Cornwall, Day 21 (Knill on a Clear Day)

It was a toss up as to whether the Digey scone would be consumed morning or afternoon. After all, the BT had not yet had a Digey scone. How had we let an entire week go by without one? Perhaps the SconeLady is slipping. 

There was quite a discussion as to when, until finally we both agreed, "We'll do it when we're hungry for it." And we set off.

The SconeLady had been to Knills Monument the prior week, and it was so intriguing that she wanted to go again. The Brotherly Travel wanted to go in order to see where Knill was planning to have been buried, and then wasn't. There was also the magnificent view to be seen from up there, as well as the interesting spot where the SconeLady had met the elder gentleman. As we began to walk, we could tell right away it would be a splendid day for all of those things, for it was the most gleaming blue!

Up and up we ascended. Parts of this climb were very steep indeed, so we paused a bit but at last, Knills was in front of us. We could see the tall obelisk-ish structure contrasting against the blue of the sky and the green of the trees. "Oh look," exclaimed the SconeLady. "It's Godrevy Lighthouse!" And you can see it out there, if you really look. It is my favorite lighthouse and I wish I could actually go out to it and mooch around in its gardens. It really does have gardens, and a shed, and a gardener. And even perhaps a sheep or two within its stone walls. 

If you squint, you will see it:
We climbed the lower edge of the Obelisk and sat with our backs resting against it, eating our baguettes. Others were eating their baguettes, too, or perhaps they were eating a Pasty. Yes, I believe they were eating Pasties and it made me wish we had brought Pasties too. But our baguettes were just as nice, and as we ate them we chatted with the others who had come.

"Have you ever been here when they had a celebration?" I asked one.

"No, I haven't been able to do that. But I have seen it on YouTube."

"On YouTube?" I asked, surprised. I should really have thought of that myself. 

"Yes, there are a few views of the every-five-year-celebration that you can see. It's really quite fun."

So I waited until we were safely home to look it up. And, dear Readers, they were all there! The fiddler (who would presumably be paid a pound), the 10 young girls dressed all in white, the townspeople, the Vicar, the Mayor, AND the two widows (I had forgotten about the widows). All of them! It was great. You can see it here.

Financial changes had been made, though: the 10 young girls were given 5 pounds each and the widows, 10 pounds. And do you know what inflation had done for the 1-pound-fiddler? He was given 25 pounds! He looked ever so pleased. And I discovered that the Vicar was our superb Vicar of the St Ia Church of England. It was a lovely surprise. 

Another surprise was the fact that they actually opened up the monument and showed the actual sarcophagus inside. I've never seen a sarcophagus of an actual person who was meant to be buried inside it and then wasn't. It was very intriguing.

All of this made me want to attend a once-every-five-year-celebration at Knills Monument. Don't you? It would be such great fun. And at the end of it we would all sing together the tremendous 100th Psalm:

Know ye that the Lord, He is God,

It is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves.

We are His people, and the sheep of His pastures.

Give thanks unto Him and bless His Name.

Clearly Mr Knill was a man who was not only extremely well planned, he had his priorities straight.

The Digey Food Room scone

See you along the Way!
the SconeLady