Diane: I want to do cool things.
Me: My guidebook mentioned Penzance.
Diane: What should we do there?
Me: I dunno, the guidebook literally just says to go visit.
Diane: Let's do it.
It was a lengthy train ride (6 hours) and a bit pricey (only half the price of the Eurostar to Paris), but we got our homework done (all of Antony and Cleopatra and most of Julius Caesar) and we had a great cheap hostel (£17 per night) to stay in when we arrived.
On that first night, we decided to drop off our bags and go grab some good food. We went to Moon Thai, recommended by the hostel owner, and it was delicious, especially with the accompanying Thai music that Diane knew a dance for. We had a great view of the ocean as we ate, so we went for a walk along the waterfront afterwards. On the way, it rained a little, but we saw THREE RAINBOWS (one regular, which later disappeared, and then a double). It was pure magic.
The next morning, we went to a little cafe for breakfast (the only place open in the whole sleepy town), where we met a man who's a dual citizen here and in the US. He told us all about his time working on trains across the country. We then made our way to the bus stop and sat out in the open on the second level on the way to Porthcurno, which is about 40 minutes west of Penzance. While on the bus, we saw black storm clouds rolling in, and we had to move to a sheltered part of the bus to avoid sitting in puddles.
The rain let up a bit as we walked to the Minack Theatre, which is an open-air performance space that was built before WWII by an old lady and her gardener. In those days, people needed to make their own entertainment, so Miss Rowena Cade sewed costumes for the locals to perform A Midsummer Night's Dream on the lawn of her house. The show was such a success, that she decided to put on another the following year: The Tempest. Really, though, they couldn't possibly perform such a play on the lawn; it had to be done at the back of the house...on the cliff. So Miss Cade enlisted the help of Billy, the gardener, to make a theatre in the rocks. They worked all winter long, breaking boulders and paving the stage, all by hand, and just the two of them! The Tempest was such a hit that they wanted to continue the trend.
Miss Cade and Billy worked year after year to expand and improve the theatre based on feedback from directors, actors and audiences. When they wanted to make additions using cement, the pair build 90 stone steps into the cliff so the 80-year-old Miss Cade could walk up and down from the beach to bring up sand for the cement mix. Today, the stage still hosts a variety of shows, each lasting only a week. Each acting troupe that visits arrives on Saturday to set up, rehearses on Sunday, then performs Monday to Friday with a party and clean up that last evening.
On the day we visited, the rain hindered many visitors, but Diane and I were too excited about the space (partially because of our Page to Stage class), so the actor who gives tours as Billy was enthusiastic to tell us everything we wanted to hear. He wanted to get out of the rain too, though, so he took us backstage and to the dressing rooms (not a usual part of the tour) so that we could all stay dry...and see some more cool spots!
After our theatre adventure, we hiked along the coastal trail towards Land's End. This L.E. is not the store, but the literal end of the land. On our way there, the weather was drizzly, warm, sunny, windy, pouring, cold, and then repeated like that every 20 minutes. Despite that, the whole area of Cornwall quickly became my new favorite place. The sea was turquoise and strong as it crashed across the rocks. The jagged edges of the land made it seem like it really was the edge of the world. There were even birds that simply stopped flying and just floated in place above us because the wind was so strong - like they hit a barrier at the end of the Earth. We walked past brilliant purple flowers, through chocolatey mud puddles, and other layered hikers braving the temperamental weather.
Both Diane and I wore calf-length workout pants on this hike. For all future travelers, we both heartily recommend long pants in Penzance. With all the wet weather, we were both covered in mud (at least on our legs - there was a distinct mud line just above our short pants). Additionally, I had a run in with some stinging nettles, which was unpleasant. Unrelated to pants, Diane's hand met a prickle bush that left pricks in her as a memento of Penzance, even after we'd left the region. All around, a jolly good time.
When we got to Land's End, we saw the lighthouse way off in the distance that shepherded sailors away from harm for so long. We also saw the First and Last House of England (because it's the farthest west), and ate Cornish Pasties (basically a pot pie without the pot). Also, fun fact: the PBS Masterpiece show Poldark is shot in Cornwall, so, if you've ever seen that show, you know to be jealous of the vistas that this place provides.
We hopped back on the bus to take warm showers and get all the mud off our legs. We headed to a local bar for dinner and drinks, then slept like the rocks we'd hiked on all day.
In the morning, we packed our bags and went to our final destination: St. Michael's Mount. This island-castle has one of the coolest modes of transportation for your visit. To get there, you have to wait until low tide and walk across the causeway that's covered when the tide comes in...or you can take a ferry, but that's way less exciting.
According to legend, the Mount was once home to the giant Cormoran, and you can still see the giant's heart among the cobbled streets of the castle. Additionally, sailors are said to have seen visions of Michael the Archangel atop the Mount as he guided them to safety there. The site has therefore been a place for pilgrims and sailors alike, but it was also a fortress used to protect Cornwall from invaders, and again in the English Civil War.
After a quick stop for a bite to eat, we hopped back on the train to Oxford (where we actually got to sit in chairs the second time around) and delved back into our books before classes on Monday. When all was said and done, Cornwall (at least the southern part) is by far the best place on Earth, and I will tell you a hundred times over that you should go visit.
Unfortunately, though, there are no pirates to be found in Penzance. Except Diane.
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