On Sunday I took the train to Penzance, it was an easy journey with another small delay. Luckily both trains I had to take were delayed so I didn’t miss my transfer and made it to my destination easily. Penzance is a beautiful little town built on the coast but up the side of some hills. It was only 15 min walking to my hotel. But all up. With my luggage.
I stayed at small Inn above a tavern, so while I was a bit early for check in I was able to have a pint and a rest while waiting for my room. It was a simple little place, perfectly comfortable except my room was just two twin beds. Normally something I can manage, but I am used to a nice queen to myself and felt a little constrained! Probably also because I can’t wrap myself up as will with a twin duvet.
Well, it being Sunday I went out to find a pub serving a good Sunday roast and was happy to have dinner at the Longboat Inn. It was a beef roast with all the fixings, including a delightful Yorkshire pudding.
Monday was an easy start, my plan was to head to the near by Marazion to see St Michaels Mount. Many people have heard of the gorgeous Mont St Michel in France, and if that’s what you are picturing, well it’s close. It’s a smaller version of the same idea and a monastery was founded over a thousand years ago when Edward the Confessor was very impressed by the French monastery and requested the monks come and establish one in England. There is evidence how ever that the Cornish have been living there for countless millennia as 6000 year old round houses were recently excavated on the east lawns. It is also the location of home of the giant from the story of Jack and the Giant Killer.
With the dissolution of the monastery’s by Henry VIII it has been privately owned. It changed hands a few times and since the end of the Civil War, and has belonged in the St Aubin Family who still live in the castle, but run the Island jointly with the National Trust. A small group of people still reside on the island too, both staff for the family and general workers for the site.
There are two ways to get to the island. The main way is by boat and there are small boats that travel back and forth regularly to support the residents and bring over all the tourists to visit. And then when the tide is at its lowest, a causeway appears and anyone can walk across. In high season they still require a ticket to visit the island to control the flood of tourists.
This time of year the gardens were closed, which was a pity as they appeared to be absolutely gorgeous from what I could see. I get a ticket to explore the public side of the castle, which includes many artifacts from the Lords St Levan (the Baronnet of the St Aubyn family) and items dating back to the monastery. Much of the castle has been rebuilt over the years but It is possible to see part of the old priory, and a worn down stone floor in the window of the rectory. It’s said that’s where the guards were posted who spotted the first ships of the Spanish Armada and lit a signal fire to alert the country.
The tide was low in the evening, so I walk back to shore along the cause way trying to get some good pictures with the glistening stones and the sun backlighting the castle. It felt very magical. I also had a pint in a restaurant over looking the bay, before taking a bus back to Penzance. I had dinner in a small pub called the Dolphin that claims to date from the mid 1500s and they say is where Sir Walter Raleigh puffed the first pipe of tobacco from the New World in England.
I went back to my Inn for the evening, and finally there was a Blue Jays playoff game that wasn’t started too late so I stayed up with a pint to watch the start. And well, the less said about that the better. Still 5 more games to go! (I hope!)
I’ll be adding all my pictures up to my instagram as I have time to edit them. If you haven’t seen it -its also @medicinparadise
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