On the Road – Page 17

Cornish Harbours

It’s hard not to fall in love with Cornwall where a magnificent coastline wraps itself around 300 miles of diverse landscapes. The big skies and wilderness of Bodmin Moor to the north with walking trails and prehistoric remains, further south the sun turns the sea turquoise and the land is scattered with Bronze age standing stones and Celtic crosses where the natural light is so blinding. In the west there is a special art scene and Cornwall is becoming a real foodie heaven with top-class chefs producing gourmet menus, daily offerings of fresh fish and seafood and local produce such as cheeses, wine and meat widely available from delicatessens, farmers’ markets and roadside stalls, not to mention Cornish pasties and well-loved clotted cream teas. Continue reading Cornish Harbours

Travel Journey of the Week: Mission Dolores (6)

This week’s challenge from Liberated Traveler is the wonderful city of San Francisco, a place that found its way into my heart during the 1960s hippy movement when it was the world’s “City of Love”. I have already written extensively about this city and how it has messed with my head over the decades, so for this challenge I am going to tell you about the delightful Misión San Francisco de Asís, popularly known as Mission Dolores.

This is the oldest intact building in the City of San Francisco and the only intact Mission Chapel in the chain of 21 established under the direction of Father Serra. It is the third most northerly with only Sonoma and San Rafael further north and the sixth mission to be founded – June 29 1776. I have a ‘thing’ for the Californian missions, or as my husband would say, an obsession. For some reason I am drawn to their simplicity, their history and the tranquillity of their sites. As someone who is an atheist, this is odd, but no different I suppose than my general interest in churches and graveyards. One added bonus though is that the California Missions are all located on or near Highway 101, which roughly traces El Camino Real and I don’t need much more of an excuse to take a road-trip!

Mission Dolores

Basilica Entrance

Crosses

Plaque

Basilica

Mission Dolores

To find the mission you have to step outside the usual tourist areas of the city (Union Square, Alamo Square, Embarcadero and Fisherman’s Wharf) and head to Mission District. The 16th Street Mission Station is the nearest BART, and the mission itself is on the corner of 16th Street and Dolores Street. Much of Mission Dolores is original with adobe walls and redwood logs supporting the roof. The gilded reredos came from Mexico in 1796 and the colourful wall paintings are good examples of early California art. Whilst I was there a school trip was visiting and the children seemed more interested in me and my camera than the teacher who was telling them about the history of the site. I on the other hand was very interested.

Artwork

Access to the Choir Loft

St Joseph’s Altar

Reredos

The Basilica is a few steps away, but although the Mission survived the 1906 earthquake, the parish church wasn’t so fortunate. The present building dates from 1918. It contains some beautiful stained windows, including angels and 21 California Missions and a lovely sunburst pattern.

Angels

Basilica

One of the 21 Mission Windows

Wood Carving

Father Palou

There is also a little museum on the site, but my favourite part has to be the cemetery. Most of the headstones are of people who died in the decades following the Gold Rush when San Francisco was growing fast with many illnesses and early deaths. Many people buried here gave their names to the streets of San Francisco.

Adobe Walls

Monument to a firefighter

The Cemetery

Statue

Irish Gravestone

Father Junipero Serra

So my advice to you is that if you are lucky to travel to the lovely city of San Francisco, try and make some time ( a couple of hours will suffice) to visit this beautiful historic site – you won’t regret it.

Just Back From… Penzance

October may seem an odd time of year to visit Cornwall – notorious for its ‘mizzle’ (mist and drizzle) and when the nights are drawing in. No late evening walks along the promenade at sunset for us then. October is, however, my birth month and this year marked a special anniversary too – ten years of marriage and a BIG birthday. The one where you used to get a free bus pass and a state pension – no longer though. So where to go and celebrate these two milestone events?

I thought about romantic Florence, I considered the northern lights of Reykjavik, I mused about South Africa and my beloved Cape Town, but on the other hand we still hadn’t found a house to buy and until we settled I felt that I was in limbo. I needed to get on with the rest of my life and my heart was still set on being near the coast so what better place to return to than Cornwall. Continue reading Just Back From… Penzance

Travel Your Way

Rhinocarhire have a photography travel competition running at the moment which closes on 31st October, so hurry if you want to join in! You don’t have to be nominated to join in, but you do need to nominate five other bloggers on your entry.

“Our competition is based around modes of transport and how you travel, whether by road, air, rail or sea, we want you to put your creative thinking hats on and show us your best snaps of each (or as many as you wish) types of transport you’ve encountered. Whether it’s from a recent trip or one from the past, we just want to see how you travel.” Continue reading Travel Your Way

Lost in Venice

I have always yearned to visit Venice, the city that is sinking and often stinking, but which is unique – a sanctuary on a lagoon that is virtually unchanged for six hundred years and a monument to the glory days of the Renaissance. On a trip to Lake Bled in Slovenia in 2012 my husband and I were close enough to go there on a day trip – a long drive, but easier by a coach tour than trying to do it by public transport. Continue reading Lost in Venice