A Trip to Cornwall

It was a rough start to the day. We never heard an announcement that we were arriving in port at 9 am instead of 7:30 and were up and ready to get our tender tickets before 7. Seems like everyone else didn’t hear the message either.

Finally, we arrived in port at 9 am but it’s been tough getting the tenders set up. It’s going to be a bucking bronco ride.

Our time to board the water shuttle arrived and none too soon. People were starting a mutiny. We were first off after Elite, suites and Princess Shore Excursions and that was at 11am.

We met our driver, Stephen, from Tour Cornwall, and Glyniss, who stepped up and organized the tour after the initial person decided he was not going on the cruise. Another couple didn’t make it which was not really appropriate, because we had to absorb their costs.

Just a note if you book a cruise and back out last minute, and its not paid for upfront, other people are responsible for your share.

Anyway it’s going to be a lovely day!

We passed through many villages in Cornwall. The countryside was a delight – little seaside villages and beautiful open fields.

Along the way we saw a pump house, which used to pump the water out of the tin mines. Tin is no longer a hot commodity but they are starting to mine lithium.

Tin mine pump house

We finally arrived in Marazion, the little village at the base of St. Michael’s Mount. We stopped to buy Cornish Pasties to eat when we went to St. Michael’s Mount.

We had a beautiful day weather-wise. Warm and sunny when the forecast had been rainy and 50 degrees. It was glorious.

St. Michael’s Mount is a tidal island which is connected to Marazion by a causeway. Lots of water taxis were going back and forth to the island because the tide was high. If you arrive at low tide, there is actually a walkway that goes all the way to the Island. We took one of the water taxis which only took a few short minutes.

It was time to eat our pasties. I almost forgot to take a picture so it’s half eaten!

Now nourished and happy we were ready for the long walk uphill.

The cobblestones were extremely difficult to walk on as they were uneven and grooved. We just walked up that path.

A stop at the Giant’s Well.

Keep walking and huffing and puffing!

A little rest! Not looking too bad!

Looking up at St. Michael’s Mount.

Almost there! Of course, there were cannons.

A lookout at the harbor and Marazion.

We arrived! Just one more uneven staircase!

St. Michael’s Mount is the home to the St. Aubyn family and has been since 1650. Prior to this, it was a monastery from the 8th to the 11th century and a place where pilgrims traveled. T

Then it was used by the military before becoming the home of the St. Aubyn family.

The family still resides at St. Michael’e Mount but we were able to tour some of the upper rooms.

The main dining room was once the refractory for the priory. It was the main dining room until the 1950s.

A triangular-seated three-legged Elizabethan chair made by a bodger or woodworker adorns the dining room. This piece is at least 325 years old. It has been in the home since 1690.

There was several rooms we viewed including a smoking room, drawing room and map room.

But there was also a church. It was a medieval church with a nave.

An interesting statue of St. Michael!

Up on the parapet, we could see the gardens below!

And a side view of the castle!

And Marazion!

Back inside the castle we went through the long passage to the garrison.

We then descended from the castle which was much easier than ascending. Once we arrived back in Marizion, we could see the beginnings of the causeway! This wasn’t visible at all when we arrived.

We met up with Stephen who wowed us with tales of Cornwall. We visited Mousehole, a quaint seaport village that Stephen said turns magical at Christmas.

Stephen shared about how the town was devastated after the loss of the Penlee lifeboat during Christmas 1981. He said that every year on that date, they dim the lights for an hour, to honor those who lost their lives.

It was time to head back to the ship after a rewarding and enriching day in Cornwall!

I enjoy taking private tours rather than ship tours. For one, they are smaller and more intimate. And two, they usually cost less. Tour Cornwall and our guide Stephen afforded us a lovely afternoon.

#stmichaelsmount#pasties#cornwall#cornish#tin#mining#lithium#causeway#mousehole#penleelifeboat#bodger#staubyn#marazion#garrison

Oldest thing?

What’s the oldest things you’re wearing today?

Well if it’s a thing rather than clothing it would be my wedding ring. I married almost 31 years ago. My engagement ring was actually given to me on our 10th anniversary.

Still another thing is my pocketbook. It’s a baggallini. Great for traveling.

Now my oldest piece of clothing is probably my scarf. I bought it at a weavers in Vietnam in 2019. It’s a blue and black checked pattern. I bought several scarves there but the rest were silk. This one is cotton and hopefully will keep me warm in our next port!

That’s about all I have to say about this!

Cobh- Ireland

It’s been a rough passage the past two days but the Captain on the Caribbean Princess brought us to Ireland a little late but safe and sound!

We had 20 ft swells last night and the ship was rockin’ and rollin’. It was formal night and we had cocktail hour for platinum and elites.

We almost fell over taking this picture. As you can see they are hanging on.

Today the seas are much calmer and we arrived at 4 pm.

Bruce and I enjoyed the coastline as we sailed into port.

We had dinner quickly and decided to get off the ship and walk around the town. From here many take the train to Cork but time was limited, we needed to be back on board at 8:30.

From the harbor off the ship, the statue of the immigrants who left here to travel far and wide. This was the last port before the Titanic met its fate in the North Atlantic.

The heritage center had a few shops and information, mostly about the Titanic.

We found a canon on the grounds of the waterfront park. Since Bruce no longer smokes cigars, I will now be posting photos of him by cannons.

The park had some sculptures which were interesting. One is called the Navigator.

Another sculpture was of Sonia O’Sullivan, an athlete and local hero.

We decided to venture up to the cathedral, and I mean up. It was quite an uphill walk but we’ll worth it.

The interior of St. Coleman’s Cathedral-Cobh was stunning, with its stained glass windows and wood carvings, and magnificent organ.

We arrived just in time to catch a concert. We saw angels singing such lovely songs in a church with incredible acoustics. For each song, one young lady would take the lead. These young girls were wonderful.

Unfortunately, we could not stay for the entire concert or we would miss our ship.

The walk back was quite a bit easier and we had time to stop so I could take a photo of colorful boats. I didn’t take a picture of a very sad-looking sailboat that needs a lot of TLC.

Back on the ship, we watched a production show and now to bed. We have an early start tomorrow!

#ireland#cobh#port#stcolemanscathedral#immigrants#titanic#cruise#cruising#princess

Leader or Follower

Are you a leader or a follower?

I can’t say I’m great at following. I tend to dance to a different drum and sometimes I’m like a pied piper.

In business, I owned my own for the last 10 years of my working career and intermittently during my entire work career. I like to be in control. I know how I want things done.

But as a leader, you also need to be flexible. Adapt. Listen. Learn. Without those capabilities you can fall short as a leader.

A good follower listens, learns, and cooperates. They are less of a challenger. They want less of the broad responsibilities. But in every aspect, they are as important as the leader.

Without leaders there are no followers and without followers there are no leaders.

So whatever you are you are important!

On the northern seas

I love cruising and I especially like it when the seas get a little rough. It’s good for sleeping.

The waves don’t look so crazy from the 12th deck but on 7 you can see how large they are.

Walking is a little tough so I make sure I hold onto handrails when walking down stairs.

If you get at all seasick, a Transatlantic voyage may not be best for you. Especially in the North Atlantic. A few guests on board struggled with the rough seas.

But also the risk of falling is a problem as well.

If you are not sure about this, try a few Caribbean cruises first, maybe in hurricane season, and see how you do!

Happy cruising!

Yummy

List your top 5 favorite fruits.

So many delicious fruits and I love most of them.

I enjoy blueberries filled with antioxidants for health but luscious to taste. They may help lower blood pressure, prevent heart disease, improve memory, aid in exercise recovery and seem to be overall a very healthy fruit. And if you are lucky to try Maine blueberries, which are smaller than a pea but snacks with flavor, they are heavenly. 

I like blackberries. They used to grow on my property in South Carolina but they were a tad bitter. I used those to make jam which made for a perfect jam, not overly sweet. They are a good source for Vitamin C, K and manganese. They are also a good source of fiber.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. That old saying may not be true but apples are delicious. Especially my favorites Fiji, Macoun, and Honey Crisps.

Now my favorite fruit is the cherry. I love cherries and can’t wait until summer when they are in the grocery stores. Now for the benefits: Cherries are good for the heart, may lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and may help inflammatory conditions. They may also help with sleep. I eat them when I have a migraine. My favorites come from the state of Washington.

And I love all fruits that I don’t have to cut up. So I’m on a cruise a enjoying cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon.

My Mom

Share a story about someone who had a positive impact on your life.

For many years I cringed at the thought of being like my mom. She was a very uncontrollable drunk. I was angry a lot at her. But under the surface, I knew she was better than that.

At the age of 69, she quit drinking and this amazing woman appeared. She was the kindest, most considerate person anyone could ever meet. She never had a bad word to say about anyone.

People loved her. Not that people didn’t love her when she was drinking but she became so much more. She was tolerant of other people and their beliefs.

Her influence has encouraged me to be a better person. A kinder person. Someone who enjoys diversity instead of shuns it.

Happy Heavenly Mother’s Day Mom! You were truly an inspiration.