Christmas in Cornwall

After a week of struggling with this terrible chest cold, I have enough energy to blog about Christmas with the Pearces. Get ready - it's a long one! We spent 10 days in England - specifically south and west of London, in Cornwall. It's so nice to get together with old friends for the holidays. This is our 3rd Christmas together.

I got to Gatwick airport 9 hours before Tom and Shirley, so took a train to nearby Horley for a "Traditional Breakfast" in a pub. I sure miss pub food! Even beans for breakfast.

I had a pleasant conversation with a shopkeeper, pulling out my maps and showing her our plans. She spends ten days every summer in Cornwall at St. Ives. Maybe we'll get there... We also talked about plans for Christmas dinner. She's fixing turkey. My question about goose led to a funny face. Not a big fan! She approved of my plan to make individual mince tarts, and she warned me that plum pudding is very hearty. Men like it. Not her.

Tom and Shirley arrived on schedule, we grabbed sandwiches at Marks and Spencers and began our complicated train journey to Salisbury. Day two, we saw Salisbury Cathedral and the Magna Carta. The bus tour to Stonehenge was definitely worth it! The visitor center that Ed and I saw a decade ago has been replaced by a spectacular new one. The winter solstice was only a couple of days away. I'll bet there was a crowd that day.

Now comes the adventure! We rented a car and drove on the left side of the road! The roads are narrow and twisty. After some wandering, and Shirley knocking on a door, we found the Tithe Barn, our BnB. A nice couple with a 5 year old boy, horses and chickens greeted us.

The 20th, we visited Bath. Tom liked the Bath Abby better than Salisbury Cathedral. He says the ceiling construction was better here. That probably shows something about being a wood craftsman all his life.

 The Roman Baths are very interesting. It's Britain's only hot spring. Over the centuries, it has had layers of facilities built over it, but now it has been restored. There were "Romans" enjoying the baths. One woman had a hairdo that would have made Marge Simpson proud.

That night, we arrived at Halvasson, our house for a week. The owners greeted us with sparkling wine, milk in the fridge, and even a Christmas tree in the living room! Day trips from here on.
Falmouth and Pendennis, one day, then some southern beaches, St. Michael's Mount, and Penzance (no pirates) ending at Mousehole (pronounced Mozel) the next.

Pendennis Castle

Praa Sands

St. Michael's Mount

Mousehole's Christmas lights

The 23rd, I stayed in bed with the beginnings of a cold, while Tom and Shirley drove to Truro. The 24th, we drove all the way west to St. Just and then along the coast to St. Ives. Yes, we did get to see St. Ives! It's a lovely town. All dressed up, we ended the day at Truro Cathedral for Nine Lessons and Carols, a Christmas tradition.

Two oceans collide - and the water colors show it.

Modern Tate Gallery just left of an old graveyard in St. Ives

Levant Mine. Coal mined from under the sea. Cornwall was a huge coal source back in the day.

Truro Cathedral getting ready for Nine Lessons and Carols.

Christmas Eve after the cathedral we opened one present each. Christmas morning, I baked the mince pies from Rick Steves' European Chrismtas book, and they looked lovely! After opening presents, we drove south to Lizard (great name, huh?). Tom and I walked along the spectacular rocky coastline.

Lots of people out walking on Christmas Day!

There's a ladder to the beach at the bottom.

Food! We made a great and traditional English Christmas dinner. Turkey crown was in all the stores - it's a turkey with no thighs or legs. It's more than just the breast, though. Homemade cranberry sauce, too.

Turkey crown, cranberries, brussels sprouts, baked sweet potato, mashed potatoes and gravy! With white zinfandel

Mince tarts, which we ate with Christmas Pudding (like fruitcake).

Boxing Day, what the Brits call the 26th, we had a stormy day. We decided to take the ferry from Falmouth to St. Mawes, a very short distance. So short, in fact, that it's pulled across with chains!

The power went out that night, but we had candles and matches so we were fine. It came back on in time for us to pack up and leave in the morning. At 11 am, we were at St. Isaac, admiring Doc Martin's house (British TV show, for those who are thinking of shoes). By 12, we were at Tintagel, legendarily King Arthur's boyhood home.

Doc Martin's is the little one in the middle

Tom taking a picture of where a WC used to be, before falling off the cliff. The WC, not Tom, fell off.

Tintagel Castle had a mainland and an island part - this is looking at the island.

You can see why pieces of the castle have been falling off!

Now we drove like crazy people to Southampton to turn in the car in time to change, grab a bite and get over to see Cinderella, my Christmas gift to the Pearces. It was a fun show. They call it a pantomime, and England has them all over at Christmas, as far as I can tell. The two stars were Brian Conley as Buttons, and Gok Wan as the Fairy Gokmother. The stepsisters were huge cross-dressers with the silliest costumes and make-up! The Gokmother and Cinderella flew over the audience two or three times, and Cinderella instantly transformed into her magic dress in a puff of smoke. The theatre was packed with families. Lots of high-energy hilarity. Deanna would have loved it!

And that was the end of Christmas in the Cornwalls with the Pearces. Happy 2015, everyone!