Cornwall – the second day
This is about the second day in Cornwall. After the first day we went to the nearby local pub The Shire Inn for dinner before going to bed. It is about a 15-minute walk from the guest house we used for staying at night.
The atmosphere and service were good, the food and the local Cornish beer were also delicious – just like in a gastropub. The bill surprised me a bit though – they know how to use supposedly normal prices in such a way that at the end you get a bill what is at least ten pounds more than expected.
Minak Theatre
In the morning, right after breakfast, we went to an interesting place – an amphitheatre built in the rocks, where real performances are held often. This place was a real surprise we got in Cornwall.
The author and creator of the theatre idea was a local woman, Rowena Cade. The name Minak (meynek in the local language) means rocky place. The woman started creating theatre in the thirties of the last century.
Minack Theatre is located in the very south of the peninsula. You can see the theatre and the garden created around it (entrance fee 10 pounds), but in the afternoons and evenings there are live performances (performances do not take place every day though). The garden itself is worth a visit and the amphitheatre looks really impressive.
More information can be found on the theatre’s website.
Mount St. Michael
Mount St. Michael is an island in the sea near the coast, very similar to Mount Saint Michel in France. What both have in common is that during low tide you can walk from the land to the island on dry feet, but during high tide water separates the island from the mainland.
The difference is that the French counterpart has an abbey located on the island, while Cornwall has a castle on it, which is owned by the National Trust.
The place is interesting, worth a look if you are in that part of England. A few things to consider if you visit.
Finding a parking space for a car is quite problematic; the best option is to approach the castle as close as you can and wait for a parking space to become available. The nearby (recommended) long-term parking lots are usually occupied and you have to walk quite a distance to the island.
There are several types of entrance tickets: island and castle, island and garden and a combined ticket. Since we already visited a garden in the morning, we took a ticket only to the palace. The garden, by the way, could be viewed from the palace courtyard.
Ticket prices vary – for an adult, 14 pounds for entry to the palace, 10 pounds for entry to the garden, and a total ticket costs 24 pounds; for children aged 5 to 17, about half of that.
The end of the earth
As the name suggests, beyond the end of the earth there is only the sea. To be honest, we didn’t go to the very end of the earth, but we went to the nearby village of Sennen Cove. The only difference – parking spaces are cheaper, fewer people on the beach, more pleasant and restful feeling. The sea is the same, the beach and the surrounding views are the same. It was recommended by the locals and thanks to them for offering this option!
We spent a couple of hours on the beach, and even organized a picnic on the seashore before moving on.
St Ives
St Ives is a small pretty town and fishing port on the north side of the peninsula. Local internet marketers say St Ives is a shining jewel in Cornwall’s crown. St Eves has been voted the best family holiday on the coast and one of the 10 best beaches in Europe.
In reality, I wouldn’t really say that. First, the beach is quite small, although the sand bar is wide. In any case, there was no special feeling of romance – just an expensive resort pretending to be posh.
Speaking of treasures – we booked a table in beach café to watch the sunset. Although we saw the prices while ordering snacks, after receiving the bill we understood why they mention gems describing this place – we must have had eaten quite a few of them.
The place (they call themselves a beach café, which is true) didn’t even have white tablecloths, but a piece of tuna the size of a piece of sushi was right there for £20. However, I have to admit that the taste of this mini dish was fantastic.
After dinner, we got lost in the city because we didn’t really remember where we had left the car. The town is located on a hill and if you take one street in the wrong direction you can get lost very quickly. However, we did not mind that accident as walking around the town was quite nice experience.
So the second day in Cornwall was spent and in the morning we planned to go back to Dorset, stopping for lunch on the seaside in Devon.