Day 3
Sunday - a day of rest, and Scilly is no exception with many of the shops being closed on this day, although the boat trips to the off-islands still run and one or two places do remain open. Having stocked up on local produce during our walk the day before, we were tempted into taking a leisurely breakfast while listening to the local radio. I had noticed that one of the shops, Seasalt, was selling 'Fit Flops' (allegedly designed to give your legs a workout and improve support to the back, feet etc) and I couldn't resist getting a pair which proved to be extremely comfortable. They were so comfy in fact that I started wearing them everywhere, even in the evening. You can leave the high heels behind when you go to Scilly and not look a bit out of place. It is not entirely uncommon to see locals congregating in the pub of an evening in shorts and flip flops, a pair of sunglasses occasionally still perched atop sun-bleached hair. Also a common site are dogs, particularly spaniels, and since I've always been a huge fan of our canine cohorts, we tend to 'dog spot', counting off various breeds, which I can only assume must love the walks, the new smells and the sea. I spotted a labrador running around in typically loopy fashion as it chased the waves on Town Beach.
After another invigorating walk we came back past the sailing beach, Porthmellon, on which there are often a couple of kayaks or windsurfers and looked in at the Boat Shed restaurant. We decided the menu looked enticing enough and booked an early sitting, fully aware this time that they liked to get 2 sittings in per night and the earlier we sat to eat, the better for us really. This wasn't a problem for us as we had decided to go for just mains and a dessert and wanted to leave before the second sitting at 8pm anyway, as this was when the pub quiz started at The Atlantic. However, having eaten a 3 course meal here before it can feel a bit rushed and, for us, that's not in keeping with island life. On this occasion though, we were actually aware of the system of sittings and made our minds up to have 2 courses so we could eat at a leisurely pace and I'm pleased to say the service was just fine on this occasion. We also had a great view looking out of the french windows beyond the small terrace and the beach to the off-islands which floated in and out of an evening mist and the sun's dying rays.
With only 2 of us, we were never likely to win the quiz but it was good fun and I was quite proud of our score which wasn't bad at all for a team of 2! We only got a couple of questions wrong on the final jackpot questions, the first section being naming cocktails (my field of semi-expertise) and the latter being Michael Jackson songs (one for the music buff). After a healthy number of brain-fuelling beverages we walked (or in my case, tottered) along the front at Porthcressa, admiring the moon and stars which are especially clear due to much less light pollution than on the mainland. A fine sea mist draped itself over the few remaining boats as they bobbed at the ends of their tethers like restless dreamers in the night.
Sunday - a day of rest, and Scilly is no exception with many of the shops being closed on this day, although the boat trips to the off-islands still run and one or two places do remain open. Having stocked up on local produce during our walk the day before, we were tempted into taking a leisurely breakfast while listening to the local radio. I had noticed that one of the shops, Seasalt, was selling 'Fit Flops' (allegedly designed to give your legs a workout and improve support to the back, feet etc) and I couldn't resist getting a pair which proved to be extremely comfortable. They were so comfy in fact that I started wearing them everywhere, even in the evening. You can leave the high heels behind when you go to Scilly and not look a bit out of place. It is not entirely uncommon to see locals congregating in the pub of an evening in shorts and flip flops, a pair of sunglasses occasionally still perched atop sun-bleached hair. Also a common site are dogs, particularly spaniels, and since I've always been a huge fan of our canine cohorts, we tend to 'dog spot', counting off various breeds, which I can only assume must love the walks, the new smells and the sea. I spotted a labrador running around in typically loopy fashion as it chased the waves on Town Beach.
After another invigorating walk we came back past the sailing beach, Porthmellon, on which there are often a couple of kayaks or windsurfers and looked in at the Boat Shed restaurant. We decided the menu looked enticing enough and booked an early sitting, fully aware this time that they liked to get 2 sittings in per night and the earlier we sat to eat, the better for us really. This wasn't a problem for us as we had decided to go for just mains and a dessert and wanted to leave before the second sitting at 8pm anyway, as this was when the pub quiz started at The Atlantic. However, having eaten a 3 course meal here before it can feel a bit rushed and, for us, that's not in keeping with island life. On this occasion though, we were actually aware of the system of sittings and made our minds up to have 2 courses so we could eat at a leisurely pace and I'm pleased to say the service was just fine on this occasion. We also had a great view looking out of the french windows beyond the small terrace and the beach to the off-islands which floated in and out of an evening mist and the sun's dying rays.
With only 2 of us, we were never likely to win the quiz but it was good fun and I was quite proud of our score which wasn't bad at all for a team of 2! We only got a couple of questions wrong on the final jackpot questions, the first section being naming cocktails (my field of semi-expertise) and the latter being Michael Jackson songs (one for the music buff). After a healthy number of brain-fuelling beverages we walked (or in my case, tottered) along the front at Porthcressa, admiring the moon and stars which are especially clear due to much less light pollution than on the mainland. A fine sea mist draped itself over the few remaining boats as they bobbed at the ends of their tethers like restless dreamers in the night.