A sunny day drive into wonderland…

Look at the number of sailboats moored in this bay!

Fascinating Fact of the Day About Falmouth

 In 2016, Falmouth was
named best coastal community at the Great British High Street Awards, and in 2018 Falmouth has been named as one of the ‘best places to live in Britain’ by The Sunday Times.
We can easily see why the above statement under “Fascinating Fact About Falmouth” refers to Falmouth as one of the “best places to live in Britain.”  This is so true.  
If a potential resident can tolerate the “no assigned parking” on the majority of the streets near High Street, the center of town, and are willing to walk up and down many steep hills when out and about, this town has it all.
“The historic parish church of St Gluvias, dedicated to Gluvias of Cornwall (or Gluviacus), serves the Church of England parish of St Gluvias with Penryn. Gluvias of Cornwall was the son of Gwynllyw, the warrior, King of Gwentlog, and a nephew of St Petroc. The church was founded in the 6th century, and the parish was in the Middle Ages, sometimes called Behethlan or Bohelland. In 1881 the church was in a dilapidated state and need of thorough repair. It was rebuilt by J. P. St Aubyn in 1883, although the medieval tower survived and was built of granite blocks. The church contains the brass of Thomas Kyllygrewe, c. 1485. There are also three wall monuments of interest: Samuel Pendarves, d. 1693, and his wife; William Pendarves, d. 1671, and his wife (both are curiously positioned with the figures which should face each other on either side of the corners of a window opening); and J. Kempe, d. 1711, bust under drapery.”
Beauty, outstanding views from almost every location, mild weather in the summer months, friendly people, a quaint ambiance, and a sense of welcoming may be instrumental in making this a perfect place for a move or retirement.

However, I can’t stress how vital it is for a new resident to be pretty fit to tackle the steep hills. Long terms residents are probably in fairly good condition if they’ve been walking these hills for years.
Since the “action” on High Street includes grocery stores, shops, restaurants, and even a movie theater and is easily accessible “distance-wise” from many streets in this neighborhood and parking in town is at a premium, walking is a great way to get around.
The graveyard at St. Gluvias Church in Penryn, Cornwall.

As a matter of fact, on Sunday night, we have a reservation for the “Sunday Roast” at the local Boathouse Pub and Restaurant, which is close enough that we can walk. It’s hilly, but we’ve already tried it a few times, and I can make it up and back.

To give up one’s parking spot for such proximity to the pub makes no sense at all. On Sunday night, everyone maybe home, and finding a new spot will be nearly impossible.

Soon, once Tom finishes watching the last Minnesota Vikings pre-season game, we’ll be off again. It’s time to grocery shop, most likely for the last time with us leaving Falmouth a week from today, and we hope to plan to purchase sufficient groceries to last through the week.  

The side entrance to St. Gluvias Church.
We also plan to dine out on our last night here, Thursday, and have already selected another highly-rated establishment on High Street. Today, we’ll head to the pharmacy, the fishmongers market, and the Tesco grocery store, some of which are too far to walk from place to place.  

Tom will drop me off at the pharmacy, and I’ll meet him at Tesco a short time later. It’s only a block or two, and now as the pain in my legs continues to improve, I’ll be able to make it.

Yesterday, we hit the road again, driving to several picturesque little towns on the opposite sides of the bay. As the crow flies, it may have been a five-minute drive to the first town of Flushing but driving on the narrow, often one-car lanes took quite a while.

Another area of the graveyard.
We drove on to little town after another, reveling in the uniqueness and beauty of each area.  Some tourists wandered about the center of each city but nothing like how many there are in Falmouth, a port of call for many cruise ships that are older and considerably smaller than we’ve experienced.
We found parking spots in and approaching the small towns on several occasions stopping to walk to take photos. It was a blissfully sunny day, and we couldn’t have been more enthused to be out.

I surprised myself how much easier it was to walk up and down the many stairs and hills we encountered along the way. At times, Tom stayed with the car when there was nowhere to park, while I took off on foot on my own to get better photos.
Last posted church bulletin.

It was the first time I’d taken on such a challenge in almost seven months, and I felt energized and refreshed being able to make it up and back to the various venues, primarily churches, mostly up and down hills, without getting out of breath with heart racing by the time I reached the car.  

I’m hopeful for the future, more now than ever then, I dared allow myself to be.  But, you know how it is, as soon as we mention something improving, the next day can prove to be tough. So I play it by ear, one day at a time, until I can freely feel confident that I’ve fully healed.


May your Friday and upcoming weekend be filled with many beautiful surprises. For those in the US, please have a safe Labor Day weekend!

Photo from one year ago today, August 30, 2018:

This male ostrich appeared comfortably seated in the middle of a driveway of a bush home. For more photos, please click here.

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