backs to the (corn)wall

We rose to a warm greeting and a conversational B&B hostess, suggesting earlier judgements were perhaps too harsh. The new working theory was that perhaps she just took time to warm up to people... we'd wondered this since yesterday when she'd been much cheerier to another couple of guests that she'd been with us that morning!

In any case, we soon shipped out heading West down into Cornwall. We'd not originally planned to go to Cornwall, but it became clear people thought Cornwall was pretty wonderful and being so close... We chose a route that took us through the famous Dartmoor National Park, a wide, fairly flat, wilderness area that is reminiscent in places of New Zealand's North Island Central Plateau. We were surprised though how quickly the more desolate parts gave way again to wide green fields, and a delayed photo opportunity became a missed one. The weather was good as we crossed Dartmoor, as it has been pretty much all week, and I suspect that gave a different feel. We are told Dartmoor is frequently enveloped in smothering fogs and mist, at which point I suspect “wide green fields” might look considerably more menacing. We didn't venture from the road either, as while Bronwyn is much improved she is still not up to the exertion of hiking. Lost, miles from the road, in the fog, that starts to sound like the Dartmoor we've heard of. Maybe next time? (We'll be the ones carrying wet weather gear, emergency food, a first aid kit, compasses, and a map, like all good kiwis!)

Into Cornwall we headed for the famous Eden Project, home to a biome that is the world's largest conservatory, as well as another that rivals it in scale. These impressive structures house a myriad of tropical and subtropical plants that you could never see growing in the UK under normal conditions. And like a modern zoo, the plants were grown in natural habitats, not lined up in a glasshouse in your Grandmother's botanical gardens. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit, and would recommend it to anyone going to Cornwall. Highlights for me were seeing Cashews growing—ever since we once looked this up in an encyclopaedia I've loved telling people, “They're not a nut, they're an extrusion you know!” Interesting to finally see them. Also the plant that cocoa and therefore chocolate comes from, which had large fruit the size of a medium melon that hung quite inexplicably directly off the trunk! And who knew coffee beans were white before they were roasted. (Well, probably all of you. I didn't.) Hmm. There were non-food plants there. I think I'm giving the wrong impression! Anyway, it was cool.

To St Ives on the Western reaches of Cornwall for the night, where we checked into a backpackers. We'd booked a private double room, only £2 more than the dorms. Perhaps it was cheaper because it had no external windows, and the only form of ventilation was to leave the door open? However, it had an amazing bright mural painted around all four walls and the ceiling which we really liked.

Fish & Chips on the harbour side with a walk around the town, before we headed back up the hill to the little local movie theatre. Just feeling like seeing something, and with limited options, in the end we went to The Day After Tomorrow. Having had no previous intention to go to this movie, we found we actually quite enjoyed it... Made me think about sorting out a few of those simple disaster plan things round the house though, like getting some bottles of water stored away, and sorting out a First Aid Kit. Just in case there is a sudden ice age, or something. That should cover it.