The sun has got his hat on, hip hip hip hooray!

Our cottage is in the centre of this picture, it has a white triangular building  roof in front of it

On the Monday morning we woke late and had a slow start, this didn't matter as we were on holiday. We walked down into the town centre, and wandered around the shops, again the sun was shining, but there was still an underlying cold wind. One of the larger shops had some reasonably priced wetsuits, I never swim in the sea these days I find it too cold; the shop had larger sizes, so I thought I might try one on. It was a short wetsuit. I struggled into it, but discovered that it was a tad short in the body and had the effect of pulling my shoulders down to my knees. Whilst trying to dress again, a lady pulled the curtain across the changing area, and exposed me in my undies, enough to send everyone out of the shop screaming. She did apologise, obviously she hadn't realised how basic the changing room was.
I bought a crab sandwich from the Yellow Canary, husband got a pasty from his usual place, and we found a seat on the wharf where we ate our lunch, shielding it from the predatory seagulls. It is nesting time, and they are fiercely protective of their young.
We wandered back along the wharf stopping for an ice cream at Just Desserts. We discovered that there was a collectors sale on at the Guildhall, so had a look round there.
We bought the necessary shopping for an evening meal,  then wandered round an arcade of shops in an old church building. I noticed that there was a wool shop. I haven't knitted at all since before my first operation, but my consultant didn't think that knitting had anything to do with my shoulder problems. We took everything back to the cottage and later I went down to Porthminster and sat for a while in the sun. Husband's cough was still very bad, I offered to make an appointment at the local surgery, but the only answer I got was 'maybe'. I had a cup of tea at the beach cafe to gain strength for the long climb back up to the cottage. That evening I didn't feel up to walking over to Porthmeor, so had a lazy evening
On Tuesday it was still sunny, but the basement was still freezing, so we went over to Truro so that I could look for a dressing gown. My slippers need replacing too. I did a tour of my usual shops, but ended up in M&S, they had towelling dressing gowns, but only a long one in the size and colour which I preferred. I bought one plus a nightie to replace one which I've had for about 13 years, which has developed a hole; no slippers that I liked though.
I bought a wrap, from their food section, and went out onto Lemon Quay, and sat eating it in the sunshine. I knew that husband would be wandering around Truro somewhere pasty in hand. I also bought a small towel, as the toilet had its own washbasin, and I had been walking with wet hands to the bathroom for a towel, this towel turned out to be a teatowel, no wonder it was cheap! I climbed the stairs to the lovely material/craft shop on Lemon quay, but it was all so overwhelming, and I thought Daughter would love it, I also steeled myself as I have enough material at home already waiting to be made up.
I wandered through the Pannier market, then bought an ice cream, and strolled up a lane I hadn't used before. This brought me out by the old coinage hall, so I did a bit of wandering there, into Lakeland, then round the side streets, eventually coming out at the back of the Cathedral. I haven't been in the Cathedral for many years, so popped in for a look. It's pretty much like any other Cathedral really.

Rood Screen, cathedral

Rose window

Going out of a side door, I had a little roam  near the river, then back onto the main Street. I called husband and we met up for a coffee at the Thornton's cafe. There aren't many Thornton's left, and this is the only one we know of with a cafe. It's nice, instead of little biscuits you get 2 chocolates. On the way out, we bought some of their 99 pence bags. We headed back to Viaduct car park, where we had parked on a lower floor, undercover to keep the car cool, then we drove up the hill and to Sainsbo's, where again I saw some reasonably priced wetsuits, I dithered, husband said, 'Go on, try one' Well I tried, I really did, but I couldn't get the tight legs high enough so that they didn't dangle, and by the time I came to do the zip, I'd lost the will to live. Who wants to swim in the sea anyway? That lovely turquoise sea, with the blue flag beach. I believe cheap wetsuits aren't up to much anyway, and most of the St Ives shops don't stock bigger sizes, and the staff are all young, lean, blond and tanned, they probably wouldn't stop laughing for a week if I asked to try one.
So we got on with stocking up for the week, bought a new cool bag, as ours was losing its insulation, and managed to get back to St Ives before the rush hour started. Husband and I both went right up to the top of the Island to take sunset pictures, after dinner. We had a visitor to the bay, a tall ship. We utilised the 'binocs' and discovered that she was Stavros S Niarchos, who was of course a Greek shipping magnate. Some internet research told us that she is a training brig for young people.

Stavros S Niarchos

Ditto

Tuesday sunset

On Wednesday the sun still shone and we did our usual walkabout. I however treated myself to lunch at Bumbles tearooms, then met up with husband afterwards. He was on the stone pier.
 Stavros Niarchos had gone, but later there was another boat in the bay. We were on the harbour, and someone was up in the old Smeaton's light, using what looked like a portable foghorn. It turned out that this was to attract the attention of the safety boat amongst the yachts from the yacht club, as they had lost radio contact. Another boat came into the harbour, which had come from the big boat which was Patricia. We looked her up later and she is a former Trinity house boat and can now be hired for  cruises.
www.trinityhouse.co.uk/holidays/patricia-voyages

THV Patricia

The princess Royal

The plaque unveiled by the Queen

concerned man on Smeaton's light

small boat from Patricia

The small boat came from the Patricia to the harbour steps to unload passengers. There seemed to be a lot going on in the harbour that day. When we got back to the cottage we were both tired and fell asleep. Later on we got changed and went out to a seafood restaurant. Husband wasn't feeling up to much, but managed to eat a meal. Unfortunately we were in the downstairs of this restaurant, it is the sort where you choose your fish, or meat at the counter, and decide which sauce you want with it. The acoustics in the lower area are not good and all conversation sounds noisier than it really is. I started with scallops, husband whitebait fritters, then I had sea bass with an an Asian sauce, husband had fish pie. I also chose Dauphinoise potato, without really understanding what was in it, and it was just too big a portion for me. Then we had desserts, I had a creme brulee, and husband a crumble.
Afterwards we had a walk around the harbour. The lifeboat was out, being washed down after an exercise. Much joshing and squirting of water was going on.I asked one of the men when they were due to get the new lifeboat, and he replied 'late next year'. They are hoping it will fit the lifeboat station, as it is a tad wider. When the Princess Royal, the current Mersey Class was launched, in 1992, she was too big for the lifeboat station, which in turn was too far from the slipway, so she spent most of her time parked near the Sloop slipway, and they were always getting parking tickets. A new lifeboat house was built in 1994, and a new slipway. Let's hope the new one will fit. They chatted to us a bit about the Queen's visit in May. They seemed quietly proud to have met her, and were glad that they didn't get a shout till after she had gone. Apparently they were all still in their suits when the shout came. One thing we discovered is that they no longer use maroons. That really used to make the seagulls take flight. They wished us a happy holiday and we strolled back up to the cottage.