The Irish painter Norman Garstin painted what was to become an iconic painting of Penzance in 1889. The Rain it Raineth Every Day, that is. Nevertheless, today we are blessed with one of first magnificent spring sunny day and I can’t wait to enjoy my daily walk along the Penzance promenade. No disrespect my dear Norman but you should have waited a couple of days before starting your masterpiece, the “Prom” looks so much nicer when the sun shine. Walking up, the view over Newlyn and Mousehole is exquisite specially when the tide is ebbing showing the rocks where the old copper mine once stood. Walking your way down, you will be facing the white wall of the emblematic Art Deco Jubilee Pool and floating in the distance St Michael’s Mount. Just behind the pool, you will find Battery Rock. This is where lots of hardy swimmers meet all day long and all though the year for a quick dip or a longer swim to those too far away for me orange buoys. On a nice spring sunny day like today the sea temperature can rise up to 12 celsius so who would need a wetsuit ? I will […]

THE JEUNE HORTENSE Yesterday afternoon, we took the opportunity of the low tide to stretch our legs and walk along the longrock beach in Penzance. Despite a strong wind and a grey sky, the air was relatively pleasant. After only a few hundred yards, we were surprised to find that the skeleton of the “Jeune Hortence” had resurfaced again from the sand that had kept her safe for almost 130 years. The first time I had heard of her was after the heavy storms of St Valentin’s day in 2014 had destroyed most of the coastline around Penzance and moved tones and tones of sand away. Luckily, nothing of that magnitude this year but still the tide did a good job at unburying the remains of this brig. The Jeune Hortense was swept to shore on May 1888 while she was trying to land the body of a man who had died in France and was grounded on Longrock’s beach in Mount’s bay. All the attempts by the Penzance lifeboat to re-float the boat were proved unsuccessful and the ship was abandoned and eventually broken up and use for firewood or else.  

St Piran is the patron saint of Cornwall. He is also the patron saint of tin miners and his feast is widely observed throughout the county. Legend says that he came from Ireland in the 5th century, tied  to a mill-stone and rolled  over the edge of a cliff into a stormy sea, which immediately became calm. He then floated over the water and landed on the Cornish shore of Perranzabuloe where he became an hermit and where he was buried after having converted many to Christianity. For Cornish folks all over the world, St Piran’s day is the best opportunity to celebrate their roots. In Cornwall, on the 5th of March, all sorts of festivities will be held, more often than not involving a wide range of Cornish ales. During the day in Penzance a parade will start at the top of Causewayhead. The procession, including hundreds of children from local schools, will make its way through of Market Jew Street before heading down Chapel Street and to Morrab Gardens where the life of St Piran will be performed.