Today is our first full day in Penzance. We borrowed bikes from our B&B and rode out to Michael Mount, which is a twin to Mont Saint Michel across the channel. It's not that far. We got about 2/3 of the way out there, and John got a flat tire. So we had to walk the bikes all the way back to the B&B and get another one. What a pain in the ass. However, it was truly a wonderful experience when we finally got there. I felt the bike riding was a bit harrowing, due to the fact that there were portions where we had to ride on the road and there were no bike lanes.

But it's worth it, to walk across this large stretch of wet sand to get to the monastery, which is no longer a monastery but owned by a wealthy family, though still open to the public.

In the afternoon we took the bus to Mousehole, called Mowzel. It's a charming little town a few miles up the road with a charming little port. Between here and Mousehole is another town named Newlyn, which appeared to be more interesting. Apparently they have a thriving fishing industry there, about to be replaced by a marina for rich people, judging from the signs.

While they may not have gelato in Cornwall, they do have Cornwall ice cream. It is delicious. Seems to be a big deal. I think it might be straight buterfat, but I could be wrong.

At the end of the day, we found out about the big terrorism plot uncovered in Britain. Why do these things always happen when we are overseas? I can only say that, just like 9/11, I'm sure most of the shouting will be over by the time we return, so I'm not going to worry about it.