On the 22nd of this month I turned 26. Not a notable age. Certainly not any kind of milestone, but recently I felt a change come over me. It is subtle, but it is there and I have welcomed it. Perhaps this small change has nothing at all to do with the passing of years but however it came about I am glad to have it. I feel a little braver...more sure of myself and for the first time ever I am experiencing the dizzying sensation of true confidence.
I think a lot of it comes down to having a young child. When Robin was born I knew immediately that I did not want him to pick up on and possibly adopt my insecurities - it just wouldn't be fair. But that tired old mantra of 'fake it until you make it' had never worked for me. How do you go about faking something you have absolutely no understanding or knowledge of whatsoever? Subtle social cues and body language always befuddled me and any attempts to mimic them always fell flat. I felt so disconnected.
Eventually, the fear of other people left me. It took time. The need to constantly please vanished. Eye contact no longer felt quite so jarring (although to this day it suggests a level of intimacy to me that I'm not always comfortable with). One day, I'll talk about it in detail - but that will be a separate post.
Now, I was originally talking about small changes and bravery. With bravery comes exploration!
As much as we adore Cornwall, Connor and I have not explored as much of it as we would like. A large part of this comes down to not owning a car and needing to rely heavily on rather unreliable public transport. There has also been the tired issue of simply rarely having enough money - quite often in the past we found ourselves in the situation of only being able to pay for rent or food, but not both. Paying for the cost of travel fare was a luxury we couldn't afford. However, this year we are thankfully both in full-time employment and we have decided to spend our days off together exploring as much of Cornwall as we can access using only buses and trains.
This blog entry is all about our trip to Trebah Gardens in Mawnan Smith near Falmouth. A sub-tropical garden with a beautiful coastal backdrop, it is rated as among the 80 finest gardens in the world. We went on the 21st rather than the 22nd as Connor had to work on the morning of my birthday.
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| Here ends dinosaur? Poor dinosaur. |
To reach the gardens by bus from Falmouth, simply take the 35 towards Helford Passage. It leaves every 40 minutes after the hour from The Moor. Google told us it would be leaving from stop A, but in actual fact it leaves from stop B. The very same bus will also take you to Glendurgan Gardens which is right next door to Trebah - so if you left early enough it would be possible to fit two visits into one day. We thought about it, but decided against the idea as we have never been to Trebah before and wanted to take our time.
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| A Map of Trebah Gardens (source: www.trebahgarden.co.uk) |
We ran into this very handsome chap on the footpath! I absolutely adore robins - and not just because they share my son's name. They are gorgeous little puffballs with twigs for legs. Oh! I was also wrong in assuming this bird was a male. The females and males look identical so you can't tell unless you get up close and personal. Also, I just recently learned that younger robins don't have a red breast and are covered in little golden brown spots. I'll be keeping a look-out from now on.
This robin was very friendly. He or she allowed us to get fairly close before flying away.
Trebah is both family and dog friendly, as well as being fairly accessible. We managed to get around without too much trouble using a pram. Usually, I prefer to have Robin strapped onto me - but we had too much to carry already due to planning a picnic for lunch.
A few years ago I stated that I didn't care for flora and fauna photography. In hindsight, perhaps that was a faintly ridiculous thing to say when I live in Cornwall which is absolutely teeming with nature and just begging to be photographed. I suppose back then I was strictly into my conceptual work, but I'm glad that I have now taken a more casual approach. I do still love creating huge conceptual pieces but sometimes all I want to do is relax and take snaps. Photography is wonderfully flexible that way.
Trebah contains some absolutely breathtaking views. The walk took us far longer than it should have because I kept stopping every few feet to take more photos (huge thanks to Connor for being so patient).
I took over 300 pictures.
300.
This post could have been incredibly picture heavy, but fortunately I have fairly good morals and don't believe in inflicting cruel and unusual torture on my readers.
My camera still has flashbacks.
...I'll see myself out.
Giant Rhubarb! Part of the Gunnera Passage. It leads you underneath a huge swath of Giant Rhubarb (also known as Elephants Rhubarb and Gunnera manicata). According to the guide we were reading, they are native to the mountains of SE Brazil and their prickly stems are as thick as a man's wrist. They are primarily cultivated for their massive leaves which can grow in excess of 4 ft!
It may come as a surprise that despite the name, it is not closely related to common rhubarb. However, it is edible when young and the peeled leaf stems can be enjoyed raw in salads.
I adore this photo! Robin looks so mischievous and Connor appears to be channeling Atticus 'hot dad' Finch.
These were taken by the Mallard Pond which is bordered by the stunning Hydrangea Valley. Two acres of hydrangeas! They were the Mop-head variety (hydrangea macrophylla). Apparently, they were planted in the 1950's and the cut blooms were sent to Covent Garden flower market to raise income for the garden.
After a while, we made our way down to Trebah's very own private beach on the Helford River. Due to it currently being peak tourist season, the main area was horribly crowded so we inched our way along Polgwiddon Cove until we found a secluded area completely empty of people. It felt freeing to undress without the cover of a towel - so unnecessary anyway! Nudity shouldn't be taboo. In fact, Sarah (The Salty Sea Blog) and I were just discussing this today during our walk in Trelissick Gardens. We need more nudity to be seen outside of a sexual context. The media needs to start appreciating the natural human form without those sort of implications so that we can stop teaching our children that their bodies are somehow offensive and obscene. There isn't enough variety shown in mainstream media.
I have learned to love my body. It isn't 'perfect' but it is mine and no one else has one like it. We've been through a lot together!
I braved the cold...but not the seaweed! I didn't swim as far as I would have liked, but it felt so peaceful just to gently float and enjoy the view from the water. It never truly feels like summer until you head home with the salt from the sea still on your skin.
Disclaimer: that atrocious pink and ill-fitting bikini was an emergency buy due to my absent-mindedness. I left my regular bikini at home along with the beach towels.
I did a little research and discovered that in 1944, the cove itself was used as an embarkation point for a regiment of 7500 of the 29th US Infantry Division for the assault landing on Omaha Beach! There was a succession of changes of ownership at the end of the war. The Martin family cleared the moor and are responsible for the mass planting of the hydrangeas.
Those of you who own dogs will be pleased to know that the beach is dog friendly - but they must be kept on a lead at all times. I highly recommend heading away from the busier section of the beach and finding your own private spot. The views are breathtaking and best enjoyed with peace and quiet.
On our way back from the beach we decided to depart along a different route and enjoy the incredible scenery. This photo really doesn't do it justice. It was as if we had stepped straight into a watercolour painting. I would dearly love to see what it looks like during the autumn...we may have to return.
Our walk back was wonderfully quiet. By this time, the visitor's centre had closed and the majority of the tourists had left so we could enjoy the views from the bridge undisturbed. It also meant we could take some pictures without fear of photobombing or needing to crop out a stranger's elbow.
The journey home was long and we nearly missed the bus, but it was worth it. Not to mention, the bus stop is located next to a beauty spot as seen below. Watching the wheat moving gently and whispering in the breeze offered a peaceful end to our day.
We headed home tired but content.
“The earth has music for those who listen.”
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