The Cornish Coast

Our trip

I've been wanting to visit Cornwall all year, so with only a month left in the UK, Grant and I decided to take a weekend trip down to the southern peninsula of the country. Penzance is a port city right near the bottom of Cornwall. It was about 5 1/2 hours from Slough, but I think it was worth the journey. Unfortunately, we only had the opportunity to visit for a couple days on the weekend. I absolutely loved it and would have enjoyed staying for a whole week, but I am happy we had the chance to go at all. :)

In Cornish, which is the traditional Celtic language in Cornwall, Penn Sans means "holy headland." It was named holy headland due to the location of a chapel that supposedly stood on the headland near Penzance over a thousand years ago. A headland, in case you don't know (I didn't), is a high point of land on a coast, usually with a sheer drop toward the water. The chapel is known traditionally as Saint Anthony's, though there isn't really any proof that the chapel was dedicated to Saint Anthony. The chapel is no longer there, only an eroded stone figure survives. The figure is now in the churchyard of St. Mary's church.

We were very lucky that our first full day in Penzance was a beautiful, sunny day. We took a long walk out to see the remains of an ancient village. When we got back, we left our cameras and phones behind and went off to the beach. Unfortunately, this means we don't have any sunny pictures of the coast near Penzance, but it was beautiful with plenty of people splashing around in the waves. It rained the next day, so we just walked a bit around the historic part of town and down the beach to take a few photos.

Penzance Harbour

Penzance sights

Chysauster Ancient Village

The mysterious fogou

Chysauster Ancient Village: This is an iron age village near Penzance called Chysauster Ancient Village. There you can find the remains of about 10 houses and a fogou - which is Cornish for cave. A fogou is basically an underground room, though it is not certain what this fogou was used for. As far as I could tell, there were many other historic sites around Penzance as well, but we really only had time to visit the one. It was about a 2 hour walk from Penzance so luckily it was a nice day. However, if you have a car, it isn't too far away.

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/chysauster-ancient-village/ 

The view on our walk

St. Michael's Mount: There is a similar sight to see in Normandy, France, which you might recognise, called Mont Saint Michel. They are both tidal islands, meaning that when the tide is out, you can just walk straight up to the mount and it isn't an island at all. However, when the tide comes in, the mount is surrounded by water and becomes an island. It seems the reason for both mounts having the same name is that the priory on Saint Michael's Mount was founded by the same religious order (the Benedictines) from Mont Saint Michel in the 12th century.

The Cornish name for St. Michael's Mount is Karrek Loos y Koos, which apparently means grey rock in a wood. This is probably because the mount used to be surrounded by forest rather than water. It's really quite amazing that this is the Cornish name, since the forest was submerged probably around 1700 B.C. The naming of this mount in Cornish combined with the evidence of an ancient forest being submerged just goes to show how amazingly long-term and accurate folk memory can be.

I didn't have a chance to visit the mount due to the limited time I had in Penzance but if you do visit, there is a 15th century chapel and a 12th century castle on the mount.

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/st-michaels-mount/visitor-information/

Saint Michael's Mount in the distance

Minack Theatre: Well, I didn't actually go here either, but I really regret not having been able to. It is an open air theatre facing the ocean. It looks absolutely stunning. Take a look at some pictures and shows on their website and if you have a chance, go see a show for me: http://www.minack.com/

And of course, if you are in Penzance, you must visit one of the beaches along the coast. The one we went to, which leads around the bay toward where Saint Michael's Mount is, was quite nice in some areas, but very rocky in others. I really liked the area closer to Saint Michael's Mount.

The beach on a cloudy day

Food

Warrens Bakery: This is a chain of bakeries around Cornwall selling traditional Cornish baked goods. They are apparently the oldest bakery in Cornwall, having been established in 1860. I had a traditional Cornish Pasty as well as a Cornish Saffron Cake for breakfast on the Sunday morning. Both were delicious and I definitely recommend giving a Warrens Bakery a try if you are in Cornwall. (http://warrensbakery.co.uk/)

Blacks Dining Room and Bar: We went here on our first night in Penzance, quite late at night. In addition to the regular menu, they had a list of fresh seafood dishes. Of course, we both chose a seafood dish. The mussels for me and a monkfish dish for Grant. We also had some Cornish cider and beer - all of which was quite good. This restaurant was definitely on the pricey side, but it was delicious. I would recommend it as a place to indulge. There were a lot of other restaurants selling seafood, of course, so take a walk around Penzance and check them out as well. (http://blacksofchapelstreet.com/)

Little India: This Indian restaurant is highly rated and always busy at dinner. If you do decide to eat here, either go a little early, reserve a table or order take-out. The dishes we ate were very good, but I have to say, I was a little disappointed by the service. The staff seemed a little distant and annoyed, as if by ordering food from them, we were putting them out. However, the service was at least quick and reliable, plus the delicious food made up for it. (http://www.purelypenzance.co.uk/winedine/takeaway_menu/chinese_indian/indian_little_india_takeaway_menu.html)

Cream tea at Francine's

Francine's of Penzance: We were searching for somewhere to get a good, homemade cream tea a couple hours before we had to board the train. For some reason, it was proving difficult to find somewhere with an appealing atmosphere or that was open (I guess because it was Sunday). Just when we were about to give up, we came across Francine's. We ordered two cream teas, though we could definitely have probably done with sharing one. We were not disappointed with the homemade scones, locally-made strawberry jam and the essential Cornish clotted cream. Francine's doesn't seem to have a huge online presence, but if you are in Penzance, take a walk along Market Jew Street and keep an eye out. This link at least gives you a little picture and the street address.

Willy Waller's Ice Cream Factory: This ice cream place was by the port. I ordered a plain Cornish clotted cream ice cream in a cone. Generally, Cornish cream can stand on its own, but I actually found this ice cream lacking. It didn't have that full-flavoured, creamy sweetness that I usually expect from Cornish cream. It barely had a flavour at all. I was pretty disappointed, especially since the ice cream is meant to be homemade with Cornish cream. However, Grant got a chocolate nut sundae, which he rated as slightly above average, thanks to the addition of clotted cream on top (replacing the whipped cream you might get in North America). I had had Cornish clotted cream ice cream when I was living in Slough by Kelly's of Cornwall and it was amazing. If you are in Cornwall, you could look out for any kind of takeaway place selling Kelly's - or grab a tub from a local Tesco. Honestly, Kelly's is delicious. Anyway, I'll give you links to both Willy Waller's and Kelly's, in case you want to taste for yourself:

Willy Waller's - http://www.willywallers.co.uk/
Kelly's - http://www.kellysofcornwall.co.uk/

Where to stay

Easy PZ Backpackers: This was definitely one of the best hostels I've been to. It was inside a house and the bedrooms were cosy with lockers for each bed. I enjoyed it there mainly due the homey atmosphere permeating the hostel. This is thanks to the lovely interior decorating as well as the friendliness of the staff. There is also a well-organised kitchen with breakfast foods free for eating in the morning. And finally, the location and the price are both great. A very short walk from the train station and centre of town and not too far from the beach and Saint Michael's Mount. The price was £20 per person per night. (http://www.easypz.info/)





That's all for now...It seems like this post is almost as much about the things I didn't get a chance to do as it is about the things I did. As I said at the beginning, I would have loved to stay at least for a week, but it is what it is.
Anyway, next time - Wales! xox

Oxford

I was living pretty close to Oxford and visited twice over the past year. It's a really beautiful town, definitely worth the visit.

University of Oxford building

Of course, it is known worldwide because of the University of Oxford which is the oldest English university. Actually, the city began life in 900 AD as a place to cross the river with oxen, which is where the name comes from (Ford of the oxen - a ford being a shallow part of the river that can be crossed by foot).

The Oxford Castle was built in 1066 by William the Conqueror. It was another motte and bailey castle (basically a fortification on a bit of raised earth called a motte surrounded by an enclosed courtyard called a bailey). He seems to have built a lot of this type of castle. In fact, a quick google search of motte and bailey castles informs me that the Normans actually introduced this kind of castle to England and built about 1000 of them. Before I accidentally stumbled upon this castle after a walk along the river, I didn't really even know there was a castle in Oxford city - I think the University is more well-known. To be honest, I didn't find the castle that impressive and it didn't draw me inside. I would say that if you only have one day to spend in Oxford, stick around the university - in my opinion the castle may not be worth a visit, especially if you are going to see or have seen other castles around England. I didn't go inside, so I don't really have anything to tell you about that.

The University of Oxford first began shaping up in the 12th century, though there was already a history of formal education from around the time that the castle was built. There doesn't seem to be a formal date of foundation. In 1209, there were disputes between the townsfolk and the students and some of the academics at Oxford left. They ended up founding the University of Cambridge, England's other old, world-renowned University. These two universities petitioned the King in 1333 and no new universities were allowed to be built anywhere in England from this time until 1820, thus these two universities remained the only two in England until this time.

The Radcliffe Camera

One of the most well-recognised buildings often photographed in Oxford is the Radcliffe Camera. It was originally the Radcliffe Library and housed books, but the books were moved in 1861. It became a reading room rather than a library and this is when it became known as the Radcliffe Camera.

View of university buildings from Saint Mary's, courtesy of Cindy Song

Quick tip: for the best view of the Radcliffe Camera, and indeed the whole city of Oxford, climb up the tower in Saint Mary's Church. The church is located directly opposite the Radcliffe Camera.

There are also many museums and galleries operated by the university, open to the public. I didn't get a chance to visit them, but apparently the world's oldest museum is located in Oxford and is called the Ashmolean Museum (http://www.ashmolean.org/).

If you have a bit of time, I would recommend just taking a walk around. Oxford is a very picturesque city and you can find some nice walking routes with pretty views. Take a look here for some suggestions of walking routes through Oxford.

Good food in Oxford:

Yeti Nepalese: A small Nepalese restaurant, but definitely one of my favourites. It is a little outside the centre of town, but I made the trek out there both times I visited - it is that good! You could take a bus or go for a little walk out there. I recommend the Poleko Paneer Mix. The fried paneer cheese is perfect. The restaurant is only open 5:30-11. Visit the website for more info: http://www.yetinepalese.co.uk/

The Head of the River: This is a pub right on the river. It is definitely a beautiful spot to sit and have a drink, but it is on the expensive side. At the time we were there, the service was extremely slow and there was constantly a long line for drinks. We ordered some fries and had to go back twice to ask if it was coming. Despite that, if you can find a spot to sit out on the patio, it is a very nice view. (http://www.headoftheriveroxford.co.uk/)

That's all for now! xox

P.S. Unfortunately I seem to have deleted the photos from my first trip to Oxford. I had taken a lot more photos the first time around, especially from Saint Mary's Church. Thanks to Cindy Song for the contribution of the last photo!