Well this week is the end of one major time in our lives and the beginning of another. This week we took our youngest daughter to Falmouth to start her University course. She was successful in gaining a place on the Marine and Natural History Photography course there, me jealous ? Okay yep its true, but so happy for her to get to do something she loves and has a passion and talent for.

So after completing her PADI license open water dives last weekend in a cold and murky quarry near Chepstow she now has the pleasure of doing her advanced dives in the sea around Falmouth. Ha, now a licensed mermaid with attitude

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We drove down on the Thursday, all things considered it was the nearest thing to a holiday we were going to get this year so a few days taking in the scenery and to enjoy a full day at the Eden Project was the plan, if you have not been I strongly advise you to visit there if you like conservation, gardens, tropical plants etc . The Biomes are fantastic, but only a part of the story, each year there seems to be more to see and do there. This year in the tropical biome the tree top walkway (stage 1) was open and the high vantage point – they have also introduced butterflies, to see them in such a natural setting is a great pleasure, and provides a challenge to get a good photo!

Tropical Biome

The High view

Butterfly watching

Carolina anole Lizard

Tree Nymph Butterfly

Some of the clean up crew

The Falmouth Uni campus Verity is staying at is at Penryn, a very nice town with amongst many other attractions a fab café, Miss Peapods Café, and a great Scuba shop, SeaWays Dive Centre– yep – more gear needed, turns out they will be the guys doing her dive management through the course so good to know them and a great place to source her gear from. Then a short walk back to the car park. A small stream was visible by the side of the road over a wall and WOW, not one but two Kingfishers flying up and down the stream not 5 yds from where we were standing, how awesome ! They really are living jewels, the colours are so vibrant and the iridescence dazzles in the sunlight. That was a first for all three of us so a great omen for the start of her new adventure.

The decision was made to say goodbye on the Saturday afternoon rather than the Sunday and so Yoke and I decided to go to a beach after dropping Verity off at campus. She had plans to make cupcakes for the other flatmates in her flat. The accommodation is split into 8 rooms to a flat with a shared kitchen.The really nice thing was that Veritys friend from Bridgend college, Charlotte, who is also got into Falmouth is in the same flat by pure luck or admin planning.  We left to go back to where we were staying near Helston, so decided a beach walk at Porthleven would be nice, a really nice seaside town. The weather suited our mood being a bit grey and down but it was okay, I took a few scenery shots on the beach then noticed a guy with a bodyboard, don’t often get the chance to do ‘sports’ shots like this unless you are in the wet as well so I took advantage of the opportunity of the high ground as it were

Dropping in

 

He certainly looked like he was having fun

Then back home to the three cats who wanted a lot of fuss as well as food so I guess they missed us.