Charming St Ives in West Cornwall, UK is our next destination. Approaching the town from the Carbis Bay road, we pass the Tregenna Castle Hotel and then, looking to the right to see what awaits us at the end of our journey, we get our first glimpse of this famous UK artists’ mecca. , home of the world famous Barbera. Hepworth, sculptor and also home to the Tate Museum. The view that catches our attention makes us want to stop the car and indeed we would, if it weren’t for the double yellow lines that stretch all the way to the final access road to the city, because what we saw there was a scene as picturesque as any that could be found anywhere. On this day the tide was clearly only midway, midway. The waters of the harbor sparkled and shimmered in the early morning spring sun, the backdrop of the harbour, with many fishing boats, sheltered by the town wharf, and a maze-like background of houses that seemed to have been piled on top from each other creating the appearance of a cliff of property, all jumbled together.

Parking the car, stretching our legs, we headed out to explore the city, wondering if it would be wise to bring a ball of yarn with us in case we got lost in the myriad of alleys. We felt that the royal port of St Ives was a bit commercialized and lacked the character of the rest of the town, but the back streets more than made up for this initial disappointment, and certainly the harbor setting more than made up for any excess. marketing.

Here we were in attendance with art galleries galore, in fact it seemed like every second store, no matter how small an art gallery, many displaying particularly talented and fine pieces. The streets themselves were a treat for the eyes and from time to time we could get our bearings by peering through a very narrow opening to see the tidal waters of the harbor flickering, it was as if the entire town was smiling. Amid the granite huts, brightly painted doors and steps with spring flowers abounded in clay pots. There was already a bustle in the streets, surfers mingling with musicians, artists with poets, and vacationers like us wandering aimlessly.

The town seemed to have everything we needed to stock up on provisions and we were very pleased to find that we would be spending the whole day here, such was the captivating charm of the place. With several beaches to choose from, from large to cozy, we knew we had plenty of options. In the end, we settled on the tiny town beach immediately across from the harbour, choosing this spot because it was sheltered from the westerly breeze that was now starting to blow behind us. Everywhere we looked we were simply mesmerized by the sight, the little lighthouse at the end of the pier, the huts behind us, whose back walls sloped straight down to the sand, a beautiful light pink color, a palm tree fluttering its leaves slightly and to be honest We thought we were in heaven and had to pinch ourselves to know this place was real. The tide was still coming in and one by one the boats floated upright and then swayed very gently in the wind, all brightly colored and looking almost cheerful, one might say for lack of a better expression.

At lunchtime we decided to grab a bite and again we were spoiled for choice with the number of high quality restaurants to choose from, in the end choosing a particularly cozy spot with stunning views and to the rear a small patio painted bright white and Adorned with flowers and fine carvings, the food was excellent.

Resting all afternoon in the sun, we set off trying to find our way back to our car, ready for our next adventure the next day when we would explore the coast from Gwithian and Godrevy Lighthouse, once again heading north-east towards the Cornish coast. .

St Ives though we highly recommend anyone visiting. http://www.england-peoples.co.uk