June 22, 2000 Thursday
Well, I'm starting to feel it. That dreaded of all disseases, called homesickness. Maybe it's because I haveen't spoken to anyone from home in several days, maybe it's because there aren't any other guests to get to know & talk to here, maybe it's because I've been spending too much time in my room reading about Westminster Abbey -- or maybe it's all these things combined. There's not enough incentive to get me out and I'm tired of making friends with people I'll probably never see again. At least in London they were metropolitan enough that they could end up in the states one day, or I could be back in London. Down here they say "Oh, Virginia, that must be a lovely place," wistfuly, but with no indication that they'd actually like to go. The people I meet here - Cornwall is big enough for them - and in some cases the Lizard peninsula is big enough.
I know people like that at home. They're the same people who couldn't understand why I wanted to go to England so badly that I'd do it on my own.
Funny thing, part of my homesickness right now is also for London. I was feeling overwhelmed by it when I was there last, but now I'm ready to tackle it again. I wish I could have another full day there. Not sure what I'll do. No - I'd just end up doing to the same things again. I'd just like to relive that first day - when I was overwhelmed by the glitter of Westminster Abbey and wandered through the Tower. I met two absolutely wonderful people - with whom I may be best friends for the rest of my life, if I"m lucky.
They were as enchanted as I was by the magic of London. Oh, I spent too much money there, that is certain. I still haven't been to the Globe - I'd like that. But how can one disenchant the beauty of Midsummer Night's Dream as I saw it? If I could meet up with William for a day, he could show me new sights in London, but he'll be working. Or practicing for his play. I'll catch up with them when I get back tomorrow hopefully.
xxxxxx
Well, this is certainly not the land for baseball hats. Though I'm not quite sure what kind of hat would be appropriate here. Certainly nothing with a bill or rim and preferably something with a strap. The hats those horse riders I passed probably come as close as anything.
I love how there are hundreds of little caves here, practically uninhabited. I wish I could take a picture of every single wave coming into them. But it is impossible to catch the magnificense of a moving body on a stil frame. There is a lovely art gallery in Mullion with art by ocals in various medias - oil, acrylic, paper, canvas, wood, wax - etc, etc, etc. I wish I could buy one of each, but art is quite expensive. Many of the paintings are of th coastline here. Even people who have lived here all their livees cannot cease to be impressed by the natural beauty of their surroundings.
Oh, here comes the rain again from off the coast. I can actualy see it moving in.
I don't know if there is any way I could possibly get used to the rain they have here in cornwall. I see what I think will be a hard storm coming in and it turns into no more than an easy misting. I hardly had a drop hit me. It reminds me of the peculiar weather systems in New Mexico. Every day at 4pm there was a heavy downpour. You could set your watch by it. Forget about when the sun was highest in the sky. Just folow the rain patterns.
Called William after breakfast this morning. He's been sick, but was so impossibly positive and optimistic that it gave me heart to make it through this last day in Mullion & find something interesting to do. Wish I'd gotten the bus schedules earlier or I would have gone down to St. Ives or Peenzance. Still, it's a nice day to kick about town shops & hang out a bit in a deserted cove.
What kind of pirate ('free traders' as they called themselves) would have come here to sell their wares? what wares would they have sold? They might have brought silks from India - or furs from America -- Tobacco perhaps. Maybe running weapoins & gunpowder to the South during the Civil War in the US? Yes, I can picture all sorts of romantic marauding that might have been done -- ladiies whisked away to this hidden place by their handsome buccaneer, who got a pardon from her majesty, Queen Victoria after performing some feet of chivalrous bravery on behalf of the crown. Ideaslistic, aren't I? And all the while, these constant waves beating at the shore & thorwing up their salty mist, never caring for the wills or interests of the men riding in their little ships.
xxxx
Well, I'm not a very good artist, but that's as good as I can draw on lined paper with an ink pen. At least you get the general idea of what it looks like.
When scavaging down closer to the water where I saw something rolling around on the beach! Some idealistic part of me thought it might have been a message in a bottle. Turned out to be a bit of plastic fish netting. [note to readers: this is before we knew about microplastics or were concerned about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch - plastic was on our radar for animals getting caught in it, but that was about it]
Many people come hiking here with their dogs. I'm actually sort of grateful Emerys isn't here with me because he's not very good about heeling on the leash and I don't hink he'd get along well with other dogs off the leash.
Talked about dogs with Mr. Dann a while back at the hotel. Very nice guy, but I didn't know how genuine he is. On first meeting h seems absolutely genuine, then I realized that much of what he likes to talk about is just gearing back around to being advertisement for his own establishment and not necessarily inerest for you (me) as a person. I guss I prefer an honest capitalist attitde if that's what you're after. I don't care for sugar coated capitalism. Be an honest crook - is that how they say it?
Of the places I've stayed, I like the Helston B&B the best. I did also like the place in Lonon. The Pakastani guys were very helpful and didn't try to make your business their business.
William was shocked when I told him I hadn't had a "Queen Tea" yet. I'm not sure I see the point, honestly. It's tea & cookies or cakes or cucumber sandwiches or something - it's not so particularly novll. And if I'm not doing it on the Thames, what's the point. Guess I'd just rather be doing it with someone than by myself. By myself I enjoy writing away and watching the tide come into this dirty litle cove. Watching the wind wave through the tall grass. Keeping my hate from blowing off into the ocean & being carried back to america. I'm sometimes amazed there's anything left of this island the way the ocean's been pelting away at it for three thousand years. I would have thought it eroded into the Atlanti by now. Granite is a hard stone. So is the Serpentine & igneous and every other rock they have here. [author's edit: yes, it's a lot more than 3k years and most of the rocks @ Lizard are metamorphic]
Yes, the people in Cornwall are nice - they're just a bit off to themselves with their own agendas, not really wanting to stop ttoday to chat too much with the tourist. The shopkeepers are easier to talk with than anyone else. shops ar slow during this season & they're about as desperate as I am for good company & conversation. They just get more English down here anyway, so being an american has its novelty in cornwall. Stopped by thet travel bureau in Mulion this morning and chatted a bit with a Cornish gentlman whose really lived all over - London, Switzerland, Germany. He said that his family is Jewish-German background. I'd guessed the Jewish from the looks of himi. We had a nice little conversation about how people in different cultures don't try to understand where the othr people are coming from. He thinks that if they did, there would be less war. I don't know if it would help. I think a lot of people understand, but they still want their own way enough to fight for it. He's also convinced that people let the news media do their thinking for them. Agin, I find that hard tto say. I think in America our news media often focuses their efforts in response to the wants of the general public. But I also don't follow the news as closely as some others. It'll all change tomorrow and will just worry me unnecessarily today. I wonder what the stock market's been doing the past two weeks. But why worry about it? I couldn't have changed a single point.
Boy - would my cousins love this place. This owuld really be a perfect covee for surfing. Not a whole lot of rocks around, just big waves carrying you in to a sandy beach. right now they're about 6-8 foot high out there. Some of the other coves have been pretty dangerous with the rocks & narrow shoreline, but this here isn't bad at all.
XXX
Cream tea. He meant CREAM tea, not QUEEN tea. Oh well, you probably knew that before I did. And none of that cream is actually in the tea. (unless you're silly like I am and thought you'd try it) OK, so I was too embarassed to ask before. Here's what a 'cream tea' is for the other uninitiated folk like myself. First you take wo scones (I suppose you could do it with just one, but then you wouldn't ge t the proper regugatory effect two wil give you), *smear jam (I had strawberry) on them, then smear "clotted cream" (one of those English creations that is something between butter & cool whip) on top of that. Use tea to wash down the confetion as you eat it -- and there you are! English High Tea.
footnote *Apparently in Devon & some shires the cream goes on before the jam. Or so my instructors told me. I noted my preference in the text after trying both ways.
There is also apparently a Cornish hand playing Cornish music there tonight. Sounds like great fun to me! And no cover chanrge - or so thety say. (what is all this silly suspicion??)
I love preceding questions with - 'ok, call me a silly american.' Everyone laughs and gets a good kick when I say that, then I ask them about something very Englissh like Cream Tea. I love these guys.
xxx
Cungliff & Scullard - authors on readable Celtic text.
I just met this wonderful little couple who study iron age celtic history & collect ancient Celtic coins and jewelry, etc. They say they've got a number of items over 2000 years old that they've gotten in the UK, Ireland, & Scotland. 'm enchanted. I heard her mentioning that she was interested in the iron age Celts, the owner, so I immediately told them about the SCA & everything. They don't know of anything like that here. I'd love to see pictures of their collection.
xxx
Well, we all ate dinner and ended up going out to a pub for a beer. The drink was good and the company was ok for olderr folks. Their children are my age or older, so there's the whole generation gap in addition to the culture gap. I'm looking forward to seeing friends my own age back in London. I still have to pick up some Chocolate for Martyn, but otherwise I believe I've finished up my souvineer shopping for friends & family. Everybody else gets to see the pictures.
Glad I talked to William this am & was inspired to get out of my hovel room. This has been a terrific final day for my Cornwall tour. Ocean, people & pubs. I mustsay, of all my planning, the things I've liked the best on this trip are the things I've done on impulse when I was wandering about. Maybe that's the key to travelling abroad. Hard to say. Next time I need to figure out how to do it on just a carry-on bag because the luggage has been the biggst hassle. Even if it hadn't been lost - the luggage would have been an issue from point A.
Ran into the travel guy in the pub. His name is Andrew. He wants to contact the people who organized my walking tour, so he can get some more american exposure. I'll have to put him in contact with AAA too. If he can get in with them, he'll be set. Such a great guy, he really deserves it.
I'll need to make sure they keep me out late tomorrow. I need to sleep late so that my trip back won't be such an issue. Though that may be impossible, considering I'll be getting back at what seems like 5am. Hard to believe tomorrow is Friday.
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