Watermelon by the Sea

I can't begin to tell you the fun of sharing Cornwall with two bright and eager travelers. You should just hear the exclamations:

"Look at that CHURCH! It's amazing!"

"Look at that ANCIENT WALL!"

"Those flowers!" (video camera whirs). "And that ocean! Nothing like it."

"Mom. Mom! We're in ST IVES TOGETHER!!"

Indeed we were, and I began seeing it all again through their eyes, which brightened my own. Someone suggested a Cornish pasty and wanted to hear whose are the best. It was a toss-up answer, for our hands-down favorites come from the St Ives Bakery and Pengenna Pasties. Locals tend to like them both, and consider each bite a tasty morsel. We chose the St Ives Bakery.

The men in the St Ives Bakery are splendid examples of Cornish men, quite muscular and rugged, their voices deep and resonant. We thought women might like visiting the bakery rather a lot.

In no time we were back out on the street again with our lunch, and went off to find a seagull-free spot to eat it. A gaggle of the wretches made us abandon the harbor for clearer skies. Above a beach where swimmers splashed and dogs bit the waves, we sat down to open our pasties.

his Darling Girl meets Blacky
A respectful silence fell upon us as we munched. No wonder the Cornish miners survived so heartily, with food such as this to sustain them.

Suddenly someone shouted, "Beach ball!"

We looked up, and saw a gigantic inflatable ball (the color and design of a watermelon) being played with by two children. A breeze came suddenly up - quite a stiff breeze - and the ball escaped, bounding away on the water. "Daddy!" a child cried. Then things began happening in quick succession:

*hero-dad grabbed an inflatable motor boat and pulled the string

*nothing happened!

*after many pulls, the engine finally caught!

*the crowd cheered and yelled as the little boat rushed toward the ball

*it was a mad chase but the boat finally reached it

*the family grabbed it but failed

*the breeze grabbed it, and it GOT AWAY!!

*THE MOTOR QUIT! (that poor father)

*hero-dad oared them all back to safety and a cheering crowd (well, mostly us)


So the story had a happy ending - except for the watermelon beach ball. And we'd really like to meet that dad. It isn't every day you get to watch the making of a brand new Superhero.


See you along the way!
the SconeLady