Cornwall, Day 35 (Doc Martin)

On Tuesdays there is a wonderful bus that takes people to the land of Doc Martin, and today was my turn. 

I had a lot of fun watching that show (or at least parts of that show), and wanted to go there. After a bit of research, I found that wonderful bus, called it, and showed up on time. The 11 pounds round trip sounded fabulous. 

It was not a double decker bus and so the SconeLady felt safe. Oh - and the packet of motion sickness pills also helped (a.k.a. put me to sleep). It took about an hour and a half to reach Port Isaac, which is the real name for the television place they called Portwenn. As we approached the town, it all seemed so very familiar - all of the beloved filming locations I had been wanting to see! It was all right there. And this was my favorite:

Doc Martin's surgery and home with Louisa

The strange part was that neither the bus driver nor anyone in the town gave out any information about the series. There were no neon signs announcing the location of the Large Restaurant, with Al at the helm. Maybe I would have found it had I not been so intimidated about asking. After a while, Americans start feeling ridiculous to be constantly enquiring as to where Martin Clunes visited his aunt? And where exactly is the pharmacy with the lady in a neck brace, please? I felt certain they must all be thoroughly tired of it.

So I didn't ask. But we bus patrons did wander around and found things on our own in a clandestine manner, along with at least a few thousand other tourists who were crammed and smooshed onto the streets. I bought myself a tomato-cheese baguette and sat in peace eating it right across the harbor from the surgery. That moment alone was well worth the 11 pounds.

Morning on St Ives Harbor

And honestly, Port Isaac was as cute and adorable as it can possibly be. But nothing can really outdo St Ives. There is so much to St Ives that you would have to go there for 20 years straight just to begin getting to know it! It felt as though Port Isaac might not take quite that long.

Yet another stack of kiddie postcards

One thing remains the same, though, no matter what town you are in: writing kiddie postcards while drinking a pot of tea-for-one.

Few things could be more satisfying than that.

See you along the way!

the SconeLady