May 11, 2018 — Saint Ives in Cornwall

Stopped at Healey’s Cyder Farm for tea and hot chocolate and to get change for train station parking and train tickets. Then drove to Lelant-Saltings Car Park and Train Station where a kindly couple helped us deal with the parking ticket machine. The parking ticket machines all seem to be a little bit different. There was an attendant at the train kiosk so we easily bought our train day passes and waited in the rain with everyone else for the steam train. It arrived huffing and puffing; we boarded and I took photos through the very wet windows. It is a beautiful ride even in the rain. St. Ives Bay Line Train, Lelant-Saltings Car Park Hayle TR27 6HB; tel: +44 (0)1752 584777; Click here for the St. Ives Bay Line Train web site

We arrived in St. Ives and followed everyone up the hill into town where we found the tourist office and paid one GBP for a map. We set off on our daily search for lunch, noting galleries, souvenir shops, fudge shops and bakeries as we walked. We walked clear down to the harbor where I took some photos from under my umbrella. Then we walked back up to the Sea Food Café and shed our very wet hats and raincoats and ordered lunch. Ed got the fish pie and I ordered the salmon with potatoes and spinach in a wonderful mild lemon sauce. It was an excellent meal and our desserts were so pretty I took pictures. Ed got the sticky toffee pudding and I got a flourless chocolate cake. Both arrived with clotted cream and under a net of spun sugar. Super restaurant. Sea Food Café, 45 Fore St., St. Ives TR26 1HE; tel: +44 (0)1736 794004; Click here for the Sea Food Café in St. Ives

We piled back into our rain gear, upped umbrellas and set out for the Tate St. Ives. We arrived soaking wet but it was delightfully dry and warm inside. The museum is modern art with an emphasis on Cornish artists . . . and the artists who influenced them. In addition to the Cornish contingent, there were Matisse, Mondrian, Picasso and Braque. It was interesting and the view out the front window of Porthmeor Beach and the sea was spectacular. Tate St. Ives, Porthmeor Beach, Saint Ives TR26 1TG; tel: +44 (0)1736 796226; Click here for the Tate St. Ives web site

We exited the Tate in a hard rain and walked back through town to the Barbara Hepworth Museum to enjoy her sculptures and garden . . . lovely even in the rain. Barbara Hepworth Museum, Barnoon Hill, Saint Ives TR26 1AD; tel: +44 (0)1736 796226; Click here for the Barbara Hepworth Museum web site

Departed the Hepworth Museum to wander through galleries noting the cheesiest paintings were most expensive . . . but very cute. The rain stopped and the sun came out so we redid the town taking sunny photos before heading back to our train. I got nice sunny photos from the train on the return trip!

Tomorrow we move to the next cottage . . .