"Do not forget to book the boat ride across, or you will not be allowed on. Tickets are not purchased on the boat." But I had forgotten to book a boat! Every time we've been there all we had to do was to toss a couple of pounds at the boat pilot. Easy-peasy. Good grief! I clicked on St Michael's Mount Boats and madly filled out the copious form on my phone, while starting to feel just a tad bit bus-sick. One should not put one's head down and stare into an iPhone when one's bus is moving and swaying.
The strangest thing. When at last I climbed aboard the boat, several customers were tossing A COUPLE OF POUNDS AT THE BOAT PILOT! How dare they! I could almost hear the rules cracking.
I was not alone as I walked up the cobbled hill, for a blond lady - who looked sort of like me, and was about the same age - strode easily along with me. I have been walking up and down hills for a week now, but she seemed to have been doing it for years, waiting kindly for me as I puffed away. We were both 'pilgrims' that day, and asked each other whether or not James and Mary St Aubyn, who live in the castle, might be there. We hoped so.
At the entrance, I said, "We are here for the church service." Although there was a line of people waiting to enter the castle, the docent's face lit up, and said, "Oh, well then right this way, ladies!" and he opened a special door set side for the pilgrims (also, we had not had to buy a ticket to the castle, because we were going to the church service).
Inside, the calm was pervasive. We sat, taking in our surroundings and to my delight, we were seated next to the astounding St Michael and Lucifer statue. One simply cannot speak when seated near such wonders. Presently, someone lit the candles, and the church service began. It was as I had hoped it would be (Mark 8, filled with truth and encouragement), and James St Aubyn did the first reading! He and Mary were both in attendance, and although I was too shy to speak with them afterward (how I wished I had! Too late now), they looked at me kindly as I passed by. I believe they may have been as shy as I.
As we two blonds descended the hill, we found we were both hungry and decided to eat together. We walked to my favorite eatery in Marazion, @thecopperspoon for their take-out.
"I follow The Copper Spoon on Instagram," I said, from outside the door. The owner from inside heard me, and shouted, "Who are you on Insta?"
"The Scone Lady!" I shouted back.
"Oh, it's YOU!" she cried, and in a minute, she brought out a huge cookie with chocolate bits and other delicious bits mingled in. Ah, the world of social media. I had never experienced meeting someone who was following me from inside her shop, thousands of miles away.
We picked up our things, and moved off down the road. "Where shall we eat this?" I asked.
"I have a Cornish cottage," my blond friend said humbly.
"A WHAT? I don't know anyone who has a Cornish cottage!"
"Well, now you do. My niece sold it to me. Do you want to eat with me there?"
Did I! I followed her along Marazion's main road to the cottage, which is lovely, gracious, and enviable. Her two doggies offered me as much hospitality as did their mistress, with quite a few tentative licks and uplifted paws...and there was wriggling. When it was time for my bus and we exchanged information, I realized that in front of me here was yet another Cornish friend to add to my already long, and growing, list.
It's the sweetest thing.
Make new friends, but keep the old,
One is silver, and the other gold.
See you along the way!
the SconeLady
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