We got to Paddington Station around 7:45pm and were able to use the first class lounge as a place to rest while we waited to board the train, which was fun as we got to over hear some of the conversations of the other passengers ( "the American health care system is simply dreadful!"). At 10:30pm we were able to board the train, and our lovely train attendant got us all settled in, she really reminded me of the lady on Harry Potter who says "anything off the trolley Dears?". At precisely 11:37pm The Night Riviera pulled out of the station for my first real train ride!
Our "room" for the night was like a kids dream; bunk beds with fluffy white duvets, our own tiny sink and individual bed lights. So fun!
By far the best part though was waking up to the next morning to see the amazing Cornish countryside out my window.
We got a wonderful breakfast in bed, (let me tell you, the British know how to do Breakfast) and got ready for our first day on the English coast.
We pulled into Penzance station at 9:05am, and started looking for the bus stop because we wanted to go see Land's End before we went to our hotel later in the day. We bumbled around for a bit but found it and figured our what bus to take and how to pay for it (we've just about got the public transportation thing figured out!). While we waited, we walked down to see the ocean. I have been to the ocean before but this was different than any of the beaches I have been to. It is strange to see Ocean, beach and then rolling green hills covered with sheep and cows. It is so neat.
Before I tell you about Land's End, I want to take a minute to share my thoughts about the roads and drivers of Cornwall. Wow. I knew before we came that the roads are tiny in a lot of places here, but I really don't think I grasped what that meant. At first I though we were driving on one-way streets, a fair assumption as it was quite certainly only big enough for one vehicle, but no they are for both directions of traffic. When a car was coming our way the fun began, either the car would find a a small pull out ( not likely at most roads have either stone walls or hedgerows), or the car would back up until the road was just barely big enough for us to pass, or the bus would do maneuvers I didn't know a bus that large could do. It is like all vehicles on the road are participating in a never ending game of Chicken. To make yet another Harry Potter reference, Our bus driver reminded me of the driver of the triple decker bus in the third book; he whipped around Round Abouts at break neck speeps, stopped and slammed the bus into reverse when the road was to narrow for passing, and weaved though hairpin turns giving all the passengers whiplash. I though we would run in to a car about 20 times but some how we came through unscathed. Amazing.
When we got to Land's End it was misting rain and a cold breeze was blowing. we grabbed a quick lunch and then went to see the coast. Land's End itself was very touristy, lots of shops and gimmicks but the coast line was stunning. We walked for a bit and just tried to absorb the scenery. It was so wild and beautiful.
We took an even more hair raising bus ride back to town, and then hiked our way to our hotel for the night.
And then I fell in love.
And then I fell in love.
The home we are staying at is somewhere around 600 years old, set on a hill, with a pasture and horses in the front, an orchard to the side, court yard in the back and surrounded by woods. It is really everything I think a house should be! I really can't get over how lovely it is, it is not perfect and they are in the process of restoring it little by little, but that may be what I love most- you can see that generations of people have lived and worked and raised families here. It is magical.
We ended the day by taking a 10 min walk to a near by town where we ate the most delicious, fresh, tapas sea food at a place called the Mackerel Sky. SO yummy. We sat a a big window that looked out to the goings on of the little fishing town- tiny cobbled streets, old stone buildings with signs like "Johnson and Sons Boat Repair". Idyllic doesn't even cover it.
It was another great day!
Love following your travels. It is beautiful
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