Warm but with plenty of heavy showers today. In between showers I got the main part of the recycling store done, just the door left to do. Because I'm not a very good carpenter there was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing as I checked each piece at every stage. I know from experience that trusting to my measurements and racing ahead is a recipe for disaster. But it is done; the side, four posts, and a solid top finished off with a layer of roofing rubber. And the only materials I had to buy were a latch, hinges and some clouts. Once the door is done any seagulls with mischief on their minds will have to go elsewhere.
During a rainy spell I got on with the big garage tidy moving some of the bigger stuff around. At the moment the large open space in the middle looks impressive until you see everything piled up at the far end. But slowly things are being sorted, some things will go to the Climate shop or the zoo and some to the dump.
Now for the final instalment of our trip to St Ives (though pretty sea pictures will probably keep appearing for a while.) -
I was given a sizeable garden voucher by our good friends and having spotted a Dobbie's garden centre near St Ives when we arrived of course there was no question about where our first stop on the journey home would be. Pete is always happy to stop for a cooked breakfast though we had read some dreadful reviews about the cleanliness and service in the café. As we were going to be there as soon as they opened Pete thought it was worth a chance. But everything was as clean as possible and the service was excellent. Possibly due to the presence of an lady inspector checking everything and asking lots of questions.
Meanwhile I was out in the garden centre and first found some ceramic spheres that match some big pots I already have then a really pretty planter that reminds me of the sea and another aeonium. I had bought two green ones from a local craft shop and already have a large specimen of the black one. Due to the climate (no frosts) aeoniums grow everywhere in St Ives as do agapanthus. The ones I moved from the back garden are looking healthy and the new one will replace a dead hydrangea in the front garden.
This photo (from the web) shows St Ives many beaches and yes the sea is often that colour. Starting from the top Porthmeor is the surfing beach. Moving clockwise past the island you come to Porthgwidden a sheltered beach suitable for families with a line of buoys stopping boats from landing there. Then comes Bamaluz beach a very small beach that disappears at high tide. Then there is the sand behind Smeaton's Pier which is mainly underwater but is a great place to watch the waves from the rocks or piers. Then comes the harbour which even at high tide has a strip of sand under the harbour wall. Porthminster, a long sandy beach great for families is just out of sight to the left. Even if St Ives didn't have the pretty jumble of Downalong the beaches alone would make it a fantastic holiday spot.
After our stop at the garden centre the drive home was fairly plain sailing. The motorways were busy but we didn't come to a grinding halt anywhere which is one of the perils of there being only one way back out of Cornwall and the south-west.
We had one service station stop where shocked at being charged £5 for a cup of coffee I only bought one. We happened to have one of our large ceramic mugs handy and with the coffee decanted into that there was plenty for both of us along with some bacon sandwiches I had made before setting off. It was quite a civilised breakfast (second breakfast for Pete) sitting at a picnic table on a patch of grass.
I think the whole journey including stops took just over seven hours which wasn't too bad.
The view from the 'balcony' doors. A shame they didn't open especially when it was very hot though there were a number of fans to use. The sitting room also had a porthole window looking out towards Godrevy lighthouse.
Looking out of the kitchen window one afternoon I watched a couple of squirrels running along the cables that ran between the telegraph poles.
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