July 1: Cornwall

A gorgeous shank of the afternoon / evening is developing here, and indeed, it has been another stellar day.  Tomorrow is my last full day here, and Casey and Janet will be leaving for London tomorrow morning, which saddens me deeply.  I have made so many good friends here with whom I plan to travel and write in the future—Casey, Janet, Karen, Vince and Linda, and Karen’s two daughters, Livvy and Holly.  Livvy, after tonight’s dinner, gave the other travelers and me necklaces with stones she had collected at the Perranporth seashore.  Mounted beautifully, its light green color is like seafoam, and  I was very touched by the gift and the sentiments she expressed in the card which was attached.  It has been an unforgettable day!

This morning, after breakfast, we all piled into the van and set out for Falmouth, which is known for its deep natural harbor on the Fal estuary.  While the new contingent of our group were shopping, Karen, Janet, Casey and I went into a few stores, in one of which we had a taste test of Twin Fin rum, which certainly warmed the cockles of the heart!  Then we boarded an Enterprise boat from Falmouth to Trelissick.  It is a wooden ferry, having twin decks offering stunning views along the way.  We disembarked at the National Trust house Trelissick.  Trelissick encompasses a tranquil riverside garden and house, boasting acres of woodland and a superb collection of exotic plants.  The paths in the garden took us from sweeping Cornish vistas to spaces rife with color, hosting plants from far-flung regions of the world.  The house, is not a typical one for a visit, but is preserved as neither a house or a museum, but simply as a place to enjoy the view, which was spectacular.  In fact, I firmly believe that “Ladies in Lavender,” with Dames Judi Dench and Maggie Smith and set in Cornwall, contained  a scene in which a female artist paints the very same scene before her eyes.  

Karen told us of another connection to the place—the fact that Ross Poldark had been “courted” by its owner, a certain Thomas Daniell, to run for magistrate.  

Not much is left of the contents of the house, which were sold in July 2013 by Bonhams auctioneers.

The front lawn stretched to the Fal estuary, and slingback chairs lined the panoramic view.  After spending some time there, we went inside for tea and scones with marmalade and clotted cream—a thoroughly satisfactory way to employ our afternoon visit.  After tea we stopped in the requisite shop, then joined Karen and our other three newbies.  

Our next drive took us to Holywell, where so many Poldark scenes were filmed.  Holywell is a coastal village in N Cornwall.  On the N side of Holywell beach, Holywell Cave is accessible at low tide and contains many pools formed by natural buildup of minerals.  In the cave is St. Cuthbert’s holy well, which is featured in later Poldark novels.  Morwenna Chinoweth, Drake Carne, and Geoffrey Charles all make wishes at the holy well.  The following characters from the 5 seasons of Poldark have walked or ridden in the sands here:  Ross Poldark, Demelza Poldark, Caroline Penvennen, George Warleggan, Drake Carne, Morwenna Chenoweth, and Geoffrey-Charles Poldark.  

After this last venue we turned back to Bolenna, had dinner (I had a superb courgette soup and bread), and then we received the lovely cards and necklaces with local stones of the seashore—a very special gift I will cherish forever.  How sad it is to have to think of leaving this memorable band of friends.  How I will cherish the memory of these, my new found traveling friends.  May grass never grow under our peripatetic feet!