It is hard to feel very sorry for those who live in the 'estates', because - well, it looks almost heavenly.
Our favorite walking tour guide pointed out last week that the people of St Ives cannot afford to live in it. This is because of "second homers" who swoop in and buy up the fishermen's cottages to refurbish them - having watched the British version of 'Fixer Upper.' on the British version of HGTV. This drives up housing prices, and then the locals (and their children) cannot afford to buy them and have to live in the Estates.
I have stayed in these St Ives holiday lets and wished I could maybe buy one, but made the mistake of mentioning this to our walking tour guide. It wrecked his day. But did I realize it was a major no-no to confess something like that to a LOCAL?
Then I saw a British friend yesterday on the wharf.
"Have I told you yet that we are selling one of the properties?" she asked.
"What!" I almost screamed. "Where?"
"Mere yards from here!" I hopped a little hop. "But," she continued, "we can't show you it until noon. Come see it then."
This means I had time to walk to Lelant and observe the silent beauty of Rosamunde's house. To be sure I was on time, I went to the little rail station nearby. And who, dear Readers, do you supposed I saw sitting on the railway bench? The Corn Flakes man! The one who had held forth that they would all end up eating government Corn Flakes in the end.
"You again!" he said as I appeared. "St Ives train? You'll have to get on the upcoming St Erth train, stay on it, and it will bring you straight back to St Ives. No problem!" What a relief. I didn't want to miss seeing the cottage.
The man didn't talk about Corn Flakes, but he did say the government had imposed a hose pipe ban on everybody in the country because of a drought. In case you are an American and aren't sure of what a "hose pipe ban" is, well I had to ask. A hose pipe in England, is just a hose. A hose pipe ban means people can't water their lawns, flowers, or pots, and cannot wash their cars (These restrictions don't apply to farmers, so they can carry on watering). The hose pipe ban really bugs this man, who said he was "cheesed off" about it.
But the really strange thing about this (long, and getting longer) story, is what happened next.
The St Erth train arrived, picked me up, and would take only 5 minutes to get to St Erth. I stepped into the train restroom. When I came out, it felt like we were going awfully fast for the little train to St Erth. We kept not slowing, and not stopping. What!?
After a while I looked out the window, and saw - ST MICHAEL'S MOUNT! What!?
I couldn't be at St Michael's Mount. Honestly, people, this was a crisis - not so much that I would miss a cottage, but that I must be missing my brain. How had I managed to reach St Erth, gotten off that train and onto the Penzance train (and not remember it), in the time it took to go to the bathroom?
I had to be in the Twilight Zone.
To Be Continued....
No comments:
Post a Comment