CORNWALL, ENGLAND SURPRISES

                                                  Wonderful Unexpected Venues

            Cornwall was part of a trip during a hoof and mouth disease outbreak. Several travelers had cancelled, so we were a small group of nine. One day it was the consensus to just follow a map and do our own thing. What a marvelous day it turned out to be!

            We made our way to the village of Gweek where there was a rather extensive and nice seal sanctuary on the Helford River.   Grey seals grow to eight feet long and weigh 550 pounds. Two-thirds of the world’s population of this species lives off the coast of the British Isles, mostly off Scotland.  Pups are born August-September.  It is not uncommon for a storm to separate the pups from mom, and then they are likely to be bashed against the rocky coast. Many pups are rescued, treated and housed in the sanctuary until the following spring when they can be safely  released.

            Rather unusual, the pups are weaned between 3-5 weeks. Grey seals are only able to dive for about ten minutes. The sanctuary has a hospital, plus several tanks where we found several varieties of seals.  Watching the seals being fed, we suddenly realized we could use some lunch ourselves, so we headed to the Gweek Inn/Pub. At the only pub in town we found a rather complete menu and had a wonderful meal.

            After lunch we journeyed to Trebah Gardens.  The introduction in their flyer says, “This is no pampered, pristine, prissy garden with rows of clipped hedges, close mowed striped lawns, and daily raked paths. Instead it is a magnificent old, wild, and magical Cornish garden---the product of 100 years of inspired and dedicated creation followed by 40 years of mellowing and ten years of love and restoration.”

            And magnificent it was! Even the light rain showers didn’t keep us from walking and enjoying the garden. Trebah stands at the head of a 25-acre ravine, 500 meters long and dropping 70 meters to the Helford River. Under an umbrella I walked the whole length twice on two different paths plus occasionally zig zagging between paths.  The paths were well marked and at the end of the loop I stopped to read the marker that stands as a memorial to the men of the 29^th Division who headed off from there to Normandy for D-Day.

Our hotel in Penzance, a seaside community, was across the street from the ocean promenade offering us a delightful view of Mount’s Bay and St. Michael’s Mount.  In the 16^th century Spanish raiders destroyed most of the town, so most buildings were 18^th century.

One evening we headed to the Turks Head Pub where we learned the 14th century inn is the oldest in the town. It was a pleasant surprise to find an extensive menu  with reasonable prices and generous and extremely good servings.

            One evening we went to the local church for the bell ringing, which takes place once a week. Our guide somehow managed to get us up into the tower to watch this very involved and precise activity. The six men and women were playing the bells. It is quite a knack to get the bells upright, where they stay until finished, and then are lowered over a period of time. Once upright they swing and their weight turns them 360-degrees.. It is much more complicated than I ever thought.

AN EXTRAVAGANT SURPRISE

                           A Cuban All Inclusive    

I was fortunate enough to visit Cuba nine years ago just before all travel to the island country was prohibited. 

We  crossed a 48-kilometer long causeway to reach our Santa Clara, Cuban hotel on Cayo Santa Maria. Many mangroves were in the bay of the causeway we crossed.

Our plush all-inclusive resort, built in 2001, could have been anywhere. We were driven to our room in a golf cart. It seemed a long way with many twists and turns and I wondered if I would ever be able to find my way back to reception and the dining room.

Our lovely little balcony looked out on nothing but lush vegetation.  The buildings were attractive two-story quadraplexes. Huge pools, most pretty shallow, with bridges over them were in the center of the complex.  The large property had 4 restaurants, 5 bars, tennis, gym, beauty parlor, massage facilities, live entertainment and a gorgeous long white sandy beach.

The enormous buffets had a huge variety of food, drinks and all the wine and liquor one desired. It was almost overwhelming and so easy to really overeat.

 I turned the A/C off in our quarters because it was too cold and turned on the ceiling fan which did a fine job of keeping the room comfortable. The next morning I woke at 6:30 AM, made my coffee and sat on the balcony to drink it. What a way to start a morning!

We’d had several long busy days so after a short ride to a village in the morning we spent a free afternoon at this lovely resort, which incidentally was strictly for foreign tourists, as no Cubans were allowed to book into the hotel. I walked to the far end of the beach, but the red flags were flying, so the best I could do was remove my shoes and walk along the edge in the water. 

I looked at one of the many hammocks strung among the trees, but it was a bit cool to lay around in the shade of a tree. Several thatched bars were scattered around the grounds. One was never far from the rum.

I know this type of all inclusive resort appeals to a lot of people, but sitting around a pool drinking is not really my thing. I much prefer smaller quaint accommodations and being able to get out among the locals, see, visit and learn. But I do admit that it was a lovely respite after some busy days and before others that followed.