Our day began with a ride in an open-topped double-decker bus through the Cornish countryside. The view was phenomenal, although the necessity of ducking the occasional low-hanging branch made the ride more interactive than usual. The bus took us to Land’s End, the westernmost point of England.

After bypassing the Disneyfied tourist attractions, we took in the views across the ocean and the rugged coastline. The main activity of the day was a 5-mile hike along the Southwest Coastal path, which was some of the most striking scenery one could hope to see. The alternating stacks, caves, and arches in the rock, deep turquoise waters, and rolling green hillsides were exhilarating!

We saw a few beaches at Porthgwarra and Porthcurno, but the real highlights of Porthcurno were the Telegraph Museum and the Minack Theatre. Porthcurno was the main landing point for undersea telegraph lines for all of England. We got to meet someone who had worked on the telegraph lines for years and he demonstrated some of the still-operational equipment. The Minack Theatre is an unexpected and beautiful open-air amphitheater carved in the rocky cliffs. The view is breathtaking and the steeply terraced seats and landings are interspersed with vibrant garden plantings. The whole complex was the vision and hard work of a single woman, helped by her gardener and his wheelbarrow.

Some of us stayed to see a play that evening – a comic western, no less – and had the great fortune to sit next to the writer/director. It was a theatrical experience we will not soon forget!