The Minack Theater

is located on a rocky cliff overlooking the ocean, southwest of Penzance, close to Land's End. The setting itself is dramatic, and the production of Tristan and Isult was equal to the setting. The legend, we were told, had its origins in Cornwall, involving a Cornish king, his nephew, and an Irish princess. The production was not traditional, but then it wasn't exactly a traditional theater, either. We would recommend if you ever get close to that part of England.

It's like entering a theater from the balcony---except the whole theater is the balcony. But you get the idea of the landscape.

Two theatre-goers want to know where their cushions are.

King Mark sent Tristan to Ireland to bring back the Princess Isult to be his wife.

Tristan is shipwrecked and gravely wounded.

He is found and attended to by Isult.

The nurse gives Isult a potion to give to King Mark so that he will fall in love with her.

But on the way to Cornwall the two drink the potion, fall in love and tragedy ensues.

 

 

The best part of being in Cornwall is hiking along the coast. We studied our map of the Lizard Peninsula and spotted the Marconi Memorial close to Mullion. It is the point from which Marconi made the first trans-Atlantic radio transmission, chosen because there is an unobstructed path to the North American coast (Newfoundland) where his receiver was positioned. The museum there was closed, so we hiked along the coast and found lots to look at there.

The Marconi Memorial is placed on the site where the transmission towers were located.

Plaque on the memorial.

As we hiked along the coast trail we were treated to vistas of pounding surf,

some cows...

a baby bird

a lovely beach,

more surf,

and people taking surfing lessons.

Raymond found a "cousin" from the Stanland side of the family.

All the Stanlands (in the neighborhood, anyway) in front of the Cornwall Stanlands' B&B.

And the Celtic cross that is in their back yard (and has been there for a long time).

You may not think this picture is exciting, but I urge you to enlarge it and get a good view of the two seals that are in the middle of the scene. We spent a lot of time looking at them.

 

On to the next---