Boscastle Experience

Mid September Mark drove me to Boscastle to visit The Museum of Witchcraft. I knew there were some beautiful scenes by the water too, but I wasn't at all expecting...just wow. There are no words, nor camera that can capture the beauty I was lucky enough to experience that day. It was supposed to be a dark, cloudy, miserably rainy day, but did not end up that way at all!
Enjoy the pics!

 Within the town, nestled in a valley...

 Walking toward the museum...

 Just outside

This was an awesome place. Not at all hokey as I kind of feared.

I would have taken more pics, but it just didn't feel right to, but I'll share a few from what I did take...

 

"Keys, especially old ones, are thought to be powerful magical objects.

Keys are associated with the Goddess Hecate and Janus, the Roman God of doors. 

Three keys on a chain will bring health, wealth and love.

Place an old key under your bed to banish nightmares, or in a cradle to protect a child."

 I especially love the "eye beads" to the left and wish they had been selling some. The place is truly more dedicated to sharing information than it is making money off shit in a gift shop, so I appreciated that...with that said, I still really wish they'd had eye beads...

 "Hand of Fatima: This ancient symbol ensures protection against 'the evil eye.'

In some parts of the world they are hung on doors to protect the house, but usually they are worn around the neck."

 

 Wheel of the Year

 Heading out toward the water now...

 Walking out of the valley and...

It's getting gorgeous!

 Up up up!

Doesn't he look so 18 with his hat? He knows. And I love him anyway.

Yeah... We don't know what's going on with Mark's expression here...

  It didn't matter which direction you looked, it was lovely everywhere!

 My fearless man...I am not so brave, I'm afraid.

 I asked that he not go too close to the edge for my sake... this would be him listening to me.

Don't look down! But it is a beautiful sight!

Way back down.

 And back to the town where our car awaits...If not for the need to eat, we could have stayed longer.

 On our drive back, the sun was burning up the sky! I'd never seen it so on fire. Mark pulled off the road so I could take a photo. I couldn't capture the intensity, but man was I happy to stand there and look at it!

Great day!

Yeah...I Bake Things...

So that it's documented...

 

 100% Spelt. My first loaf. I did some rye loaves as well.

And first scones...no sugar added, half rice flour, and they are delish! The rice flour gave them a shortbread-y consistency

And I'm not the only one. Though he didn't "bake" them, Mark was on a samosas kick for a week or so...sooo good! He even did apple filled ones! Those were awesome when they were still hot.

 

Yes, I'm taking another picture of you. Get over it.

A Walk Around Antony House and Garden

Loved The Antony House! I did not come away from it with a firm grasp on a lot of it's history, but it was wonderful to look at! I will tell you what I do know and that is that it has been home to the Carew Pole family for 600 years. The family owned the estate for 200 years before they began to build the house in 1711 and even then it took another 10 years to finish it! Aaand Antony just so happens to be most well known for being the film set for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland...yeah, I know, kind of cool.

Here we go...

Hello Antony!

Mark made me...

You know...this had absolutely zero info near it, so I have no clue...But it looks cool!

 
 In the courtyard.

 Sir Alexander Carew (grandson of Richard Carew pictured below) was a supporter of Cromwell, one of the signatories of King Charles I's death warrent. And that, my friends, is why Charles I is hanging out over the fireplace there...

Richard Carew 1586

This picture was especially painted for one of the family members, inspired by a poem he loved. Unfortunately I cannot remember the name of the Poem.

Mark and I were so impressed with the painter of this man... It looks as if you could touch it and feel the man's velvet garments. Crazy.

A bit of tapestry from the tapestry room...Looks as if they're having fun, yeah?

The Library

Mark and I were outside the house admiring a cone fountain sculpture when a man walked up to us and excitedly asked, "do you like the sculpture?!" When we responded with as much enthusiasm, he went on to tell us about it and finally introduced himself as Sir Richard, resident of Antony house. Pretty cool. First Sir Mark and I have ever met. We later ran into Sir Richard and his wife, Lady Mary, in the woodland gardens on their way back from doing gardening. Really nice guys! This would be a painting of sir Richard, probably done not so long ago.

Little Sir Richard

Looking out at the sculpture we met Sir Richard at. See how it mirrors the cone tree from the garden?

So simple, but I like. It's the water running over the surface that really makes it though. Just gotta touch it!

Walking out from the back of the house, looking out toward water, the woodland gardens, and the most awesome tree ever!

How could you not love it?! A kids dream...my dream as an adult actually. However, it's over 200 years old, so no climbing allowed.

Not exactly climbing...

 

Why else would these trees have been situated this way?

Mark checking out a standing stone, before our walk through the woodland garden...

Really interesting tree! Looked like copper...

 

The largest Gunneras we've ever seen!

Swallowed up this 6'2" of a man. Crazy! 

Awesome green man.

Beautiful views everywhere!

Goodbye comes eventually...