On the road (Europe 2010): St. Michael's Mount, St. Hilary, Land's End, Cornwall

Yesterday I visited St. Michael's Mount, a short walk at low tide across the bay from Marazion. The castle is of some interest, but the place interested me mostly for its view of the coast all around and its very pretty gardens. I can see that the nursery trade is truly international today. Nearly everything growing in the gardens is available at our local nurseries in California--plants from all over the world. Many European goldfinches and a noisy wren were singing in the trees. Barn swallows everywhere. Jackdaws everywhere as well.

Later visited the village of St. Hilary, a bit further up the coast, after a good lunch at the Mount Haven Hotel, which has a wonderful terrace that overlooks the bay and St. Michael's Mount. St. Hilary has a pretty church with a spire, which I'm told is rather unusual in Cornwall. According to my research, many of my ancestors were married at this church. There was no one there to ask about records, but a small sign noted that they are kept elsewhere, at the County Record Office, Truro, TR1 3AY. The graveyard around the church had many gravestones with family names on them. There is a nice sundial over the church door. Earlier in the day I walked around the graveyard at the Quaker meeting house in Marazion, which also had headstones with family names.

Finally went to Land's End, which is built up with commercial trash that is best ignored. Beyond the trashy tourist traps is a spectacular coast with beautiful walks. The rocks are covered with amazing lichens. Many wildflowers were in bloom, including drifts of sea thrift. Mostly herring gulls and jackdaws in the air, but saw a small kestrel-like bird hunting, a puffin-like bird (razorbill?), and cormorants or shags on the rocks, but they were too far away to identify with any confidence.

Dinner at Ben's Cornish Kitchen in Marazion was so good last night that we ate there again. The chef--Ben, presumably--is gifted. Everything was wonderful. I chose an English sparkling wine with some skepticism, but it turned out to be very good. We had a bottle of the Camel Valley Brut. It smelled of Granny Smith apples and fresh bread dough. For some reason, I thought specifically of potato rolls. Very dry and crisp but with creamy undertones. Very fine, persistent bubbles. Everything a good sparkling wine should be. Excellent. Today, St. Ives and then heading toward Lyme Regis.