May 9, 2018 — Chapel Porth and Lanhydrock House and Gardens

Saw a million stars last night. You forget how many there are when you live in a city. On a clear day at home, I can count seventeen stars. Last night was spectacular.

However, we woke to a cool and cloudy morning and the news was aflutter and mostly aghast at Trump’s speech last night backing out of the Iran Nuclear Treaty. What good is a treaty if you don’t have to abide by it? It will be interesting to see who is right on this one.

We drove to Saint Agnes because our GPS refused to find St. Agnes Head. It actually didn’t acknowledge St. Agnes either so I used my phone and Google Maps. Once in town we spotted a Spar Market so got bread and cereal, then walked up to the little local museum to get directions to the National Trust site. A delightful elderly woman arrived with us, unlocked the museum a few minutes early and gave us excellent directions to the nearest National Trust site which was Chapel Porth. St. Agnes Museum, Penwinnick Road, St Agnes, Cornwall TR5 0PA; tel: +44 (0)1872 553228; Click here for the St. Agnes Museum Web Site

We drove directly there and down to parking where our Royal Oak cards didn’t scan for parking but we had our National Trust parking sticker so they very cheerfully welcomed us and let us park. It’s a small beach sandwiched between two huge cliffs with dramatic waves crashing on the shore. I took wave photos and asked the woman at reception what the pretty pink flowers that covered the hills were. She didn’t know so got a wildflower guide and we searched for the flower that turned out to be Thrift. We saw it yesterday walking at Land’s End . . . very pretty and pink. Then we hiked partway up one cliff and took a couple more pictures before setting off for Lanhydrock. Chapel Porth, Saint Agnes TR5 0NS; +44 (0)1872 552412; Click here for the National Trust web site for Chapel Porth

The drive was about an hour and a half including getting lost in Bodmin. Our GPS completely lost it. If a GPS can be hysterical, ours was. I finally turned it off and got out my phone again. Google took us directly to Lanhydrock where we parked and walked up to their restaurant. We had a lovely lunch in the Victorian Restaurant. Ed got a chicken and leek pie and I got the daily special, Robartes Pie, made with onion, cheese and potato. Both were excellent. We finished with a date pudding in custard with caramel sauce.

Next we entered Lanhydrock House and walked through all fifty-one rooms. There weren’t a great many docents and they were kept very busy with the crowds but they were all cheerful and polite. It is a very impressive house, and garden views from the windows were stunning. The rhododendrons were in full bloom and many are huge trees. The Agar-Robartes family had ten children of whom nine survived to adulthood so they had their own school at home and a church attached to the house. When we completed the house tour, we headed for the church that was locked but the adjoining graveyard was joyfully awash in bluebells. We set off through the gorgeous gardens in a misty rain. Even in the rain, it was spectacular. As we completed the garden tour, it started to rain harder so we hopped the shuttle back to parking and retrieved the car. Lanhydrock House, Cornwall PL30 5AD; +44 (0)1208 265950; Click here for the National Trust web site for Lanhydrock House

Drove home, again about an hour, and I put photos on the computer and started charging electronics. Ed tried to log into his bank and they won’t let him in without texting or calling a special code to him. Well, it’s our home phone, a land line that doesn’t take texts and we aren’t there anyway. He called before we left home and explained all this and they assured him they would unlock the account. Glad I have a different bank!

Decided on Miner’s Arms for supper and I called ahead for a table. Good idea; they were packed. I got the sea bass special and Ed got a fish pie, both very good. Too full for dessert but in their store we found a nice brie to bring home for tomorrow. When we left, it was raining pretty hard and rain is promised tomorrow. Sigh . . . At least my new rain coat works well.