Dartmoor
Exeter
Coastal Walking Path
This was a week ago. We went back to Helford passage and had lunch at the pub. This time we walked the coastal path from Mawnan Smith.
Helford Passage
Helford Passage. On the right is a nice pub.
A Walk Beside the Creek
There is a path that starts with the College Ope and goes up to the train tracks. An ope is a small alley that’s too small for vehicles. The college referred to is the medieval monastery. The path goes near the field where the college used to stand.
Penzance
We went to Penzance Saturday. It’s full of interesting shops and the streets were filled with people.
We stopped in at a pub that was built with salvaged ship wreck paraphernalia and laid out like the interior of an old sailing vessel.
This Egyptian looking building was built in the early 19th century by a mineralogist who wanted a place to display his collections. It was just like a similar building in London which did not survive. At that time Egyptian themed architecture and fashion were very popular.
We drove through many small villages between Penzance and St. Ives.
Ruins like this one are scattered all over northern Cornwall, marking the sites of old mines. They housed steam engines that drove water pumps used to keep the mines dry. You can just see the ocean in the distance.
It’s Not Over Yet
The news this morning said the weather warnings have been extended for a couple of more days. This photo appears on the local news website, the Falmouth Packet.
That was yesterday at dawn. It shows the building across from us with water up to the doors. Our flood barrier was holding back about 4 to 6 inches of water but not 100%. It leaked enough to cause problems in the two ground floor flats. The foot bridge across the river was also under water. The high water lasted a couple of hours and the wind gusts were fierce.
Spring Tides
The chances of flooding seem to be diminshing. We had a nice sunny day today. The reports said that the high Spring tides made the flood warnings mo
re serious. I thought that meant the tides during Spring season but it means something else. Spring tides happen when the Moon’s tidal pull is in phase with the Sun’s tidal pull at new and full moon. When they are out of phase it is called Neap tide. I found this picture by Jacek Yerka (www.yerkaland.com) that illustrates how Spring tides operate. Click on the picture to make it larger.
Not So Nice Today
Sara came home last night to find a bolt-on flood barrier attached to the front door. It’s knee high and she had to step over it to get in. We checked the weather report and found warnings of possible “apocalyptic” flooding. This morning we made a quick trip to the supermarket so we would be done with that before the rain started. It’s coming down steadily right now … not the usual rain for 10 minutes, clear for 15. The worst predictions are for other areas besides ours. Other buildings near us don’t have flood barriers 
so we expect that the landlord is being cautious.
