As I was going to St. Ives,
I met a man with seven wives,
Each wife had seven sacks,
Each sack had seven cats,
Each cat had seven kits,
kits, cats, sacks, wives,
How many were going to St. Ives?-
- There are differing views as to which St. Ives this nursery rhyme/riddle was referring to but many believe that St. Ives in Cornwall is a good choice because it was a busy fishing port and they would need many cats to help with the rats and mice destroying the fishing gear.
We took the advice of our friend who lived in Cornwall to take the train to St. Ives because it could be hard to find parking in this busy port destination. The day before had been so gloomy and rainy so when we woke up to beautiful sunshine on September 18th we let Jeeves lead us to the railway stop. We met up with quite a crowd who had the same idea as us and were ready to enjoy the seaside in the sunshine. Thankfully we found the last parking spot in the train waiting area.
Here we are waiting in the que for the next train to arrive.We had beautiful views of the sea as we rode the train on the short trip to St. Ives.
When we arrived our first order of business was to find the Tea Room where we had decided to eat a meal and enjoy our first Cornish cream tea.
Bliss! I have to admit it wasn’t easy to find the tea room in this bustling humanity filled town. With narrow cobbled streets filled to the brim we made our way to the end of the sea walk. When we finally spotted “the Tea Room” and got our seats we could finally…”Keep calm and carry on”
It’s amazing how a satisfying meal can make your outlook so much better and the crowds so much easier to coexist with.
The tea room was at the far end of the town and the next photo shows the view of the harbor with the tide out looking out from the tea room. I’ll be sharing photos of the harbor after the tide rolls in soon with more of the great views we enjoyed in St. Ives along St. Ives Bay.
I’m heading outside in the brisk sunny weather to try to gather up some of the leaves that fell over the weekend. The rains are headed our way again soon and I want to take advantage of this dry window before the leaves get real soggy. I’m hoping to get more creative mojo this week, too, with some final preparations for a get together at this old house on Sunday November 10th.
Blessings!
- There are differing views as to which St. Ives this nursery rhyme/riddle was referring to but many believe that St. Ives in Cornwall is a good choice because it was a busy fishing port and they would need many cats to help with the rats and mice destroying the fishing gear.
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 
This is a part of England we would like to see…my husband’s grandparents were from that area
Answer? One 🙂
Cornwall is definitely on my list of places to visit! You had a beautiful day for your Cornwall adventure.
Although we live in Cornwall, St Ives is not somewhere that we often get to, especially in the Summer when it is thronged with tourists. It is such a pretty place, and I remember whilst at school, we were taken on a tour of the artists’ studios. That was a privilege that we maybe didnt fully appreciate.
Looks like it was a fun place to see. The tea lunch looked especially tasty.
Beautiful!!! Is this close to where they film the Doc Martin series? It looks like it could be that same area? Have you ever watched that series? We love it!
Rosella, I have no idea but now you have made me very curious about the Doc Martin series…
You would love it – we borrowed the first few seasons from the library and are “hooked”.
Your excursion to St. Ives looks like fun. There’s nothing like a little tea and food to set the world to rights at times. Beautiful ocean views.
I’ll second Rosella’s comment on the Doc Martin series – so entertaining!
Perfect…St. Ives and the delightful tea room! Keep calm and carry on…I like that too!
The first time I went to St. Ives was in 1997, and it was a wonderful part of my journey. I have a little painting of the town purchased in a small gallery there that still sits on a table in my living room. I loved taking a walk out of town over the hill cliffs above the ocean. Grabbed a pastie lunch and sat on a grassy cliff. I think that is what I want to go back for the most – going further on the ocean trail. The second time I went, I tried this, but got stopped by mooshy mud and cows (and only one pair of shoes). Now I’ve read not to be afraid of cows or muddy shoes. Another time! (Wish my photos were digital!)
Ellen, what wonderful adventures you had. Your photographs are gorgeous, and I loved seeing them. laurie