A Taste of Cornwall, England, June 2018

We recently spent nine very nice days in Cornwall, based in Falmouth, with four days touring places I'd always wanted to visit - the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan in particular. The weather was somewhat variable!

BTW: If you would like to see some great pictures of Cornwall, may I direct you to the fine pages of Reflections.

Falmouth (Click the image for the photoblog)

The Eden Project (Click the image for the photoblog)

The Lost Gardens of Heligan (Click the image for the photoblog)

St Ives, St Michael's Mount, Fowey, Land's End - and the filming locations of BBC's "Poldark"
(Click the image for the photoblog)

Some posts about our recent visit to Cornwall appear below (or click a picture to go to a particular one).

If you would like to skip them, then (as usual) click the chevrons (>>) below to move on to my next “normal” post

Cornwall June 2018 [1] - Falmouth

W could walk from our hotel to almost anywhere we wanted to see around Falmouth
(click the image for an online map)


When in Cornwall...


...always read the small print!


Sweet peas on a wall, walking back to our hotel


Another case of "read the small print"!


The view from our hotel terrace, on a rare completely clear evening


Walking along the sea from the hotel in the direciton of Swanpool (see map) - paddle boards very popular around here!



Gyllyngvase Beach (Cornish: An Gilen Vas, meaning the shallow inlet - thanks Wikipedia!)
Beyond it, to the right out of sight, is Swanpool Nature Reserve
Straight ahead perched up on the other side of the inlet is Hooked on the Rocks, a great eating place for fish and tapas


Same walk... weather varying...




Heading back


Nearly back at the hotel... strange tiny square church with sealed entrance

(or maybe a disguised lookout tower for a secret bunker far below... ;-) )


Evening view from the Harbour View café/bar/restaurant, our favourite place to eat or drink in Falmouth


Same evening, walking around the harbour


Same evening, weather still varying!


Four days later - view from the lookout tower of the Maritime Museum, a place well worth visiting (see map)



Early on the last morning... summer weather finally returns to Cornwall (and most other parts of England), and the paddle boards are out early!

[Cornwall visit continues in Part 2]

Cornwall June 2018 [2] - The Eden Project

[Cornwall visit continued from Part 1]
The Eden Project is a place I have long wanted to visit - it is probably the most entertaining environmental education resource on the planet.

I have added a few screenshots from the Eden Project's web site, with links for those interested.


From The Eden Project's web site (click the image to visit)


(click the image for an online map)


It was a dull day, unfortunately, but we still really enjoyed it


It's quite a long walk down from the entrance...




At the café, which is also the entrance to the Biomes




From the Eden Project's web site. If you go here or click the image you will find a a great description of this biome including a 3D walk-around


We really relate to all of this... it's no accident that our Family Recipes Page has a very Mediterranean flavour




A sentiment more relevant today than ever




This biome includes examples from several countries with Mediterranean-style climates, not just the Mediterranean




Click the image for more info!






From the Eden Project's web site. If you go here or click the image you will find a a great description of this biome including a 3D walk-around











Unfortunately, the best photos would probably be taken from the top of that stairway, but from this point...


...it would have taken at least half an hour to reach the viewing platform (Epcot length queue), which the tour visit didn't allow time for. That platform is MUCH higher than it appears here (telephoto shot).


Leaving the project, this is one of many messages that greets you. It seems extra relevant today, somehow...


The tour allowed us only 3½ hours here, which is nowhere near enough to see everything on offer. We will have to return one day, and hopefully see the place after dark as well (image below from the Eden Project web site).


[Cornwall visit continues in Part 3]

Cornwall June 2018 [3] - The Lost Gardens of Heligan

[Cornwall visit continued from Part 2]
The Lost Gardens of Heligan is another place I have long wanted to visit - but I didn't realise that the gardens are only a relatively small part of a large and interesting estate.

I have added a screenshot from the Lost Gardens' web site, with a link for those interested.


From The Lost Gardens' web site (click the image to visit)


(click the image for an online map)


Alas, even on a sign like this typos are creeping in...


At the café restaurant, where all the food is sourced from the estate


Not your usual table visitor!







You need all day to enjoy this place (the gardens are just a small part of it)... 3½ hours isn't enough



Walking down to the "Jungle" (paths nowhere near as steep as the signs indicate, but definitely not for wheelchairs)

That's Pentewan by the sea in the distance... I think



One way only... and very wobbly
Imagining crossing a 1,000 ft deep gorge in Burma on a long one of these... yikes
(only about 10 ft deep here)



Walking back up the east side of the estate



Cornwall is having a real foxgloves year. They are everywhere, in gardens and along lanes, seemingly growing wild.




The Italian Garden



Heligan is carrying out a whole series of events as part of the 100 Year Anniversary WWI Rememberance






[Cornwall visit continues in Part 4]

Cornwall June 2018 [4] - St Ives, St Michael's Mount, Fowey, Land's End...
and filming locations for BBC's “Poldark”

[Cornwall visit continued from Part 3]


Some of the other places that we visited from our base in Falmouth
(click the image for an online map)


St Ives





(St Michael's Mount - click the image for an online map)


St Michael's Mount on a cloudy, windy day



(Fowey - click the image for an online map)


Fowey (rhymes with "coy" or "koi", I'm told) on quite a miserable day!




Land's End is now quite commercialized... but it's still a must-see place to visit, even in mist and cloud...


We have only seen a tiny part of Cornwall (I'm sure we will be back). After this visit I was interested to see where "Poldark" was filmed, so I put this map together from the BBC's information that you'll find here (or click the image below)




If you like this...

[Superb photography of Cornwall on the fine pages of Reflections]
[Index of all my photoblogs]