Mazey Day
At the end of a very long day yesterday, I climbed a steep hill to my AirBnB (got lost and bothered and called the Air BnB host to get re-combobulated). Then climbed many stairs with my three heavy bags--around 10 pm. My reward--the view from my window of Penzance harbour this morning:
And a view from the other side of the attic apartment:
Barely visible in the distance is Mount St. Michael, which is closed on Saturdays, so it didn't figure in today's plan. Which is just as well b/c Penzance was celebrating Mazey Day--part of the summer solstice festival. Not long after I took this photo, a troupe of singing, dancing, drumming, beribboned Morris dancers bopped down my street. I have a video but not a picture. What a magical way to start the day! In town there are stalls everywhere selling jewelry and cards and chances to win things to benefit food banks, pet rescues, transgender services, cancer services. There's music and a parade and lots of people painted with glitter.
The parade featured tiny people (primary school classes) dressed in costumes they have been working very hard on. There was a swarm of bees, an invasion of aliens and King Arthur's tiny knights of the round table. The older kids were carrying (faux) yellow storage drums labeled toxic waste, with a giant WALL-E complete with craning neck. Talk about a sign of the times.
Here are some Morris dancers. I'm enlarging each of these photos--I took many more but I wasn't doing a great job of capturing the action.
This is Mabel the Therapy Dog.
The atmosphere all day was just lovely. Music, dancing, people having a good time from one end of town to the other. Below is just a typical street, with the ocean barely visible in the distance.
I have no idea what this building is all about.
Look who I met in Penzance!!
LOL. Another sign of the times below. The two arrows represent the symbol of the National Railway, currently on strike.
So after a big feed of lentils and fennel cole slaw and curried potato salad with a local cider--while listening to two really good musicians--I caught a bus for St. Ives. I got off the bus and this is what I saw. I think I laughed out loud. Really? St. Ives is THIS pretty?
After its dazzlingness abated a bit, I schlepped up a hill again to Chy Morvah, my home for the next week. I checked in with HF Holidays and then I laughed again when I opened the door to my room. It is just so lovely--so perfect for a week of coastal hiking.
25 June