The Smugglers Brew From Cornwall

My son gave me a box of Cornish Tea, described as a 'Smugglers Brew'. I drink a lot of tea, usually PG Tips mixed with Tetley - one tea bag of each in a teapot for two cups.

What fascinated me about the Cornish Tea, however, was that there was a poem about Cornwall on the box.

TEA BY THE SEA

Cornwall is the place to be,

With tea and scones by the sea.

Lovely weather all summer long,

How could one possibly go wrong.

Walking bare-footed on golden sand,

While couples are walking hand in hand.

From smugglers coves and tiny streets

To pubs and night clubs blaring their beats.

Driving your car down single lanes

Watching tractors plough their muddy plains.

Surfers flock to tidal waves,

Water crashing in to empty caves.

Pasties are what the Cornish do best,

If you don't believe me go try the rest.

Holiday camps are so much fun

When you could play all day or sit in the sun.

So next time you're sitting there, 

Drinking your tea

Remember that Cornwall is the place to be.

The poem was by Matthew McGuiness

Age 13 - Looe Community Academy

The tea tastes good too! Perfect 

with your scones, jam and cream

I guess, in an ideal world, we would all purchase local products and support local shops and businesses.

Must be time for tea! I prefer mine in a white mug.

Walking the Camel Trail From Wadebridge Towards Padstow

We hadn't visited the Camel Trail for quite a while so thought we would walk along part of the trail starting at Wadebridge and heading towards Padstow.

The trail follows the path of two former train lines so is nice and flat.

We parked in a side road just before the bridge which leads into Wadebridge town.

The photo below shows the view from the old bridge, taking in a newer bridge as well.

The Old Bridge was built over the River Camel in 1468. Other details can be seen on the information sign.

The Camel Trail is used by walkers, cyclists and sometimes horses as well.

There are pleasant views over the countryside and the river - which is tidal.

The last time we walked this section of the trail there were lots of walkers. How things have changed. It now seems to have been taken over by cyclists, some travelling quite fast. There's no denying that it's great for bikes but most of the walkers seem to have disappeared.

The views are very pleasant and ...

... there is a bird watching hide available for all, though the cyclists speed past without a second thought.

 The Camel Trail is part of the National Cycle Network.

The tide was on the turn so the river looked a treat.

We had our lunch with us so found somewhere to sit with a view of the green fields and the blue river. Very peaceful.

There are several seats and benches along the trail some with pleasant views. We preferred to sit on rocks by the river.

There are the remains of an old boat on the shoreline.

A farmer working in the fields on the opposite side of the river.

On our return journey the tide was high.

We eventually returned to our starting point by the old bridge. The water isn't quite as blue here -  more of a khaki colour.

We had a quick look around Wadebridge town ...

... before crossing The Old Bridge and onward to our car.

If you are a cyclist this section of the Camel Trail is great - nice and flat. 

There are several cycle hire shops.

As for walkers, take care. I didn't find it a relaxing walk because of the many bikes.

One of the statistics I read reckons that there is an estimated 400,000+ users of the trail every year. I wonder how many of these are now cyclists?

The Magical Hag Stone

Nope, it's not some sort of ancient dinosaur it's just a stone with a hole.

Much to my wife's despair I tend to collect stones and shells and odd bits from our walks. Many end up on the windowsill of the room I call my office.

"Ah", I said, when I showed her my latest stone, "but this one is a Hag Stone." She still wasn't impressed. But, as I'd only just learned what a Hag Stone was, I wasn't totally surprised.

It seems that a Hag Stone is any stone that has a natural hole. It's said that if you look through the hole you can often see the little people and the land of the fairies, piskeys, pixies. So who wouldn't want one of these stones!

It is said that the stones can also be used magically for the healing of many ailments and there's still more. They can also be used to protect against witches and to ward off any unwanted spirits of the dead.

A touch of magic is always useful!

As for the rusty nail below and in other photos, this was part, a very small part of course, of an ancient harbour. My wife was delighted when I brought home this treasure ...

Also see: The Menacuddle Holy Well, Chapel and the White River

A Mixture of July Cornwall Photos

A mixture of Cornish photos from July starting off, above, with the wonderful coastal footpath and the sea.

Moving on quickly, though, to St. Austell, with the largest population in Cornwall. Stalls were being set up in the new style square.

A baker for Cornish pasties ...

and men at work keeping the square clean and tidy.

I felt the next photo looked better in black and white. The steps lead up to Boots the Chemist and could do with a sweep.

Back home now in my garden with a couple of passion fruit flowers - passiflora - but no fruit this year.

I think this second passiflora photo seems to have a face ... perhaps just my imagination!

On the move again to the viaduct in Gover Valley. This carries the likes of the London to Penzance, Cornwall train.

The next photo shows looking up at the viaduct from the road underneath

Moving on to another viaduct, same train line, and showing how near it is to the cottages.

There is a small river flowing underneath the viaduct.

Moving on this squirrel, near the cottages, was tucking into food left out for the birds.

And suddenly a mass of seagulls flew overhead. There seemed to be hundreds of them, not sure where they were heading but they were making a heck of a lot of noise.

Moving back to the coast now at Polkerris.

And a couple of small boats in Charlestown Harbour.

Finally back to my garden where one of the big dahlias was opening up and ...

... another dahlia had opened fully.

Many thanks for the visit.

An Abundance of Wild Flowers at The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Cornwall

Today I follow on from my previous post, which was about a visit to The Lost Gardens of Heligan. Today we are looking at Heligan's West Lawn and Valentines meadows. As can be seen they are ablaze with a beautiful display of wild flowers.

The flowers seem to go on forever. In the distance - as can be seen in the photo above - the blue of the sea at Mevagissey contrasts with the yellow of the flowers.

The dominating flowers are corn marigolds, but there are other flowers as well.

I did manage to also find a few blue cornflowers, white corn chamomiles and a some lingering poppies 

As well as being attractive to look at wild flowers provide nourishment for bumblebees, solitary bees, butterflies, moths and a whole host of important pollinators.