England's Eden

How can such a small country have so many fascinating places to visit? There’s no way to cover them all, so I’ll highlight a couple of England’s quirkier sites today and tomorrow.

At England’s southwestern tip you’ll find Cornwall, famous for its wild, moorland landscapes and dramatic coastline. I’d go just for that, but Cornwall has a couple of other claims to fame as well. Eden Project, for example, attracted more than 6 million visitors to this little corner of the world during its first four years. It is the world’s largest biome and contains, under one roof, the complete range of natural plant habitats found on the Earth. It is run by Tim Smit, famous for another of Cornwall’s famous sites, The Lost Gardens of Heligan (Photo at right). These immense, beautiful and unique gardens have been the subject of television shows and news articles in addition to a book.

Cornwall is also the setting of a novel by author Deb Kinnard. In Seasons in the Mist, American graduate student Bethany Lindstrom is stranded in 1353 Cornwall. She knows she must find a way back to her own time or face a life of falsehoods and peril. But with the stern overlord Sir Michael Veryan, she is swept into the intrigues of King Edward's court, which will test their mettle and their faith in God to the limits -- and forever bind their lives together.

Tomorrow we’ll take a look at one of Earth’s mysteries: Stonehenge. And who knows…maybe another recipe will pop in as well!