Today we drove a few short miles east of Penzance to Marazion. For the
history buffs, Marazion is one of the oldest towns in England. It was
first chartered in 1257 by King Henry III.
One of our reasons for coming to this ancient market town was to see St.
Michael's Mount. At low tide this rocky island is accessible by a
cobblestone causeway. At high tide the causeway is completely covered
by water and visitors must make the crossing by boat. We arrived at
high tide and left at low tide. While it is impossible to cross by foot
when the water is high, similarly the boats cannot run back and forth
at low tide as they are stranded on the sand.
The castle that is set on top of the rocky island was originally the
home of Benedictine monks. A fortress was added to the monastery when
Spanish and French invaders threatened the Cornish coastline. In later
years, English royalists and parliamentarians fought for control of the
island. When the latter won the battle by starving the royalists out,
Lord Aubyn was put in charge. The twelfth generation of the Aubyn
family continues to live in the castle on St. Michael's Mount.
I found it was extremely difficult to walk around the island. The rocks
and stones were uneven and irregularly spaced. The climb to the top
was very steep and in some parts handrails were nonexistent. It was
even more difficult coming down, and we made slow progress. Inside the
castle was a different story. There were docents available to answer
questions, floors were smooth, and the steps had handrails. There were
also benches to rest upon while reading brochures about the various
rooms. The castle was definitely not wheelchair accessible, but in all
other ways, it was worth the visit.
Back in Marazion, we decided to take the coastal walk towards Penzance.
This was a fairly level and easy walk. For the most part I was able to
fold my cane and hold Lyle's arm. We sat for quite some time on a
bench to watch the incoming tide. It was interesting to watch the boats
refloat off the sand. It was a good day.
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