Bodmin Jail ~ 27 August 2002

Today we visited Bodmin Jail. Our first encounter was driving up towards the menacing stone building and entrance way. A huge, mainly empty and decaying shell of a once hell for many prisoners.

We stood on the site where many prisoners were hung for insignificant crimes. We could even see where the rope had made a groove in the wooden beam up above.

Inside it was dark, damp and smelly. You could feel what an awful and terrifying place it once would have been.

King Arthur's Stone ~ 21 August 2002

Today we visited "King Arthur's Stone" at Camlann ~ Slaughter Bridge, Camelford. This is a 6th century inscribed stone that marks the legendary site where Arthur and Mordred met for the battle which ended both lives and the end of the fellowship of the round table in Ad 537.

There also was a Saxon battle here. Tennyson visited here in 1848 and was inspired to write the "Idylls of the King".

Boscastle ~ 14 August 2002

Today we drove up to Boscastle. We arrived early before many of the tourists arrived. We enjoyed a cup of coffee in the village before we set off on a six mile walk which took us along the coastal path ~ giving us fantastic views of Boscastle Harbour and Pentargon inlet.

We crossed inland along farms until we got to St Juliot's Church. It was here where Thomas Hardy met his first wife, Emma Gifford while supervising the restoration of the church. Here, he was inspired to write "A pair of blue eyes". Emma encouraged Hardy to leave his profession as an architect and turn to writing full time.

We had our picnic lunch here before travelling back to Boscastle through Valency Valley. This was an unspoilt valley owned by the National Trust. We returned to Boscastle tired but very full filled. Cornwall is very beautiful.

Screech Owl Sanctuary ~ 6th August 2002

This afternoon we went to the "Screech" Owl Sanctuary. "Screech" being the owners sir name! It was a wonderful visit. We saw owls small as kittens and as big as dogs. Such amazing and fascinating creatures. Very intelligent with a 'knowing' look about them ~ powerful and rather magical!

We were allowed to stroke their breast feathers and every now and then one would try to escape, displaying their long powerful wing span. You could feel the force of their wings on your face. One of the owls reminded me of Toad grumpy face [my cat I left back home in New Zealand] with huge round yellow/orange eyes glaring at me.

Historic Bodmin Moor ~ 31 July 2002

We had a fantastic time today. The weather was cold, raining, misty and magical. We visited the Bodmin Moor and the weather was just perfect!

This place is a world of granite tors and windswept open moors. We walked to the "Hurlers", three large pre-historic stone circles and burial chambers - built over 4000 years ago.

The "Cheesewring" is a natural occurring granite rock pile precariously on top of each - absolutely fascinating.

We then carried on up to the A30 which took us down through Bodmin Moor. We stopped at Dozmary Pool where legend has it Excalibur was returned to the Lady of the Lake. There we were entertained by a beautiful brown horse which made our visit so much more special.

Cold and tired we had to stop at the Jamaica Inn for a beer. It was exciting - being the scene for Daphne Du Maurier's famous book. I'm totally inspired to read the book now, I will source a copy from the local 2nd hand book shop in town.

Carnglaze Slate Caverns ~ 30 July 2002

Ever since we have been in Cornwall we have been fascinated by the beauty of the slate buildings and walls. We now had the chance to see where it all came from. Carnglaze consists of three underground caverns set in a beautiful wooded hillside near Liskeard. We had a 45 minute tour which took us through the caverns, one being of Cathedral proportions. We also saw a subterranean lake with crystal clear blue/green water. It's absolutely amazing to think that this had been hand created by local slate minors over centuries.

The only dampener on the day was locking our car keys inside the car. Thankfully we met some very nice people who went well out of their way to help us. Kim and her three children and the R.C.A. man couldn't have done more for us. After two hours we finally drove home with our tail between our legs. Could been worse, but thank goodness for kind and good people.

Eden Project ~ 23 July 2002

Today we visited the Eden Project. We weren't too sure what to expect but we did expect a lot of tourists, long lines and an expense. I wasn't quite that bad - it covered such a huge area the crowds didn't really make an impact.

Eden was rather impressive, beautiful garden art and sculpture, educational displays, we discovered plants that we had never seen before and it had a strange futuristic feel about it. It's all about understanding our place in nature and the opportunities on offer.

The Eden Project, near St Austell, is designed not only to display plants from around the world, but to protect endangered species and demonstrate the relationship between plants and man. Opened in 2001, it covers 125 acres and houses 4000 species of plants in giant domes. The largest conservatory is 200 metres long by 55 metres in height and is constructed from 800 huge steel hexagons.

It was a precious, impressive and an amazing visit.