Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, England
Our overnight journey from Dingle, Ireland, took us southeast across the Celtic Sea and into the ancient Celtic land of Cornwall, now part of England. Our destination was the archipelago known as the Isles of Scilly but we still had some sailing to do so the morning started after breakfast with a photographic review of the trip so far. This was hosted by Bob and Jay, our resident photographers, but the images they showed were all ones submitted by our fellow travelers. The standard and ingenuity of these was very high and seeing images of the earlier part of our trip, of Orkney and Shetland for example, reminded us just how far we have come in the past week or so. A very colorful and enjoyable start to the day.
Not long afterwards we had more images to enjoy but this time they were moving and with sound. This was a preview of the Video Chronicle hosted by our video chronicler Josh. This, too, was a delightful memory-jogger with some stunning footage that was complemented by commentary from staff and guests alike. The final version will be a real treat to take home and enjoy.
After lunch it was time to board the zodiacs and speed across the treacherous waters that have made the Isles of Scilly so feared and respected by local mariners. The day was bright and sunny but it was also very windy so the zodiac drive shoreward was long, bumpy and with a good amount of ‘spray’! However the destination was worth the ride – Tresco Gardens. This large garden is a joy to explore with its tropical and sub-tropical flora from all over the world that flourishes so well in the mild weather afforded by the passing Gulf Stream waters. The island’s gardeners gave us a tour of this maze-like plant paradise and pointed out many of the rarer and more exotic species. Nature walks with our own Lindblad staff followed, where a great variety of birdlife was spotted and photographed.
The zodiac trip back covered exactly the same waters but was much quicker and far less wet thanks to us driving with the prevailing wind behind us. As always, the galley staff had prepared a lovely afternoon tea which helped take the taste of salt spray out of our mouths and add a sweet cookie or muffin to our already expanded waist-lines. What the heck – it’s almost the end of the trip!
It was a good day.
