Captivated by Cornwall By Local Photographer and Adventurer Dianne Gowder
If you read my piece on Edinburgh last month (it’s not too late if you haven’t) you will know that my next stop on my trip home to England was Cornwall, in the southwestern part of England. We were lucky to be staying with friends in the delightful little village of St Mawgan.
Upon arrival our friends took us the village tea shop for some delicious scones with jam and cream. I ate mine before I thought to take a photo.
Once we finished afternoon tea and got settled in at our friend's home, a walk along the beach was in order, followed later by dinner at an outdoor café overlooking the beach. Cornwall is known for it’s mild weather, beautiful and pirates among many other things.
The next morning after a short walk along the country lanes we headed of to St Eval for a walk along the cliffs and to admire the stunning scenery.
Then it was back in the car to explore the Lost Gardens of Heligan. These gardens were created on a large family estate in the mid 18th century and needed, at one time, 22 gardeners to maintain it. Sadly the gardeners went off to fight in the First World War and 16 of them did not survive. The gardens eventually fell into a state neglect and were lost. In the 1990s they were rediscovered and restored and are now a wonderful place to visit.
Another must visit if you are in Cornwall is the Eden project.
It consists of two large domes built on a reclaimed clay pit. They house thousands of plant species. One replicates the rain forest and once you are inside you will definitely feel like you are in one, regardless of the outside temperature.
Here are a few shots from that biome.
The second biome is a Mediterranean environment so many of the plants will be familiar to those of us who live in Southern California. There is also an Invisible World’s Exhibit which is great fun for the children. The sculpture pictured is called Infinity Blue and and it breathes out vapor rings.
I was sad to leave Cornwall but I had new places to discover, so it was off to the station the next morning to catch the train (actually 4 trains) to the ancient city of Bath.
Stay tuned.
Photo Credit to Arturo Garcia Ayala
About Dianne Gowder:
Originally from England, but now long time San Pedro resident, Dianne loves to walk and she tries to do at least 3 miles every day before she heads out to work. Her love of photography evolved from her walks. “I have always been amazed by scenery here and more and more I found myself stopping to capture the beauty of my surroundings. As I shared my work I realized that very few people were even aware of what they have on their doorstep!” Dianne has made it her mission to share the beauty through her photographs and she takes her friends on walks as often as possible. Find Dianne’s photography on her Facebook photography page and on her Instagram page.