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This Pirate goes to Penzance, and then on to the land of Fire and Ice

This Pirate goes to Penzance, and then on to the land of Fire and Ice

Old Jun 24th, 2017, 04:26 PM
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This Pirate goes to Penzance, and then on to the land of Fire and Ice

In my youth I belonged to a Gilbert and Sullivan group, playing in the pit orchestra for most of the G&S productions. The Pirates of Penzance was the one we did most, so being a "slave of duty," Penzance had long been on my bucket list to visit. We combined that with a contrasting trip later to Iceland for nostalgia's sake since Iceland was the first country we visited as a couple, in fact it was on our honeymoon nearly fifty years ago. We chose Iceland simply because Loftleidir Airlines offered the cheapest fares to Europe since they were still flying turboprops.

This time we began our trip going to JFK to board American Airlines to Heathrow, taking the Heathrow express into Paddington Station where we boarded our train for the 51/2 hour ride to Penzance making for a very long 2 days. The train...
Climbing over rocky mountain,
Skipping rivulet and fountain,
Passing where the willows quiver
By the ever-rolling river,

Swollen with the summer rain :
Threading long and leafy mazes
Dotted with unnumbered daisies ;

Until we arrived in Penzance well past 8 in the evening. Seated on the side of the train where one can see the water, it was quite the scenic trip with lots of sheep safely grazing. Thank you Annhig.

Now on this forum our fellow fodorite Irishface wrote that she would be in Penzance during the same time we would be there with a companion, so I suggested on her thread that it would be nice if we could meet for dinner during our overlapping time, but had not heard from her one way or the other. I did mention that we would be staying at the Stanley Guest House. When we arrived at the Guesthouse, I was delighted to learn of a message awaiting us that Irishface and her companion had come by and that they would be at the Queens Hotel which was less than a five minute walk from our guest house, both being on the Promenade. She did not know me by any other but my screen name but Kate, our hostess guessed who it would be. I cleaned up a bit and walked over to the Queens on the chance that they were around. At the desk they did not have a listing under her name but were kind enough to scan their guestlist for 2 American women traveling together and since I knew her State, they were quickly found, room contacted and dinner date made for the next day.

A word about the Stanley Guest House. Have you seen Fawlty Towers? The staircase at the Stanley reminded me of the one in the show where one walks up the stairs, then down, then up again to get to our top floor room. Our room was basic and nice, ensuite with a wonderful view of the sea and Jubilee pool. The same sea view that one would have at the Queens. Our hostess Kate is delightful and eager to please. She even had gluten free items for DW at breakfast since I mentioned that it would be appreciated. By the time we were ready to go for dinner it was past 10pm and the kitchen's in all of the nearby restaurants were closed, so our first Penzantic meal was from a Chinese take out that was still open.

Next, a day walking Penzance and we meet up with Irishface and Judy for dinner.
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Old Jun 24th, 2017, 05:00 PM
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Signing on - hope to make it back to Cornwall next year.
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Old Jun 25th, 2017, 01:57 AM
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Ah, the flowers that bloom in the spring..
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Old Jun 25th, 2017, 03:21 AM
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Hail, hail, the gang's all here. Signing on for the ride.
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Old Jun 25th, 2017, 04:57 AM
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The weather for our entire Penzance stay was perfect. Warm, sunny days and cool nights.We began our day with a full English for me with the addition of Marmite, and a modified gluten free and meat free but otherwise full English for DW. It was now time for me to walk down to train station to pick up the rental car that I ordered - I ordered a Fiat 500 with mind of the legendary narrow and winding Cornwall roads lined with stone fences. Is that what I got? Noooo. I arrived at the rental office by the station and was told that I had to show my passport. I did not have it with me since the rental instructions in listing necessary documents for rental did not list "passport." I walked back to the Stanley taking the longer route through town for a change in scenery and taking my time. Our plan for the morning was to both go exploring Penzance so fetching DW, who was enjoying the view from our window, we wandered Penzance for several hours, seeking particular places that she and I had previously noted. By the time we got to the rental car place, they were all out of cars of Fiat 500 size so I was "upgraded" to guess what? A Jeep Renegade. Now this model of Jeep is considered small in the US, but for a person who last drove on the left on these kind of roads back in 2010, it was a monster truck. At least it was a diesel which gave me better torque in low gear that makes shifting more forgiving. In retrospect, now that I have an idea of the public transportation system, I really did not need a car and could have reached nearly all of or destinations easily with public transport without taking years off of DW's life through hours of terror as she sat on the passenger side of our monster truck, her cheek nearly skimming stone walls, or at least it looked that way to her.

Simply said, driving in Cornwall is not fun for the uninitiated, particularly when in a large for Cornwall auto. The Jeep is wide, not a good thing and there is truck and bus traffic making lots of squeeze through situations or dive to a small nook that may appear on the side of the road if lucky. This is complicated in that one is constantly negotiating blind curves which adds to the stress level. It would not have been nearly as stressful in the Fiat though. All this said, IMO it would be best not to rent a car if not necessary. BTW, my view of the roads was echoed by several Cornish natives that we met.

We parked at the Stanley, which has its own small, but adequate parking area, and walked Penzance some more, it is an interesting place with lots of shops and restaurants, which we scoped out on our walking tour. Tip... even if in shape, before a trip to Cornwall practice walking hills You will be doing plenty of it.

Returning to the Stanley and negotiating the stairs to our room, we rested enjoying the view from our window. I had my birding binoculars with me, so watched the swimmers who were not using the pool, but launching from the rocky shore. Some were in wet suits since the water must have been quite cold. For me this was also bird watching, just a different sort of bird, but no less enjoyable.

Walking down to the Queens, we met Irishface and Judy at the appointed time and place and suggested dinner at the Dolphin pub, highly recommended by our hostess, nearby, and a level walk along the promenade. This turned out to be IMO a great choice. Service was wonderful, the food matched the service, and the atmosphere all that one would want. Irishface and Judy, both of the teaching profession, were fine company and we sat and chatted for several hours. One could recognize Irishface by the twinkle in her eyes. I will leave it to Irishface to further describe our time together if she would like to do that.

We walked them back to their hotel and then backtracked to our place. It was a fine and memorable evening.

Next, Gardens and a Gallery.
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Old Jun 25th, 2017, 06:05 AM
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Good start! I feel for you WRT the driving! On my previous visits to Cornwall I have always been in a car, but someone else was driving. I have zero intention of driving myself if I visit next year....

When were you there, and how crowded was it?
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Old Jun 25th, 2017, 06:15 AM
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thursdaysd - We were there June 13-17. It was not crowded at all.
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Old Jun 25th, 2017, 06:25 AM
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It took me about 2 hours in Cornwall to thank my lucky stars we hadn't rented a car...ANY car. And yes, by Day 2 I was mighty glad I was in decent hill-climbing shape.

Penzance is a nice place, just unassuming enough not to win any tourist awards, but full of interesting shops and vistas and friendly people. I was amazed at the number of charity shops (not only in Penzance but all over the area). We stopped in a couple and found some much-needed warm clothing that we hadn't expected to need.

Did you get to Lyme-Regis or Mousehole? We had an exceptionally delicious dinner with annhig in the latter - really adorable little town, and of course the company was great.

Penzance was busy, but not crowded when we were there a month ago. I imagine it could get a bit crowded in high season, but it didn't strike me as a place that would ever be overrun.
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Old Jun 25th, 2017, 06:38 AM
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Are you going to write a TR, StCirq? I would be very interested in how you got around by public transport. Did you make it to the Minack Theatre? (I liked Lyme Regis, too.)
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Old Jun 25th, 2017, 07:29 AM
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For those concerned about the size of the Jeep Renegade in comparison to the Fiat 500, the Jeep is in fact built on the sme platform as the Fiat 500X, one of the larger models in the Fiat 500 range. It could even be that they are made on the same production line.

I am sure it is all a question of what you are used to, but I doubt if many of the locals would think of it as a big car. It is also tne case that higher car is better on narrow roads with high banks and hedges.

Did you see the buses in Mousehole?
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Old Jun 25th, 2017, 07:54 AM
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thursdays,d, I pretty much gave up writing trip reports a few years ago when I realized that Fodors lays claim to the copyright of anything that gets posted here. I put too much thought into my TRs to give them away, and I also use them for other purposes.

That said, I'd be happy to put together something simple. I just yesterday downloaded all our photos, so can add them. It was a spectacular trip, and a breeze on public transportation.

We didn't get to the Minack, unfortunately. We did enjoy a concert at Colston Hall in Brighton, though.
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Old Jun 25th, 2017, 08:24 AM
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Thank you for posting your report. We will be in Cornwall in August and will also be renting a car for the duration.
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Old Jun 25th, 2017, 08:32 AM
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Thanks StCirq. I post my TRs on my blog before I put them on Fodors, so maybe I have a prior claim. But Fodors seems to have lost interest - I don't think they are still even doing the "word of mouth" thing that used to net people free guidebooks.
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Old Jun 25th, 2017, 08:38 AM
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Enjoying your report!

We didn't stay in Penzance but spent an afternoon there and thoroughly enjoyed it. We were there the end of May and it was empty.

To add a different perspective on driving, while I was not the driver, the driver was not unduly stressed. We had a small Hyundai and had no issues in Cornwall with driving. (Can't recall the model.) The descriptions are true in that there are some very narrow roads and one has to be alert to pull over in the little pullovers. We got off on some awful roads but that was in the Cotswolds. I add our experience so that people will see that driving can be ok for some people.

Minack was fabulous. Loved Mousehole and Lyme REgis. We did a beautiful drive along the coast from St. Ives where we stayed to Penzance.
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Old Jun 25th, 2017, 08:59 AM
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We were just saying if we made it back to Mildenhall we would head to Cornwall. I am so glad that you can get around with public transport. I would rather ride a scooter than drive a car there.
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Old Jun 25th, 2017, 09:07 AM
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That is interesting yestravel, I found the driving in the Cotswolds pleasant, even on the narrow roads. I believe it was because of a lower traffic volume, particularly far fewer trucks and buses when we were there. If my memory serves me, I believe that the roads, although winding were less so than in Cornwall and that the sides were more in the nature of hedges rather than stone walls although I am not sure about the latter.

Charley, the Jeep is indeed built on the same platform as the Fiat 500X although with different sheet metal. However, compared to the Fiat 500, it is a full 10" wider. As far as size, it is all relative. I have owned cars of all sizes from a Citroen Dyane (loved it) to a Chevy conversion Van (loved it too).
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Old Jun 25th, 2017, 10:11 AM
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You went everywhere I always dreamt of going ... My husband told me that if I went to visit, he would never get me to leave ... so I haven't been there yet but it is on my bucket list.

To Sit In Solemn Silence. To sit in solemn silence in a dull, dark, dock, In a pestilential prison, with a life-long lock, Awaiting the sensation of a short, sharp, shock, From a cheap and chippy chopper on a big black block!
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Old Jun 25th, 2017, 10:27 AM
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just found this Basingstoke, and am enjoying reading about your exploits very much especially the driving which is much more fun for me to read about than it was for you to do, I'm sure. It is undoubtedly true that negotiating the narrow lanes and avoiding too close an encounter with our cornish hedges [as the stone walls are called] is quite an art; most locals have got used to judging our speed so that we cross at the widest part of the road but there are still some who seem to think that their masculinity is challenged by having to use the brake pedal. [oops, have I given my prejudices away there?] Of course there are some roads where there is no alternative but to back up to the nearest pull in to let the other driver past and all this is easier the smaller the car you have. But the jeep should have given you good visibility at least, being higher off the ground.

I'm interested in your remarks on the Stanley - it certainly sounds better than Fawlty Towers, despite your mentioning that venerable institution - would you recommend it? I can't imagine Basil coming up with gluten free anything. What did irishface and her friend think about the Queen's?

Glad that you too enjoyed your sojourn here, Yestravel - the drive between St Ives and PZ is very lovely I think. I've only done it the other way round so I must try it "your way" some time I think.

So many fodorites in Cornwall this year - I wonder if this is a record?
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Old Jun 25th, 2017, 11:51 AM
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Sorry, I was mistaken the place we had issues was in the Dartmoor National Park, not the Cotswolds which were fine. We got lost in the Park and ended up on a D road that we thought we were never going to get out of.

BTW basingstoke, you recommended our BnB in Edinburg No 14 Hart St. We really enjoyed our stay there. Thanks for the recommendation.
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Old Jun 25th, 2017, 12:08 PM
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"I had my birding binoculars with me, so watched the swimmers who were not using the pool, but launching from the rocky shore. " Got a giggle there, Basie until I read they were wearing wetsuits.....LOL.
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