3rd October, The Queen Elizabeth Hostel, London
This place was so shocking it gets its OWN blog!
I left Tintagel on the 30th of September, amidst crazy packing, posting parcels back to Australia and almost missing the once-every-two-hours-bus!!! But eventually, I got to Plymouth (interesting night there), Becky's, and eventually here. This is where my darling friend Sami Spokes and her boyfriend have been living whilst they try and find a flat to rent in London.
OH MY GOD!
What a dump! There was things crawling in the beds - Sam swears they are bed bugs, a fairly foul loo, which often runs out of toilet paper, and no - I repeat - NO ventilation in the rooms! So when some smelly boy with his smelly towel/socks/shirts and jocks leaves things hanging from the bunk he's claimed to "air" them - the room was foul... You could almost see the smell rising from the clothes! And Sam, being Sam, had to find what it was exactly, so went sniffing around the room until she pinpointed it exactly to the towel and clothes! Best thing to watch, Craig and I sat there laughing!
Next day saw me being woken up to the stunningly loud snores of the smelly boys (both Australian I'm afraid to say) above me, so there saw the end of my sleep! Breakfast consisted of a muffin (thanks Sami) and me booking flights to Ireland. Now I'm on my way to Salisbury, to see the magnificence of Stonehenge, and if I get there - Avebury.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Tintagel - Day 3
29th September, 2010
Tintagel Youth Hostel, Tintagel, Cornwall
Today was my last whole day in Tintagel. Tomorrow I leave, to move onto the place port of call, in this case - Plymouth for the night. I spent my morning fairly simply downloading photos and organising my files. Called home for over an hour, which is always appreciated when you least expect it. I went to visit the village again, and stopped into a potters. It was an incredible workshop, with a giant man behind the potter's wheel. And when he stood up - boy he'd almost hit the ceiling beams he was that tall!
The walls were lined with cups and bowls and teapots, everywhere you looked there was something he had created! While I was there, he was smoothing and polishing up soup bowls which he had turned the day before. It was amazing to just watch him create something so usable and yet exquisite, all without looking as though he was even thinking about it. Yet looking at this place, I'm sure he never thinks of his work as work!
It is an early bed tonight, and packing to leave tomorrow morning, I have an appointment with the rocks at the castle in the morning, I don't want to miss it or my bus later on!
Tintagel Youth Hostel, Tintagel, Cornwall
Today was my last whole day in Tintagel. Tomorrow I leave, to move onto the place port of call, in this case - Plymouth for the night. I spent my morning fairly simply downloading photos and organising my files. Called home for over an hour, which is always appreciated when you least expect it. I went to visit the village again, and stopped into a potters. It was an incredible workshop, with a giant man behind the potter's wheel. And when he stood up - boy he'd almost hit the ceiling beams he was that tall!
The walls were lined with cups and bowls and teapots, everywhere you looked there was something he had created! While I was there, he was smoothing and polishing up soup bowls which he had turned the day before. It was amazing to just watch him create something so usable and yet exquisite, all without looking as though he was even thinking about it. Yet looking at this place, I'm sure he never thinks of his work as work!
It is an early bed tonight, and packing to leave tomorrow morning, I have an appointment with the rocks at the castle in the morning, I don't want to miss it or my bus later on!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Tintagel - Day 2
28th September, 2010
Tintagel Youth Hostel, Tintagel, Cornwall
I woke up so early this morning, the sky was moody, dark, and horrible looking. But by 7am it was cool, windy, and quite clear. I walked along the coast line, up towards Trebawith Strand, a place I went swimming when I first arrived in England, with Becky and her folks. And oh the wind, it was cold, blowing straight through the layers upon layers I had on!!! But it was so worth every minute of freezingness! The sun came up and the sky went a mixture or pinks, lavender, violets and blues, it was just brilliant!
Later on, amidst rain and wind, I battled it out to get to Tintagel Castle, which is positioned (in ruins, naturally) on the headland, which is called Tintagel Island. The stairs down and then up to the castle are quite a feat in themselves, whoever can cross to the other side is more than worthy of visiting the ruined castle!! The rain made everything slippery, and down on the shore (when and only when the tide is low) there is a cave, which is called Merlin's Cave. It's actually a sea tunnel which passes directly underneath the headland, and when the tide is out you can walk through.
But wait - I haven't mentioned the significance of Tintagel to those who don't know it yet have I?! Apologies! Tintagel is the supposed birthplace of the Legendary King Arthur, Uther Pendragon's son, after he took the Lady Igraine. With all the ruggedness and wilderness in the coastline, it is easy to see how some people could believe it to be his birthplace, it's as it was described in many stories of Merlin and Arthur. A small downer to this tale coming from the castle at Tintagel, is the main castle there now was not built at the right time to be the one Arthur would have been born in, so sorry to all you dreamers out there, I didn't touch stone that Arthur himself touched!
The village of Tintagel has been revitalised through the English Heritage trying to improve and encourage people to visit Tintagel on their days out, so when I was there - sadly, there were a fair few people. But the rain kept most away until it stopped just after lunch!
It was a true English autumn day, with the weather changing at the drop of a hat, and the ocean breeze upon my face. A beautiful day, full of mystery and magic.
Tintagel Youth Hostel, Tintagel, Cornwall
I woke up so early this morning, the sky was moody, dark, and horrible looking. But by 7am it was cool, windy, and quite clear. I walked along the coast line, up towards Trebawith Strand, a place I went swimming when I first arrived in England, with Becky and her folks. And oh the wind, it was cold, blowing straight through the layers upon layers I had on!!! But it was so worth every minute of freezingness! The sun came up and the sky went a mixture or pinks, lavender, violets and blues, it was just brilliant!
Later on, amidst rain and wind, I battled it out to get to Tintagel Castle, which is positioned (in ruins, naturally) on the headland, which is called Tintagel Island. The stairs down and then up to the castle are quite a feat in themselves, whoever can cross to the other side is more than worthy of visiting the ruined castle!! The rain made everything slippery, and down on the shore (when and only when the tide is low) there is a cave, which is called Merlin's Cave. It's actually a sea tunnel which passes directly underneath the headland, and when the tide is out you can walk through.
But wait - I haven't mentioned the significance of Tintagel to those who don't know it yet have I?! Apologies! Tintagel is the supposed birthplace of the Legendary King Arthur, Uther Pendragon's son, after he took the Lady Igraine. With all the ruggedness and wilderness in the coastline, it is easy to see how some people could believe it to be his birthplace, it's as it was described in many stories of Merlin and Arthur. A small downer to this tale coming from the castle at Tintagel, is the main castle there now was not built at the right time to be the one Arthur would have been born in, so sorry to all you dreamers out there, I didn't touch stone that Arthur himself touched!
The village of Tintagel has been revitalised through the English Heritage trying to improve and encourage people to visit Tintagel on their days out, so when I was there - sadly, there were a fair few people. But the rain kept most away until it stopped just after lunch!
It was a true English autumn day, with the weather changing at the drop of a hat, and the ocean breeze upon my face. A beautiful day, full of mystery and magic.
Tintagel - Day 1
27th September, 2010
Tintagel Youth Hostel, Tintagel, Cornwall
Today was a looooong day. It has taken me all day to get here, but now that I am here it is absolutely worth every minute of panic, mayhem, effort and confusion. The buses and trains in Cornwall aren't exactly on the ball all the time, but eventually I and another man trying to get to Tintagel got there. The bus driver who dropped us off was a treasure trove of information, and quite delightful to talk to about the area.
The view from the hostel is spectacular! It's a trek about 1.2 miles from the main village, down on a cliff face, with a view to remember. I had to wait for the volunteer warden to arrive, but eventually I was let in, and it was great. I took a top bunk, with a view of the ocean, and lovely feelings drifted into the room. My room mates are interesting, they are so chatty and a lot older than me, yet again.
I walked back to the village, and wandered a bit till I found my supper, and went back to the hostel through the church yard before the hostel. It's an old Norman church, and is still used today as the village church. I'm really glad to hear that these old churches are still used for worship, because otherwise they would be very sad to walk pass and see them falling down.
Tintagel Youth Hostel, Tintagel, Cornwall
Today was a looooong day. It has taken me all day to get here, but now that I am here it is absolutely worth every minute of panic, mayhem, effort and confusion. The buses and trains in Cornwall aren't exactly on the ball all the time, but eventually I and another man trying to get to Tintagel got there. The bus driver who dropped us off was a treasure trove of information, and quite delightful to talk to about the area.
The view from the hostel is spectacular! It's a trek about 1.2 miles from the main village, down on a cliff face, with a view to remember. I had to wait for the volunteer warden to arrive, but eventually I was let in, and it was great. I took a top bunk, with a view of the ocean, and lovely feelings drifted into the room. My room mates are interesting, they are so chatty and a lot older than me, yet again.
I walked back to the village, and wandered a bit till I found my supper, and went back to the hostel through the church yard before the hostel. It's an old Norman church, and is still used today as the village church. I'm really glad to hear that these old churches are still used for worship, because otherwise they would be very sad to walk pass and see them falling down.
A Cycling Weekend
25th September, 2010
Luxe House, Annette and Richard Leithall
Over this past week has been quite hectic! My bag zipper broke half way along the zip, so most of my clothes in that section could be seen by the world (well everyone between Reading and Southampton)! Bag hunting took several days (there is sooooo many bags to choose from!!!) so eventually I found two smaller bags that just work so well together, making my life so much easier!
Amidst dizzy spells and sleepiness, I made it to Bere Alston, to visit Becky's parents again. I spent all afternoon on a train to get there, and boy - it was freezing cold, and rickety and just perfect! I had such a blast! I got into Luxe House, and had an amazing sleep in a comfy bed - a luxury I haven't had for some time!
The weekend was only to get better! On Saturday, we drove down to a place called Wadebridge, to join onto an old train line, converted into a cycling / walking path, known as the Camel Trail. It's 5.2 miles (8.37km) from Wadebridge to Padstow, which is the route we took. The tide was out, so there was no water in the river but you could smell the ocean. It was amazing! I loved every moment of riding down the path, stopping every so often to take photos or just take in the view.
Sunday was harder. Richard drove me down to a place called Morwellham Quay, (Morwellham Quay is a historic river port in Devon, England that developed to support the local mines. The port had its peak in the Victorian era and is now run as a tourist attraction and museum. It is the terminus of the Tavistock Canal, and has its own copper mine.)
Richard took me down to Morwellham Quay in the Stag, but I don't remember the year - It was amazing! I had such a blast in that car! I spent all morning walking around the mining history of the hamlet, and when Richard came back to get me, he was in his new toy - A BRIGHT RED MINI ROVER!!! It was so awesome!! I absolutely adore his new car! It's sooo cool!
By the time we got back to the house, Annette was back from church, and we were soon ready to go to Sourton to ride the Granite Trail, from Sourton to Okehampton. It was hard work, but the view and the ride was amazing! It went along another old train line, with a quarry and the Dartmoor National Park for a part of the way. The air got quite cold, and there were annoying little insects that wouldn't have bothered me if I was walking, but because of the speed you build up when riding - just like Dash Incredible, in the Incredibles, I had a splatter of bugs across my face! It was hilarious! And I had one go in my eye as I was turning a corner. Just lovely!
On the way back to Bere Alston, we drove past highland cattle, sheep (lots), and a very old church on top of a steep scramble, which is still used by the village beneath it today. It was very late, but with a creative use of my skivvy and my camera on timer, I managed to get a photo of the amazing placement of this church. People were climbing down from the night's service, many of them were quite old, and it was very late, so it was incredible that they were able to make it up and down from the church!
The weekend was spectacular. Full of good food, cats to cuddle, sunny days, loads of exercise, just everything of this weekend was lovely!
Luxe House, Annette and Richard Leithall
Over this past week has been quite hectic! My bag zipper broke half way along the zip, so most of my clothes in that section could be seen by the world (well everyone between Reading and Southampton)! Bag hunting took several days (there is sooooo many bags to choose from!!!) so eventually I found two smaller bags that just work so well together, making my life so much easier!
Amidst dizzy spells and sleepiness, I made it to Bere Alston, to visit Becky's parents again. I spent all afternoon on a train to get there, and boy - it was freezing cold, and rickety and just perfect! I had such a blast! I got into Luxe House, and had an amazing sleep in a comfy bed - a luxury I haven't had for some time!
The weekend was only to get better! On Saturday, we drove down to a place called Wadebridge, to join onto an old train line, converted into a cycling / walking path, known as the Camel Trail. It's 5.2 miles (8.37km) from Wadebridge to Padstow, which is the route we took. The tide was out, so there was no water in the river but you could smell the ocean. It was amazing! I loved every moment of riding down the path, stopping every so often to take photos or just take in the view.
Sunday was harder. Richard drove me down to a place called Morwellham Quay, (Morwellham Quay is a historic river port in Devon, England that developed to support the local mines. The port had its peak in the Victorian era and is now run as a tourist attraction and museum. It is the terminus of the Tavistock Canal, and has its own copper mine.)
Richard took me down to Morwellham Quay in the Stag, but I don't remember the year - It was amazing! I had such a blast in that car! I spent all morning walking around the mining history of the hamlet, and when Richard came back to get me, he was in his new toy - A BRIGHT RED MINI ROVER!!! It was so awesome!! I absolutely adore his new car! It's sooo cool!
By the time we got back to the house, Annette was back from church, and we were soon ready to go to Sourton to ride the Granite Trail, from Sourton to Okehampton. It was hard work, but the view and the ride was amazing! It went along another old train line, with a quarry and the Dartmoor National Park for a part of the way. The air got quite cold, and there were annoying little insects that wouldn't have bothered me if I was walking, but because of the speed you build up when riding - just like Dash Incredible, in the Incredibles, I had a splatter of bugs across my face! It was hilarious! And I had one go in my eye as I was turning a corner. Just lovely!
On the way back to Bere Alston, we drove past highland cattle, sheep (lots), and a very old church on top of a steep scramble, which is still used by the village beneath it today. It was very late, but with a creative use of my skivvy and my camera on timer, I managed to get a photo of the amazing placement of this church. People were climbing down from the night's service, many of them were quite old, and it was very late, so it was incredible that they were able to make it up and down from the church!
The weekend was spectacular. Full of good food, cats to cuddle, sunny days, loads of exercise, just everything of this weekend was lovely!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Watermills and blackberries
19th September, 2010
Gorsedene House, Jean and Tim Black's house
With the rising of the sun, when the light was still grey, I was looking for waterfalls and mushrooms. Instead, I found golden light, a carpet of shamrocks, and a little bit of magic. Down the lane from Gorsedene, where the lake turns to a stream, there is a little waterfall. I was down there to photograph it at dawn, and found the sun light streaming in lit a spot about 50 yards from where I was standing. I went to walk towards and stopped. The ground was a carpet of shamrocks, and a little voice in my head whispered 'don't go any further'. It's one of the first times I've not gone to take photos in a 'safe' area like that. But I took a photo of the shamrocks and walked away. The feeling of peace I felt in that place, like nothing else.
I told Jean of the place I stopped at, and she told me once a friend lived in the house near the stream. There was once an old watermill, long since it had been used, along the stream. At night, her friend said she could hear the 'clunk-clunk-clunk' of the wheel turning in the stream. The wheel is gone, and there is a ruin where the mill was, so the noise has no sense behind it. Just quite amazing. So I didn't make it to the mill, but I got as far as my feet would take me!
Later on that day, I went blackberry picking off of the hedge out the front of Gorsedene, it was so much fun! I chatted to who ever came past the lane, and enjoyed eating the berries that I didn't get into the bowl! It was such a blast!
Gorsedene House, Jean and Tim Black's house
With the rising of the sun, when the light was still grey, I was looking for waterfalls and mushrooms. Instead, I found golden light, a carpet of shamrocks, and a little bit of magic. Down the lane from Gorsedene, where the lake turns to a stream, there is a little waterfall. I was down there to photograph it at dawn, and found the sun light streaming in lit a spot about 50 yards from where I was standing. I went to walk towards and stopped. The ground was a carpet of shamrocks, and a little voice in my head whispered 'don't go any further'. It's one of the first times I've not gone to take photos in a 'safe' area like that. But I took a photo of the shamrocks and walked away. The feeling of peace I felt in that place, like nothing else.
I told Jean of the place I stopped at, and she told me once a friend lived in the house near the stream. There was once an old watermill, long since it had been used, along the stream. At night, her friend said she could hear the 'clunk-clunk-clunk' of the wheel turning in the stream. The wheel is gone, and there is a ruin where the mill was, so the noise has no sense behind it. Just quite amazing. So I didn't make it to the mill, but I got as far as my feet would take me!
Later on that day, I went blackberry picking off of the hedge out the front of Gorsedene, it was so much fun! I chatted to who ever came past the lane, and enjoyed eating the berries that I didn't get into the bowl! It was such a blast!
Gorsedene, and a ploughing match!
18th September, 2010
Gorsedene House, Jean and Tim Black's house
I spent most of the last week at Georgie's house with Teddy as my companion, and a tv of nonsense to empty my head and put me in a relaxed frame of mind. Now, after a couple of long train rides and a heavy bag to drag behind me, I am at Gorsedene House, Ellie and Finn's grandparent's house, just outside of the village Horsham. When Ellie and Finn were here I visited them, and had a magical day then. Well the weekend is matching up to that day already!
We went to a place called Clothall's Farm, to the annual ploughing match and country fair. It was incredible, what you expect to see in movies like 'Babe', where they have a galloping horse merry-go-round, and sheep shearing, sweets and lamb buns, loads of border collies and the smells of cattle and cut grass! The plouhging match happens at different farms each year, and the farmer who ploughs his (or her) section of the field the best wins (I don't know what they win though)! There were traditional horse and plough competitors, tractors of old and giant tractors of new, spread out across a field, all competing in their section. Just amazing to see, and quaint that things like this still happen in today's world.
When we got back to the house, Tim took me down past the paddock (and the geese were in the top field, so they didn't get to chase me this time) and pointed out the path to see mushrooms and toadstools. Walking through the woods to find them was like stepping into a story of old, with the old oaks and mossy trees, the bright reds and oranges of the mushrooms and toadstools when I did find them. The air was chilly and there was a definite smell of winter drifting through the woods. Moments like that make the small things in life seem not so important, and finding mushrooms made the faery tales come true!
Gorsedene House, Jean and Tim Black's house
I spent most of the last week at Georgie's house with Teddy as my companion, and a tv of nonsense to empty my head and put me in a relaxed frame of mind. Now, after a couple of long train rides and a heavy bag to drag behind me, I am at Gorsedene House, Ellie and Finn's grandparent's house, just outside of the village Horsham. When Ellie and Finn were here I visited them, and had a magical day then. Well the weekend is matching up to that day already!
We went to a place called Clothall's Farm, to the annual ploughing match and country fair. It was incredible, what you expect to see in movies like 'Babe', where they have a galloping horse merry-go-round, and sheep shearing, sweets and lamb buns, loads of border collies and the smells of cattle and cut grass! The plouhging match happens at different farms each year, and the farmer who ploughs his (or her) section of the field the best wins (I don't know what they win though)! There were traditional horse and plough competitors, tractors of old and giant tractors of new, spread out across a field, all competing in their section. Just amazing to see, and quaint that things like this still happen in today's world.
When we got back to the house, Tim took me down past the paddock (and the geese were in the top field, so they didn't get to chase me this time) and pointed out the path to see mushrooms and toadstools. Walking through the woods to find them was like stepping into a story of old, with the old oaks and mossy trees, the bright reds and oranges of the mushrooms and toadstools when I did find them. The air was chilly and there was a definite smell of winter drifting through the woods. Moments like that make the small things in life seem not so important, and finding mushrooms made the faery tales come true!
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