5. Art
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| Wells Cathedral |
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| This man came home with us. |
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| Quicke's Cheddar Cheese |
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| Thinking of Mark |
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| Taking a bit of Beer back to the USA |
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
INTRODUCTION: READ THIS FIRST -- Why we love going to Cornwall for a holiday.
BJ and I have been traveling to England since we spent nine months there in 1970 in Stoke-on-Trent where I was doing my Ph.D. research working at the Victoria Theatre. On weekends we would walk the Pennines, hobble over Hadrian's wall, or tramp through the Yorkshire Dales. We got lost walking in the Lake District, and intimidated by the wilds of Scotland. But we accounted it all as a kind of exhausting joy.
Thus we began our love for England and it's countryside and people.
Almost yearly after that we would rent a self catered cottage and kids in tow, return to our favorite haunts, our only regret being that it was almost impossible to bring our border collie dogs because of quarantine restrictions. But it was an extended visit to Oxford when we were camping in a tent and it rained for three days straight that we decided to head for Devon and Cornwall where the weather is always a bit sunnier and one can even catch glimpses of palm trees in the delightful English boot. Now on our yearly jaunts we fly into Heathrow, gamely test out different strategies to try and beat the customs logjam, rent a car, and follow the signs to "The West". We've given up going to London, a wonderful town, for although the theatre is stupendous, the traffic, the cost, and the lack of countryside has caused it to become a distant second choice in visiting this beautiful isle.
We also try and establish a theme for each trip that we make. A few of these involved tracing down the origins of the 'real' King Arthur in Glastonbury and surrounding Somerset; searching for all kinds of stone circles; tin mines and Jesus myths (did you know that Joseph of Arimathea is really Jesus' Uncle who took him as a teenager to see the tin mines of Cornwall ?); walking the walks that Dickens did and C.S. Lewis, and so on.
One of the things that we have always found interesting and perhaps significant, is that in all the years of going up hill and down dale we have never run into another American couple hiking the wonderful footpaths or coastal paths of England. We're suspicious that perhaps they are all checking into four star hotels and taking guided tours by Coach, which seems sadly American. So, below is offered some advice to those who would like to travel to England, specifically Cornwall and Devon, in perhaps a different way than what the guidebooks seem to cover.
TIMING: We go WEST in the last couple of weeks of May. The flowers are in bloom, the weather is usually pretty sunny, but there is also a briskness to the air which is always refreshing and makes for no air conditioning at night or in the day. The rental rates haven't shifted upward as they do in June, and the kids are still in school. Late July and August is more expensive, more crowded, and more hectic.
RENTING A CAR: In order to get off the large 'M' superhighways and see the small towns and coastal communities you really need to rent a car. Driving on the other side of the road is not that difficult, though your first tendency will be to drift to the left a bit. It's the roundabouts that need conquering, and for more details on driving strategies and overcoming that difficulty, write and I'll provide all the details.
Don't rent a big car. Gas is out of sight expensive and many of the so called 'B' roads are only one lane, with nicely placed pull overs every fifty yards or so for gingerly getting by vehicles coming in the other direction. I do recommend that you master light and wiper blade switches, as well as how to open the gas cap before hitting the road.
SELF-CATERING: It's amazing that you can rent a cozy period cottage with all the modern appliances for a lot less than a trip to the beaches in this country. We've figured that we spend less in flying to England and renting two different self catering cottages than a single trip to a nice rental in Nag's Head. And that includes the car rental. Why do we spend a week in one location? Because we want a home base to really relax in and that is exclusively ours, which most Bed and Breakfasts don't provide. These can be easily located on the Internet,
"U.K. Self Catering. Cornwall." Some cottages take credit cards which makes things easier, otherwise you have to pay ahead a partial payment using a bank transfer.
We like to stay in a smallish town, one that has a bakery, a few pubs, and some nice restaurants. Parking is something to look into. Oftentimes in the coastal towns, which we love to frequent and which are built on a hillside sloping down to a harbor, parking is limited. So, we often pay about 35 pounds and get a week's ticket at a nearby Pay and Display. These can be purchased at the Tourist Information Office. Having the amenities of a small town, which is often times sponsoring special festivals, has shopping, and the beauty of the coast and the cliffs, is more fun and convenient than staying in a large town or in a countryside rental (as attractive as they might be). We love Beer and Branscombe in Devon and Padstow and Fowey in Cornwall, which gives you an idea of the size village we are touting.
WALKING: England is somewhat unique in having numerous footpaths and every town with a tourist office will sell you all kinds of inexpensive circular walk maps which usually have their origin out of the town or in nearby regions. Circular walks are the thing because you're not backtracking but always seeing something new, which includes cliff walks, small towns, river walks, fields and farms, churches, pubs, and National Trust tea shops which are noted for their wonderful scones with clotted cream. You can't really get in touch with the natural beauty of England by touring around by coach or even by driving. Climbing stiles, stopping to look at architecture and cliffs with breathtaking water views, all on foot, is the recommended approach to really experiencing the West of England! You will find yourself lunching with some wine, bottled water, crusty bread, and cheese at a picnic place of your own choosing. You will be stopping on the path and talking with other hikers, usually from all over England and Europe. And you will be getting in shape. We find that the first couple of days brings out some aches and pains, but they quickly disappear as your muscles adapt to the rigors of hiking up and down hills or cliffs. I use a wooden cane and BJ has a collapsible walking stick. Hiking boots are a must. We recommend that you purchase an Ordinance Survey Map of the area that you are hiking in and a compass in case you get lost. Years ago we were able to cover ten miles a hike, but sadly the wear and tear of growing older has reduced us to about a five mile limit now. Also, after about three days of hiking, we take a day off and drive into a larger town in search of art works, book stores, and museums.
Over time this blog will be amplified and cover such topics as:
"How to start a conversation with the locals."
"Our search for artworks and antiques in England."
"Pub propriety"
"The idiosyncrasies of English appliances and the search for Internet coverage."
"What to eat."
"Dogs in England"
"Bath, Bristol, and Barnstaple -- and St. Ives"
"Other special places in Devon and Cornwall to visit."
We are open to any questions that you might write us on this blog. Have fun with the photos.
1. Walks
BJ and I have been traveling to England since we spent nine months there in 1970 in Stoke-on-Trent where I was doing my Ph.D. research working at the Victoria Theatre. On weekends we would walk the Pennines, hobble over Hadrian's wall, or tramp through the Yorkshire Dales. We got lost walking in the Lake District, and intimidated by the wilds of Scotland. But we accounted it all as a kind of exhausting joy.
Thus we began our love for England and it's countryside and people.
Almost yearly after that we would rent a self catered cottage and kids in tow, return to our favorite haunts, our only regret being that it was almost impossible to bring our border collie dogs because of quarantine restrictions. But it was an extended visit to Oxford when we were camping in a tent and it rained for three days straight that we decided to head for Devon and Cornwall where the weather is always a bit sunnier and one can even catch glimpses of palm trees in the delightful English boot. Now on our yearly jaunts we fly into Heathrow, gamely test out different strategies to try and beat the customs logjam, rent a car, and follow the signs to "The West". We've given up going to London, a wonderful town, for although the theatre is stupendous, the traffic, the cost, and the lack of countryside has caused it to become a distant second choice in visiting this beautiful isle.
We also try and establish a theme for each trip that we make. A few of these involved tracing down the origins of the 'real' King Arthur in Glastonbury and surrounding Somerset; searching for all kinds of stone circles; tin mines and Jesus myths (did you know that Joseph of Arimathea is really Jesus' Uncle who took him as a teenager to see the tin mines of Cornwall ?); walking the walks that Dickens did and C.S. Lewis, and so on.
One of the things that we have always found interesting and perhaps significant, is that in all the years of going up hill and down dale we have never run into another American couple hiking the wonderful footpaths or coastal paths of England. We're suspicious that perhaps they are all checking into four star hotels and taking guided tours by Coach, which seems sadly American. So, below is offered some advice to those who would like to travel to England, specifically Cornwall and Devon, in perhaps a different way than what the guidebooks seem to cover.
TIMING: We go WEST in the last couple of weeks of May. The flowers are in bloom, the weather is usually pretty sunny, but there is also a briskness to the air which is always refreshing and makes for no air conditioning at night or in the day. The rental rates haven't shifted upward as they do in June, and the kids are still in school. Late July and August is more expensive, more crowded, and more hectic.
RENTING A CAR: In order to get off the large 'M' superhighways and see the small towns and coastal communities you really need to rent a car. Driving on the other side of the road is not that difficult, though your first tendency will be to drift to the left a bit. It's the roundabouts that need conquering, and for more details on driving strategies and overcoming that difficulty, write and I'll provide all the details.
Don't rent a big car. Gas is out of sight expensive and many of the so called 'B' roads are only one lane, with nicely placed pull overs every fifty yards or so for gingerly getting by vehicles coming in the other direction. I do recommend that you master light and wiper blade switches, as well as how to open the gas cap before hitting the road.
SELF-CATERING: It's amazing that you can rent a cozy period cottage with all the modern appliances for a lot less than a trip to the beaches in this country. We've figured that we spend less in flying to England and renting two different self catering cottages than a single trip to a nice rental in Nag's Head. And that includes the car rental. Why do we spend a week in one location? Because we want a home base to really relax in and that is exclusively ours, which most Bed and Breakfasts don't provide. These can be easily located on the Internet,
"U.K. Self Catering. Cornwall." Some cottages take credit cards which makes things easier, otherwise you have to pay ahead a partial payment using a bank transfer.
We like to stay in a smallish town, one that has a bakery, a few pubs, and some nice restaurants. Parking is something to look into. Oftentimes in the coastal towns, which we love to frequent and which are built on a hillside sloping down to a harbor, parking is limited. So, we often pay about 35 pounds and get a week's ticket at a nearby Pay and Display. These can be purchased at the Tourist Information Office. Having the amenities of a small town, which is often times sponsoring special festivals, has shopping, and the beauty of the coast and the cliffs, is more fun and convenient than staying in a large town or in a countryside rental (as attractive as they might be). We love Beer and Branscombe in Devon and Padstow and Fowey in Cornwall, which gives you an idea of the size village we are touting.
WALKING: England is somewhat unique in having numerous footpaths and every town with a tourist office will sell you all kinds of inexpensive circular walk maps which usually have their origin out of the town or in nearby regions. Circular walks are the thing because you're not backtracking but always seeing something new, which includes cliff walks, small towns, river walks, fields and farms, churches, pubs, and National Trust tea shops which are noted for their wonderful scones with clotted cream. You can't really get in touch with the natural beauty of England by touring around by coach or even by driving. Climbing stiles, stopping to look at architecture and cliffs with breathtaking water views, all on foot, is the recommended approach to really experiencing the West of England! You will find yourself lunching with some wine, bottled water, crusty bread, and cheese at a picnic place of your own choosing. You will be stopping on the path and talking with other hikers, usually from all over England and Europe. And you will be getting in shape. We find that the first couple of days brings out some aches and pains, but they quickly disappear as your muscles adapt to the rigors of hiking up and down hills or cliffs. I use a wooden cane and BJ has a collapsible walking stick. Hiking boots are a must. We recommend that you purchase an Ordinance Survey Map of the area that you are hiking in and a compass in case you get lost. Years ago we were able to cover ten miles a hike, but sadly the wear and tear of growing older has reduced us to about a five mile limit now. Also, after about three days of hiking, we take a day off and drive into a larger town in search of art works, book stores, and museums.
Over time this blog will be amplified and cover such topics as:
"How to start a conversation with the locals."
"Our search for artworks and antiques in England."
"Pub propriety"
"The idiosyncrasies of English appliances and the search for Internet coverage."
"What to eat."
"Dogs in England"
"Bath, Bristol, and Barnstaple -- and St. Ives"
"Other special places in Devon and Cornwall to visit."
We are open to any questions that you might write us on this blog. Have fun with the photos.
1. Walks
 |
| Selworthy walk |
Even the strenuous ones--
 |
| Mist coming into Padstow |
 |
| Hall walk, Fowey |
 |
| Life is a bed of wildflowers. |
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