Cornwall

Heath and I spent a week in Cornwall for our spring break. We rented a cottage in the hamlet of Gorren Haven on the south coast. The village has a church, a market and a fish & chip shop. During the summer it is packed with families desperate for the sea but in April it is very quiet. We spent the week sleeping in, visiting local sights and having tea. The weather wasn't warm but it was sunny, which was much appreciated since the week prior was freezing cold rain.

Spring is the best time of year in England because its when all the flowers push their way up. This spring awakening is something we don't see in California. While we were in Cornwall the daffodils bloomed. They sprout up, bright yellow, all over the countryside. At the Lost Gardens of Heligan there were huge blankets of them.

Giant Rhodendrums

When we were in Rennes last year we visited Mont St. Michel. In Cornwall there is a small island with a castle appropriately called St. Michael's Mount. The island is still privately owned but it is open to tourists. It was high tide when we went so we took a boat over. You can see the path under the water because it's so clear. If it wasn't so cold it'd be great diving.

During the week we also visited the Eden Project, St. Austell Brewery (Heath has a new favorite beer) and the towns of St. Ives and Fowey.

We decided to take a leisurely route home and see part of Somerset. We stopped in the city od Wells famous for its beautiful cathedral and Bishop's Palace. The cathedral has an astronomical clock similar to the one in Prague. The Bishop's Palace has a giant garden and it is surrounded by a moat.

Wells Cathedral

Next we stopped for a night in Glastonbury. If you're looking for crystals, medieval costumes and books on new age religion this is the place to go. Heath and I enjoyed the Glastonbury Abbey which is now mostly in ruins. We visited the site of King Arthur's grave and the sacred thorn that Joseph of Arimathea planted. Lastly we hiked to the top of the Glastonbury Tor and got a 360 degree view of Somerset.

Glastonbury Abbey

Relaxing at the Tor