9-11 In Camborne, England

We have found accessing the internet to be more difficult than expected. This is the first opportunity we have had since the last post. The one in our "A-frame" does not work. It has been looked at several times, but nothing happens.

We hired a taxi to bring us here in Camborne. It is a sweet place with lots of historical buildings lining the narrow streets. When I say "narrow", I mean narrow....and that is in the city. You cannot imagine how close two cars can pass each other until you go out into the countryside. The tiny roads are lined with high hedge rows on each side. The driver cannot see around curves, but has learned to hug the hedge with the hopes the on-coming car will do the same. So far it works!

We had a delightful day yesterday by taking a tour to the nearby villages and sights. We were mesmerized by Penzance and Marasion. Small stone homes clung to the hillsides with narrow paved paths winding through them. Young locals strolled baby carriages while old ladies watered their beautiful window boxes which hung over our heads as we walked by. It was so very charming. I felt like I was walking through a child's storybook. The little shops only allow one person at a time through the entrance.

Our tour guide was a local school teacher until he recently retired and became a tour guide. He was great...not too much chatting...but enough to give us a feel of the country. He took us to an abandoned tin mine. I did not realize that tin came in the form of black clumps when mined. Copper came next in this country. It laid under the tin in the earth. All of that is history and tourism has replace it as the number one industry. The young locals welcome us, but the elderly want it to remain as they remember it.

We now know how our "Sherlock Home" garden is going to look. We are going to have an English garden encircling the house. We have seen many lovely yards here. It seems that everyone puts a high priority on flowers whether picked fresh or in pots. They are everywhere which makes it all so very beautiful. They have a different climate here, so we may not be able to copy flower for flower. We met an older couple who said they could remember seeing snow and frost only a few times. That provides a climate where the flowers, shrubs, etc. can reach their maximum growth. Needless to say, it is amazing to see the holly trees, the rhodedendron which is huge. They bloom in May & June. It would be a treat to return at that time.

We are looking forward to tomorrow when we will return to Penzance and visit St. Ives. We are going there via train and will spend the day and perhaps the night if we decide to stay in one of the many B&Bs. They are in every nook and cranny. So very charming. We love it here.

Thank you all for writing. We love hearing from home and your comments about the blog.

For you who are wondering how the "CARRY ON" is working, we are doing very well. We have a washing machine which we will use tonight. We like not having a lot of luggage to lug around.
(Charlie, you were right about my shoes. No one cares!!!)

Okay, we are out of here and will be on our way to find some local food. We are not tempted to visit the restaurant two doors away....USA Chicken!

Keep in touch and we will do the same.

Martha & Howard