Just about five years ago one of our UK friends suggested that we all plan a trip to The Isles of Scilly sometime in the future. Jim never forgot this suggestion and kept bringing it up until one year ago we started planning the trip. Our good friends Judith, Anthony, Paul and Siggy had all made the trip together several times over the years and they planned all the details. Booking three nights at Hell Bay hotel with breakfast and dinner included, booking an overnight train from Paddington Station in London to Penzance in Cornwall, booking The Scillonian III ferry from Penzance to St. Mary’s island with an unbooked smaller boat onward to Bryher Island where Hell Bay Hotel is located.
Leaving Newport on May 6 with minimal luggage as we are taking a helicopter back to the mainland on May 18 with a requirement of soft sided luggage only and a 23 Kg. weight limit.May 6 was Kentucky Derby Day and we briefly attended a Derby Party at John Greene and Maeve Markey’s home, hence the fascinator Sandy is wearing in the first picture above. Great mint juleps at this party, courtesy of Peter Thompson.Sunday morning at 5:38am, checking in for our day flight to London with Peggy Scott who introduced us to most of this Scilly group.Logan’s new red roofed international terminal at top which is not open yet.We sat three abreast in BA’s new club suites.Siggy on the left and Paul greeting us at their place in Richmond. We stayed with them and Peggy went on to Judith and Anthony’s. Judith picked us up at Heathrow.Monday evening at 10:30pm we all met up at Paddington Station for our overnight sleeper coach to Penzance. Far left is David Renner who is a new acquaintance to Peggy and ourselves, next is Judith, Sandy, Paddington Bear, Peggy, Siggy, Paul and then Brian who is David’s partner. Far right is Anthony and Jim is behind the camera.“ALLLLLLL ABOARD”Sandy in our bunk bed sleeper cabin.Siggy provided the departure bubbly.This is definitely not the Japanese Shinkansen. A very old engine and cars. No one slept very well as the cabins were hot and an un-named member of our group even fell out of bed due to the swaying. We disembarked at 8:00am.A half mile, 10 minute, walk to the Scillonian III. Visible on the far right.The Scilly Islands form an archipelago of five inhabited islands and fifty-one uninhabited smaller islands located twenty-eight miles off the southwest coast of Cornwall, UK. The permanent population of the islands is around 2,000 people and tourism and agriculture are the primary industries.Cold, misty, foggy day. Most of us sat inside and slept or read. Only one of us experienced motion sickness.Arriving St. Mary’s after a 2 ½ hour slog through rolling seas. We had to wait over four hours on a cold rainy day before the smaller boat to Bryher Island as the tides were unfavorable. We had lunch, shopped and explored the island.The small blue boat brought us here through very rolling seas, stopping at St. Agnes on the way. One roll was so severe that one of us fell out of our seat without injury thankfully. Look at the weather though, now sunny with blue skies. We all walked to Hell Bay Hotel without our luggage which was transported by the hotel staff.Our beautiful ocean view suite. Hell Bay Hotel is highly recommended by us.First night pre-dinner expresso martinis in Siggy and Paul’s room. (all pre-planned and carried by Siggy and Paul)First night dinner. We had this room for dinner each night.A toast to the planners of this lovely getaway.View from our room and balcony. Peggy’s suite is outlined. She had the best sea view.A cropped closeup of our view.All of our group except us were on this ocean front second floor.Our room was set back in a bit but was larger and nicer than the rest.Day one, we took a couple of short walks locally, getting brief rain showers. Peggy, Paul, Siggy, Brian and David took a boat to Tresco Island and had a great day of walking, getting in over 8 miles.Second night cocktails, Aperol Spritz, in our suite. Everyone reviewing and sharing their days pictures.Night two dinner.After dinner coffee and tea in the lounge.Second full day, we are ready for exploring Bryher Island a bit more.The rocky coast is very reminiscent of the coast of Maine. There are constant white sprays from the crashing waves.Sandy took our room’s umbrella which prevented any rain and she used it as a walking stick.Peggy has a fear of heights and the drop-offs, Paul was her protector on this walk.Just a spectacular day even though it was a little cool. 55℉ and windy. Notice Sandy’s Puffin hat.Looking across a narrow strait at Tresco. King Charles’s castle on top of the hill and Cromwell’s castle on the right.Peggy standing very close to the edge along with Sandy, Siggy and Paul.Dueling cameras, see the next picture.And now dueling photo bombs.
We could have put in hundreds of wave videos, but this is the only one.Everybody constantly taking pictures.Best wave spray picture.The really touching part of this Scilly expedition is watching everyone pair off in deep and meaningful conversations with every other member of this group of nine people. It is very special.These views are very reminiscent of The Caribbean although the air and water temperatures are quite different.Seaside cottage.Al fresco lunch at Island Fish Ltd.Everyone but David got crab something or other, salad, sandwich, bisque or quiche.Crab salad for Sandy and quiche for Jim.After lunch coffee, tea and dessert at the next stop up the road at Olivia’s Kitchen.Final night’s cocktail was a Cosmopolitan in Peggy’s room. Siggy brought all of the ingredients and plastic ware AND mixed the drinks for all of us every night.Our obligatory church picture.Leaving Bryher.Arriving St. Marys. We are staying here for another week with Siggy and Paul. Everyone else is heading back to the mainland.
We still have at least one blog from Kyoto to finish and will try to compose another blog from St. Marys.
Thanks, as always, for letting us “stay at home folks” enjoy your adventures with great photos and travelogue! It’s fun to imagine ourselves there with you.
Leave a Reply to Victoria S KinnallyCancel reply