Welcome to Port Wenn! If you are a fan of the series Doc Martin, you’ll appreciate the reference. If you aren’t, read on. We went other places, too.

The day began at the cottage in Morvah with the usual tea and breakfast and me asking Sue and Wendy what they remembered from the day before while I took notes. The forecast was for a day of clouds and rain but the day was clear and warm. We did a washing and while I was doing my stretches, Sue pegged it on the line.

“You are determined to not let me do the washing, aren’t you?”  I fixed her wagon though, I did the breakfast dishes.

My glasses were a worry, also irritating. I could see the blob of cello tape hanging off the left arm and I checked it constantly to make sure it was hooked behind my ear. Sue’s temporary filling replacement sat on the kitchen table pending real need for it. Wendy was still fine.

We drove up the coast to Padstow, home of the Obby Oss festival. Sue said it was mostly a chance for people to get drunk although she thought there were some who appreciated the ancient tradition. The ancient tradition probably involved people getting drunk, too, as that is not a new phenomenon.

Padstow is sometimes referred to as Padstein because apparently the celebrity chef Rick Stein practically owns the village. We had tea at his café and fish and chips at his chippy.

Elena and Sue at Rick Stein’s chippy

Wendy across the table from Elena and Sue, probably wondering why she had to be on holiday with such adolescents.

We sat family style at the table; our dining companions were two women dripping with pierces and with shaved heads except for pony-tails sprouting at the top. Their presence prompted a text message between Sue and me, something I swore I would never do, that is, sit next to someone and text them instead of talk. I had become one of Those People.

S: Is it acceptable to say to the person opposite ffs chew with your mouth closed?

E: What is ffs?

S: For fuck’s sake

E: I wouldn’t mess with someone with that hair-do

S: It’s a ‘do?’ I thought it was a tragic accident.

Snorts.

Later Wendy said she thought they seemed like nice people talking about normal things who just looked different. This made me feel contrite. I don’t think it did Sue.

On to Port Issac. Another village, another car park but this time, no bus. The streets of Port Issac are too narrow and too steep. The car park was about half a mile from the village and straight down, which also meant straight up on the way back. I understand that a month before Doc Martin films, two of its stars, Dame Eileen Atkins and Ian MacNeice move in and start walking the streets to get into shape. Wouldn’t that be something, to come out of your cottage in a little Cornish fishing village, say hello to the Dame and continue with your day?

As we came down to the harbor, I could see that the tide was out and the boats were beached. At the first shop, I bought a DVD of Fisherman’s Friends, a movie Sue and Wendy introduced me to my first night with them back in Butleigh. It’s the true story of a bunch of fishermen from Port Issac who became famous singing their sea shanties. The movie was made with actors (one of whom I despise but I won’t say which one; it’ll be Sue’s and my secret. And Wendy because she hears everything. But I don’t think Wendy cares about Sue’s and my little foibles.)

In any case, the singing is wonderful and the real fisherman are the ones at the start of this clip. You can believe that the OK Chorale will be singing this song next quarter:

For those not familiar with Doc Martin, the show is filmed in Port Issac but is called Port Wenn. The locale is used so lavishly and it was so familiar, I felt I had lived there all my life. There was the coast guard station, the school, the harbor and the fish processing building which smelled as bad as my shoes that were currently airing outside the cottage in Morvah. There,too, was Mrs. Tishell’s pharmacy, which off script is a confectioner’s shop. The fellow inside was happy to chat about being the setting for a famous TV show. He gives up his shop when there is filming and it is made into the pharmacy. He told me about Eileen Atkins and Ian MacNeice walking the hilly streets and he said Martin Clunes is (unlike his character of the Doc) gregarious and always surrounded by people and dogs. Everyone in the village has had their picture taken with him.

SweetShop/Chemist

Finally we went up the steep street to the Doc’s. I sound be-sotted but I don’t think I’m alone, although with Wendy and Sue, I was. I’m not sure they’ve even seen Doc Martin.

After these moments of complete indulgence of me, we walked on the beach. I photographed Sue photographing the boats and we all three found sea glass. It was a long walk back to the car park and a long drive home but we made it just in time to see the sunset at the Pendeen lighthouse, which deserves to figure more prominently than at the end of a day of me slobbering all over Port Issac. So, til next post.

Elena at the Doc’s

Headlands, Port Issac

Port Issac Harbor

Port Issac Harbor