Cornwall-day 6.

 I was out walking for nearly 2 hours before breakfast, I shall miss doing this next week when I am back home in Essex.

 Looking through one of the arches on the harbour wall at the town.

This is normally behind metal gates, but today they were left open, so I popped in to get this photo. After breakfast, it was down to the Surf Shack, our favourite cafe in St. Ives, ( best hot chocolate served here) especially when you can get the table by the open window, looking out over the harbour.

When we get home, one of our first jobs will be to plant up the new flower bed in the front garden.  Hardy Exotics Nursery is a nursery we visit every time we come here as they stock such unusual plants as well as some more common varieties.  

 is

This plant is one of several, coming back to Essex, it has red velvet stems- Salvia Confertiflora, an evergreen shrub. 

It was then on to Penzance, I needed to go back to Wooly Sues, to get some wool to finish my throw.

For my husbands 70th birthday, my children brought him afternoon tea.

It was a very lovely end to the final day our holiday. We had a table looking across Penzance Bay to St. Michaels Mount. There was so much to eat we left with a doggy bag.

Back to St. Ives as dusk was falling. 12 obelisks on the beach tonight.

We will be leaving here tomorrow morning, and I hope to get to have one more walk along the beach. It has been a lovely week.

Cornwall- day 5.

 It must have been foggy last night, because as I went out for my early morning walk,I could hear a foghorn in the distance.  The sea was still very still, like a mill pond, which is why I thought it was strange that I could see '2 surfers' out in the sea. Wrong!!!!! as they came ashore, I was able to see that the 'surfers' were in fact Canadian Geese. I didn't realise they liked salt water.I need to take my long distance glasses out with me on my walk.

On the beach, just pass the lifeboat station, someone regularly builds these piles of stones. 

 I walked to Porthminster beach, and again not a wave in sight!

 In need of the sound of waves, we decided to visit Porthleven with a stop of on route to Helston. It is famous for being the 2nd oldest Cornish town,  as well as for the channels of flowing water either side of the High Street and the Flora Day Dance, which celebrates the end of winter..

 This monument is for Humphrey Millet Grylls (1789-1834) for his generosity to the poor and his acts of charity.  Onto Porthleven.......

 Wing Commander Guy Gibson of 617 ( Dambusters) came from Porthleven.

 A very unloved boat!

 Found this lime kiln, a grade II listed building,  used for burning limestone to get lime for use in the building industry.

 This church normally is seen in the news when it is being battered by storms .

 I was able to listen to some waves, though very tame compared to previous visits.

Watched the moon rise over St. Ives while drinking a lovely cup of tea.

Cornwall- Day 4

 Another morning sunrise, sorry!

 The sea was very still again, 2 days without any waves for the surfers.

Low tide, and had to take photos of boats and reflections.

Lots of turnstones, searching for breakfast around the harbour.  As Alan was meeting someone in Redruth, I spent another morning visiting some more galleries.  I visited the installation of the arts and fishing heritage by Mark Dions,  it is the last day, today. I had a very interesting talk there with lady stewarding. I was lucky enough to be pointed in the direction of the fishing cellar where I saw nets for catching crabs being hitched onto rope, and another interesting talk. Due to the information I was given, I visited the library, never been in it before, and apart from a very good selection of art books they also have pieces of art. 

There are so many little interesting alleyways around the town.

After a very late lunch, (Alan had to try a pasty from the bakers, Philps, who won the competition for the best Cornish pasty.) we went to Hale. I got to see a Kingfisher at last!!!  So chuffed.