FALMOUTH, CORNWALL

This tour is a perfect opportunity to view the scenic Cornish countryside in leisurely style, and will bring to life the historic, sometimes mystical and always delightful tales of the famed county of Cornwall.

The central and southern parts of Cornwall comprise a mosaic of fields and woods interspersed with individual buildings, farmsteads, hamlets and villages. It is a carefully managed landscape within which farming, that most ancient of Cornish industries, still flourishes.

Driving from Falmouth Harbour, we will see scenes of the River Fal and the long stretch of water called Carrick Roads, into which seven rivers flow. We will enjoy the leisurely pace of rural life as we travel across the beautiful Cornish countryside – an area of lush pastures divided into a patchwork of tiny fields, threaded by narrow roads. Little remains of the once intense tin and copper mining industry, but across the landscape we will see old Cornish mines that blend unobtrusively into the surroundings.

Overlooking picturesque St Ives Bay, we will enjoy a traditional Cornish cream tea – a British institution! Savour the experience, as custom dictates that tea should actually be an event – one that relaxes and soothes the senses. Here in the south west of England the cream tea reigns supreme with the people of both Cornwall and Devon claiming all other versions of a cream tea are inferior to their own – anything else, they claim, is second best! The colour, consistency and taste of clotted cream are affected by the breed of cow, the type of food and pasture – even the time of day has an effect on the quantity of cream, with the evening milking yielding more. The origins of clotted cream are lost in the depths of history, although monks were making butter from clotted cream in the early 14th century. Spread thickly on freshly baked scones, with lashings of home made strawberry jam, this makes for a delicious, but highly fattening, tea-time treat!

Our return scenic drive takes us to the village of Marazion where we will have a photo opportunity of St Michael’s Mount. A small granite island, rising out of the water like a giant sandcastle, St Michael’s Mount is connected to the coast by a stone footpath, which is only accessible at low tide. From the shoreline we can photograph the island, which is crowned by a castle and a cluster of other buildings hugging the rock’s peak. From here we commence our return journey to Falmouth.

TOUR NOTES: This tour involves only a little walking – from the ship to the coach and vice versa (estimated to be approximately 50-75 metres/165-250 feet), and from the coach to the hotel, during the refreshment stop, and vice versa – some steps may be encountered at the hotel. The itinerary could operate to a different order than that described

DESCRIPTION CORRECT FOR THE 2009 SCANDINAVIA & BALTIC SEASON