Living in an Inside Cabin

Typical Cornwall scenery

Rather than trying to post everyday I decided I would wait until the end of the week here in Cornwall and then do a run-through of my impressions and what I found  to be most interesting.

First let me say that I am in love with Cornwall.  It is everything and more than I hoped for in a destination.  The scenic beauty of the countryside is stunning, especially if the sun peeks out, which is not often enough.  The Dartmoor moors are breathtaking in their constantly changing terrain and the winding roads that may or may not be wide for two cars at a time.

I made a list of things I want to comment on and I think I will need to break it up into several posts or you will reading forever, if you don’t get bored halfway through.  So, in no particular order, here are my impressions of Cornwall.

Hedgerows

Hedgerows.  I understand now why the British were supposed to land at Omaha Beach instead of the Americans.  The English are masters of hedgerows and the soldiers knew how to get through them, while the Americans had no idea how to deal with these massive and high hedges.  They line all the roads in Cornwall, at least it seems that way.  Some are just a few feet high, high enough to cut off your view as you drive in a low slung car.  Some are massive, 10-12 feet high providing total separation between the road and the fields.  Amazing.

Trimmed trees.  These tend to go hand in hand with the hedgerows but not always.  The trees are trimmed so they form canopies over the roads, reminiscent of some of the southern roads in the US.  Driving through these archways was lovely, I just wished getting a photo was easier – too much shade for my camera.

Rolling Hills.  The views keep getting better.    Miles of farmland, divided by stone walls, or not…The pattern of these

Rolling hills by the sea

fields, some with hay being baled, others dotted with sheep makes for a relaxing scene.  I grew up in Chester County, PA and the area is very similar but Cornwall is on a much grander scale.  The winding narrow roads, trees and meadows produce some damned good drivers.

Stone walls.  Miles of them.  They separate the fields for the livestock mostly but often for the farm fields.  These walls are put together with no cement, often they are slate walls as that is in abundance in the county.   King’s Arthur’s birthplace, Tintagel Castle, had lots of great slate walls and stairs.  I’m not crazy about the stairs since they tend to be slippery.

Right, enough for now, more to come…