2007 big vacation: Day 3 - London to Penzance 2007

On Monday morning I again woke early, after only 5 or 6 hours sleep. Very frustrating and the sleep deprivation was starting to reduce my ability to focus. As Joe enjoyed the remainder of his good night's rest, I showered, gathered up our dirty clothes and went downstairs to the laundry room to get our two little loads done before heading out to the train to Penzance. We managed to get our act together and be off on time just before 11am. A brief ride on the tube from Charing Cross to Paddington and we arrived with enough leeway to enjoy a light lunch in the station.

The train ride from London to Penzance was a visual delight and exactly suited my sleepy frame of mind. Window-watching, magazine reading, daydreaming - trains are the perfect way to travel!

The Cornish scenery during the last 2 hours of the 5 hour trip began to work us up into a gleeful state of excitement (and also a certain amount of smugness over the wisdom of our choice of destination). We got into Penzance just about sunset and found our way to the Egyptian House before dark.

--- A few words about The Egyptian House ---

This is an 18th century building which was remodeled in 1834-7 to have a facade in keeping with the then craze for all things Egypt. It was restored by the Landmark Trust about 35 years ago to preserve it and make it available as a holiday rental.

---

As I expected from a Landmark Trust place, it's delightful, quirky, cozy and no fancier than it needs to be. After winding our way up the 45+ spiraling steps to our flat on the top floor (3rd floor as the brits say, 4th floor in American parlance), we set down our few bags, and scurried from room to room exclaiming with glee over the details. I immediately seized on the logbook and checked past visitors comments.

Hunger was only briefly held back, though, and we ventured out just up the street to Curry Corner (as recommended in the logbook) for Indian takeout. We enjoyed a nice dinner of the lamb vindaloo, saag paneer, an oddly sweet chicken kurma, rice and naan, which Joe had waited for - chatting with the chef as he cooked about how people in Texas don't like indian food and how pretty but boring San Diego is - while I popped over a few blocks to the market we'd passed on the way in to get breakfast things (milk, eggs, bacon, butter, orange & tangerine marmalade, bread).

Though dinner helped a good deal, I was still very tired & a bit groggy afterwards. Joe had had a good laugh at me when I came back after going to a shop 3 blocks away and he pointed directly across the street from Curry Corner to the grocery there. Glad I went where I did though - everything I bought has been top quality!

We puttered about a bit looking at the books & things here in Egyptian House and then conceded defeat to my sleepiness and went to bed early - with another couple chapters of The Twenty-One Balloons as our finale to a good day of travel.