A Weekend in Cornwall

This weekend we took a whole program trip to Cornwall. Cornwall is the South Western most county of England and most likely due to its geographic location, it is arguably the most unique and independent county in England.

Unlike other areas of England, Cornwall has stubbornly clung to its Celtic roots. There is something about the area that whispers of old Celtic languages, customs, and myths. There aren't Celtic designs thrown around every which way and yet something seeps up into your soul while you're there. Though it is slowly disappearing, Cornish is still spoken in the region. Cornwall also has its own flag which is flow just as often - if not more - than the Union Jack.

The landscape itself is different from the rest of England; it is wilder and rougher but more majestic at the same time.

It's not a small wonder that it was a land loved by the Celts or that great stories such as the tales of King Arthur abounded from this Western region.

Our first stop on Friday was at the ruins of Tintagel. Tintagel is the legendary birth place of King Arthur, but the castle ruins at the place certainly is no myth. There used to be a castle, a church or chapel, and dozens of other buildings in the place. Unfortunately most of my pictures from this weekend are stuck on my camera, so I can't show you much.

Not my own picture, but it gives you an idea of the place. 

The lovely ladies of Clarendon at the bottom of the hill on which the ruins stand. 

I was excited that we were able to stop at Tintagel. It has been on my list of places to visit, along with Glastonbury Tor, since Dr. Underwood's class Freshman Year. While it is just a ruin, it did not disappoint me one bit. The romance of the place permeates.

We stayed at a hostel in a little fishing village name Coverack. Surprisingly the hostel wasn't as creepy and gross as I expected. It was actually kind of nice. For dinner we had a traditional Cornish Pasty - kind of like a handheld potpie made of potatoes, gravy, and steak.

Coverack was probably my favorite part of the weekend. We were hardly there, but the place enchanted me. The houses, the bay surrounded by mountains sloping straight into the sea, the color of the water, the fishing boats, and the Pub as the town's hangout spot all reminded me so much of the Islands. I can't think of a specific bay or island, but it all seemed so familiar to me. So many times have I stood at the top of a hill looking down below me to the boats floating on the water below and the lights of the houses sparkling through the darkness.

Saturday, we visited the Lizard - the Southernmost tip of England. No pictures once again, but it was gorgeous!

We then went and spent a few hours in the beach town of St. Ives.

Sunday meant the end of our stay in Cornwall and the realization that we would have to return to Bath, normal life, and school work.

On our return trip to Bath, we stopped in Devon at a manor house called Knightshayes (Knight's Hayes). It is an impressive house built in the 1850s but made to look as if it had been around since the 1600s.