Max and Paul's Excellent Adventure

Getting around Cornwall has been easy as their public transport system enables you to have unlimited travel per day for £5 each. (AUD 9.50) We decided to do a loop around the most southern part of the UK starting and ending back in St Ives. The bus drivers here have to be commended. They actually drive double-decker buses through these narrow streets. I lost count as to how many times oncoming cars had to stop and reverse until the road was wide enough for two vehicles to pass each other.  This was the view of the road from the upper level of the bus. The bus was literally skimming both sides of the vegetation on the road. The trip took us through Penzance (yet to explore), Merry Maiden's Stone Circle,  Land's End, Sennen Cove, Carnyorth and back to St Ives. Apart from the Stone Circle stop, it was a recon mission to see if we wanted to stay anywhere else in this part of the UK. We realised we landed in a good spot in St Ives and we will do day trips from here. Penzance i...

We caught the train to St Ives and what a lovely seaside town this has turned out to be. There are narrow cobblestoned streets full of interesting and varied shops.  Apart from Max getting her fix of op shops,(charity shops) we found pubs a plenty, cafes, beautiful local jewellery, and a shop selling jumpers, hats and slippers made from Irish wool. Everyone is friendly - Shopkeeper, local or visitor. The view from our balcony. I found this information in a shop window. The Legend of St Ives "Long ago in the far west of Cornwall, there existed a tribe of beautiful Amazonian women. They lived in the forests outside a small fishing village called St Eia. Together with their huge and loyal Eia hounds, they hunted for game in the sprawling Treganna Forests. They called them the "Feisty Females” because of their temperament which was wild and unpredictable. Also existing in the forests was a spirit form called the wicked imp which.was full of trickery and mischief and liked to lead...

 We caught a local bus to Tintagel (Pronounced Tin-TAJ-il) being the alleged birthplace of King Arthur.  The ride was about 1 and a half hours north of Newquay on a local bus. After the seven and a half hours the other day, it was a doddle. ( a very easy task). It was a very, very windy day which curtailed a lot of what we went out to do but we persisted. The village has some lovely medieval-age buildings. This one now called 'Charlie's', was built in the 14th century. We stopped here for a hot chocolate and a lovely homemade tomato and chickpea soup with locally made sourdough bread. I wasn't sure what the vegetarian fare would be like in these parts of England however I have been pleasantly surprised with the variety of dishes available everywhere. This could have been an interesting exercise. many beautiful buildings... The old Post Office After reading this, we had to go in for a pint! It reads: "King Arthur spent years on a quest for the Holy Grail. But you ca...

 A seven-and-a-half-hour bus ride from London took us to Newquay on the southwest coast of the UK. The area is known as Cornwall and the weather is milder than in London. No complaints here as this was the view from outside our room. The coastline is beautiful with a mixture of jagged cliff faces and smooth sandy beaches. Newquay and other villages in the area are fishing villages and most of the activity is mainly in the ports. Coming here at this time of year was timely as the warmer months bring tourists in their droves.   The Cornish people are very friendly and easy to talk to especially if you admire and pat their dogs... which of course Max was ready and willing to oblige given any opportunity! The 'Red Lion' is a great pub with the feel and taste of real home-cooked meals. The prices were reasonable and the atmosphere was very homely especially when people can bring their dogs inside and sit with you while you eat drink and be merry. And Max with a new pub friend ...

We have made the most of the 'mild' weather and got out and around the greater London area.  Daniel took us out on weekends and this trip was to the southern part of London. Daniel was concentrating on plotting the course! And pics of the area. The squirrels in action near the local park The Tim Bobbin in Clapham Common has been a regular Sunday lunch venue for Daniel and Ellen. We joined them while we've e been staying with them. Being just around the corner has been extremely convenient. It was also the venue for a quick Guinness on St Patrick's Day! This place is called Little Venice for appropriate reasons. A hot chocky was in order in a cafe on one of the boats. The cafe is the purple boat on the right. Most apartments are attached to each other. Having separate owners can be interesting when personal taste comes to exterior colours! I love the demarcation line on the right side!  Our next post will be from Newquay in the Cornwall district. We'll be catching a ...

Ah London...   It's great to see Daniel again and from here will plan the next leg of the journey.  We were welcomed to a sprinkling of snow on our return. We thought it might have been warming up a little by now but it is not to be. At least the daylight hours are getting longer... The city has become very familiar to us now as this is our third visit in 2 months. Negotiating airports and public transport in different countries are getting to be second nature now. The phone apps giving this information are invaluable. Just plug in your location and destination and bingo! The app gives options including directions, train and/or bus times. Below is a wee bit of snow settling on the planter boxes outside the  Rose and Crown pub in Clapham Common. Being a weekend, Daniel had the day off and took us to 'Brick Lane' which is an eclectic and quirky part of London that reminded me of earlier days of Brunswick Street in the north of Melbourne. Plenty of vintage clothing, foo...