We were home on Monday!

 In case anyone is looking at this blog at a later date, here's a quick update.

On Sunday evening we both were feeling rather tired and complained to each other of slightly sore throats.  We had been on the watch for any symptoms because we knew on Saturday that our friend Clive who we met up with last Wednesday, had tested Covid pos.  By Monday morning we felt even more convinced we had it and John's test confirmed it immediately!  As we didn't have many more test kits, I didn't bother to do one because it was obvious we were in it together.  So we cancelled our visit to John and Margaret Moon on Tuesday, and decided to set off for home in one day rather than the planned two.  It was a rather tedious journey as as well as road works and frequent 2 lanes into 1, we co-incided with standstill traffic of Glastonbury revellers on their way home!  We stopped 3 times for rests and eventually got home after 10 hours since leaving Bodmin.  

Fortunately, we haven't been too ill - some cold-type symptoms and tiredness, but we already feel lots better and hope that we don't have to wait too long to be neg.  

It was a really lovely holiday - Cornwall at its best - and meeting up with friends made it extra-special.

Thank you for reading our stories.  We shall be blogging again in about a month's time - two more trips already planned .....

Bodmin & Wenford Railway

 Half a hour walk to Bodmin General Station, then watched our GWR steam engine changing ends of the train before we boarded.  

 

  

It was a Cream Tea special day, and a large party near us were all indulging despite it not even being midday yet!  We resisted the temptation and the great cost and ate our own picnic on a seat near the war memorial in the little village of Nanstallon.

Our train going back to Bodmin from Boscarne Junction, the end of this section of the line.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We did a lot of steep downs and ups, found a geo or two - one after finding clues at the parish church

We explored the village, walked over the River Camel

and up to the Camel Trail, where the railway used to go to Padstow. 

A necessary stop at the Camel Trail Tea Garden for cuppas

and back along the Trail to Boscarne Junction for the ride back to Bodmin.

Lovely scenery on the way.

Then the walk back to our quiet little campsite for our last Cornish night.  Tomorrow moving on again - as far as Lower Odcombe near Yeovil.

Lanhydrock, Bodmin

 Up and away from Polmanter this morning and drove to Bodmin on the first leg of the journey home.  We parked at Lanhydrock NT and met up with young friends, Craig, Demelza and Tilly from Saltash.  Although there was an occasional odd spot of rain, we spent several hours walking through the grounds, gardens and woodlands.

Spot Tilly!

Our woodland walk included finding 3 of a series of geocaches.  Tilly quite an expert now!

The Stable Cafe had our custom twice over - that will just have to be our last scone, jam & cream on this visit to Cornwall.  Thank you Tilly for taking this photo of us with Mum and Dad!

Staying now at a small campsite a couple of miles from Lanhydrock on the outskirts of Bodmin.  Booked to go on the steam train tomorrow and staying another night.

Halsetown and St. Ives

 Today it's been back to the sun, wind and rain - in this pattern all day.  John managed to cook his breakfast bacon outside before the first downpour but then we stayed home hoping to get out later.  We did, as we thought it had eased off, but half an hour later, we dripped back again! It cheered up a lot in the afternoon for a while, so we caught the bus down into St. Ives and met Sarah for a cup of tea at the cafe up by the bus station. 

Super view from up there.  The two baby birds on the rooftop below the cafe are fluffy seagulls.

then Mum (or Dad) and 3rd baby arrived.  Having spent some time on the seafront watching these scavenging seagulls, we wouldn't like to guess what is being fed to these babies.

Then we walked all around the many bays that make up St. Ives and for a while the dark sky was lit up with a magnificent rainbow.

Treated ourselves to a meal in the campsite restaurant on our return, then later a breezy evening walk over our hillside.

Our last night here - moving on tomorrow to Bodmin, visiting yet another NT at Lanhydrock.

Day at Godolphin NT

 Today we took the van out for a run, meeting friend Wendy (from Truro, last seen on Sunday!) at Godolphin National Trust.  The leaflet says 'lose yourself in the ancient garden'.  So we did, especially as the rest of Cornwall must have been on the beaches today because very few of them were at Godolphin.  We strolled through woodlands and gardens, had our picnic on one of the lawns

admired the field of wild orchids

and particularly liked these purple flowers - later discovered via Mandy the gardener, via the lady in the teashop that they are Black Swan Poppies.

After cuppas and sharing a Cornish cream tea in the Piggery Teashop, we had the energy to climb Godolphin Hill.  A breather on the way up.

We reached the top of the hill - in fact we were on top of the world.

We could see from coast to coast - zoom photo of St. Michael's Mount.

After our goodbyes with Wendy, we set off back to Polmanter.  This did mean travelling along rather a narrow lane which was easy going to start with, but then we joined a queue waiting to pass not one, but two enormous farm vehicles with claws sticking out the sides and huge trailer!  Phew we made it!  (Sorry about the finger!)

The Levant Mine, Trewellard

 Wednesday 22nd June

Another beautiful day.  We were picked up this morning by friends Sarah and Clive to take us to the Levant Tin & Copper Mine, further west along the N Cornish coast at Trewellard.  We had a brilliant guided tour of the various buildings still standing, with 3 excellent NT guides telling us what life was like for the miners.  The mine was worked for 110 years and stretched a mile out to sea at a depth of nearly 2,000ft.  We were able to see the steam-powered Cornish beam engine working too.

A cage to take 4 miners down into the depths of the mine.

The beam engine under steam.

A very enthusiastic guide and his beam engine.

The mine chimneys and remains of buildings on the cliff edge.

A little way along the coast, the Crowns engine houses at Botallack Mine.  We walked down to them

and took a photo of us with Sarah and Clive

and another looking back along the rugged coastline.

Another super day out, with our thanks to S & C.