Breakfast and the associated service were excellent. There was a buffet selection and a menu offering cooked-to-order choices. I selected a child’s vegetarian breakfast.

Mr C wanted to tick off some of his bucket list items, so we headed to Land’s End via St Michaels Mount. We paused briefly at St Michaels Mount for Mr C to take some photos before continuing our journey to Land’s End.

Both places were a lot more commercialised than I remember from my previous visits. At Land’s End there were lots of tacky over-priced gift shops. You also have to pay a professional photographer to be able to get anywhere near the ‘famous’ signpost. What a rip off! The views, however are stunning and the breeze was a welcome relief given the 90F temperatures we were experiencing.

I got chatting to a couple whilst we were looking at a signboard of marine life that could be spotted off the coast. They were excited to tell me that they had encountered a seal whilst they had been paddleboarding nearby the previous day. One of them had also had a less pleasant experience, he had been stung by a jellyfish.

Before we left, Paddington Bear offered me a nibble of his marmalade sandwich. We decided not to have lunch at Land’s End and find somewhere on route to St Ives which was our next destination.

A signpost directed us to a lovely St Buryan farm shop where Mr C was able to sample a Cornish pasty and I, still being full of breakfast, chose an apricot slice.

When we arrived in St Ives, we hoped to visit The Tate St Ives but we found it impossible to find a parking space. By this time, it was getting too late to park further away and enjoy the gallery to its full. We chose to return to Padstow rather than wander around St Ives.

Back in Padstow the heat was still unbearable. We decided to cool off with a Mr Whippy, there was a mobile van parked up just outside the hotel. I was warned about the seagulls and as I was making my way to safety, and before Mr C had even paid, a seagull did a swoop-and-dive from behind, taking my flake and most of the ice-cream and leaving me with just a cone and a startled couple who were walking towards me.

As I turned back to Mr C the owner beckoned me back and very kindly gave me another ice-cream for free. This time Mr C and I both made it to safety without a repeat offence.

We sat and whiled away the rest of the afternoon in The Old Ship Inn before freshening up for dinner in The Jetty at The Harbour Hotel. We found that the hotel was not actually in the harbour where its sign is situated but on a steep slope above the harbour. When we eventually arrived at the hotel, I chose fish and chips. A thunder storm was brewing up over the sea bringing with it sharp gusts of wind (and later rain) leading the staff to tidy up the outside seating so that it didn’t get blown away. This led to a delay in our food being served, but when it arrived it was delicious.

After eating we decided not to chance our luck with the weather and returned to the hotel for a nightcap. The service in the bar was just as chaotic as it had been on our arrival the previous day.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

On our visit to the Heugh Battery I picked up a leaflet for a circular walk around the headland of Hartlepool. The trail is made up of a series of 17 information points located around the Ancient Borough of Hartlepool. After our museum visit we set off on the trail, starting and ending at point 5 on the map.

Click on photo to see video

Hartlepool Headland is formed on a peninsular of magnesium limestone that reaches into the North Sea. This geological make-up has created a coastline of mixed treasures from golden sandy beaches to teeming rockpools. Much of the areas history and appeal is retold through the Story Boards.*

*information from the walking trail leaflet

Lyme Regis boasts breathtaking scenery and a special mystique, making it a sparkling resort for all seasons. Its historic Cobb and harbour are iconic features, set against moody blue cliffs yielding fossilised evidence of life on earth millions of years ago.

An ancient town featured in the Domesday Book, Lyme Regis is home to a number of historical landmarks and educational attractions. The picturesque and tranquil Lyme Regis is a great place to discover a lot you didn’t know about the UK’s heritage.

Mr C and I were up bright and early and before almost everyone else. We sat reading in the room that has been named The Library until everyone else was up and about. After a late breakfast of scotch pancakes, bacon, sausage and maple syrup, we said our goodbyes and set off towards Chichester. Taking a leisurely drive,  we stopped off in Rye for a cup of tea.

It was quite a jaunt from the car park to the town and when we arrived Mr C walked past all the tea shops to see if he could find one overlooking the water. He failed in his search and so settled for one that I was uncertain about. I didn’t say anything because after the long walk I was ready for a refreshing cold drink. We sat and waited for someone to come and take our order. We were still waiting 10 minutes later, as were several other people. Mr C asked if I thought we should leave to which I agreed.

I directed him to another tea shop which had caught my eye as we walked past. This was a far better choice and we were served immediately. The food looked delicious but we had only just had breakfast so we didn’t indulge.

Once back at the car we continued on our journey towards Chichester, detouring along the coast in order to find a suitable seafront place for lunch. We spotted a nice tea shop in Eastbourne and decided to stop there. However, we had a change of plan when Mr C suggested having fish for lunch. I looked at the menu and thought the idea was fun. Mr C chose battered fish whilst I elected to have fish bites with sea salt, herbs and tartar sauce. The man who served us said, semi jokingly, not to let the seagulls get it.

We made our way to the seafront and sat on a bench next to the gardens which were seagull free. I was just finishing my last piece of fish when I felt a tug on the piece of fish I was holding causing me to exclaim! I found myself eye to eye with a seagull that had swooped down silently with precision from behind me. As my hold on the tasty morsel was greater than his, he let go and sat a couple of feet away from me eyeing me up. I removed the end of the fish that he had grabbed and finished the rest as several of his mates lined up with him eying me up. Mr C threw the remaining morsel of fish in their direction causing the seagulls to dive for it.

Following this adventure we took a walk along the promenade where Mr C indulged in a Mr Whippy ice cream before we took a stroll along the pier. Whilst we were on the pier I noticed other seagulls trying to grab ice creams from unsuspecting people (unsuccessfully) by using the same silent dive-from-behind technique.

After returning to our car we continued along the coast road through Brighton, which was disappointing because a lot of the buildings were covered in scaffolding. The drive was taking a little longer than we liked so we headed inland to speed up the journey. Just as we were arriving near Chichester we received a call from the B&B wondering where we were as the paperwork they had been given advised that we would be arriving at 3pm when in fact we had notified that we would be arriving between 4-5pm.

The B&B is tucked away behind the Cathedral and it took a couple of circuits of Chichester to find it. On arrival we checked in and were shown to our room which was a delight with armchairs in the bay window overlooking the garden. Unfortunately the Cathedral was under wraps because of roof restorations. After we had unpacked and freshened up, we headed into town to find a suitable place to dine. It being Sunday many dining places weren’t open, limiting our options.

As we were considering a menu that was mostly burgers and steak, a man offered a couple of suggestions; Carluccios and Brasserie Blanc. He then gave us directions on how to get to them. We opted for Brasserie Blanc due to its varied menu options. After we had finished dining it was too soon to return to the B&B so we stopped off at a pub. At 10.30 the barman called last orders and promptly turned the lights on and the music off. It is a good job we hadn’t taken him up on his call for last orders, we wouldn’t have enjoyed it!! Instead of returning the glasses to the bar as we would normally do we left them on the table and decided not to return on another night.

R. Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983)

Spicy:
1. Having the flavor, aroma, or quality of spice.
2. Piquant; zesty: a spicy tomato sauce.
3. Producing or abounding in spices.
4. High-spirited; lively.
5. Slightly scandalous; risqué: a spicy Hollywood romance.

Definition 4: High-spirited; lively.

Whilst trying to enjoy a little bit of calm in amongst the hustle and bustle of the week this seagull was a little too lively for me!

It was lunch time so before looking round the garden I nipped to the nearest baker and bought a blueberry muffin, which looked a lot more appetising than the rather gooey looking sandwiches. I then made my way back to the garden and sat on a bench to eat it The bag the muffin had been in made a bid for freedom and whilst I was trying to rescue it a small piece of blueberry muffin dropped on the floor next to my feet.

A few minutes later I was assailed by a rather large seagull who was weighing up the options of doing a duck and dive at the crumb. I had visions of my feet being skewered by his beak and he refused to be shooed away!

For more of this weeks PhotoHunt pictures check out Whistlestop PhotoHunt.

In September 1992, archaeologists from the Canterbury Archaeological Trust working alongside contractors on a new road link between Dover and Folkestone discovered the remains of a large wooden prehistoric boat thought to be some 3,000 years old, belonging to a period known to archaeologists as the Bronze Age.

It was a find of both national and international significance which will shed new light on early seafaring and woodworking skills in Northern Europe.

An interesting article on the finding and salvaging of the boat can be seen on the Current Archaeology website.

Buddha (563 BCE – 483 BCE)

Some definitions of free: Not bound – at liberty – not under arbitrary government – not strict or bound by rules – not literal – unimpeded – unconstrained.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull when he discovers the technique of flying:

How much more there is now to living! Instead of our drab slogging forth and back to the fishing boats, there’s reason to life! We can lift ourselves out of ignorance, we can find ourselves as creatures of excellence and intelligence and skill. We can be free! We can learn to fly!

Jonathan sighs:

“Why is it,” Jonathan puzzled, “that the hardest thing in the world is to convince a bird that he is free, and that he can prove it for himself if he’d just spend a little time practicing? Why should that be so hard?” *

For more of this weeks PhotoHunt pictures check out tnchick.

*Quotes  from Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach