Day 0 - Two nights in Saint Ives


Day 0 - 2 nights in Saint Ives.
Yesterday we arrived in London from 7 days in Japan include a 5 day self guided walk on the Nakusendo Way. Today we get the train from Paddington Station in London. We are heading for Panzance and Lands End. But today just as far as  Saint Ives. We decide to get an earlier train than we have booked.  We are told that this is no problem. We are not told that the trains are generally overbooked. So when we get on the train  I need to stand for the first 2 hours of the journey.

 Later I can sit. It is a nice day. The English countryside looks very nice as we zoom along. We get off at St Erth and get a 20 minute local bus up to the famous and very pretty seaside town of St Ives. Unfortunately it is Bank Holiday weekend and the end of the school holidays so most of England has come to St Ives for this weekend. To save money we have booked 2 beds in a 6 bed dorm. 3 of our room mates return to the room at 3am in the morning  drunk and noisy. One is very sick and coughs continuously. I am afraid in the close quarters I will get another bad cold. It stresses me.

Apart from the bunkroom and the hoardes we have  a super visit. St Ives is a  beauty of a  little seaside town with many interesting houses, smooth sandy beaches and rocky headlands, a very nice harbour with a  mix of about 50 different boats which all sit dry on the sand of the harbour floor when the tide goes out. 
St. Ives beach scene

Taking an old style sailing fishing boat for a sail

Houses at St Ives


The harbor at St Ives

We have an especially interesting time visiting the Barbara Hepworth home and studio on a modest art tour. She was an especially great sculptor – reputedly the best from the UK in the 20th century. 
Barbara Hepworth



Then we took part in a tour in the local Tate Gallery, an offshoot of the famous Tate London and full of great works.

After another noisy night in at the bank room in the "Contact Backpackers"  in Saint Ives,  I decide it is too much.  I get up and go  to sleep (rest actually rather than sleep) in the hostel community lounge where it was quiet apart from a noisy fridge going on every 20 minutes.

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