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I woke up at 6:20AM. It had been an uncomfortable night in an awful bed but after breakfast at 8:15AM the tea sunk in and I felt OK as we left at 9:05AM. First we drove Eastwards along the coast to Marazion to get a closer look at St. Michael's Mount. With it being close to low tide the causeway was visible (unlike yesterday when we drove past close to high tide). Alas my poor night's sleep was showing and an attempt to park saw me brush a wall and put a scratch and some small dents in the back left corner of the car. Doh! Never mind it wasn't a show stopper. We parked up at 9:30AM we got out near the causeway entrance to look at the view of the Mount.
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St. Michael's Mount with the causeway exposed at low tide. Seen from East of Marazion. | A wider view showing Marazion to the right. | Driving Westwards through Marazion. | Looking at the start of the causeway. |
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Closer views of St. Machael's Mount from the causeway start, making good use of my zoom. | 180 degree panorama of the causeway beach. |
After a few minutes we left and took the direct route along the B3311 from Penzance to St. Ives. We arrived around 10AM and drove around getting our bearings. Parking near the town centre was very difficult. In the end we found our way to the Park and Ride car park at Trenwith and caught the 10:20AM bus into the town centre. A 5 minute ride saw us to a bus stop at the end of Chapel Street.
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Passing The Engine Inn between Penzance and St. Ives. | Some ruins a bit further up the road. | Winding our way through the Cornish countryside to St. Ives. | The view from Porthmeor Hill. | Looking towards St. Ives Head from the car park above Porthmeor Beach. |
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Nice views as we drive through St. Ives as we get our bearings and find a place to park. | Further down is a view of the St. Ives Parish Church tower with the harbour beyond. | Getting on the bus at Trenwith car park. |
We wandered around the town centre. First we found our way to the West Pier and walked around the harbour (which was dry at low tide) to the other side. Then we followed the coastal path onto St. Ives Head. I took a quick look at the lookout station and the chapel up there. There were some lovely views of the beaches and St. Ives from this elevated position.
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Wandering the streets of St. Ives. | The harbour is dry at low tide. Walking from South to North around the harbour. |
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Panorama from the Northern corner of the harbour as we walk towards St. Ives Head. | A local resident. | Bamaluz Beach. | Porthgwidden Beach. |
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Looking South over Porthgwidden Beach from St. Ives Head. | Cormorants and a gull on a rock. | National Coastwatch Institution lookout point. And a 360 degree panorama taken close by. |
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Trenwith carpark from St. Ives Head. I can see my car! | St. Nicholas's Chapel. | To the West is a lovely view of Porthmeor Beach. | Panorama Southwest looking over St. Ives. |
Then we descended to Porthmeor beach and walked on the sand. This beach was quite shallow and the middle area was pretty flat. It was low tide but the waves were big and surfers were making use of them. Renée went for a paddle until 11:30AM.
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Views of Porthmeor Beach as we descend from St. Ives Head. | Renée getting the feel for the soft sand. | The waves here are spectacular. |
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Renée enjoying Porthmeor Beach. | Surfers and Bodyboarders making use of the waves. | Renée having fun paddling. |
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Waves crashing on the beach. | On the flat section the sand has formed ridges and troughs. | Porthmeor Beach at low tide. |
We brushed sand off at the cafe and then wandered South along Fore Street. This was a narrow alley with shops, which we had a look around. There were plenty of fudge and other sweet shops too with delicious looking displays. We grabbed pasties (yummy one more time!) from one of several pasty shops and took them over a hill to Porthminster beach.
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One of many narrow alleyways in St. Ives. | Fore Street panorama at the junction with The Digey. | An impressive fudge display. |
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Having a look inside a gift shop. | Looking along Fore Street. | One of several shops selling pasties. | Renée looking at the display of another sweet shop. | Chocaholic's heaven? Including a chocolate pasty! |
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Another Fore Street shot. | St. Ives Parish Church. | Back at the harbour as the tide comes in. |
After descending to the beach we found some rocks to sit on not far from the waves and we ate the pasties with diet coke at around 12:20PM. Meanwhile the tide was steadily coming in. Renée had a short paddle but apparently the water was slightly colder here and the waves were smaller and less exciting. We left at 12:50PM before the tide covered the exit path (which was below the high tide line).
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Porthminster Beach from Warren road above. | Our picnic bench on the beach. | Peaking through a gap in the rocks dividing Porthminster Beach from the harbour. | A typical view of Mike and his camera on Porthminster Beach. |
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Renée testing the water at Porthminster Beach. It felt colder here and the waves were smaller and slightly less interesting. |
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Footprints in the sand. | Someone has built a nice set of sandcastles. | Vandal! |
We backtracked past West Pier and Fore Street to Porthmeor beach.
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A juvenile Herring Gull. | The harbour filling with water as the tide comes in. | A Turnstone (non breeding plumage). | Walking back past St. Ives Parish Church. |
At Porthmeor Beach the tide was coming in fast and started to cover the large flat section as we went onto the sand. I watched as Renée paddled some more. It was so lovely and peaceful. I moved back from the water's edge as the tide advanced over the flat section. This was easily our favourite beach today.
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The tide advances quickly over the flat section. | The Tate St. Ives sits above the beach. | Renée continues to enjoy the water, as do the surfers. |
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Renée and a bodyboarder. | Looking above the surfers to the West and some rocks beyond the beach. | Renée doing some sand appreciation. It is very nice sand to walk on. |
At 1:50PM we went off for a tea break. The flat section of the beach was now covered. We went to Bumbles Tea Room nearby and had cream tea and cake. That was a nice break.
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A nice window to the tea room with knitted goodies on a 3 tiered display. | Mike and Renée enjoying cream tea and cakes. |
Then we returned to Porthmeor beach and paddled from 2:20PM until 3:45PM as high tide approached. I also got my socks and shoes off and went paddling this time. Boy was that water cold. It may be 17C and the warmest it gets all year but it was still very cold. It was nice watching all the spectacular waves and the surfers making use of it, as well as Renée being so happy and having fun in the surf. Meanwhile earlier cloud was clearing more and more as clearer air arrived and we even got slight suntans.
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The beach has a different feel as high tide approaches and the flat section is now covered. | Mike finally taking his shoes and socks off and going paddling. | Another typical view of Mike and his camera. | Brr that water is cold! |
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Trying to take the best wave shot. | Renée and Mike paddling as the waves do their thing. | A bodyboarder enjoying the big waves. |
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Some more wave shots. | Renée looking out to see while a wave crashes cleanly in front of her. | Splosh! | One of my best wave shots. |
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A wave crashing over a rock. | Renée gets a soaking. This is why she had a swimsuit on underneath. |
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Another decent wave shot. | A surfer in action. | Renée running for it as a huge wave crashes around her. |
Then we dried off for a bit and washed sand off our feet before walking back to the bus stop to return to the car park at 4:10PM. Back up at the car park it was clear that the haze had gone and the views were now crystal clear.
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Looking back at St. Ives Head from Trenwith car park. | A clearer view of St. Ives Head and the harbour that when we arrived. | St. Ive's Head westwards to St. Nicholas's Chapel. | A lighthouse on a rock near the other side of St. Ives Bay. |
We departed at 4:25PM. Instead of a direct drive back to Penzance I decided to take us West along the B3306 which took us on a nice circuit of the area North of Land's End. After driving through St. Just we returned to Penzance on the A3071 to get back to the BnB at 5:10PM.
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Driving West along the pretty B3306. | Passing Geevor Tin Mine in Pendeen. | Approaching St. Just. | A nice view of St. Michael's Mount in the clearer air as we descend back towards Penzance. |
After freshening up we left for dinner 5:50PM. We went into Gino's Italian restaurant at 6:10PM and had a very nice final evening meal. The service was a bit slow but the food was delicious and we were in no rush. Outside it was getting dark as we finished and the lights were coming on. I took some nice twilight pictures as it got dark.
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Compared to yesterday St. Michael's Mount is much clearer from the promenade near the BnB. | The view towards Newlyn is much better too. | Walking along the promenade. |
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Gino's. | Having a nice meal inside Gino's. | A fishing boat in the distance. |
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A couple of twilight panoramas taken by Gino's as we finish our meal. All the lights add to the atmosphere of a crystal clear evening. |
Once we finished at the restaurant we took a gentle stroll back taking in the peaceful evening weather and atmosphere. We returned to the BnB at 8PM to relax and retire for the night.
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