Chapter 8 – At TintagelThe boys choose to go to Tintagel for two reasons, to see where King Arthur was born and to meet Cornish girls. They take the policeman’s advice and book into Tintagel youth hostel. It only costs £8.50 a night. They sleep in a dormitory with four beds and cook their own food. The youth hostel is on top of the Glebe Cliffs with a stunning (=incredibile) view of the coastline.
Maurizio and Fabio are lying on their bunk beds (=cuccette) when their room-mate(=compagno di stanza) arrives. He is fifty-one. He has long white hair that hangs down past his shoulders. He wears a beard, beads (=collane) and his feet are bare. He also carries a flute. He calls everybody ‘man’. Best of all he speaks Cornish. Very little, the boys discover, but the Cornish he knows is very useful for him. The hippie enters the dormitory of the youth hostel and says.
“Fatia genough why?”
Maurizio is on the top bunk. He sits up quickly and bangs (=sbatte) his head on the ceiling.
“Ma yehes genam. Fatia genough why?”
The man shakes his long, white hair. “I don’t speak much Cornish, man.”
He shakes hands with both the boys
“Hi, brothers,” he says. “My name is Gon”
“I’m Maurizio,” says Maurizio. “And this is Fabio.”
“And where are you from brothers?” asks Gon.
The boys tell Gon they are Italian.
“That is cool,” agrees Gon. “That is exceptionally cool.”
Gon thinks many things are cool. Maurizio’s Cornish phrase book is cool. The view from the windows is cool, but the coolest thing, according to Gon, is Tintagel itself. Gon comes to Tintagel every year to ‘recharge (=ricaricare) my batteries, man’
“Meditate, man,” he advises Fabio. “I have been coming to Tintagel for twenty years to meditate and then I move onto Glastonbury.”
“Looking for girls?” winks Fabio.
Gon is shocked. “No, man, it’s for the vibes (=vibrazione). We are in the ancient kingdom of King Arthur. Tintagel is bewitched (=incantato).”
Tintagel is dedicated to the King Arthur industry. Gon takes them to ‘King Arthur’s Cafe’. He stops outside and begins to speak Cornish with Maurizio.
“I offered him something to eat.” Maurizio explains to Fabio, and adds dramatically, “In Cornish.”
“Thank you, brother,” says Gon. He goes into the cafe and orders a sandwich, a coffee and a cake.
Maurizio pays the bill and smiles when Gon says, “Gromercy.”