Day 1: Falmouth to Penzance
There were train delays again today but they kicked in after we were underway so we were unaffected. We got an earlier train from Falmouth to Truro since we were at the station anyway.
We saw lots of what I think are structures related to mining. (Hey, we watched Poldark on PBS.)
In Penzance there’s a helpful Tourist Information office near the train and bus stations. We talked to them about walks in the area and got some bus schedules.
We walked along the waterfront in Penzance to get to our place. It was longer but looked like an easier route to follow. Plus we had nice views. We hit the nearby Lidl for supplies. We had booked dinner at The Cornish Bart at Artist Residence.
This photo is of the cute Admiral Benbow Inn across the street. Note the guy with the long gun lying on the roof.
Day 2: Walk to Newlyn
We walked along shore to Newlyn today. It’s not that far from Penzance. I like the word “coddiwomple” and feel like we are in fact often coddiwomplers. Like today.
This is one of many cute little food truck kind of things we saw on the trip.
It was pleasant walking weather. Cool, cloudy, and breezy. We saw lots of people and dogs about. The walk along the seafront in Penzance is nice and wide. Plenty of room for everyone.
We went to the Admiral Benbow for dinner since it’s talk like a pirate day. They have one room that’s decked out like inside of an old ship. Some of the pubs we reserved tables at had Reserved signs like this on the tables. It’s a nice touch so if you don’t have a table reserved, at least you know when you need to vacate the table.
Day 3: Town and Food Festival
There’s a food festival going on so we walked around town and through the very muddy festival.
Day 4: Sunday Roast at the Turk's Head
It’s Sunday so we had a lazy day before our Sunday roast at the Turks Head. Steve ordered the feast, which had pork, chicken, ham, pigs in blankets, stuffing, and more gravy in addition to the roast beef and standard sides.
We walked back along the coast route to our place, to walk off some of that food.
This is the view from our window. Now that the weather has cleared a little you can tell where the horizon is.
Day 5: Day Trip to St Ives
We had a nice sunny day for our day trip to St Ives. It’s definitely more touristy than Penzance. We enjoyed wandering around for an hour or so and are happy we chose to stay in Penzance. The St Erth shuttle prompted so many bad jokes.
There’s a replica Spanish sailing ship in port today in conjunction with the food festival. We got a good look at St Michael’s Mount from the waterfront, and the Jubilee Pool, a seawater pool. There’s a small heated area plus a larger unheated area. I imagine it’s popular in summer. We did see some people swimming. We hadn’t had Cornish pasties yet and being from Michigan we had to try them, so we bought some on the way home. We barely made it to the bakery before they closed at 4:30.
Day 6: Day Trip to St Michael's Mount
Another nice day for a day trip, this time to St Michael’s Mount. We had nice views of the Mount and the coast from this bus.
It’s been fun watching the activity at the lawn bowling green across the street. We’ve seen a seagul with a tennis ball (there are tennis courts next door), a soccer ball (maybe from the school on the other side), and some people actually lawn bowling. It seems to be a thing around here. We saw another club along the shoreline to Newlyn. Penzance also has soccer and rugby teams.
Day 7: Day Trip to Sennen Cove
We saved our best weather forecast for a day trip to Sennen Cove. I was originally thinking Land’s End but further research indicated Sennen Cove would be quieter and more scenic. And we could have walked to Land’s End if we wanted to.
This is just one example that we saw today of why we don’t drive on vacation. We saw narrow country roads, but towns and villages can be tricky too. Like this vehicle that had to back up so the bus could get through.
Here’s a last sunset look at the pool and St Michael’s Mount in the distance. And it’s Penzance, so there had to be at least one pirate reference!
Essentials
Lodging
We enjoyed our week at Seascape in Penzance. Great location in a quiet area but near the coast, downtown, and a supermarket. The room was spacious and clean room and we had a lounging area in the room with a nice view. We didn’t cook, but there’s a communal kitchen and dining area that was nice for eating takeout. There’s a washing machine and drying rack too. You can restock tea, coffee, etc. from the kitchen. Our only issue was the tiny bathroom sink mostly blocked by a shelf that made it difficult to spit toothpaste and wash your face.
Dining
We found lots of places to eat and they were all good.
- Cornish Barn at the Artist Residence: Lamb and chicken schnitzel. Interesting celeriac/apple slaw. Most upscale place we ate in Penzance. Still not fussy.
- Admiral Benbow: Good fish and chips (though we like it crispier). Fun pub interior. (Their website is cute too.)
- Turks Head: Sunday roast with rhubarb frangipani tarte for dessert.
- Lavenders Cornish Pasties: Takeaway pasties. They kindly tracked down an extra couple for us at the end of the day.
- Taj Mahal: Nepalese food with a Chicken Tikka starter, Himalayan lamb, Everest chicken, rice, garlic naan.
- The Lugger Inn: Good pizza and frutti di mare pasta, with exuberant server.
Transportation
Penzance is at the end of the main trainline and has good local bus and train connections, which is one reason why we chose to stay there. The town itself is compact enough to walk around.