Reflections on Windows

"A room with a view," "what light through yonder window breaks," "eyes are the windows to the soul."

Phrases such as these reflect the importance windows play in our lives. And my recent trip to Cornwall, England, provided many lovely and diverse examples of these portals through which we gaze out or peer in.

Some windows, like those in our bedroom and the breakfast conservatory at Trenderway Farm B&B near Polperro and even the bathroom window at the Mill End Hotel near Chagford, served as frames to nature's pastoral beauty.

Some windows, like one in many of the food preparation rooms at stately country home Lanhydrock and one in the pub at the Gurnards Head Hotel, not only illuminated indoor environments but also added to their special charm.

Some windows provided insights into the lives of the residents within...their interests, tastes, attitudes, and opinions.

 

And still others--including windows at the Ship Inn at Fowey, Saint Materiana's Church near Tintagel, and the cafe at Lanhydrock--were themselves things of beauty in which light, itself, played the starring role.

All were special in their own way. And now that my visit to Cornwall--with its wonderful memories and varied window views--is over, it's time to consider my next expedition. For as Turkish novelist and playwright Mehmet Murat ildan said, "Your every new journey is your new window opening to new ideas!"