Penzance and St. Michael's Mount

Penzance was a picturesque stop on our journey. Actually, it rained for one entire day and we gave up on touring and went to see Clash of the Titans. Doesn't sound like the perfect tourist vacation but the whole clan was pretty happy to have some quiet downtime. Even if we only gave the movie two stars. When the rains stopped, we had an exceptionally nice day on St. Michael's Mount. History here dates back to 500AD. There is a religious theme on the site since that time and like everywhere else, there is a strong military history. The journey to the mount starts with a walk across causeway. Unfortunately, this is only exposed at low tide and as you can see behind Vivian, the cobblestones disappear into the cold channel waters. Instead, for a pound or two, you can take a boat across. Cold and windy describes most days and this one stayed true to form.


The mount is noted at the first point in which a beacon was lit to announce the arrival of the Spanish Armada in 1588. It later played a key role in the Civil War as loyalist held off Oliver Cromwell's forces. A Colonel John St. Aubyns was appointed governor of the mount after the civil war and 12 years later, he purchased the mount. It has been in the family ever since. In fact, the family still resides in the castle.

You can see the causeway in the shot from up on the mount. You can also see the houses where people still live to this day. One family can trace their roots back 300 years.

A couple of other shots were from our night in town. The lady at the B&B where we stayed recommended a Meadery in Newlyn, the next village over. We didn't actually know what a Meadery was but we were on an adventure so we hauled ourselves on over. Turns out, the name makes sense. They make their own brew and serve pretty traditional English foods. The place had a colorful history, including being a cinema at one time and the food was excellent. As an added bonus, as we were heading home that night, we walked through the harbour and off in the distance was a rainbow, a tanker, and a lighthouse. A nice shot as dusk started to fall.