The drive from fabulous Stonehenge is pretty straightforward getting to Penzance. But getting to our accommodation which is up the hill really took some concentration. Hairpin bends with only enough room for one car at a time. Steve was pleased when we got there in one piece. Our lodgings are right up on the top of the hill overlooking Penzance. The company supplies shipping containers for people to sleep in, like us. They also provide car parking for people traveling to the Isles of Scilly.

It was a lovely place to stay. It was perfect for a quick trip into town in the morning to check out Saint Michael’s Mount.

St Michael’s Mount is a small tidal island in the Mount’s Bay here in Penzance. It is linked to the town of Marazion by a man-made causeway. This causeway is only passable at mid or low tide, so not today.

It would have been great to go out to see this medieval castle and chapel complex, maybe next time.

You can’t really tell from the photos. It’s a gloomy day. The idea of going out on a little boat doesn’t really appeal to us today.

The experts believe that St Michael’s Mount was likely an early monastery. Its history dates back to the 10th century. It was gifted to the Benedictine order of Mont Saint-Michel and was captured during the reign King Richard I.

Its history is so fascinating. With ownership changing along with rulers so nothing unusual here.

In 1727, St Michael’s Mount became a flourishing sea port and home to fishermen. By 1811 there were 53 houses and four streets in the island’s village.

More recently during World War Two the British feared Nazi German would invade. And so in 1940, the Mount was fortified.

I think it would be really lovely to come back here one day.

Tonight we will be in Cardiff. We’ve never really spent much time in Wales and it’s certainly time to remedy that.

Before we leave England though we’ve got a date with a castle. We purchased the British Heritage Pass while we were at Stonehenge which means that we can legitimately go exploring castles. So before we cross the border we are making a stop at Tintagel.

We’ve been in Cornwall now for two days and I haven’t yet had a Cornish pastie. So before we go into the Tintagel Castle its time to remedy that. In this tiny town with 1,725 people its amazing how many Pastie shops we go past. Of course when struck with the dilemma of where to go, you go straight to google reviews. We were very happy with our choice.

Now to the reason we have stopped. Tintagel Castle is situated on Cornwall’s north coast, between Padstow and Bude. Here you can find the cliff top remains of the medieval castle. There are also some spectacular views. Additionally, there is a life size kingly figure named Gallos.

Back in the 13th-century this early medieval citadel and Richard of Cornwall’s castle was connected by a natural land-bridge. But centuries of erosion and rock collapse have left the headland an isolated ‘island’.

Until recently, we’d be climbing narrow and congested rock-cut steps to reach the headland. Thank goodness they opened the new bridge in 2019 as I understand that it has transformed access to the castle. It certainly feels like we were entering the same way as earlier inhabitants.

The first place you see is Richard of Cornwall’s gatehouse and his private island courtyard.

The bridge itself is a bit daring for me (I’m a bit of a chicken). Below the bridge there is no support – yikes Fiona don’t look down.

Now let’s talk about this guy.

Gallos is an 8-foot-tall (2.4 m) bronze sculpture by Rubin Eynon.

It is a representation of a ghostly male figure wearing a crown and holding a sword. It is popularly called the “King Arthur statue.” However, English Heritage clarifies that it is not meant to represent a single person. It reflects the general history of the site. The site likely served as a summer residence for the kings of Dumnonia. I think he looks a little like Darth Vader myself. He is VERY cool!

Its a great spot to stop, the little village is really beautiful and the location of the castle breathtaking!

Back on the road Wales here we come.