Saturday, August 23, 2008

Another Trip To Cornwall

National Maritime Museum
Okay so the previous post tackled the beaches. Next up is the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth. This museum has got a really cool way of ferrying their visitors. You can actually arrive there from the car park by a boat - no kidding! Just make sure you visit during Monday to Friday. They don't have the boat ride on weekends. :(

model boats on display
They have excellent facilities in showcasing the maritime history and anything about sea sailing.

real boats hanging from the ceiling
There were lots of hands-on displays that were very good and guaranteed to keep your young ones interested and engaged. It ranged from wind sailing toy boats in an indoor pond to interactive weather quizzes to computer interactive games in steering virtual boats.

Toy Sail Boats
The toy sail boats in the pond were particularly impressive because they don't have any motor to propel them forward. There were vents on the side of the pond that blows air. So you were really using wind power and the boats' tiny sails for movement.

Lizard Point
I've to Cornwall many times but I haven't been to the tip of the Lizard Peninsula. The very day we arrived we grabbed the opportunity to visit Lizard Point. As expected we were feasted with dramatic steep rocky cliffs that is prevalent in this area. The setting sun provided a dramatic backdrop to the photogenic view.

Lizard Point
See the green things growing on the side of the cliffs? They're not grass but a variety of the succulent plant sedum pachyphyllum I guess it must be hardy enough to grow rampant in what must be harsh seaside conditions.

On the way home we decided to stop by Tintagel and we saw this sign along the way.

Tintagel is one of the fabled home of King Arthur. 'Fabled' since nobody really knows if King Arthur is real or a product of a fertile imagination of a medieval writer.

WARNING: Bring your sturdy walking shoes and be prepared to hike and climb up steep stairs and cliffs!

There were no warning of this kind in any of the tourist literatures that we researched on nor even in the sign in the entrance to this English Heritage site. I tell you it's such a disappointment if you're not wearing the right gear since the actual ruins of the castle is way way up high on top of cliffs! Even just the hike from the cafe and visitor's centre is uphill which is an ordeal for someone like me who was wearing open backed slippers with heels. Though if you think you cannot make it back from there are Range Rovers ferrying people to and from the entrance and the visitor centre.

caves below Tintagel castle
Since I can't climb up to the actual ruins of the castle I have to content myself with the sights down below. It did not disappoint at all. Just look at the dramatic rock formations and caves in the pictures above and below.

view below Tintagel castle

3 comments:

fortuitous faery said...

wow, breath-taking seaside views!

by the way, is it ok if i link to your blog? :)

celia kusinera said...

Sure fortuitous faery, you can link me up and I will link you as well. :)

eyanharve said...

beautiful images and very informative blog.
- St Austell