Sticking out from the mass of England into the Atlantic Ocean, Cornwall, the westernmost limb of the English mainland, has always fascinated me.
Tourist pounds have been instrumental in preserving the old feel of these historic port villages- Pierre Stafrace
Having the opportunity to do some theatre work briefly with one of Cornwall’s leading theatre groups eight years ago only served to heighten this attraction.
My recent visit started in Plymouth, a large town on the border of Devon and Cornwall. This city has preserved its historic core, including the sloping park at Plymouth Hoe which overlooks a glorious vista of Plymouth Sound.
You can imagine Sir Francis Drake setting out to challenge the Spanish Armada from here. We witnessed magnificent yachts taking part in the Americas Cup inside the splendid natural harbour of the Sound, recreating the maritime excitement of days gone by.
One of the main attractions of Plymouth is the National Marine Aquarium, Britain’s largest, where one can see a wide range of marine life, from tiny seahorses to menacing sharks.
Leaving Plymouth and driving down the south Cornish coast, one is immediately struck by the importance of maritime life to the county. Given its long, thin shape, you are never far from the sea wherever you are in Cornwall – just like Malta, in that respect.
These days, tourism is more important economically to this area than the traditional fishing industry. Tourist pounds, however, have been instrumental in preserving the old feel of these historic port villages, where colourful fishing boats are still left high and dry by the tide.
The best way to experience the Cornish coastline is to walk it; the South West Coast Path is the longest marked footpath in Britain and goes along the cliffs and beaches of the south and north coast.
The beaches in Cornwall are really impressive; varying from tiny, secluded coves to stretches of white sand kilometres long which appear and disappear with the ebb and flow of the tide. Cliffs of black granite rise up from the sand behind the beaches, creating scenery of impressive beauty.
Chimney stacks from old, abandoned tin mines spring up at irregular intervals along the coast, a reminder of an industry which had brought a degree of prosperity to Cornwall in the 18th century.
Many of the strands along the northern coast – such as Sennen Cove – attract masses of surfers.
All along the coast, beautiful lighthouses stand sentinel, in dazzling white or striped white and red livery, warning ships of the treacherous rocks off-shore, booming their deafening horns on foggy nights.
Land’s End is famous as the most western tip of the English mainland and is popular with ‘pilgrims’ who travel all the way from John O’Groats.
We personally found Land’s End a bit too overcrowded and commercialised, preferring Point Cornwall, just a bit further north, for its unspoilt natural beauty.
Apart from the natural beauty, one can enjoy the architectural variety of Cornwall. The colourful cottages in fishing villages such as Fowey are delightful; the Tate Museum at St Ives contrasts wonderfully with the small houses in narrow, cobbled streets.
Castles can be found all over the Duchy, from the large Pendennis castle guarding the harbour at Falmouth, to the magnificent St Michael’s Mount, which is accessible on foot only at low tide, to the evocative ruins of Tintagel castle, fabled to have once belonged to King Arthur.
One of the most amazing modern constructions in Cornwall is The Eden Project – an ambitious project which saw a huge disused clay mine be turned into an ecology centre through the building of a number of gigantic domes which house different climates from around the world.
One can wander through the hot, humid air of the rainforest surrounded by huge ferns, exotic flowers and rubber trees, even if it is cold and raining outside.
This is a very exciting and educational project and children and parents alike were completely mesmerised by the volume of information – all well-presented – about the state of the environment around our world.
Colour, pageantry and theatre are vital elements of life among people in Cornwall and the Minack theatre is an incredible expression of this love of drama. An amphitheatre hewn into the granite cliff, the Minack theatre has the glorious beach of Portcurno as a backdrop.
It hosts productions – open-air – throughout the Cornish summer, which is not necessarily as warm or as dry as the one in Malta. And yet, the theatre is practically always sold out, with musical shows and modern classics running side by side with Shakespearean plays.
Of course, the language spoken in Cornwall is English. But in pubs, it is still possible to hear scraps of conversation in Cornish, although this language, directly descended from the ancient British language, was on the verge of extinction up to a few decades ago and has only been revived through extensive educational programmes.
Talking of pubs, although there is a fledgling wine industry in Cornwall, with some of the best sparkling wines coming out of the Camel Valley, beer is still the most widely drunk beverage and there are some excellent Cornish brews such as Tribute and Trelawny from the St Austell brewery and Sharp’s Doom bar.
An important part of any travel is the cuisine, and in Cornwall, food is wholesome and healthy, if not exotic. Due to the constant proximity of the sea, fish and seafood dishes abound in any restaurant or pub. Tasty little mussels, fat prawns, fleshy crabs and delicate tasting fish are staples on most menus.
Cornwall’s contribution to worldwide cuisine, however, is the Cornish pasty, variations of which one can find in any town or village throughout the peninsula. Every bakery has its own recipe, both for the pastry and the filling.
The real Cornish treat, if you have a sweet tooth, is ‘cream tea’ – fluffy scones thickly spread with strawberry jam and clotted cream. Absolutely delicious and, of course, highly calorific. All washed down with a nice cup of tea – oh, how quintessentially English.