Blog 32: Mevagissey to Par. The Holiday is Over. Steps up, Steps Down. China Clay, "Take it Easy Rob".

Hello all

It's back to the walking after a couple of luxurious days at home.

I had planned to drive down to the Mevagissey area in the evening of my second day at home so that I was ready to walk fairly early the next day, but then I changed my mind and went to bed early so that I could get up at the crack of dawn and drive down to Cornwall in the morning.

My friends, Colin and Jane had arranged to meet me just outside Mevagissey where they were staying at a caravan touring park. Jane wanted to walk some of the day with me and we set off together from the delightful harbour of Mevagissey and started by climbing up to the cliff top to the East of the town. This was the first of many climbs followed by many descents that stretched ahead of us. It was very hard work and we didn't have the nicest weather to walk in either. It was raining a little when we set off but improved a bit as we walked. The paths were quite slippery and the plants which edged the path constantly deposited moisture on our legs. Thankfully were were both wearing long trousers.
I didn't take very many photos as the dull day didn't make the scenery shine like it usually does.

Chapel Point in the distance - Portmellon and Mevagissey are already a long way away.

The very hard going resulted in Jane stopping a little before Charlestown and I walked on by myself into the town of Charlestown where I met up with Jane and Colin for a drink (lime and soda).
Charlestown is a very popular place and was full of tourists. The nautical history of the town and harbour are a magnet for families, and the businesses have cashed in on the history of the place. I remember visiting Charlestown many years ago and I believe that there has been a marked increase in the commercialism of the town and harbour. I left Colin and Jane behind to enjoy the place, bought a very expensive sandwich and set off over the hill towards Par and the end of the day's walk.
Some of my fellow coast path walkers decide not to do the section between Charlestown and Par. I can understand why, but as it isn't a long walk so I completed it.
I had a good reason to walk this rather untidy bit of the path, because I have a link to the area that takes me back to my younger days.

This part of the coast and the county is dominated by the china clay industry. Although the heydays of the industry are long gone, there are many remnants and reminders of a once thriving industry which employed thousands of people.

Spit Point and the china clay works - Little Hell in the background.

When I was a seaman in the 1970s (more of a seaboy really), I enlisted on a small coaster sailing out of Tilbury Docks. It was a very scruffy boat and, for me, it was a glimpse of a very rough and ready world. At about 17 years of age I was expected to pull my weight and do everything on-board, just like all the rest of the crew. The crew - about 10 of them -  were a bunch of hard nosed old hands who made no allowances for my young age or lack of experience. I even found myself helping out in the engine room, which is unusual for a deck hand.  I have no love for engines or engine rooms and, as a result of this experience, engineers.
The coaster had a regular route and as far as I could tell had being doing the same thing for years. I had signed on for two trips and was glad that I hadn't agreed to more.

The little boat left Tilbury and soon emerged into the channel where it pitched and rolled all the way down the coast towards Cornwall.  Being empty it was tossed about like a cork. Thankfully by this time I had my sea legs in place and sea sickness was not an issue.

I'm not totally sure about the details, but I do know that we moored up off the harbour of Par while china clay slurry was pumped aboard until, once our tanks were full, we were extremely low in the water. The voyage back to Tilbury was very different from the one to Par. The rough seas washed over the boat and it was a hazardous place to be. Once we had unloaded at Tilbury, it was back down to Par for another load of the white stuff.
And so it went on for the coaster and it's crew, but not me. I got paid and was off of that tub as fast as I could.

_____________________________________

So this was my first day back on the path after a two day break. During the last couple of miles I noticed a strange feeling in my left calf. It felt a little sore, rather resembling a stinging nettle rash.
As I sat eating, I noticed that the leg was swelling up and was tender to touch.
I drove the van towards Polperro for the next day of walking and parked up in a lay-by for the night. It became clear that my leg wasn't right. I rolled up my trouser leg to look at it and decided, there and then, that I needed to get home so that I could go to the doctors and have it checked out.
When I got home I took a photo of my leg so that I could show the doctor if the swelling went down overnight.

One swollen and sore left leg.

And the right one wasn't looking to good either.

This morning I went to the doctor and was told that it's an infection caused by something unknown.
I was prescribed anti-biotics and steroid cream. My doctor also told me to take it easy for a few days.

The outcome of this is that I am sitting with my leg up while I listen to the cricket. I won't be walking again until Sunday at the earliest.

The itinerary stays the same, but the sections in Cornwall, which I will have missed, will be done at the end. It is my intention to do them before the end of June.

Taking it Easy!

Take it easy.

Rob.

www.justgiving.com/fundraising/RobSetter

Blog 31 : Nowhere to Nowhere. Stuff and More Stuff

Hello all

I have some time at home before I get in the van to drive back down to Cornwall so that I can resume the walk tomorrow. I could do a bit of gardening, read my book, listen to some music or do something else. (Funnily enough I am not planning to go for a walk today.)

But, instead of all those things, I thought I would write a blog.

At the end of this blog will be my up to date itinerary which has a few changes on it from the original. The changes have been brought about by the need to walk from Lulworth to Worth Matravers on a Saturday to avoid the weekday closure of the path due to army manoeuvres.

Hopefully there will no need to make any further changes.

______________________________________

Yesterday and today have been rest days.
Also, yesterday was the wedding of my niece (Eve) and Harry. It was lovely to be there with the rest of my family to help to celebrate their happy day.
The weather was good and considering that the venue is a very exposed site on the top of Haldon Hill, it was not too windy.  Everybody was in good spirits and as a result we had a lot of laughs together.
Have a very happy life together Harry and Eve.

(And a very well done to Karen for shoving everybody else out of the way and grabbing the bride's bouquet. Make the most of it.)

__________________________________

I thought I would take advantage of some time that I have today to think about and consider what kind of a walk the South West Coast Path is.  As you will know by now, it is a continuous path from Minehead in Somerset to Poole in Dorset stretching over 630 miles through Somerset, Devon, Cornwall, back through Devon, Somerset  ending in Dorset.

Also here are some "facts" that I have taken from a well known online encyclopaedia.


The South West Coast Path is England's longest way-marked long-distance footpath and a National Trail.

 A survey carried out in 1999 and 2000 found that at that time the path had 2,473 signposts or way-marks, and included 302 bridges, 921 stiles, and 26,719 steps.

 The total height climbed has been calculated to be 114,931 ft (35,031 m), almost four times the height of Mount Everest.

And a final quote from a recent walker of the path - "It's a long way and it's hard". (Rob Setter 2019)

____________________________________

The Charity

Infertility and difficulties in having a child and the way that these issues impact on a family and/or individuals is now very well known to me.

Jennie and I have been blessed with three marvellous children who always have been a massive part of our lives together. We are lucky to have a great relationship with all three of them and continue to see them very often. 

I would love to be a Grandfather and I know that Jennie would make a marvellous Grandmother and we would cherish the joy that having another generation of little children in our family would bring to us.

But, I can live with the disappointment if it is not to happen. I know that my sadness is as nothing compared to the sadness felt by couples and individuals who have pictured themselves with a child of their own and for one reason or another this has not happened.

It was a very easy choice for me to pick The Fertility Network as my charity for this walk. They offer support to anyone who needs it. 

I ask you to please look at their website and if you like what you see and would like to support the charity which means a lot to me and my family, then donate as you feel able. 

Thank-you.

Rob

https://fertilitynetworkuk.org

www.justgiving.com/fundraising/RobSetter

____________________________________________

Here is the up-to-date itinerary.

Monday	27/05/19	Rest Day
Tuesday	28/05/19	Rest Day
Wednesday	29/05/19	Mevagissey	Par	12	371
Thursday	30/05/19	Par	Polperro	13	384
Friday	31/05/16	Polperro	Portwrinkle	12	396
Saturday	01/06/19	Portwrinkle	Plymouth	13	409
Sunday	02/06/19	Plymouth	River Yealm	14	424
Monday	03/06/19	Rest Day
Tuesday	04/06/19	Rest Day
Wednesday	05/06/19	River Yealm (Wembury)	Bigbury on Sea	14	439
Thursday	06/06/19	Bigbury on Sea	Salcombe	14	452
Friday	07/06/19	Salcombe	Torcross	13	465
Saturday	08/06/19	Torcross	Dartmouth	10	475
Sunday	09/06/19	Rest Day
Monday	10/06/19	Dartmouth (Kingswear)	Brixham	11	486
Tuesday	11/06/19	Brixham	Babbacombe	11	497
Wednesday	12/06/19	Babbacombe	Exmouth (Starcross)	16	513
Thursday	13/06/19	Exmouth	Sidmouth	13	526
Friday	14/06/19	Sidmouth	Seaton	11	537
Saturday	15/06/19	Seaton	Seatown	14	551
Sunday	16/06/19	Rest Day
Monday	1706/19	Seatown	Abbotsbury	12	563
Tuesday	18/06/19	Abbotsbury	Ferrybridge	11	574
Wednesday	19/06/19	Rest Day
Thursday	20/06/19	Isle of Purbeck		13	587
Friday	21/06/19	Ferrybridge	Lulworth	14	602
Saturday	22/06/19	Lulworth	Worth Matravers	14	616
Sunday	23/06/19	Worth Matravers	South Haven Point	14	630

Sunday the 23rd of June is my Sixty-Fifth Birthday.

Take it easy.

Rob

Blog 30: St Mawes to Portloe, Mevagissey to Portloe. Tales of boats, and more boats, Purple and Pink. Home.

Hello all

I'm writing this blog from the comfort of my house back in Crockernwell. I am home for the wedding of Eve and Harry.  Eve is my niece and the wedding is the perfect excuse to have a break from walking for a couple of days and enjoy a family occasion.

__________________________

The short ferry ride from St Mawes to Place was a delightful interlude and gave me the opportunity to take some photos of the many and varied boats in the estuary. It's a nervous business holding the phone out over the side of the boat whilst doing this. I asked the boatman if he had ever known anybody drop their phone over the side.

"More than you would imagine", he said, "the strange thing is that some of them think that there is something that I can do about it, like I can get their phones back somehow".

These are the photos that I took and clearly I held firmly onto my mobile.

A place called "Place"

Once I'd arrived at Place, it was a delightful walk around St Anthony's Head and on up the coast toward Portloe.  I had intended to have a break for coffee in Porthcatho. A few years ago Jennie and I stayed there with Helen and Nick. There is a lovely coffee and snack kiosk which looks out onto the harbour. The story of the kiosk, that I remember, is that it used to be a public toilet which was due to be closed down because the upkeep of it didn't warrant keeping it open. Somebody bought it from the council and turned it into a cafe and had a toilet built at the rear which is open to the public and maintained by the cafe. So all in all it is a win, win situation.

As I rounded the headland and Porthcatho came into view, I could see that there was something going on. There were people everywhere and I soon worked out that there was going to be some gig racing.
I managed to get a coffee and a cheese and ham filled croissant, and got a prime seat overlooking some gigs as the crews prepared them for racing.

I couldn't stay to see the start of the first race, so I walked on, but not until I bought a piece of coffee and walnut cake from some children who were raising money to support the gig teams. I have to say that it didn't taste very much of coffee and was the sweetest thing that I have eaten for a long time.

The race started and I took a grainy picture of the crews. Although they were a long way out from the shore it was easy to hear the excited shouts from the teams as they struggled to win.

What became clear is that the teams take it all very seriously and also have fun in doing so.

____________________________________

The flowers were out in strength on this stretch of the coastline and the sunny weather showed them at their best. First I came across some campions which were marvelous. A few foxgloves popped their heads up in the display.

Then a little further along the path, the foxgloves took centre stage in the most impressive display that I have ever seen.

I was absolutely bowled over by these foxgloves, so much so, that the next two people that came around the corner had to hear about how marvelous they were from me.

Two people came around the corner. I gestured towards the flowers and said something like - "I have never seen better foxgloves than this".

It was instantly clear to me that these two people could barely speak any English. This left me pointing and saying words like - "amazing", "very unusual to see so many", "lots", "lovely flowers, lots", - "anyway, have a nice walk". 

______________________________

I met John and Jen (my neighbours) at Portloe and they drove me back to St Mawes to get my van. We stopped at St Mawes for a beer in the sunshine.  A delightful day!

(Earlier we found a cafe along the path and I took a photo of their sign. I love an apostrophe and so did the cafe owners.)

_______________________________

In the evening I left the van parked in a hosing estate up the hill from Mevagissey and walked down to the harbour to find somewhere to eat. The Fountain Inn was my choice and I'm glad it was. It was very crowded and I couldn't find a table for one, so I asked a couple of men if they would mind if I shared their table so that I could eat. They were very welcoming and we soon hit it off. One of them looked like I did - bearded and weather beaten.

Richard was walking the path too, but he had started in Poole and is walking to Minehead. 

Richard's son was with him to help with some of the transport and to walk some stretches while he and his family are on holiday in the Mevagissey area.

Richard explained to me that his wife had recently died of motor-neurone disease. They used to walk a lot together. He is raising money for a motor-neurone charity. 

Richard is a lovely man from Leeds and I am sorry that he is walking the opposite way from me because we got on well and would have enjoyed walking together. 

Because the three of us got on so well and were joined in conversation by a couple on the next table, the evening stretched into one that was longer than I had planned. It was a very enjoyable time and we laughed a lot about our experiences. As a result of enjoying myself I ended up drinking four pints. (by far the most that I have drunk so far on this trip).

And..................Without a hangover, I was up and walking at 6.15 am. 

I have to admit that the combination of some pretty miserable weather and the thought that I would be driving home as soon as I finished the walk, left me rushing on and not taking in very much of my surroundings. I suddenly realised that I was doing this so I slowed down a bit and took a few photos. 

Dodman Point - one for fans of The Shipping Forecast

A windswept Hawthorn tree

This is Hemmick Beach - One single house is all there is here - real coastline seclusion.

From the sublime to the ridiculous - Caerhays Castle is just a couple of bays further along the coast. 

Wildlife photography success - A Speckled Wood - (common).

________________

So I'm back home for a couple of days and I'm going to make the most of it. 

Take it easy

Rob

www.justgiving.com/fundraising/RobSetter

Blog 29 : Coverack to Helford, Helford to Falmouth. Mist, Cows, Irises, Mobile Tales, Bullocks, Halfway, Skimming, A Special Day.

Hello all

Two whole days of walking to write about.
So here goes:

I walked out of Coverack on a still and misty morning. I believe that this is the first of that particular weather condition that I have experienced on this walk. It gave me the opportunity to take some photos that shined a different light on the way that the path can look.

Coverack just visible through the mist

The mist appeared to add to the silence that an early morning walk already has plenty of. It was a delightful and slightly out of body experience.

_______________________

I can't leave Coverack behind without telling you a story about the last time I walked from The Lizard to Coverack about 12 years ago.

Jennie, her sister Julie, Rebecca (Jennie's and my daughter) and I were staying in Porthallow which is a harbour village about 4 miles to the east of Coverack. The cottage we were staying at had no telephone and next to no mobile signal.

On one of the days I decided that I was going to walk from from The Lizard to Porthallow and as nobody else want to do a walk as long as that, I did it on my own, so I was dropped off at The Lizard. 

After I had been walking for quite a time I started to doubt that I'dbe able to make it back because it was very hot and I didn't have enough energy, so I started trying to make contact by mobile phone in the hope that I would get through. I tried many many times without a hint of a connection. 

At about 5.00 pm I arrived in Coverack hoping that a town/village of that size might have a mobile signal. Unfortunately not.

So I went into the local pub and asked the barman if he knew of anywhere that I could get a mobile signal in the village. 

"Not really, but apparently some of the kids sit on top of the telephone box and get a signal there".

An unlikely story I thought.

I asked him if I could use the pub landline to try to make contact with someone. I told him that I would stay and buy a pint or two. He agreed.

But who to phone?

I had a terrible feeling that Jennie and the others would be getting quite worried by now.

So, I phoned the coastguard. I told them that there was a strong likelihood that someone might report me missing and that they should know that I am not. Also if someone does report me missing, could they tell them that I am in the pub at Coverack and then one of them could come and collect me.

You may be surprised to know that the operator said that I wasn't the first person to phone them with a similar idea and that it happens from time to time.

Then I tried ringing my other sister in law and got through to her, she phoned my son Joe and he eventually got through to Rebecca, who came and collected me.

By the time she got to the pub, I had had a few drinks and was ready to leave. As we drove out of Coverack I couldn't help noticing three teenagers perched on top  of the telephone box with their Nokias clamped to the side of their faces.

There were no teenagers on the top of the telephone box this time. Progress!

_____________________________

Back to the present - 

I walked into a large field which stretched away into the distance. What was noticeable was the large amount of cow pats that were all over the grass. There was lots of them and all freshly laid, but not a cow in site. I wondered if the cows had been recently gathered in by the farmer. Suddenly I spotted a few cows looking at me through the mist. Most cows ignore walkers unless they get too close and then the cows move away, but I could see that this was not going to be the case with this lot. They were youngish bullocks and one by one they made their way towards me. As they got closer I counted about 25 of them. They came right up to me and blocked my path. I waved my arms around and made a farmer like sound and they parted just enough to let me through. 

Then they all started following me, and as I walked a little faster they followed suit. 

Another group of about twenty were ahead of me and closing in from the front in a type of pincer movement. I have to admit to being a bit anxious and started waving my arms at them and making quite a lot of noise. They all fell in behind me. I saw a gap in the wall and made for it and as I passed through I turned around and waved my hands and growled loudly until they stopped at the gap. 

I then took a photo of a perfectly innocent bunch of young cows. 

But just look at their eyes!

I've got a story about a bull from another walk that I did years ago. It happened near to Golden Cap, so I'll save it until I am walking that stretch of the path sometime in mid June. It's a good story and probably worth the waiting.

_________________

I think we should have a couple of pictures of irises.

__________________________________

I reached the half way point of the South West Coast Path. But who is taking the photograph?

My good friends and neighbours, John and Jen have come to Falmouth to help me out with some transport issues around the estuaries of this bit of the coast line. I met them at Helford and John insisted that they drive me back to Porthallow to have this photo taken and I am glad he did.

That evening the three of us went into Falmouth and had a splendid fish meal which was a treat for me from them. Delicious.

____________________________

This morning they drove me back to Helford Passage so that I could walk to Falmouth.

I walked through a lot of fields today, which has added another dimension to the feel of the paths.

It was lovely to sit on the grass to eat a snack or two.

A small fishing boat and a larger ship making for Falmouth

The beach near Durgan had some of the best skimming stones that I had ever seen in such quantities.
They real should hold the World Skimming Championships there.
I gathered a few and despite there being a few people on the small beach and me being in my sixties, I couldn't resist skimming them. I'm not championship standard but a couple of them went on for between 15 and 20 skims, but you will have to take my word for it. There are no photos of my action but I did photograph the stones prior to launch.

A fine collection of skimmers.

_________________________

The tiny village of Durgan was a delight and is now looked after by The National Trust. 

The building in the foreground is the old school house. Just imagine the children playing in that little area in front. Durgan is well worth a visit.

As I walked along this morning I had a telephone conversation with Jennie as usual.

After discussing my plans for the day and Jennie's plans for the day and other stuff, Jennie suddenly said.

"Anyway, happy anniversary".

The 24th of May is our wedding anniversary.

I said, "Yes, I know it is. I was saving the best bit for the end of our conversation. You just got in first".

"Oh, really!"

Anyway here is a photo of the happy event.

And here is a "Where's Robbie" picture.

Take it easy.

Rob

www.justgiving.com/fundraising/RobSetter

Blog 28 : The Lizard to Coverack, Terry and Rob go Paddling, Five Dogs Too Much, Wonderful Hosts

Hello all.

Well, well, well what a couple of days it has been. I sometimes wonder if I have stumbled into another world where the weather is perfect, the scenery is always sublime and people are delightful all the time.
It's going to take a while to describe the fun I've had since arriving in The Lizard, but I'll try.

My excellent friends, Anna and Terry had arranged to join me last evening and walk with me today. And, as a real treat they had booked an Air B&B for the three of us, just on the outskirts of The Lizard. I got to the house a couple of hours before Terry and Anna were due to arrive. Unfortunately Anna didn't feel well enough to come and walk, so Terry came on his own. While I waited for him to get here I wrote yesterday's blog and had a chat with the owners of the house. They are called Jeanette and Dave. In passing I mentioned that I didn't have anywhere to stay tomorrow evening. Actually I asked if they would mind if I slept in my van on their drive, if I'm telling the truth.  Dave and Jeanette had a chat and told me that I could stay in the room again for another night, free of charge. Jeanette liked the fact that I am walking for a charity as well as for my own achievement and enjoyment.
So here I am for another night sitting at the dining table writing another blog.
Thank-you so much Jeanette and Dave. (If anybody wants to stay in a very pleasant B&B in The Lizard and knows me, just ask and I'll give you their details).

____________________________

Terry and I went out for a meal at The Witches Ball. This was also Terry's treat. I had a delightful meal of whitebait starter followed by a seafood mixture for a main course.
On the next table to ours was a man and a woman who had five dogs with them and they were quite noisy dogs. They were Bichon Frises. I know this because the man was telling someone on another table about how he shows them. To be honest I think that they were too noisy, but was pleased to see the the two of them were eating their deserts and would surely be settling the bill and leaving soon. Sure enough they left soon after and the noise level (dog wise) dropped. Terry and I had a bit of a laugh about the dogs, but not too much as there appeared to be quite a lot of doggy enthusiasts in the pub. We also had a good laugh about it later when we got back to the house to settle down for the night.

___________________________

This morning the sun was shining and a great day of walking was on the cards. We got all the driving bit done first - leaving my van in The Lizard and Terry's car in Coverack and we set off. And may I say right now that it is a fantastic stretch of the coastline from The Lizard to Coverack.
I have written quite a lot about gates and stiles. But this construction that we came across is the best/worst I have seen so far.

The two posts were about 10 cms apart at the bottom and about
 40 cms at the top. It was almost impossible to squeeze between them.
I'm not sure what the intentions of the land owner were, but I've got a good idea.

A little while later we came to a delightful bridge which was the complete opposite of the style construction.

A Bridge designed for the fuller figure.

________________________

We arrived at Kennack Sands and agreed that we would eat our lunch on the beach which was practically deserted. We wandered onto the lovely soft sand looking for a great place to have our picnic.
"Just a minute Terry".
"What?"
"Have you seen who is on the beach".

Is that two people with five Bichon Frises. Yap, Yap, Yap, Yap, Yap.

We moved further up the beach, continuing to laugh from last night.

I said I fancied a paddle and hoped it could possibly help my sore right foot, so Terry and I went for a paddle.

Then we ate our lunch on the beach which was a real treat and the first time on this trip that I had done so. 

__________________________

Please do not read on if there is a possibility that you could be offended.

As we were approaching the beach we saw a newly built wall beside the path and Terry noticed that someone had very skillfully carved a hieroglyphic into one of the stones. Terry decided to take a photo of it to pass on to his son - 

As he was taking the photo a couple of Americans who were walking the path came along and seeing that Terry was photographing the wall. The man said -

"One of the finer points of masonry".

We laughed about it for ages. What is it about childish humour that I find so brilliant at my age?

All in all I've had a wonderful day or two on the Lizard thanks to a good mate and some charming hosts.

Take it easy.

Rob

www.justgiving.com/fundraising/RobSetter

Blog 27: Porthleven to The Lizard. Cold, Cold, Cold. Hot, Hot, Hot. Pesky Flies.

Hello All

Lets start with a couple of pictures that demonstrate my good fortune:

The sunset on Rinsey Head

Good morning Rinsey Head

When I was walking yesterday I spotted the car-park at Rinsey Head and checked the signs and there wasn't one that said "No Overnight Camping", so that must mean that they don't mind overnight camping. Well that's the way I took it. So after the walk I stocked up with two bottles of cider and drove there hoping that I could stay the night without any hassle.
It really was gorgeous there and once the car park had emptied of all the day walkers, I had it to myself apart from a couple of all night fishermen who turned up at about 9.00 pm. I didn't hear them leave again but they were gone when I got up at 6.00.
Rinsey Head car park was great improvement on the lay-by just outside Porthleven of the previous night.


As you can tell, I got up early and had the van parked in Porthleven and was walking by 7.15. As I walked around the harbour the early morning quiet was broken by joyous laughter and screams from somewhere across from where I was walking. This is what I saw and I carefully and quickly took a photo as evidence:

Five women having an early morning dip. (Not a wet-suit in sight)

The only other person who was around to witness this (which I am sure is a regular event) was a lone fisherman who was fishing from the quay.
"You wouldn't catch me dead in there. Too bloody cold if you ask me. I'd have a heart attack".
"So, I would catch you dead in there".
"I suppose you would". Then he started laughing and I could still hear his laughter mingled with the cheerful noises from the other side of the bay as I walked on up the hill.

The walk from Porthleven is a fairly easy but long affair of 13 miles. The weather was glorious and I was extremely happy as I strolled along.  I remember some of this walk from a few years ago when Jennie, Helen and myself walked it as far as Mullion Harbour. Both then and now I stopped at two of the same places. The first was St Winwaloe (The Church of the Storms) at Church Cove. I couldn't resist taking some photos of the gravestones. Also I took one of the church which almost merges into the environment.

The next place I stopped at was Poldhu Cove. The cafe had just opened for business so I ordered an Americano ("No milk Thank-you"). I sat there for about 45 minutes and read my book. This is the first time that I have added the extra weight of a chunky paperback to my pack, but I have really gotten into the story. I had to force myself to put the bookmark back in place and drink the last of my cold coffee, so that I could continue on my way. (Not before asking the chap serving at the cafe if he would fill up my water bottle.
It was getting hot and I had already drunk all of my water. It got hotter.

Soon after this I was bothered by thousands of tiny flies. This isn't the first time it's happened but it was by far the worst and went on for ages. They weren't biting flies but they swarmed all around my head and it was most uncomfortable. If it went on for too long it would drive you mad.
Inevitably it reminded me of a time when Jennie and I had a holiday in The Trossachs. I know that this story is known to many of our friends, but it is worth telling again.

Having spent an enjoyable night in Glasgow at a good hotel, we headed north for a few days of camping and walking. I had bought walking guides and a map or two of the area. We arrived at a picturesque campsite close to the banks of Loch Lomond. We set up our tent at a little distance from the other campers and congratulated ourselves on a great choice of campsite. I poured two glasses of red wine while Jennie went up to the facilities. I then settled myself in a camping chair and listened to some suitable music while I sipped my wine. Jennie came back and said that some people were walking around with what looked like bee keepers hats on.
Suddenly I noticed a black cloud rising from the marshes which were nearer to our tent than any of the other tents. The little pests were on us in seconds. There was nothing for it but to dive into the tent. We weren't safe in there because they were coming in through any gap they could find, so we had to get into the bedroom bit and zip ourselves in. Some followed into the inner sanctum and we tried to deal with them. I braved it and ran up to the shop which was close to the reception and bought a mosquito coil. It worked a bit but we were already bitten, especially Jennie. We couldn't stand it.
It was decided that our camping holiday in Scotland was ending 2 days early, in fact the next morning. With a few of the blighters still around we bundled up everything and shoved it all in the car. We headed South swearing that we would never go to Scotland again. Ever.
Two more things happened on that trip. We had to find somewhere else to stay and although where it was escapes me now, what I do remember is that as we pulled the tent out of the car, a swarm of midges came out too. We had brought them South. They were even in the tent (not for long).
It was prearranged that we would stay at The Midland Hotel in Morecombe for one night as a special treat. The Midland is an Art Deco hotel. We got all dressed up for a lovely meal in the evening. The dining room was stunning and the glorious sunset was visible through the enormous windows. A photo of us would have been nice, but there are no photos to mark the occasion. Poor Jennie's forehead was covered in bites and although she looked stunning, no photos were allowed.
It has become one of our favourite memories and one we compete with each other to tell.

I'm on the Lizard.  My friend Terry is due any minute so I'll quickly add some more photos before he gets here.

Mullion Harbour - Tide out.

A view of Mullion Harbour. 

Mullion Island

I've forgotten exactly where this is but it's near The Lizard

That could be a Mediterranean bay. Look at the colour of the water.

Looking towards The Lizard. The farthest place South in Britain (Mainland)

Oh yes, another thing - I went over the 300 miles of walking today.

Take it easy.

Rob

www.justgiving.com/fundraising/RobSetter