August 1st, Pendennis Castle and St. Michael’s Mount

Today started as a cloudy, overcast mess, but I wanted to get back to visiting some of the sights that I had planned to see. The first stop was Pendennis Castle. While not a typical castle where a Lord resides, this was a coastal fort built in the time of King Henry the Eighth. As tensions started to rise between France, Spain, and England, Henry had the foresight to prepare for any sea-based invasion, so he built a series of coastal defenses along the English Channel to help warn him of any Armadas that may be headed his way. There was a medieval joust and renaissance fair going on, and it rained on me a little bit, but I got some cool pictures of the reenactors. I had other things to do other than watch Knights charge at each other on their horses with big long sticks, so I jumped in the car and headed west.









St. Michael’s Mount is a small island surrounded by tidal flats near the town of Marazion Cornwall. It is an island during high tide, and there is a causeway which allows you to walk to it during low tides. The place was crawling with people, and the older I get, the less I like being around crowds, so I walked up to the gates of the island, and back to the town, taking several pictures. It was a beautiful sight to see, and reminded me of 9 years ago when I got to see the same thing in Normandy France, it’s sister island, Mont St. Michel.





I have had a fun time in Falmouth. The guys I talked to at the pub, Tony and Nick, were genuine, and I think we all learned a little something about our countries and our culture. It can’t hurt to interact with the locals, and give them a better understanding of your country, as well as an appreciation that you thought enough about their country to come over and visit. Most people from Great Britain will never visit the United States, but being able to have a decent conversation with an American, and to realize that there really isn’t that much different between the way we think and our morals, helps reassure everyone that we are all okay with each other. That makes you feel good about what you are doing. 

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