Cornwall Weekend

On Friday, the whole BCA group got into the coach for our five hour trip to Cornwall for the weekend. We went to a fancy restaurant (the name of which I can't remember) on a golf course for lunch. Then we went to Lanhydrock House, a late Victorian House that included over fifty rooms to explore, a small but gorgeous chapel that is still used weekly, and lovely gardens surrounding the property.

Next we were driven to our hostel in Newquay, called the Surf Reef Lodge. Sandy and Denise had booked other arrangements nearby because the hostel allows only travelers who are thirty-five and under. Newquay is pretty much full of people who come there to surf or for bachelorette or bachelor parties (called "hen and stag" parties here). We had Friday evening to ourselves, so we decided to explore the beach and the town. The whole place was incredibly windy, but very beautiful. On our perusal of the town, we passed lots of stag parties, including one in which the future groom was dressed in skimpy beach garb.

Our first stop on Saturday was Land's End. Besides being a popular clothing store, Land's End is also the most south-westerly point of England. We only spent a half hour at this stop because it mostly involved looking off the edge of dangerous cliffs to the water beyond. Also notable was the Dr. Who exhibit and a miniature village.

Photo taken by Jessye Bostwick

Our next stop was St. Ives. This town caters more to people who are interested in staying for a holiday and shopping. From where we were shopping, we could see the docks and the water. Jessye and I found another charity shop where I bought a shirt and a belt. We were also encouraged to try the Cornish Cream Tea, which we did with delight. Cream tea involves tea and two scones with clotted cream and jam. Yum!

Photo taken by Michael Johnson

After St. Ives, we returned to Newquay and had the evening to ourselves. For dinner, a few of us went to Wetherspoon, a chain pub that I've been to in both London and Cheltenham. The pub was full of young women dressed in crazy costumes for various hen parties. When we got back, a few of us had a dance party in the main lounge.

On Sunday, we packed up and started our drive back to Cheltenham. On the return journey, we had our last stop of the trip: the Eden Project. I'm kind of still unsure about what exactly the Eden Project is, but it claims to be a charity that was created "to remind people of our dependence on, and connection to, the natural world."  Most notable were: the world's largest greenhouses, the giant sculptures made of old appliances and rubbish, the eateries with lots of organic foods, and the area with different displays and fun interactive stuff like a wall with probably a hundred old refrigerator doors with thousands of magnets.

 By the time we got back to Cheltenham, it was around 6 pm and we had only been gone for two and half days, yet it felt like we had been gone for weeks. I was glad to be back in my room and not on a bus. It was delightful getting to know people better, but it's also overwhelming to spend a weekend with thirty other people.

If I went again, I'd probably buy a cheap wet suit and surf board and hit the beach. Charles, our bus driver who was old enough to be mostly bald and have two grown sons, woke up early and went surfing while we were in Newquay. Impressive.

Cheers,

Emily