Today we awoke and enjoyed the luxury of a lay in with access to a toilet and cooking facilities all without having to dismantle the bed… Perfect!
As we are down this way it would be rude not to pop into Lands End. It’s a pretty flat place as you approach the big white hotel on the edge of England. They seem to have made it into some sort of theme park with a 4D cinema and dinosaur safari and mini zoo. We just enjoyed the view out to the lighthouse and crashing waves against the rocks while sitting in the hotel cafe. Postcard written and key ring bought we walked out along the cliffs away to enjoy the view some more and have lunch.
The next place we stopped was just magical. Truly, this place was incredible. The Minack Theatre is a must see if you are down on Englands pointy bit. It was built by Rowena Cade and her gardener on the cliff edge of Cornwall beside her house. A series of terraced and steep grassy seats are wedged into the cliffside overlooking a space no bigger than a double decker bus lying on its side. This area is the stage, and the backdrop is the ocean, stretching across to France.
A natural-ish amphitheatre had been created by the hands of one determined old woman and her gardener. Initially it was started to be built for one performance and since then was added to and modified and enlarged till its reached the gargantuan proportions of today’s theatre. All by hand and all emblazoned with celtic symbols and patterns in the hand crafted concrete.
It’s just wonderful. We sat for a while on the grassy banks and watched a rehearsal of “Secret Garden” being acted out. The sun was tremendous and beat down unbroken by clouds on the calm blue sea. It splooshed peacefully into the rocks far below the stage adding to the drama and majesty of the scenes.
After a cream tea, with scones overflowing with jam and clotted cream we took [too many to count] rough stone steps down to the beach. That determined old woman used to carry sacks of sand up these each day ready for the next days building!
We soaked up the last of the glorious summer spring sun and returned to St Ives to celebrate. It’s been a year together for Aimi and I. A year ago today it was our first date and here we are. One of many I hope. To celebrate, we went out for a good seafood dinner. Lots of muscles, cockles, oysters and whatever the hell whelks are. We decided to look them up AFTER eating them because they were tasty. The boys were even allowed to sit in the restaurant next to us and behaved perfectly which allowed us a nice romantic dinner by the sea.
