We did it! We finally went up to the castle! It only took me 26 and a half years of living in Cornwall to do it but I’ve finally ticked that box – and crossed another item off the summer bucket list.
We got the bus to Long Rock and walked over to Marazion. The walk itself is always lovely, as evidenced on our Sunday excursion, and I’m still in the phase where I’m obsessing over houses we’ll never afford.
People say the butterflies are dying out but if the amount of caterpillars in Marazion are anything to go by, I don’t think we’ve got anything to worry about yet.
I’ve been over to the mount and walked along the lower grounds a couple of times before, not wanting to fork out for the gardens and castle, and it really is quite spectacular. There are a couple of cafes and great views, plus a separate enclosed grass area with picnic tables. We plan on coming back one day with a picnic.
If you plan on walking up to the castle, which will cost you £8 for an adult ticket, be warned that it’s a reasonably steep and rocky climb. We saw parents walking their kids back down the hill and it was terrifying to watch. Don’t rush past the quirky aspects either – the Giant’s Heart is a particular favourite. Who needs Game of Thrones when you’ve got the legend of a giant living on a mount, terrorising the locals, only to be tricked into falling into a pit to die by a small boy?!
Once you get to the top, the view is pretty incredible, if a bit vertigo-inducing!
When I was younger I wasn’t particularly keen on being dragged around castles and other historical attractions. Now my tastes have grown grander (anyone want to buy me a castle?) I quite like poking my nose around them. Unfortunately you can’t use your flash inside, so my pictures aren’t really up to much. Here’s a bit of a taster though.
I went to walk through this arch way but soon realised we were literally hanging over the edge! I went to turn back but the boyfriend made me walk all the way around. I was too scared to stop and take a picture but saying it literally made me feel sick should give you a good idea of what it was like.
Back on the lower ground, we had a mooch around the cafes and harbour, checking out the quaint little homes. I think I’d quite like one. Of course I had to stop for an ice cream before we headed back – white chocolate and raspberry! Mmmmmm.
We decided to call into the Chapel Rock Cafe, back over the causeway in Marazion, for a late lunch. I have to say, the service wasn’t up to much. We were told to take a seat upstairs and they’d come and take our order. There was only a handful of people seated but it still took them the best part of 15 minutes to come up and take our order. We picked a table with a view and steak sandwiches. I expected better for a tenner – it was just frying steak – and would have preferred hand-cut chips. Plenty of places locally sell the same thing but better, Trevaskis Farm and Salt Bar included.
On our walk back along the beach to the bus stop, we spotted a mini-mount – cute, right?
Have any of you recently visited a popular tourist attraction in your local area for the first time?
