Cornwall

Silver Whisper at anchor in Fowey Harbour, Cornwall - between church, castle and chimneystacks

he natural harbour of Fowey in this medieval town in southern Cornwall has been home to china clay exporters and tin and copper traders with Europe for centuries. Pirates made it a haven whereas the English managwd to keep the French and Dutch attackers at bay. Like us, sailing in from Cork in Ireland this morning, I hear that the Irish saint, Finbar also came here in the 6th century and the local church bears his name.

Today, I stand on the deck of the sleek Silver Whisper looking at small sailing boats in this beautiful sheltered harbour. A national park rises as a backdrop on one side while a huge green vessel (transporting fine china clay to Helsinki for use in the making of paper) momentarily blots out the little stone houses painted white that stretch up the hillside on the other.

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Fowey and St Mawes, Cornwall

The ship’s tender takes us ashore landing us back in time, walking through very narrow streets of small shops, so many selling the traditional Cornish pasty. (On my previous here with Eddy in 1994, it seemed that all the shops were selling T-shirts or cheap souvenirs).

We take a van and drive to St Mawes, another picturesque Cornish village further along the coast for lunch. We wind along narrow B roads through high hedges entwined with yellow gorze, past freshly ploughed fields and hillsides with sheep grazing on the thick cover of green. I wonder why so many of the small villages all seemingly appear to be on steep inclines.

Happily for me, after suggesting this hour-long drive to St Mawes for lunch, Edmundo announces how much he’s fascinated by ‘this pretty little place straight out of a picture book’.

The Hotel Tresanton in St Mawes is where Eddy and I enjoyed scones and cream and a huge plate of English strawberries when we came down here to visit the Eden Project ten years ago.

The lunch experience is even more memorable. Whole Lemon Sole, while so delicate in flesh and flavour is outdone by the sweetest little clams I’ve ever tasted. Similarly, the much touted Cornish dressed crab is surpassed by the garnish, the ever so flavoursome, humble English tomato! (Annie, there’s still no beating of your Spanish crabs straight from the trawlers on the Gold Coast!)

Delicate Lemon Sole with the sweetest clams and crabcakes

On returning to Fowey, before winding down the hillside to the water, I see the Silver Whisper looking regal and unreal sitting in the harbour amidst sailing boats.  I have to hike up the hill to capture an image through the old stone towers of church, castle and chimneystacks.

As we sail away, the townspeople gather at the Town Quay to wave and whistle, and sailors take to their sailing boats in a regatta to escort us out to sea.