Wednesday, September 12, 2018
When I awoke on the fourth day of our adventure, I was too sick to walk at all. So we undertook further exploration of the Cornish bus system, traveling first to Marazion so that we could walk up to Saint Michael’s Mount, and then from Marazion to Porthleven. We changed buses in Penzance, a place that has none of the romance of its famous name, and got off at Marazion.
We hadn’t planned to walk the stretch from Mousehole to Marazion in any case (all on roads or paved bike paths through the fishing village of Newlyn and then the busy town of Penzance). But our day off did give us the opportunity to visit Saint Michaels Mount, a rather remarkable place.
Like its namesake, Mont Saint Michel, Saint Michael’s Mount was originally a monastery built on a tidal island. It was purchased by some minor noble family in 1659 and has remained in their hands ever since.
We took a small ferry across to the island and walked back across a causeway at low tide in the afternoon. The place is beautifully preserved.
Once back in Marazion, we boarded a bus that took us inland and then back to the coast at the lovely village of Porthleven, set around a beautiful harbor.
Our lodgings were in the largest of the inns we had visited, The Harbour Inn; the rooms were as nice as the ones in Sennen, and the public areas were unusually spacious. Not having walked, we had time to stroll. Sue found an incredible basket shop and purchased a really unusual piece, which she then lugged all the way around the Cornish coast and over the Atlantic. I took advantage of the break and took a few pictures
We found a cozy pub on the other side of the harbor, the Ship Inn, and had a drink…that’s the inn at the left. Back in the room, I indulged in a very long siesta.
We had a table that night for our best meal of the trip, an Asian fusion restaurant called Kota. The dining room was simple, but the food was incredible. We waddled home well content.