Avalon

A Távola Redonda do hotel Camelot Castle / Camelot Castle Hotel’s Round Table

Minhas duas noites no Camelot Castle já tinham se passado, portanto tratei de achar outro B&B, na avenida principal de Tintagel, pertinho do King Arthur’s Legs. Fiz meu check-out no e saí arrastando a mala. Antes porém tive a oportunidade de conhecer o dono do Camelot Castle. Era um artista plástico, Ted Stourton, que me mostrou todo o subterrâneo do castelo, onde fica seu ateliê de pintura e estúdio de música. Seus quadros são realmente lindos. Estão por toda parte no hotel, dá para perceber nitidamente os mais antigos e os mais recentes, acompanhar a evolução da expressão do artista. Ele disse que se soubesse que eu era fotógrafa, teria ficado hospedada de graça, pois o hotel acolhe artistas para desenvolver ali seu trabalho de criação. Infelizmente, tinha acabado de fechar a conta. Tempos depois, enviei mais de um e-mail solicitando nova acolhida, mas ainda não recebi resposta.

My two nights in Camelot Castle were over, so I found myself another B&B, in the main street, near the pub. When checking out, I had the chance to meet Ted Stourton, Camelot Castle’s owner. He’s a painter and showed me the castle’s dungeons where he has his atelier and music studio. His paintings are stunning indeed; they’re hanging in every wall inside the castle and taking a closer look one can see which are older and which are recent. It’s possible to notice the development of the artist’s expression. He told me that if he knew I was a photographer he would charge me nothing, because the hotel accepts for free artists at work. The place is supposed to inspire one’s creative process. Unfortunately I had just paid the bill, and he didn’t invite me to stay longer. Years later I sent an e-mail – more than one, actually- asking for free lodging while writing down my book, but I haven’t got an answer so far.

Minhas novas acomodações / My new lodging

Quando Ted começou a falar sobre a Cientologia (aquela religião do Tom Cruise), insistindo na importância da leitura da Dianética, de Ron Hubbard, percebi que era chegado o momento de cair fora. A decoração do B&B para onde fui era hilária: havia borboletas de plástico colorido no jardim e dentro de casa, por toda a parte, bibelôs muito bregas. Todavia, o quarto era bom, com banheiro (acarpetado) em frente, limpinho. Servia um bom café da manhã, embora não tivesse cereais, como no Camelot Castle.

When Ted started talking about Scientology (Tom Cruise’s religion) and the must-read Dianetics by Ron Hubbard, I realized it was time to go. My new B&B was very kitsch; it had big plastic butterflies in the garden and, all over the house, cheesy pictures and bibelots. But the room was comfortable, and a clean bathroom right in front, carpeted, of course. The breakfast was good, although there were no cereals.

Michelle, Jewels & Kerry at Tintagel Castle

Tinha combinado de encontrar Michelle e Jewels à noite em outro pub. Quando cheguei lá, elas estavam aborrecidas com uns sujeitos que as assediavam de forma grosseira, por isso saímos dali para o King Arthur’s Legs. Tinha karaokê nessa noite. Kerry e Jewels foram jogar sinuca.Ficamos eu e Michelle na mesa e, de repente, dois caras se sentaram e nos convidaram para cantar. O mais velho engatou uma conversa com Michelle e o outro, carequinha, colou em mim. Tratava-se de uma guarnição do Exército da Escócia, que, por falta do que fazer nas férias, resolvera descer a pé de Glasgow até a Cornualha. Os soldadinhos se espalharam pelas mesas azarando as garotas. Estavam acampados no litoral a caminho de Newquay. Conversamos por horas e lá pelas tantas, o escocês já queria que eu fosse com ele para Newquay. Segundo ele, eu iria adorar caminhar pela trilha que costeia o mar, pois o visual era lindo, tudo espetacular. E eu era tão linda, ele estava tão apaixonado… quando respondi que aceitava, desde que ele carregasse minha mala, acredita que o soldado desconversou?!?! O pub já ia fechar. Saí rindo muito, abraçada com Jewels e Kerry igual àqueles três ursos bêbados de desenho animado.

I was to meet Michelle and Jewels by night, in another pub, but by the time I got there they were very upset. Some buggers were harassing them rudely, so we left to King Arthur’s Legs, where there would be karaoke. Kerry e Jewels went to the snooker table, leaving me and Michelle and, all of a sudden, a couple of guys appeared inviting us to sing with them. Soon they were sitting and we were all chatting. The older talked to Michelle and the younger, a bald one, to me. They belonged to a garrison of Royal Scottish Army who, having nothing better to do in vacations, decided to walk the coast all the way from Glasgow down to Cornwall. They were camping on the shore, on their way to Newquay, and the Scot now wanted me to go with him. I would love to walk the seaside trail, such a gorgeous landscape, and I was so beautiful, and he was so much in love… so I said yes, I would accept the invitation, with one condition, that he should carry my suitcase. Can you believe it, the soldier wavered and stepped back?!?! It was closing time, I left the pub laughing a lot, embraced with the girls, like those cartoon’s three drunk bears.

Tintagel Castle – Entrance

Combinamos visitar o castelo de Tintagel no dia seguinte. Faríamos um piquenique, cada uma levaria o que quisesse comer. Mas o dia cobriu-se com aquele manto cinza inglês, ameaçando chover. A verdade é que não tinha feito nenhum dia bonito ali, tirando o breve fim de tarde na praia e a primeira hora de sol da manhã seguinte. Isso me deixava frustrada. Queria fotos daquelas ruínas no lindo penhasco junto ao mar com céu azul, roxo ou laranja, qualquer cor menos cinza. Enquanto esperava minhas amigas, fiquei andando pelas ruínas. Fotografei gaivotas a meio metro de distância. Diferente das ovelhas, que se viravam e fugiam, elas praticamente posaram para mim. Não sei o que aconteceu com elas no camping, mas quando finalmente as meninas chegaram, foi só para dizer que haviam decidido ir embora naquele dia, e que nem iriam comer antes. Apenas andamos um pouco pelas ruínas.

Tintagel Castle

Next day we were eventually going to visit Tintagel Castle and make a picnic there. Each one should take something to eat. But the day was covered in that british gray mantle, a hard rain menacing to fall. True is, there was not a single day of good weather ever since I arrived, left alone that sunny moment in the beach when I arrived and the first hour of next morning. The rain was frustrating my plans of nice picts of those astonishing ruins upon the massive cliff by the sea. I wanted a blue sky, and I would do with a purple sky, or an orange sky, anything but that persistent grey. While I waited for my friends, I strolled the ruins taking pictures. The seagulls, unlike the sheep, were willing to be pictured, and let me come real close to them. When the girls arrived at last, they didn’t tell me what had happened in the camping, but they were leaving immediately and wouldn’t even eat. So we just walked around for a while.

Fiquei chateada, querendo ir junto, mas o carro estava cheio com as três e suas coisas.  Na saída, havia uma ladeira longa e íngreme até a avenida, onde tinham estacionado. Michelle, que era gordinha, sentiu-se mal na subida e entrou numa van que cobrava duas libras para percorrer aquele trecho. Na avenida, trocamos e-mails, telefones e nos despedimos. Insistiram que eu as procurasse quando voltasse a Londres, pois Bristol não era longe e poderíamos nos encontrar novamente. Tintagel ficou mais cinza para mim quando o carro delas sumiu na distância. Aliás, todas as fotos de Tintagel ficaram cinza, pois o tempo não abria. Mas eu não iria desistir assim tão fácil.

Por estas fotos dá para avaliar a subida do Castelo ao centro da cidade. A entrada é pela casa branca embaixo, à esquerda / These pictures give an idea of the slope between the Castle and the main street. The entrance is through the white building down to the left.

Tintagel vista do alto do antigo Castelo. Tintagel Overview from the top of the ancient Castle.

I was devastated, and would go with them if there was place for me in the car. But it was full with the three girls and their stuff. When we left the castle, there was a long steep slope to get back to the main street, where the car was parked. Michelle, who was plump, felt sick while walking and took a van to go all the way up, paying two pounds. We exchanged phone numbers, e-mails, and said goodbye. They insisted that I should call them when I got back to London, because Bristol wasn’t that far and maybe we could meet again. Grey Tintagel went darker as the car vanished in the distance. Moreover, all  photos from there were grey, because the bad weather didn’t recede. But I wasn’t giving up so easily.

Mais vistas das ruínas./ More views of the ruins

Este foi o céu mais perto do azul que consegui. /This was the closest to blue sky I was able to get.

Boy enjoying the view / Garoto apreciando a vista

Eu fui! / I’ve been there!

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