An Unsentimental Journey through Cornwall by Dinah Maria Craik : (full image Illustrated) (English Edition) [Kindle-editie] beoordelingen het boek quotes

I believe in holidays. Not in a frantic rushing about from place to place, glancing at everything and observing nothing; flying from town to town, from hotel to hotel, eager to "do" and to see a country, in order that when they get home they may say they have done it, and seen it. Only to say;—as for any real vision of eye, heart, and brain, they might as well go through the world blindfold. It is not the things we see, but the mind we see them with, which makes the real interest of travelling. "Eyes and No Eyes,"—an old-fashioned story about two little children taking a walk; one seeing everything, and enjoying everything, and the other seeing nothing, and thinking the expedition the dullest imaginable. This simple tale, which the present generation has probably never read, contains the essence of all rational travelling. So when, as the "old hen," (which I am sometimes called, from my habit> of going about with a brood of "chickens," my own or other people's) I planned a brief tour with two of them, one just entered upon her teens, the other in her twenties, I premised that it must be a tour after my own heart. "In the first place, my children, you must obey orders implicitly. I shall collect opinions, and do my best to please everybody; but in travelling one only must decide, the others coincide. It will save them a world of trouble, and their 'conductor' also; who, if competent to be trusted at all, should be trusted absolutely. Secondly, take as little luggage as possible. No sensible people travel with their point-lace and diamonds. Two 'changes of raiment,' good, useful dresses, prudent boots, shawls, and waterproofs—these I shall insist upon, and nothing more. Nothing for show, as I shall take you to no place where you can show off. We will avoid all huge hotels, all fashionable towns; we will study life in its simplicity, and make ourselves happy in our own humble, feminine way. Not 'roughing it' in any needless or reckless fashion—the 'old hen' is too old for that; yet doing everything with reasonable economy. Above all, rushing into no foolhardy exploits, and taking every precaution to keep well and strong, so as to enjoy the journey from beginning to end, and hinder no one else from enjoying it. There are four things which travellers ought never to lose: their luggage, their temper, their health, and their spirits. I will make you as happy as I possibly can, but you must also make me happy by following my rules: especially the one golden rule, Obey orders." So preached the "old hen," with a vague fear that her chickens might turn out to be ducklings, which would be a little awkward in the region whither she proposed to take them. For if there is one place more risky than another for adventurous young people with a talent for "perpetuating themselves down prejudices," as Mrs. Malaprop would say, it is that grandest, wildest, most dangerous coast, the coast of Cornwall. I had always wished to investigate Cornwall. This desire had existed ever since, at five years old, I made acquaintance with Jack the Giantkiller, and afterwards, at fifteen or so, fell in love with my life's one hero, King Arthur. ILLUSTRATIONS ST. MICHAEL'S MOUNT FALMOUTH, FROM FLUSHING ST. MAWE'S CASTLE, FALMOUTH BAY VIEW OF FLUSHING FROM THE GREEN BANK HOTEL, FALMOUTH A FISHERMAN'S CELLAR NEAR THE LIZARD THE CORNISH COAST: FROM YNYS HEAD TO BEAST POINT THE LIZARD LIGHTS BY NIGHT CORNISH FISH POLTESCO CADGWITH COVE THE DEVIL'S FRYING PAN, NEAR CADGWITH MULLION COVE, CORNWALL A CRABBER'S HOLE, GERRAN'S BAY STEAM SEINE BOATS GOING OUT HAULING IN THE BOATS—EVENING HAULING IN THE LINES THE LIZARD LIGHTS BY DAY THE FISHERMAN'S DAUGHTER—A CORNISH STUDY KYNANCE COVE, CORNWALL THE STEEPLE ROCK, KYNANCE COVE THE LION ROCKS—A SEA IN WHICH NOTHING CAN LIVE HAULING IN THE BOATS ENYS DODNAN AND PARDENICK POINTS JOHN CURGENVEN FISHING THE ARMED KNIGHT AND THE LONG SHIP'S LIGHTHOUSE CORNISH FISHERMAN THE SEINE BOAT—A PERILOUS MOME