Cornwall, Part 2

Some more holiday highlights, this time from the second half of our stay in West Cornwall, for your delectation.

Our fourth day was spent at St Michael's Mount and Marazion. The Mount looked splendid and mysterious all at once, perched on it's rock.

We enjoyed a brief (but still terribly exciting to the children) boat trip to the mount.

On arrival, Angus asked, "Is it from the olden days?"

We teased John mercilessly that he'd dressed like a Boden catalogue model. It was the deck shoes that did it, I think.

We finally persuaded him to strike a pose.

We left the mount at low tide and watched the long line of people snaking across the causeway.

Lunch was fish and chips on the beach, eaten with our fingers. Some "friendly" seagulls entertained us, getting nearer and nearer, until being shooed away. I spent ages trying to get a photo of one in flight. Later that afternoon we sampled some of the locally made Moomaid ice cream. It was all one delicious, sunny, beautiful day, that one.

We spent the final two days of our holiday exploring local towns in the morning then heading down to our nearest beach at Gwithian in the afternoon, a perfect way to round off each day. I could easily have spent another week in this fashion; wandering around like a tourist in the morning, playing on the beach later in the day.

On one particular day (I think it was Wednesday, our fifth day) the sun had well and truly disappeared by the time we got down to the beach. The sky was purplish and gloomy but, being British, we made the best of it. 

It was still warm and we were on holiday, after all, in a stunning spot with views of Godrevy lighthouse. Slightly bleak, forbidding views, but still. I love lighthouses.

We built sand castles...

and paddled...

and paddled some more. Yes, my tan lines are ridiculous. But I like to think they are the sign of a summer well spent.

I swam in the sea, the first time I'd done it in years. I'd forgotten how gloriously exhilarating jumping around in the surf could be. Then, without me really noticing at first, the bank of clouds started to roll back from the horizon.

And by the time we'd packed up our beach things, at about 6 pm, it had turned into the most beautiful, sparkling, luminous summer's evening. You could see the sunlight reflecting off windows in the distance.

Our view of the lighthouse was welcoming and friendly now,

and the beach was laid out before us, showing off in the sun.

One last photo from the car park before we headed home to put the children to bed and open ice cold bottles of beer. All that paddling worked up a thirst.