8 Feb 2013

The lonely lighthouse at the end of the cliff.

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It is moments like this that make me realise quite how well James knows me.  We spent the weekend in Cornwall, him visiting family, me visiting friends.  On Sunday morning James came and picked me up early as the drive back is a long one.  I was so tired from the previous night's dancing that within minutes of snugging up under my coat, I was fast asleep in the car.  I assumed he was taking me home.

When the car slowly pulled to a stop, I woke.  I couldn't be sure how long he'd been driving but it didn't feel like we could be home already.  Perhaps we were getting fuel?  Shrouded in drowsiness I looked up from my coat blanket, expecting to see cars or buildings.  Instead I was met by a bleak view.

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James had parked the car right at the edge of the cliff, from the window all I could see was fog and the stormy weather beating the sea into white horses.  

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Slightly confused I got out of the car.  The wind was so strong I had to fight the panic that I might be blown into the sea and my ears were filled with roaring.

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And then I saw it, the point of the journey.  A white lighthouse at the very edge of the cliff.  

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I have wanted to see a lighthouse up close my entire life.  In my mind they are not simply a beacon of hope for boats lost at sea, but also a beacon of warmth and safety, a refuge from the elements.

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Strangely I found this one eerie.  Its yellowing lamp spun eternally, its rhythm sluggish and unchanging.  We saw not a person (nor lighthouse keeper) watching for boats, just the empty lighthouse churning away.  I felt like it had been forgotten, at the end of the country, still spinning and no one to tell it to stop.

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James and I stood side by side until we couldn't bear the wind any longer and we went back to the car to get warm.  The lighthouse continued to spin.

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11 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing this lovely story - although it made me a bit homesick for the UK, and the sea!

    There is something quite enchanting about lighthouses. Although like you, when I spent a week visiting a whole load of them in Finistère (Brittany) a couple of years back, I also found them very eerie. It didn't help that my Breton friend spent the whole time telling me all the ghost and murder stories associated with them!

    Bonne journée! Fran

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    1. The UK does have a coast like no where else doesn't it? Whenever I visit the sea, especially if the weather is poor and the place is empty, I always feel I could never live far from it for long.

      Luckily I don't know many ghost/murder stories about lighthouses, only the Scooby Doo pulling-the-mask-moment of 'oh, its the lighthouse keeper...!'

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  2. This is lovely. I've been on the search for a lighthouse nearby, but no luck yet!

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    1. I know the feeling - I was ridiculously excited about this one. Even more excited when I realised the rent out the house below the lighthouse....

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    2. Seriously? I can't even imagine how wonderful it would be to live there.

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  3. There is something magical about lighthouses and the spaces around them. I love the light in these photos.

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    1. Thank you - I have to be honest, the light and atmosphere was so beautiful, I was spoilt for opportunities :)

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  4. Wow, these photos are so beautiful. I've never seen a lighthouse up close before, but after seeing these photos, I think I'm going to have to!

    xxx Sabrina

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