DAY 119: Land's End, St Michael Mount and Booscastle
On Monday the 3rd I managed to get myself safely out of St Ives without going through the town centre!! Drove all the way down to Lands End. I have been told to not bother as "there is nothing there"... Well, turns out there is something there. A hotel with a large parking area. This is the only place you can park and they want 6 pound for the privilege to park there. All I wanted to do is go to the "edge" and sit there for a bit. 6 pounds I was not going to pay for that privilege. Problem was that my car was the only car there... so I pretended. I walked back from the machine and opened the door, pretending I was putting a ticket on the dash. Then I locked up, walked over to where you could see the rocks and the water (and the bench where I would have loved to go and sit, but did not). Stood there for a bit, walked back and drove off. While I was standing there a guy drove up, walked to the machine, saw the price, got back into his car and drove off... How many people do that I wonder?
And on I went, past Penzance (decided I was not going to bother as the rain had set in) and on to St Michael Mount. This I had to see.
For those who do not know about St Michael Mount, it is a small island with a castle on top. It is close to the coast just a few kms north of Penzance and during low tide you can walk over to the island on a causeway. Very picturesque. The St Aubyn family still live in the castle. They donated the causeway and I believe the little settlement and harbour at the bottom to the Historical Trust who are looing after the upkeep. The St Aubyn's however look after the tourist activities. There are small boats ferrying people back and forth at 2 pound one way. There are a few places where you can eat on the island and there is a little museum. You can also pay to visit the garden and pay to visit the castle. If you do not have a ticket to visit the castle, then you cannot walk up the hill, which is what I had wanted to do. I wasn't interested in seeing the inside of the castle as I am a bit castled-out by now. So, I took the ferry over, walked around for a bit, checking it all out and took the ferry back. Would have loved to walk over at low tide but that was hours away and it was raining on and off.
The little village of Marazion where you catch the ferry was quite cute too... but again you had to pay 4 pound just to park!
From St Michael Mount I then drove north west all the way back to a place called Boscastle, just north of Tintagel where my Cornish adventure had started. Boscastle is another lovely little village on the Cornish Coast. Again you have to park off-premises but if you arrived after 5pm, then you could park for free until 10am the next morning. Yes!!
The Boscastle YHA is the last building at the end of the road along the little inlet. Sadly you cannot see or hear the see, the inlet is quite a bit inland. Boscastle is actually famous for it's Witch-Museum!!!! I think I saw two of the witches....
An inn in Marazion.
Snug and warm in a very, very old stone building. They had done a great job renovating the place.
And on I went, past Penzance (decided I was not going to bother as the rain had set in) and on to St Michael Mount. This I had to see.
For those who do not know about St Michael Mount, it is a small island with a castle on top. It is close to the coast just a few kms north of Penzance and during low tide you can walk over to the island on a causeway. Very picturesque. The St Aubyn family still live in the castle. They donated the causeway and I believe the little settlement and harbour at the bottom to the Historical Trust who are looing after the upkeep. The St Aubyn's however look after the tourist activities. There are small boats ferrying people back and forth at 2 pound one way. There are a few places where you can eat on the island and there is a little museum. You can also pay to visit the garden and pay to visit the castle. If you do not have a ticket to visit the castle, then you cannot walk up the hill, which is what I had wanted to do. I wasn't interested in seeing the inside of the castle as I am a bit castled-out by now. So, I took the ferry over, walked around for a bit, checking it all out and took the ferry back. Would have loved to walk over at low tide but that was hours away and it was raining on and off.
The little village of Marazion where you catch the ferry was quite cute too... but again you had to pay 4 pound just to park!
From St Michael Mount I then drove north west all the way back to a place called Boscastle, just north of Tintagel where my Cornish adventure had started. Boscastle is another lovely little village on the Cornish Coast. Again you have to park off-premises but if you arrived after 5pm, then you could park for free until 10am the next morning. Yes!!
The Boscastle YHA is the last building at the end of the road along the little inlet. Sadly you cannot see or hear the see, the inlet is quite a bit inland. Boscastle is actually famous for it's Witch-Museum!!!! I think I saw two of the witches....
On my way to Land's End
The beach by Marazion with Penzance in the background
What started as a thick fog quickly turned into rain.
And there it is, St Michael Mount. Castle on top, small settlement down by the harbour. This is at high tide. At low tide you can walk across.
The small settlement by the harbour.
The small harbour.
A random mural.
Footprints of Queen Elizabeth and the Prince Phillip.
One of the stone buildings with the castle in the background.
Looking back towards land, Marazion as seen from St Michael Mount.
One of the eateries on St Michael Mount.
An inn in Marazion. 
Boscastle
The inlet at Boscastle at low tide.
The stream running into the inlet did not have a lot of water in it.
The Witches museum in Boscastle.
I think.... uhm?...
I wonder how much they would charge me to park here... hehehe!
I did think it was all just a bit of fun until I saw the pentagram to the left of this door, sort of hidden. hmm... wonder what they really get up to? Probably dancing naked under the full moon.
I just love these old buildings. Don't want one... the maintenance would be a nightmare I think. But they still are beautiful. The YHA is behind this building.
Just a random thick wall with an arch in it left over from whatever was there before.
The YHA is in this building on the left.
Snug and warm in a very, very old stone building. They had done a great job renovating the place.
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