Cornwall

Our week away in Cornwall eventually arrived. The hottest day of the year so far, and we were in the car.

As we got close to Treworgans farm, the clouds gathered and the temperature dropped by fifteen degrees. Still pleasant but a remarkable change.

The cottage was perfectly setup for disabled access and living, so less stress for Marcia and I. Almost the only sound were the sheep, literally under our window, and surrounding the decking where we ate some meals.

The sign on the gate had me hearing the Jaws theme when I read it.

Going to need a bigger "boat"?

As is always the case when I go on holiday, it takes time for me to unwind. I never realise how bad it is until I get away. The first day is spent trying to stop rushing around. Looking out of the patio doors across the fields helped.

view from the patio

The huge welcome basket was a surprise, no need to go shopping straight away. Often it is little more than a snack box. This one had freshly baked cake, scones and bread; eggs from the farm; milk and Cornish butter. With biscuits, crisps, jam and veg; Sunday was just what I needed, a zero task day.

It was well off the beaten track, narrow lanes leading to a track up to the farm. Apart from the sound of the occasional train, it was quiet and secluded. But it wasn't totally cut off, Ladock had shops and Truro wasn't far.

There is a temptation to plan a visit every day of the week. To make the most of the time, but I held back. Visiting my sister was the priority, after that it was just see how we felt each day.

After driving to my sisters on Tuesday we took it easy on Wednesday and went to the Eden Project on Thursday.

When we last visited during our honeymoon it wasn't fully complete.  It was good to see how much had changed. The outside area is now fully planted and inside the domes have a matured look.

The walk from the car park was a gentle slope down, past a wheel from the excavation equipment. 

Marcia is dwarfed by the wheel.

A waterfall in the tropical rain forrest dome.

A bloom, not sure what it's called. 

As we climbed up through the dome it got hotter and more humid. Not quite bad enough for me to have to use one of the chilled cubicalls, it was close though.

The less humid mediterranean dome was still very hot, but it was more comfortable.

Friday was the hottest day since we arrived so we waited until the afternoon to visit The lost Gardens of Heligan. Another place we last saw during our honeymoon.

flowers in the sun dial garden

Marcia's wheelchair meant we couldn't see the whole site, but were able to see much of it; the formal and the kitchen gardens. They can grow the expected fruit and veg and also mango, and pineapples. 

There were also formal gardens.

flower garden

view from the summer house

Luckily for me the top part of the site included a huge grove of rhododendrons. The path through it provided much needed shade.

dovecote surrounded by rhododendrons

The last section was a short walk into the wilder area, not as far as the jungle trail, but far enough to see some sculptures.

mud maiden

giants head

I left my "big" camera; the Nikon D700 at home. It's too big to carry on day trips. Last year I bought a second hand Nikon 1 V1. I wrote a short review. The quality and speed means I am very happy to use it for more than just cycling pictures. It has made me think about how heavy the D700 is. The latest mirrorless full frame cameras would be much easier to carry and use. They could open new opportunities. If I were a professional photographer I'd make the move when my present kit needed to be replaced.

The drive home was again very hot, but with less traffic than I expected it only took five hours. We'll be back next year.

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