First Geocache of the Year

We finally did a geocache again. Just a quick single cache  when we visited the Eden Project this week. I think it's helped get our enthusiasm back so now we'll be going out and about again now the worst of winter seems to have passed...


Until next time
Gillian

St Ives

We had a wonderful day in St Ives, Cornwall today. It has been so gloriously sunny that it is one of those days that demands you go somewhere, and as we have coast all around us we had to include a beach visit.

We walked through the town, around the harbour and along the coastal path. It was easy to see why so many artists have been drawn to St Ives as it is a beautiful place.


















We had a picnic near the NCI- Coastal Watch lookout post.

 Nearby was the Chapel of St Nicholas, a simple yet stunning building due to its location on the cliff top.

We then spent a lovely afternoon on Porthmeor Beach. The sands are clean and soft and the beach is huge. While us older ones lazed around, Sean was busy building sandcastles...

We've never been to St Ives before and were amazed at the many beautiful beaches. Unlike many that we've been to in Cornwall, all the beaches in St Ives were fairly quiet- not because there weren't many people here, but because there are so many beaches to choose from!

Along the way we found two geocaches - though this felt like a bonus on a great day out...

So until next time
Gillian

Billy Bray's Chapel

Billy Bray was a hard drinking Cornish tin miner who found Christianity and faith after a troubled early life. He then built three  chapels with his son. Most of the work was done after the end of a shift down the mine.

We visited one of those chapels on Sunday to find a geocache nearby. Built in 1836, it is a plain building, but the story of the man who built it makes it special. To me it is a story of hope that any person may change to live a better and more caring life...

... I'm glad we visited it.

Until next time
Gillian

Bissoe Revisited

We went walking and geocaching along the final stretch of the Bissoe Trail on Sunday. It was a flat walk on a very hot day- for England!  

We came across another viaduct. This one carries the modern rail line. The pillars beside it were part of the original viaduct dating from the 1830's. The rail line was built on wooden struts on top of the stone pillars that still remain. We saw a sketch of it on an information plaque, and have to say it looked pretty  fragile.

Despite the heat Sean roamed everywhere- I'm sure he does a much greater distance than us, going back and forwards. He also had fun taking his own photos.

Until next time

Gillian

Walking in the woods

 Today we went geocaching in Hustyn Woods. When we pulled up to the tiny carpark there were two other cars with people getting ready and holding GPS's so we all had a good old chat before setting off in opposite directions so we weren't getting in each others way. We bumped into them all again at the half way point and again at the end when we all wished someone had bought a barbeque... 






We had help from Kieran now caching under the name Eggbert25 and Sean aka Pirate Sean.


















Hustyn Woods really is a beautiful place, very quiet and serene.  You feel very alone with nature in these woods.


We thoroughly enjoyed our walk in the woods- another place we had never been to before and probably would never have found without geocaching. We also met some lovely people who I hope we meet again soon. Particularly Mr and Mrs "Badger Scout"- who told us they were 79 and 80 years old (they actually looked at least 20 years younger)- they clearly don't let age get in their way as they arrived back in the carpark at the same time as us!!! I mean this most sincerely, and hope it doesn't sound in any way rude, but what an inspiration!!!- I want to have their energy and enthusiasm for getting out and about when I'm their age.


So until next time
Gillian

Creative Serendipity: Favourite Photos

Creative Serendipity: Favourite Photos: "These were the best photos I've taken in a long time. I think photos with stormy skies stand out as super dramatic and we had very stormy sk..."

Charlestown

Today we visited Charlestown, a beautiful historic harbour village, recently used for filming an episode of Doctor Who.


We had a delightful walk around the village and along the stony beach under stormy grey skies.

















Sean loved the beach as he particularly enjoys skimming stones, a trick his grandad Dawson also likes.


For a while he had the whole beach to himself.












Looking back towards the harbour...

For a while the sun came out...

I would have loved to have included some photos of the tall ships usually moored here, but unfortunately there were not in the harbour today. 

 It was still a good day. We completed the Cornwall's Mining Heritage- Charlestown Harbour earthcache and one other. We would have liked to do another but hadn't prepared ahead so hadn't bought the necessary torch and wellies...I'm giving no more clues as we are looking forward to doing that one really soon and I'll tell more when we do.

We had a fabulous day, and I am especially delighted with the photos- there's nothing like a stormy sky to give an interesting photograph.


Until next time
Gillian