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Tuesday April 4 The thrush is singing in the dawn and the sun is shining!!! But it is very windy. They told us that in Exmoor and Dartmoor they had got several inches of snow. The wind had caused snowdrifts, more than a yard high, and there had been big traffic trouble and lots of newborn lamb had got frozen to death. You really are not awaiting such weather in April!
Again the tour went along the southern coast. The landscape really is gaining when you see it in sunshine! The green pasture land was shining, the white sheep decorative. But it must be a hard place to live in, it seems that vegetable cultivation and sheep breeding are what people earn their living from, except the important tourist industry. The houses are built of local stone, often with slate roof. The wellknown gardens are situated in the windsheltered ravines. In other places the landscape is exposed to the hard winds.
The first goal this day was the town of Marazion. In the parking place they had a short history of the place. There was notified that it is one of the eldest towns in Britain with traditions from 308 BC. A causeway is laid over the sound to the island of St Michael’s Mount That causeway you can pass only at low tide, at flood it is covered with water, so you must use a boat.
 This day there was low tide in the morning so we could walk. The winds were hard and the temperature +6°C - you really could not think of spring this day. On top of the island is a castle partly esposed to tourists. But the path uphill was rough so my husband and I preferred to stay on the shore. We had the opportunity to look at a video about the island in the tourist center for free - perhaps the crutch and the fact that we were foreigners from Sweden gave us that free chance? Most of the company climbed the hill and had a look around in the castle.
After we were assembled again on the mainland the bus went to St Ives, the well known artist place. This town is situated on a cape on the northwestern coast of Cornwall. It is very picturesque with narrow bending hilly rows. The sea is always near. We sought our way to  Tate Gallery a spectacular round white building which is worth seeing even in itself. The art inside is mostly made by local artists.
The bus cannot go into this town but has to stay in a parking uphills. From that parking you have a nice view over the sea and the town.
On our way home we saw a vacation village. It did not look comely - just a lot of barracks. I observed rabbits and llamas and pheasants in the fields. The llamas are imported and used as "sheep dogs".
The small village of Mawnan Smith we passed every time we left the hotel. There you can find post office and pub. From there an idyllic road passes between hedges to our hotel.
 We had an evening walk to Helford River through a ravine down to a place with sail boats and a place for swimming in summer. The ravine was rich of flowering trees and cultivated and wild flowers. The birds warbled, the air was mild and the evening light gave the landscape an enthralling touch.
and now - time to pack our bags, tomorrow we shall change hotel.
April 5
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