Thursday 18 March 2010

Thursday 11 March 2010

Cornwall - day 7 - Hometime

breakfast fishcake at The Scarlet Hotel

Savoy cinema, Penzance

breakfast of poached rhubarb and blood orange with vanilla yoghurt - fishcake with poached egg and hollandaise - annoyingly demanding lady returns making more demands - while away time in the hotel's public rooms - trundle our cases down to the bus stop - the largest apple turnover in Newquay - dull bus ride to Truro - the local school fills the Pumpkin cafe at Truro station - Alice in Wonderland at the Savoy cinema - a man kicks a pitbull in a shop - a cold wait for the train doors to unlock

Newquay Island

Newquay Island

Wednesday 10 March 2010

Cornwall - day 6 - Padstow to Harlyn Bay

outdoor hot tub at The Scarlet
Padstow
Hawker's Cove

boiled up in the hot tub cauldron - Eastenders day out on the bus - pass by the lobster hatchery, ignore Rick Stein's chippie, look at some boats, assess the pasty options and Padstow is done - hit the coastal path to join the dots - sunny bus ride back - coffee on the balcony - steam and swim - Champion's League!

Newland

Newland, Cornwall

Gulland Rock

Gulland Rock, Cornwall

Middle Merope Island

Middle Merope Island, Cornwall

Tuesday 9 March 2010

Cornwall - day 5 - Mawgan Porth to Harlyn Bay

Porthcothan Bay
Rick Stein's old family house
T swimming at The Scarlet
a giant sunflower head shower - croque madame for breakfast - walking in the sun, cooled by a freezing wind - Porthcothan, Treyarnon Bay, Constantine Bay - a bulbous headland - rush to the bus along Harlyn beach - waiting for the 556, a proposal is made and accepted - coffee as the sun sets - try every amenity in the spa - cosy meal in the booth

Trescore Islands

Trescore Islands, Cornwall

Will's Rock

Will's Rock, Cornwall

Minnows Islands

Minnows Islands

Trethias Island

Trethias Island, Cornwall

Quies

Quies, Cornwall

The Bull

The Bull, Cornwall

Merope Rocks

Merope Rocks, Cornwall

Monday 8 March 2010

Cornwall - day 4 - Mawgan Porth, Bedruthan Steps

reception at The Scarlet hotel
icicles at Bedruthan Steps
Bedruthan Steps

a train across bucolic England - the conductor repels wide-faced kids from boarding - Truro bus confusion - the rise of the Newquay 'surf pods' - feeling like imposters at the Scarlet hotel - escape in rambling wear - Bedruthan Steps - boots off as the tide catches D out - over the beach in the dark to the Moor's Head  

Carnewas Island


Pendarves Island


Redcove Island


Bedruthan Steps


Samaritan Island


Queen Bess Rock


Diggory's Island


Sunday 7 March 2010

Cornwall - day 3 - St Ives

bedroom curtain
Porthminster Beach, St Ives
basket weaver
St Ives
a cloud moves across the window's glass - everyone at breakfast agrees the orange juice is the best they've ever tasted - the tidiest Sports Direct - a single carriage to St Ives - so many sandy beaches - old, piratical streets - a modest Tate with a stunning Reclining Nude - looping the town until nearly all the restaurants are closed and T is boiling over - photography, waiting for the sunset

Saturday 6 March 2010

Cornwall - day 2 - Porthcurno to Land's End

Porthcurno beach rocks
Minack Theatre
landmarks
Land's End, Cornwall
a giant sponge for a bed - great coffee, too many sugar lumps - amazing old shop fronts - impressive new gallery and cafe of course - bus to Porthcurno - the ancient Greek theatre - ruined, snow crippled succulents - on the coastal path: squat vegetation and vertical stones - Land's End as a ghost town - just in time for fish and chips in Penzance, closing at 6:30!



Enys Dodnan, Armed Knight, Longships

Enys Dodnan, Armed Knight, Longships

Friday 5 March 2010

Cornwall - day 1 - Penzance, St Michael's Mount

breakfast on the Riviera Express
the blue Abbey hotel
Jubilee Pool
causeway to the Mount
St Michael's Mount castle
on the roof
transport to the island
in limbo on the sleeper train, looking down on the world - charmed by early morning Penzance - pointed to our hotel, The Abbey - our suite is ready and breakfast is laid - "I'll have egg... sausage... mushroom... And do you have a tah-may-to?" - the daily swimming group by the white wall - plastic covered hills - perfectly shaped St Michael's Mount - not much to see until the tour starts - a mummified cat from Egypt, a Gainsborough, a Shogun mask with a feather moustache - the causeway covers over again

Chapel Rock, Cornwall

side road to Chapel Rock
steps through the rock

Wednesday 3 March 2010

Strangely Warmed by Andrew Rumsey

Strangely Warmed by Andrew Rumsey

T's photo of Brighton Pier has been used for a new book: Strangely Warmed by Andrew Rumsey. Andrew came across it looking at The Sunday Telegraph online competition, and it was exactly the image he had in mind!

Strangely Warmed on Amazon.com