Last October I took a family break in Cornwall. We had fabulous autumn weather with crisp sunny days and starry velvet nights. Much of the time was spent on the beaches running, climbing, fishing for crabs in rock pools or watching surfers ride 15 foot waves from the safety of a cosy caf. Each cove or bay has something different to offer in terms of landscape, whether it is red and green rock cliffs with eerie caves, firm golden sand, grassy dunes or fish and chips in a picturesque harbour-side pub.
We managed, however, to tear ourselves away from the gorgeous north coast for a day trip to the Eden Project at St Austell.
As we pulled into the car park we were struck immediately by a change of tempo. The beaches had been very quiet with just the surfers and a handful of dog walkers sharing the vast expanse with us. Here we found a jostling cheerful crowd of school groups, families, elderly couples, tourists, all eager, enthused and impressed. Piling onto the electric tractors that take you from the car park down to the so far hidden gardens, we felt an air of excitement. As Eden comes into view it defies all expectation. Set in a disused china clay pit, it appears as a huge crater in the landscape, crammed with vegetation of all shapes, sizes and colours. There is a sense of great swathes of planting around an aesthetically pleasing design of shapes and lines. In the centre of all this are two Biomes the world’s largest conservatories, housing the humid tropical and warm temperate gardens.
The walk through the Eden project is a tumultuous journey of the senses from start to finish. Cleverly designed to break up the crowds, the path snakes through flower and herb gardens, vegetable plantations, small forests and an ice rink, each section invoking a new sensation of smell or colour. Entering the tropical Biome is like stepping off the plane on arrival on a long dreamed of holiday. The humid heat leaves you sweating in minutes, stripping to t-shirts as you wander past huge flowering orchids and plantations of coffee, bananas, rice and coconuts. You can drink mango juice under a palm tree and laughter floats through this area as you are transported a million miles from home.
Next you come to the temperate area more familiar but equally enchanting. Here you encounter a warm spring breeze, the scent of lavender, jasmine, and basil amidst the surprisingly arid landscape. There are rocks underfoot between which peep small sturdy flowers. You fully expect to see a farmer on horseback emerge from between lemon trees.
We sat on hay bales and ate food made from produce grown on site listening to one of the resident storytellers. Dressed in a green woollen cloak and carrying a staff in one hand he strolled over, and told some scary Halloween tales before taking my son to make a magic glittering potion.
The achievement of the Eden Project is monumental. To have created an experience of the natural world that is so varied, with such detail, humour and vigour is truly inspiring. Serious issues about man’s relationship with plants are presented in an engaging and beautiful way. As we trekked slowly back to the real world we felt privileged and enriched, and smiling glances between fellow visitors indicated that this feeling was shared. We were bonded in the sense of peace and happiness evoked by this journey through the natural world.
Tags: Electric Tractors, Rock Pools, Shapes Sizes
