Hanging with Kings, Witches and Criminals (literally)

I asked ManpanionTM to name this 
essential item of breakfast tableware - 
he said "It's a Toast Comb"
He's not wrong, is he?

Time to relax into being a complete tourist today.  The plan was to focus on two of the classic touristy highlights of the north Cornish coast - a trip to see King Arthur's Castle in Tintagel, followed by one of my all time favorite spots, Boscastle Harbor.  We had a tasty breakfast at the hotel (robust sourdough toast this morning) and I spent a bit of time blogging, while ManpanionTM caught up on some work email (I remember those - heh heh).  The castle didn't open until 10am and is about a half hour's drive from Bodmin, so we enjoyed a nice leisurely start to the day.

The weather was still being ridiculously cooperative - just as well, as doing the Castle in shitty weather would be No Fun At All.  I remembered Tintagel as total tourist heaven, full of tacky gift shops and ice-cream places - and I'm happy to report it hasn't changed at all!!  Still as cheesy and unapologetically touristy as ever.  As it is still the offseason in Cornwall - and it was a Tuesday morning - the traffic was not bad at all and we found a parking space no problem.  I recall how completely gridlocked it could become in the summer - it could take you 10 mins just to wait for a break in the traffic to cross the road!  And the traffic chaos that just one caravan could cause?? Don't get me started...

Anyway, I'd already pre-booked our tickets for our visit to the castle, so it was easy to find the entrance and start the walk down the slope towards the entrance to the site.  It was so steep, you had to lean backwards by at least 30 degrees otherwise you would just topple over forwards!  Again, ManpanionTM expressed gratitude that we were not attempting to do this visit in the rain.  Me too.  My 51yr old knees were already starting to squawk a little, so I was also grateful to not have to worry about slipping on my ass to the mix too.

So up until this point, everything I've revisited on this trip as an adult has been smaller than my childhood memory's recollection.  Not so, Tintagel Castle.  The whole site was way, way bigger than I remembered!  I don't know if I was just a lazy sod when I visited as a kid and only did the "main" part of the castle, but there was a big loop up on the clifftop that I didn't remember at all.  There was a new bridge that had been opened up a couple of years ago which meant that now you no longer have to take the hazardous (and lung-busting) stairs down - and back up the other side again!  I do remember going down to the beach and exploring the cave on the left hand side - I was always mildly terrified that we would lose track of time and get cut off by the incoming tide (of course, that never happened).  I also didn't really remember the views being so spectacular - but I think that is also a function of getting older and developing more of an appreciation of natural beauty, as well as just not taking it for granted anymore cos you live there.  Clearly, moving away from Cornwall for the last 30yrs has led me to develop a new-found appreciation for just how stunning the scenery is - it really is very very lovely indeed.  

Just part of the whole castle complex

well, well, well....

Very impressed how committed these
guys were to getting the perfect selfie..

Stunning views from the top

Obligatory selfie

As well as the photo of me taking a photo

We spent about an hour wandering about, enjoying the views and the warm sunshine, before starting the trek back to the car park.  Using the excuse of "its a new experience!", I convinced ManpanionTM to opt for the Landrover option, vs slogging there on shank's pony.  It took just a couple of mins and felt like a Very Good Call, by the time we made it to the top.  

We had no shame at taking this option back up the 
crazy steep hill. A solid way to spend 2.50GBP.

The Olde Post Office

A light lunch

After Tintagel (saying hello to the Old Post Office on our way back to the Car Park), it was time to drive over to Boscastle - both for a planned lunch stop at the Cobweb Inn as well as a visit to the Witchcraft Museum.  We effed up the GPS directions a bit so ended up approaching the harbor by a very backroad route where the roads were soooooooo narrow - it was ridiculous!!  But we eventually made it (slowly, slowly) and didn't hit anything, so parked up and headed into the Cobweb Inn for lunch.  After asking the barmaid for recommendations, we opted for the steak and ale pie and the fish & chips - so two light, healthy choices!  Both were deeeelicious but holy shit - the portions were INSANE!  Each plate could have fed a family of four!  

Just THINK of all the dusting!  Bottles hanging from 
the ceiling in the Cobweb Inn - oh wait... I guess they 
chose that name for a reason....

So we did our best and then staggered out, tum full, ready for a visit to the weird and wonderful Museum of Witchcraft and Magic - the largest such repository of magical artifacts and sumsuch in the world.  

The Witchcraft museum

Here's the link so you can check it out  https://museumofwitchcraftandmagic.co.uk/- it was as you'd probably expect - full of witchy paraphernalia as well as lots of stories of local Cornish witches and the various spells that could be cast to bring you either luck or misfortune.  It was really quite interesting - and lots of great outfits.  I think its really all about the fashion, tbh.  The golden circlets and feathered nature-themed headdresses?  *chef's kiss*

Scold's bridle - ManpanionTM was
very interested in this exhibit for some reason...

I dunno man - these all sound pretty
reasonable to me...

Of course we had to have a go...

ManpanionTM got Temperance

And I got the High Priestess

By the time we came out of the museum. the weather had started to turn just a little bit - the sun had disappeared behind thick cloud, so the temperature had dropped quite a bit and the wind had some bite to it.  We walked along the harbor front just a bit more, to see the harbor entrance and the boats moored up, before turning round and heading home.  We stopped at a bakery on the way back to the car park to buy some pasties for supper (and some scones and clotted cream -yey!) (dinner at the hotel was good - but not two nights in a row good).  We got back at 3.30pm, just in time for a quick power nap, before the prison tour that we had booked for 4pm.  

Now THIS is far more usual.  Add some sideways
rain, a bone-chilling wind and you've got a typical
summer's day

On the bridge on the river leading down to the harbor.
So pretty.

Charming way to use an old telephone box.

At just before 4pm, we headed down to reception to wait for our tour - we'd assumed (cos no-one told us otherwise) that it would be leaving from reception, led by some scholarly looking chap with a clipboard.  By 4.02pm, we thought we'd double check with the receptionist (the same one who had confirmed our place on the 4pm tour before we'd left for the day) and so NOW she tells us that it leaves from the "Bodmin Jail Experience" which is on the other side of the building!  FFS, lady!  You could have given us a heads- up in the morning!!!  When we finally got there (after a couple of false starts making our way through the building), it was locked up tight!!  WTF?!!!  It was 4.05pm so we were precisely 5mins late for a tour that was estimated to last for 90mins and it was already locked??  This would Just Not Do.  So I pounded on the door until someone came to open it up - I then explained the situation, calmly but firmly, until they relented and let us in (apparently we should have turned up at 3.50pm for a 4pm tour).  And we found out they DID have us on their list of booked guests (the only ones, I might add!) - so why they didn't call the hotel or something to see if we were coming was beyond us.  Crappy communication all round, tbh.

Anyway, whatever - we got in and started the tour.  The first bit was the "experience" - think London Dungeon style exhibits with story telling and models & sets that brought 1800's Bodmin to life.  It was a bit cheesy but actually really well-done, with no expense spared.  The heavy mist/spray when the ship was being deliberated run aground by pirates was a nice touch, as was the flayed corpse hung overhead in a metal cage.  All good, clean fun.

After the experience bit, the rest of the exhibit was through some of the original jail cells that had been preserved, with more stories of what life was like in the jail over the years, touching back on some of the character's stories we'd been introduced to previously.  Also mentioned was the Beast of Bodmin (real or imagined? you decide....) as well as all the various paranormal activities that have been reported in the jail.  It would have been interesting to learn more about the renovation and refurbishment of the decrepit derelict jail into its current iteration - but none of that information was included, which was a shame.  I guess I'm just nosy - just how much did it cost to knock down all those walls and install 50 or so bathrooms?  But it did finish up with fairly realistic dramatization of a hanging, so that was also entertaining.

After the museum, we headed back to our room to chill out for a bit until it was time to meet with Daniel for drinks and a catch-up.  Daniel was a contemporary of my sister's and was in the year ahead of me - we'[d kept in touch via Facebook and this blog (anyone else remember the bear swimsuit) but hadn't met IRL since I'd left Camelford for Bristol University, back in 1990.  He came on up to our room, after he arrived, as he was interested in the hotel renovation - and it was so fun to see him!  It was "hey there - so, what have you been up to for the last 30 years??".  We ended up shooting the breeze for a couple of hours, before he headed home and we went back to our room to enjoy a late night bed pasty picnic.  Tomorrow, we bid farewell to north Cornwall and head south - an area that I'm far less familiar with.  We have another couple of touristy places on the docket (neither of which I've been to before) so I'm looking forward to a fun, last day in Cornwall before heading off to Cambridge.  This trip is flying by fast!!