Wednesday 2 May 2007

A Performance?



Such a lovely evening yesterday: Dave actually managed to arrive home a little early for once, so we put Isabella in the car and set off into the sunshiny afternoon in search of a drink. With the weather so sunny it seemed a riverside pub was in order and we decided to head down to the Pandora Inn on Restronguet Creek near Mylor (a gorgeous village I talked about in an earlier blog).

The Pandora is a 17th century inn, thatched of roof and notorious for its connections with smuggling, though not of latter years as far as I'm aware! In fact, its more recent history saw it becoming a meeting ground for the yellow welly brigade, the decked pontoon leading to the inn front providing a perfect strutting ground once one had moored the gin palace and pulled alongside in the dinghy. Oh, many and oft is the time I have witnessed that preening peculiar to this branch of the boating fratenity - the fanning of the peacock feathers, or in this case, the matching yellow waterproofs of which I refuse to name brands for fear of offending, and the swinging stride which affords the awaiting audience (those of us trying to enjoy a quiet drink) the ultimate viewing experience. Hmm...

Fortunately, this seems to be less of an issue in more recent times, though I have no idea why. Perhaps the yellow wellies have changed to a more sedate navy and I haven't noticed their presence; doesn't seem terribly likely as it is all about the performance and I'm not actually sure the blessed palaces ever actually travel further than a few hundred yards from their moorings to the pub and back again. All seems rather pointless to me - a bit like flashy cars being driven at top speeds through busy thoroughfares; Why?!! Who on earth is actually impressed by such nonsense? And I am talking of grown men here, not children-who-think-they-are-men! I'm sorry, I appear to have digressed quite far from my starting point.

So, to return to the late afternoon drink: the inn was quiet, the tide was high (no Blondie here please!)and the sun was warm. Unfortunately, a howling wind blew onshore and made it flipping freezing, thus totally impossible to sit overlooking this idyllic river with its views of fields stretching as far as the eye can see on either side, the gnarled trees twisting their ancient branches toward the gently lapping waters as though listening in sympathy to some tragic tale of piracy and love lost from long ago... Bit carried away there!

Eventually, having driven all over the place chasing a sun that decided it had had enough exertion for the day and chose to spend the rest of its evening hiding behind that haze peculiar to the south coast of Cornwall (not quite a fog, but not a mist either) adding to the romance and mystery of the creeks we explored, Davey and I voted for home. A beautiful afternoon led to a long soak in the bath once Isabella was in bed, a glass of the necessary in hand (yes, we do rather a lot of chatting in baths over a drink - obviously, I mean our own bath here) and a homemade chicken and bacon pie in the oven (a miracle of organisation that was!) which we ate whilst watching Bleak House - bought the DVD when baby was born and Dave was home for five weeks, in order to watch in huge chunks and am now on third viewing with Dave and Lauren who has never seen it before. It is Wonderful!

So there you have it - nothing wildly exciting because little of wild excitement really happens here and when it does it usually involves so much drama that I would rather forget about it as soon as possible anyway, being someone who hates 'performances' uness they are on a stage! Rambling again, Pipany, and so I shall leave you for today.

Have a good day x

Oh and meant to say, popped in to The Other Side for first time since I left to collect my blogs - how depressing was that? Horrid and empty! So nice to come home (though am wondering how you get the earlier blogs?). Byeeee x

12 comments:

  1. Ah that be a sea fret me dear, that be, or it it has light rain with it its a mizzle!!

    I do like your blogs such a lot.

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  2. I'm always fascinated by the old smugglers pubs.

    Lovely blog, really enjoy reading about your life, you bring it to life with great joy!

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  3. I love those old pubs too. Am now deeply envious of your Cornish life! Lovely lovely picture Pipany. Your blogs are so soothing somehow. I loved Bleak House too.

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  4. Lovely to catch up again, love good old pubs, and smugglers caves etc. Lovely blog as always Pip

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  5. Lovely blog - love the bit about the posh boats hardly moving - how very true!

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  6. You do always sound as if you're having a good time... we have an old wooden boat with a hole in it and yachtie gear that Rose once said made us look like sea gypsies - hope that doesn't exclude us!

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  7. We've had a beer at the Pandora Inn. Know what you mean about the yatties, pain in the b*m or what. We get them here in Appledore. Toady

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  8. what great photos and sounds a wonderful place to live.

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  9. I'm writing down the name of that pub as our Cornwall visit is only about four weeks away - hurrah!

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  10. Ooh Pipany, you've done it again! The Pandora is a REALLY special place to me (but I can't tell you why!). A particular day, a particular afternoon, a particular person...Ditto the Trengilly Wartha at Constantine, where I stayed for a night on that same trip. It all holds particularly special memories for me. And it's all so Frenchman's Creek. Perfect for my scenario at the time. I hear the Trengilly's under new management? I do hope it stays as wonderful as I remember it...

    Glad you had a lovely day. you sound very peaceful. And love the photos too - is that just a little glimpse of our Pip?? (can imagine you doing the hair show now!). Wish I could get some more photos on to my blog. Working on it.

    Thanks for your comments on mine earlier - left you a little reply there too. xx

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  11. Thank you so much for taking me far away from my neighborhood. You did allow me to see a place I have never been to. xo

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  12. "Nothing wild and exciting" you say, but it all sounds just wonderful. Seaside and smugglers, wine and bath and film and bacon and chicken pie ....now that's a lovely kind of boredom!

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