July 21/13

Left our lovely farmhouse B&B to do a two hour hike along the Lydford Gorge. This is maintained by the National Trust and is a gorgeous trail. Luckily it was mostly in shade and often along a flowing stream which has a high waterfall and a cauldron at the end. It had a couple of tricky bits, but was still manageable for us, especially since I purchased a fold-up walking stick from the shop before the hike. My balance is getting worse, and I'm afraid of another fall, especially since my hand that got hurt nearly a week ago from a fall is still badly bruised, swollen and not able to be fully used yet.

About one hour from the gorge is the Eden Project. Built on an expired clay pit in 1999, it now contains the largest greenhouses in the world, referred to as Biomes. One has plants from the Rainforest, and the other from hot, dry climates. It grows a large number of edible plants, and seeks to educate by showing the relationship between plants and humans, and how we can make the best use of our resources. In the shops they sold many things, including food from plants grown on site, and items made from recycled material, such as sundials made from recycled coffee cups. This is a very forward-thinking place. Many plants were growing outside the Biomes as well, and were grouped according to themes, such as plants for medicinal purposes, and even plants for making beer!

Our B&B has been built from what used to be a chapel. You can tell just by looking at the shape of the windows. It's very spacious inside - wish we were staying a second night here! Luckily though, we'll be in the Cornwall area for a few more nights.