If only we try thinking differently

I saw Patch Adams (Robin Williams) on BBC last week. It moved me to do a bit of internet searching about Gesundheit Hopsital project, which is run by the real Patch Adams. Both the film and the project are very interesting. They both highlight the need for us to try thinking differently, and the importance of recognizing that not everything has to be done in the so called "traditional way". The status quo is not sacred. The status quo is not necessarily the best way forward. And those who question the status quo should not automatically be rejected. (I am not saying all medics should do things the Patch Adam way. Just that a different way sometimes works too.)

Home at last

First to Bath and the straight home. Long but extremely good week!

The journey home

We took it easy today. There is no rush to get back home too quickly. So, we took the A30 through Bodmin Moor and stopped at Cheddar Gorge which is just south of Bristol. Not that many cheddar factories around there and the one we found was almost closing (we only arrived at around 4.30pm). So, I treated the children to ice cream instead. I opted, surprise surprise, for cream tea again. I think by now even my wife is hooked on it too. Too tired to drive all the way home. So, checked into a hotel in Bristol.

Lizards and Glendurgan

Left the cabin quite early today. Took the village route from St Ives to The Lizards, passing through Hayle, Leedstown, RNAS Culdrose and Helston. By the time we arrived at Lizards, it was already nearly lunchtime. I was divided between buying a serpentine stone artefact or buying lunch for the family. I only had £30 in my wallet and the nearest cash machine is miles away. Unfortunately for the family, the serpentine stone (£29.50 barometer) won. When you have to choose between a once in lifetime opportunity to purchase such item and a starving family, I am afraid family comes second! Lizard Point was very, very windy. Kynance Cove, which is a mile to the west of Lizard Point is slightly more protected and more beautiful. Both are highly recommended though. The children began begging for food. Before they start telling other tourists that their father had forsaken them for a piece of carved rock, I decided to swiftly take them into the car and drive towards Glendurgan Garden near Falmouth. I gave the children some tea biscuits to keep them quiet. Usually, when I hear the word garden, I would associate it with flowers and landscaping. But Glendurgan is not that kind of garden. It is more like acres of land cultivated with varying trees, shrubs, palms and bamboos. It is different and not what I was expecting, but it is most certainly beautiful too. It was already 9pm when we got back to St Ives.

Penzance and St Michael's Mount

The initial intention was to go to Trevarno Garden. But since we only left the cabin at 11am, it was already too late. Went straight to Penzance instead. The town was very different from other places I have visited. It is calm and not too busy, but most importantly it has its own “character”. Decided to try Cornish cream tea at one of the tea rooms. I must admit that from then onwards, I am officially a cream tea addict. The Cornish clotted cream is just nice – not too sweet, not too thick. By early afternoon, we headed to St Michael’s Mount. The tide is slowly rising so we had to walk quickly towards the island, before the sea covers the causeway. The place is truly magical. The island itself is rich with history. The garden is very well kept, the castle is beautiful and the exhibits are intriguing. I noticed that in the castle’s library there was a book entitled “Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah and Meccah” by Burton. This book, which comes in two volumes, is a very old title, perhaps dating back to the late 1800s. By the look of it, the one they have there is probably more than 100 years old. I wanted to make a copy of the first page verso as memorabilia but the officials there wouldn’t let me. By the time we finished wondering around St Michael’s Mount, the sea has fully covered the causeway. So, it was a short boat ride back to mainland.

Land's End

Arrived at Lands End around noon. Once again, we decided to take the not so straightforward route. We started from the holiday village, firstly to St Ives town centre, then proceeded to St Just via B3306 – the coastal route – before finally arriving at Lands End nicely for lunch. We had our packed lunch by the cliff, only to be interrupted by the seagulls eyeing for our food. After unsuccessfully trying to fend them off, I thought we should move back into the car to finish our food before the seagulls started diving into our food containers. (I noticed that the seagulls were very generous with their “droppings” on my car afterwards. Are they trained to take revenge?) Lands End itself was a very nice place. The surrounding cliffs were very steep but with the clear blue sky, you can see right to the horizon. A few mandatory pics at the popular Lands End signpost. Only now I know that the signpost was put up there by a photography company as a way of attracting customers. Until today it is being managed by the company and you have to pay £9.50 for them to take your picture under the signpost. I opted to not pay them but took a few snaps a few metres away. Then, a stroll around the area – I still feel that the seagulls are keeping a close watch on us! Then back to St Ives - the children have been badgering me wanting to go to the swimming pool at the holiday village. After a short swim, we headed to St Ives harbour to see the sunset. Nice!

From Plymouth to St Ives

I was planning to go to the Eden Project today but decided to explore Plymouth instead. The Hoe was breathtaking. The Plymouth Dome, situated on The Hoe, has a good exhibition about Plymouth. It tells about the sailors of previous times who started their journey from Plymouth and of how Plymouth was built up again after being blitzed during the world war. I also learnt that the word “Tory” was first given to the group of people (criminals) sent from England to colonize New Zealand in the mid 1600s. Then, another two hour journey to St Ives. Arrived at the holiday village at around 7pm and was too tired to do anything else. Cooked dinner and straight to bed.

Plymouth

We arrived at Plymouth at around 8pm. The journey from home to Plymouth was nice. Rather than taking the motorway, we opted take the A303 after the M3, driving passed the scenic rural areas of Andover, Salisbury Plain and Ilminster. We stopped at Stonehenge for a few minutes. After Exeter, we decided to drive through the Bodmin Moor. The road was treacherous but the scene was worth it. Just next to the hotel was a Chinese restaurant – New China. Nice food but pricy.