St Agnes / St Warna

This morning we took the boat to St Agnes island, pitching and rolling through bumpy waves, fortunately for only 15 minutes. We walked round most of the island in the sun, admiring sea, rocks and wild flowers (and a splendid stone scarecrow - extra 1) until we got to St Warna's Holy Well where we stopped and I took photos (extras 2 and 3) for Freespiral and other holy well aficionados. Little is known of St Warna, and her name is unique to here, but she apparently sailed here from Ireland on a wicker coracle covered in hide. Successfully, since she is patron saint of shipwrecks.

Three steps down into a dark, stone-lined chamber and you come across a small pool of murky spring water which allegedly offers a miraculous cure for certain ailments - not specified, unfortunately. I liked the story that people used to throw pins into the well and wish that a ship would be steered away from treacherous rocks. Even better, that you could throw bent pins into the water so that a ship would be guided onto the rocks and wrecked, then the booty could be plundered by the locals. Very saintly.

Back at our flat this evening one of our group cooked, from memory, a delicious Madhur Jaffrey dahl. I think I'm going to have to buy a recipe book.