On the Cliffs

"On the Cliffs" Dame Laura Knight (1917)

Discovered this painting on the Persephone Post blog. I love it—the colours, the setting, the two women. It reminds me of a trip that a friend and I made to Cornwall a few years ago. I was inspired, of all things, by an Emma Bridgewater National Trust mug that depicted a Cornwall scene with the words "A Bracing Walk Along the Cliffs" and by the viewing of one too many BBC productions. For months I talked about wanting to take my own bracing walk along the cliffs before I found myself on a two week holiday in Cornwall. 

One day during the trip I finally got the chance to take my walk along the cliffs outside St. Ives. The view was lovely, and I took a bunch of photos including the one above, which reminded me of an old man in profile.

But the thing is, I’m not really an outdoorsy person (except for gardening). The walk, which started off pleasantly enough, ended with us going off the path and tramping through bracken and gorse and getting covered in mud. In my mind, I had envisioned looking like the two women in the painting but ended up looking like the photo above (I know it only shows my shoes but you get the picture). So much for romanticizing the great outdoors. Still, I loved the trip and Cornwall and would like to visit again. Although recently I've been thinking of Wuthering Heights and tramping across the moors...

Photos by Michele.