Rough cliffs, green landscapes and picturesque harbor villages. England's county of Cornwall. A region that I have previously associated with Rosamunde Pilcher and a great deal of romance. Then let's dive into this incredibly beautiful landscape. But can Cornwall do more than a kitschy cliché? We get some surprises. exotic plants. adventure at sea. Wonderfully crazy people. And Caribbean beaches. And of course we won't miss the beautiful Rosamunde Pilcher locations either, don't worry. Subtitle: WDR mediagroup GmbH on behalf of WDR We start in the south-west of England. From Lizard Point we go along the coast into the green interior of the country to the Eden Project. A highlight awaits behind the westernmost point of Britain, the Scilly Islands. In St. Ives and Newquay we experience lively Cornwall. The 1st day in the county. Although Cornwall is known for its mild climate thanks to its location, the weather welcomes us very British. * Music * The Lizard peninsula with Cornwall's southernmost point, the Lizard Point. A favorite place of Britta Hoffmann. Born in Münster, grew up in Lower Saxony, emigrated to Cornwall in 2009. Brita? - Yes. Hello. - Good to see you. you brought someone - Yes, this is Boris. Boris after Boris Johnson? - No. Let go. Let go. Look here. The dogs are part of this. Almost everyone has a dog. You can take them to the hotel, to the restaurant, to places of interest. Here on the coast and beaches, this is a dog's paradise. Dogs are part of Cornwall. What's that noise all the time? That's the foghorn from the lighthouse. It's a little bit foggy today. We have ordered English weather especially for you. I have those Rosamunde Pilcher films in my head, there is always sunshine. And when it rains, someone, usually a lord in a jeep or on horseback, comes by and invites you. That as a woman you can dry yourself by the fireplace in your country house. I don't know if that still happens today. But maybe the weather will get better afterwards. The good thing is that we live on the coast. The weather can change at any moment. We sometimes have such weather, and 1/2 hour later there is a bright blue sky. The weather hardly seems to bother the residents here, least of all those with fur. And somehow it also goes well with a hike along the wild coast. *music* Oh, I can see it. That's great. Shall we go this way? - Yes. Wow. What are you saying? - That's spectacular, yes. Yes, this is Cornwall. * Music * That's how I imagined it, a bit, Cornwall. Now all we need is the blue sky, but the most beautiful thing is still to come, the coastal path. We have the South West Coast Path. As the name suggests, it runs through the whole south-west, but also all the way around Cornwall. Many people come from all over the world to hike this coastal path. It's very long. We have neighbors who walked all the way. That took 14 days. We can't hike for 14 days, but we'll do a little something. And you come with me. Good boy. Then let's go this way. - Come on. * Music * There is relatively little going on here, I think, so for high season. Yes, that's the great thing about the coastal path because there's so much of it. If you walk a few meters, no matter how crowded it is everywhere else, you never meet that many people. What's also really great, what I like so much, is that whenever you meet people, they greet each other in a friendly way. You don't necessarily know that. Here it is always the case that one says hello. Sometimes just a little chat. I think what you see here so beautifully is the reason why the lighthouse gives signals all the time. It's not so safe for ships here, all these jagged rocks in the middle of the water. There is also a huge list of ships that have been stranded here in the past. Which, rumor has it, wasn't always so bad for the people who used to live here when a ship ran aground. Oh, they came and took what was on the beach... Maybe, yes. There are whole books of pirate stories from Cornwall. Cornwall and pirates belong together a little bit, so in the past. Pirates lived here too? - In any case. That's great. Look, I thought only lords lived here. The South West Coast Path is the longest signposted footpath in England. 1,014 km along the Devon and Cornwall coast. The Coast Guard once put it on to track smugglers. What would you say is special about Cornwall? So exactly this, that everything is happening outside so much and that... Boris, come here. sorry I don't want the dog to fall off the cliffs. People are all very outdoorsy. Everything kind of takes place outside. People of course use the sea for canoeing and kayaking or those stand up paddle boards. And you also have, you don't see it that way here, but there are a lot of small bays along the coast that you can't get to like that. But if you have a kayak, you can dock there and have a little picnic. And that's everywhere along the coast. * Music * We're heading east, and not alone. But despite locals, dogs and holidaymakers, it's not really crowded. And everyone finds their place. Traditional pilot boats, called Pilot Gigs, can often be seen from the cliffs. They used to bring ships from the Atlantic safely into the ports. Today they are used for sports. Our next stop is the fishing village of Cadgwith. Rosamunde Pilcher films have already been shot here. * Music * We meet a woman who gives tours to the filming locations of the famous series, Hilde. Hello. - Hello Hilde. I am pleased. - Yes. Hello. how do you pronounce that? Cadgwith? - Yes, Cadgwith. That's a bit difficult. Once you've had one, it becomes... - ...easier. Oh, will it be easier then? - Yes. It looks absolutely beautiful. - Yes. Those cottages with those thatched roofs are very special. What's happening? they fish. The fishermen bring their loot, bring them here. Oh look. That means it's not just a film set, but the work here is also really traditional. That's correct. This is a very old fishing village. And it has no port. It's a narrow beach. They still have to push the boats properly into the water and pull them out with a wire like that. * Music * Do they sell this straight off the truck? No, this is coming to Newlyn to the port now. That's where it's sold or stored. And of course it is also sold to the local restaurants here. crab and fish. That's how British cuisine works. You can eat right around the corner. What did you fish today? Lobster, Crab, Crayfish. How long were you at sea today for that amount of fish? Since 7 a.m. this morning. So just one day? Wow. OK. (Hilde) They caught a lot today. It was a good catch. Look at this. - Yes. * Music * No stress, no rush, lots of nature. Typically Cornwall. No wonder Cadgwith served as a film set. The locals are British relaxed on the subject. Do you know the Rosamunde Pilcher films? I don't know them, sorry. Which? It is a very famous film series in Germany. In Germany, this area is well known for the films. OK. What was the name again? - Rosamunde Pilcher. No sorry. Unbelievable. Extra tourists travel from Germany because of these films. And how is it here? They don't even know the Rosamunde Pilcher films here, because they are German films about Cornwall. Yes. Rosamunde Pilcher is known to some as an author, but only a few of the films are shot in English and they are hardly ever shown here. You have also taken part in Rosamunde Pilcher films. That's correct. - How was it? There was a little ad in the newspaper, and then I thought, I'll apply. Then I took part in it several times, for more than 10 years. Mostly as an extra, but I also had a voice role once in a while. How is it for such a small town here in Cornwall when the German film team comes and turns everything upside down? They take it very warmly. They are very excited that Cornwall is so popular in Germany. She also received an award in 2002 for her success in popularizing Great Britain, especially Cornwall. Have you met Rosamunde Pilcher personally? No, unfortunately not. She is said to have been a very nice lady, very funny too and very friendly. She's at war with Scotland. And then she served in Sri Lanka during the war. But the books also came about because she was so homesick for Cornwall. * Music * How did you, Hilde, come to Cornwall? - Oh. I did a language course here and a surf course and then I met my husband, my Cornish husband. Roger was British Surfing Champion. I met him during a surfing lesson in the sea. In water? - In water. He pushed me on the surfboard so I could catch a wave. That was the first encounter. And he pushed so nicely that you thought he should always push, all my life. More has happened than just on the surfboard. - I hope. Yes, exactly. Yes, we then got to know each other better and it was like love at first sight. Such a date should not be missed. By the way, we will get to know the man later. It goes to the northern part of the coast, to Wadebridge. The town on the Camel River has more than 6,000 inhabitants. In the summer months there is something going on here almost every weekend. At the Cornwall Folk Festival, musicians come from the region and across the country and transform the town's pedestrian zone into a colorful party mile, where people sing and dance to Cornish and Celtic music. * Music * This is the Morris Dance, an English folk dance that often uses sticks or handkerchiefs. Everyone is welcome to participate. Participate. Join if you want. - OK. You can also borrow my towel. OK. Thank you. It was clean. 3 years ago. OK. What do I need this for? It's really easy. - Is it easy? Straight ahead. face to each other. Cross over, then over the other side. Around each other, again the other way around. And then just follow. OK. * Music * And back. - OK. And the other side. Now we go into a big circle. follow me (dancers sing) That was great fun. You have done that very well. - Thanks very much. You're a member of the team now and you have to come and dance with us every Thursday. Thanks for the invitation. They come all the way from Bristol. Slugbeard. What do you think? - I like the mermaid leggings. Look, the man who plays the guitar. He swam here. No, I'm joking. ♪ I'll sing you a song, if you'll sing it with me. ♪ Of course, typical Cornish beer should not be missing. What is special about Cornish beer? It is the water that is used for the production. Within 30 minutes we have definitely 6 breweries that are popular and slowly spreading nationwide. However, I have to admit that I am not loyal to any brewery. Not even Cornish lager. I think the two can talk shop about beer for another hour. sorry Excuse me, I'd like to try it. We won't let you drink. we talk too much cheers - Cheers. * Music * How long has this festival been around? - This year is the 50th year. If you look around here, there are old people, young people, women, men, children and also many dogs. Dogs are very popular. - So it's a festival for everyone, right? Exactly, I hope. There are many songs about the sea because Cornwall is surrounded by the sea. This is a sea shanty. It's music that fishermen sang on the boats when they worked. That became very popular. Do you think that people nowadays particularly like to remember their roots? Well, I think so. With all the troubles we have and tough times, people look back more to their community. Music is a very strong part of that. There isn't a nation in the world that doesn't have music. It's an important part of our lives. And beer of course. Music and beer, a very good combination. Bottom up. - Bottom up. There are also German guests. From Stralsund. How do you like it here? We just wanted to go for a coffee. We heard that this little folk festival is here. And said we're going down here today, have coffee. And that's wonderful here. The people are all nice and open-minded. The music is good. What's so exciting is that the people here are all swinging and singing along. This is different than in Germany. - That's correct. The attitude to life, everyone sits outside. - Yes. Yes / Yes. Very relaxed. In addition to the beer, the gin of the region is said to be very popular. Not only during the festival. try it. Hi. - Hello. I heard you have Cornish gin. We usually have around 120 gins. 120 Cornish gins? - In total. Which flavor do you like? Fruity-sweet aromas? - Yes. You like fruity-sweet aromas? - Yes. We have the curio gin. blueberry. St Ives. - We have a St. Ives gin. do you like rhubarb - Yes, I have that in my garden. Fantastic. Tarquin gin is very local and well known. Try a little of this and tell me what you think. Smells very sweet. - He's very cute. The tonic water helps because the quinine takes away the sweetness. You'll see how it changes when the tonic is added. i like it i like it Now another. I hope you have nothing else to do today. No, the day of shooting is almost over. One thing you can do at home. Take some rhubarb stalks, chop them up and freeze them. Then they solidify and function like ice cubes. When you freeze fruit or vegetables, the cell structure ruptures , releasing a lot of flavor in your drink. There, cheers. - Cheers. There's still wonderfully crazy partying going on outside. They can do it, the British. * Music * The next morning we continue south. Our destination: the village of Fowey, or rather, just before it. Because this bus stop regularly causes a stir here. * Music: The Hollies "Bus Stop" * People bring different books. I can borrow a book. They bring their own books. - About Australia. Who knows what books are in there. What is this project? A woman named Jane Tinsley had a teenage daughter. She used to hang out here all the time. It was a normal bus stop, very grey. I think they secretly smoked here. The mother wanted to make the bus stop nicer. Then 2 years ago she said she was going to quit. She moved away and me and my friend Melissa said we'd do it and paint the bus stop. In Germany that would definitely be forbidden. You are not allowed to paint on official buildings. Isn't it a problem here? - No. It belongs to the city. I think they just like it. It's a fun place. Is the bus stop well known throughout the UK? She is famous all over the world. We have a Facebook page. I can see that they are looking at people from all over the world. From Australia, from America. - The bus stop has followers? Yes. We paint them. Sometimes Melissa and I are approached by communities like the school or the sailing club. Then they can do something. 3 to 4 times a year, Sarah and her friend Melissa organize a new theme paint job with matching decorations. Over time, a bench and plants were added. I thought you could draw something. Another patty. We paint it using a template. That's easy. That's good. What is this "jam first" all about? "Jam first" because we're having cream tea. We take a scone and we put jam and cream on it. In Devon they put cream on it first. That's just nonsense. They say the cream is the butter, but it's cream, it's cream. And that belongs at the top. Dap, dap, dap. Finally, you can just put brown on it. Like yip, yip, yip. I'm very good at jip jip jip. Tada. - Yes. The woman who started this, does she sometimes come over and look at the bus stop? I don't know. I don't really know her. I've only met her a couple of times. she is so lovely She is very shy. She did all of this without anyone knowing she was behind it. Like the artist Banksy? - Yes, exactly. Exactly like Banksy. For years we didn't know until she said she was quitting. We always drove past and said the bus stop is ready again, who is this person. *music* yummy. Nearby there is a structure even more famous than the small bus stop, the Eden Project. What at first glance looks like a spaceship is actually one of the largest greenhouses in the world. The botanical garden is around 50 hectares in size and one of the most important sights in southern England. Around 1 million people come every year. * Music * Catherine Cutler planted the first plants here more than 20 years ago . This area where the project is built is an old mine. Alumina was extracted and exported here. When the mine closed, the area began to deteriorate. It's a really good example of regenerating a degraded site. Here you can see what can be done with intelligent forethought and dedication. The Eden Project is considered a visionary showpiece. Many clear explanations show how our environment works and how we can protect it. * Music * The large greenhouse simulates the tropics, the small Mediterranean climate. There is also a large outdoor area. * Music * This is our Mediterranean part. We have a lot of plants here. These are almonds. Our visitors really enjoy coming to the Mediterranean. It's a place they feel familiar with. Many people vacation in Spain or Portugal. They then come here and just feel like they are connected. Through this feeling we try to encourage people that we all need to care about plants and about the planet. *music* We don't usually grow melons, but we are very happy with these. Melons are among the plants that consume quite a lot of water. Here we can talk to visitors about the water that the plants on which we live need. How we use the water here in Eden is very interesting. We collect the rainwater that falls on the roofs. It comes in large tanks and is used for irrigation. This is a wonderful plant. It's a swamp plant. When you eat them, you taste a wonderful saltiness. She's really good. Should you try it. We love it because it tastes wonderful. And it has this nice texture that's crunchy. And she's becoming a trendy vegetable in fancy restaurants. Working here means having an interest and a passion for doing new things. Every year we look at what's on the news and think about what things we should bring to people. The great thing about working in Eden is that there is always something new and something happening. You explore all these interesting things, day after day. * Music * The next day starts at the westernmost point of England. We are at Land's End Airport. * Music * For most, the Cornwall journey ends right here. Because you think there's nothing but the Atlantic. But 45 km in that direction is a group of islands called the Scilly Islands. The 5 largest of the nearly 140 islands are St Mary's, Tresco, St Agnes, St Martin's and Bryher. If you want to discover them, you have to take the ferry or the plane. Pretty small. * Music * The view from the window is promising. The Scilly Islands are also called "The Best of Britain" by the locals . Getting here is for the adventurous. * Music * It's special. (laughs) Oh man. I have everything with me.
