I’d never much understood
The restorative properties of
“The English Seaside”
That you read about in books
And see in movies
But after a few days in Cornwall
I totally get it

Today, first stop, St Ives
A pilgrimage of sorts
I expected a little countryside village
But it’s on the coast
A seaside town populated by beach going tourists
We stopped for a truly delicious coffee and hot chocolate in a narrow side street cafe
Tourists and locals, families and older folks,  Hipster couples
And a plethora of puppies
We wandered the streets
And popped into the pretty stores
Full of local glassware and pottery
Beachside paraphernalia
And paintings of the view
We had a delightful seaside picnic
Sitting on a little wall down from the walkway

And then we drove past Penzance
(Tarantara!)
To the Minack Theatre
Oh what a place!
The way Rowena Cade carved the seats into the very rock and
Hauled bags of sand from the beach
To build her theatre on the cliff
Imagining the magical and terrifying Tempest that was performed there almost 100 years ago
What was it like to walk down those steep steps guided by lamps powered by car batteries?!
And the view!
Every time I looked up it took my breath away
The sheerness of it
The grandness of it
The drama of it!
And then home for dinner
A delicious seafood stew
Being made to feel so special in the way only your aunty who has known you forever and practically raised you can