
| A type of scylla |
 |
| bee at flower |
 |
| dog rock |
 |
| caterpillar |
 |
| coastal bluebells |
 |
| sea thrift on coast |
 |
| daisies on coast |
 |
| Stone circle - circa 1940s |
 |
| We had our lunch at the circle |
 |
| Peregrine falcon flew over a few times. We saw gannets too but no images. |
 |
| A disused mine we tried to walk to but failed to find the path |
 |
| Mouse remains |
 |
| Walking back to St Ives on the Tinners Way |
 |
| Curious cows |
 |
| A couple of speckled woods |
 |
| Cloud landscape |
 |
| I think this is a pyramid orchid |
 |
| View from our apartment |
 |
| Susan taking in the view on the island |
 |
| Sunsets. The one below is with intentional camera movement |
 |
| The RNLI lifeboat |
On Monday, Susan went to the St Ives School of painting for her 3 day course and I went to St Erth. The day ticket on the St Ives train line is valid all day and you can hop on and off. After walking around St Erth I took the train back to Lelant Saltings and walked the coast path to Carbis Bay and caught the train (after a half hour wait as the train does not always stop there) back to St Ives. Susan had returned from her class. After exchanging news on each other's day over a glass of wine we went off for a delicious curry in the Rajpoot. Afterwards I went off to snap another sunset.
 |
| View of St Ives from the train |
 |
| leaves at St Erth churchyard |
 |
| The River Hayle |
 |
| Dandelions |
 |
| St Erth church |
 |
| Wildflowers on Lelant golf course |
 |
| Porth Kidney beach from South West coast path |
 |
| Fishing boat with gulls |
 |
| St Ives just before sunset |
 |
| Sunset |
 |
| sunset with intentional camera movement |
 |
| sea thrift in sunset |
On Tuesday I went to Penzance via train. The fare is very cheap from St Ives - £4.30 return. However the bus fare to Trengwainton Gardens from Penzance, which was less of a distance was £4.50. After visiting the gardens I started off to walk to Marazion but the wind came up and I decided to return to St Ives. After a supper cooked by Susan, we walked to Carbis Bay and back.
 |
| A tree at Trengwainton Gardens. I added the face. |
 |
| Dappled shade |
 |
| The same scene but with intentional camera movement |
 |
| Guinea Fowl |
 |
| Trengwainton House |
 |
| Looking up |
 |
| Kitchen gardens |
 |
| Beyond the kitchen garden |
 |
| I walked a little way to Marazion before catching the train back to St Ives |
 |
| Shaggy dog |
 |
| The St Ives stone balancer |
 |
| Phone box outside our accommodation |
 |
| Views from our walk towards Carbis Bay on South West coast path |
 |
| Little and large |
Wednesday saw me in Hayle walking around the estuary and then on to the RSPB nature reserve. Met another photographer who told me about the Dalmation pelican and Lammergeir seen in Cornwall - not by me! Managed to pop into the Barbara Hepworth gallery on my return to St Ives.
 |
| Set for breakfast |
 |
| At St Erth station waiting for the Hayle train |
 |
| Images from Hayle estuary |
 |
| Shelducks fighting or trying to mate |
 |
| Church at Lelant |
 |
| Porth Kidney beach |
 |
| Greenfinch |
 |
| Images from Barbara Hepworth gallery |
 |
| Taken through the window. |
Susan finished her course on Wednesday. The following image is one of her collages which can be viewed anyway around so I copied it to show all the views. It shows the landscape as she saw it from a hill near St Ives and also depicts our walk on Sunday. The pink squares are the large styles we had to walk over.
Better to have Sue's own words
"I am trying to convey the essence of the landscape distilled from the top of Trevalga Hill: wind, sea and sky; irregular fields and hedgerows; bluebells colouring and scenting the air; paths we walked and stiles we clambered over; granite outcrops and dry stone walls."
Had a lovely meal in the restaurant at The Sloop Inn. Beforehand we saw the lifeboat about to be launched. I missed the actual launch as I had left my camera at home and had to run back to get it. Sue lent me her camera before I went so I managed one quick image.
 |
| Just before I ran to get my camera |
 |
| On my way back waiting for the wave splash and the resident turnstone kindly posed |
 |
| Launching the small boat |
 |
| Sunrise through the window at Polmear |
 |
| Same view but with ICM |
Had a lovely coastal tour towards Newlyn. Stopping first at St Just then on to Cape Cornwall which was delightful. Hoped to find choughs at Porth Nanvin where I had seen them before but no luck. A lot of people including photographers on the beach. It was high tide so not as spectacular. A kestrel flew past but I failed to snap it when it past with a meal for the family on the cliff. On the way to Newlyn, Susan noticed that we were near a stone circle called Merry Maidens. A beautiful stop, especially when the other tourists left. Parked in Newlyn and visited the gallery but nothing of interest there. We walked to the Penlee museum in Penzance - only 20 minutes to see the work of the Newlyn artists and have a much needed cup of tea. Stopped at Rajpoot on our return with the bottle of wine provided at the accommodation.
 |
| Buildings at Cape Cornwall |
 |
| More sea thrift |
 |
| The oratory |
 |
| Burial cairn |
 |
| Kestrel |
 |
| Merry Maidens |
 |
| Image from Newlyn |
I should have realised something was wrong when I didn't finish my breakfast and my double espresso didn't taste as nice on Friday morning. Sue and I set off to the Lizard, stopping first at Kynance Cove where I started to feel queasy. I first blamed the curry but think I caught a bug which made me very tired. Drove to the Lizard Point but too busy to stop. We tried Mullion Cove and that was lovely. Few people, cheap parking and very peaceful. Sue had her lunch while I rested. Luckily I managed to drive back home via Chyhauster village - well worth a stop. Unfortunately, I could not make the dinner reservation at Andrew's Bistro. Sue went off on her own while I nibbled on a rice cake and went to bed early.
 |
| Kynance Cove |
 |
| Chyhauster - English Heritage |
Up early on Saturday and called a taxi to take us up the hill to the secure car park and pick up the car. I felt a little better and we drove to West Pentire to see if the poppies had arrived - nothing - not even the fulmars on the rocks. On to Camelford for coffee and a long wait for a toasted tea cake for me. Then a lunch stop for Sue at Meldon reservoir near Okehampton. I still didn't have an appetite. Back in Taunton before 2 pm. After dropping Susan off I had to pick up a couple of bags I had left outside the flats at home before leaving for Cornwall. Luckily nothing I couldn't really do without and my friend Glenys kindly picked them up for me. Now resting and getting over the bug.
 |
| Images from Meldon Reservoir |
 |
| Canada geese arriving |
Next trip is back to Scotland after my big birthday in June.
