Blog 43 Par to Cremyll (3 days). Farewell to Kernow,

Hello all

It has been a while since my last blog and the reason for this is that I have been either walking, driving, eating or sleeping.
But now I have a bit of a break so I can catch up on what has been happening.

But first let me add a new feature to this blogging/walking adventure. It is an email account I have set up so that people can contact and converse with me without the need for all to see. So if you wish to share an email address or phone number with me, you can do with this by email.
robsetterswcp@gmail.com

This may be a good idea or I may have created a monster. If the latter is true, I will close down the account a short while after I have completed the walk.

The Last Three Days

Returning to Cornwall to complete the days that I missed out due to my mystery swollen leg problem, was a good idea and I am really glad that I did it. When I planned the whole walk I decided that by starting in late April and finishing in late June would hopefully mean that I would get good walking weather. Yes, there was a risk of rain and cold weather, but in my experience both of these conditions are preferable to heat. The last three days have been sunny indeed, but they only served to remind me that walking in full sun and high temperatures adds another element to the task. I am also aware that there will be hotter weather to come, but hopefully I'll be finished before the extremes of hot days of July and August are upon me.

This is photo of Par on a miserable morning. My memories of Par are not great ones. It was as I arrived in the town, a few weeks ago, that I first noticed that my leg was swelling up. I can't blame Par for that but the association is with me and will remain so. On the morning of the photo, Jennie had dropped me off in the middle of the one way system that forms the centre of the town and I started walking, and got lost within a few minutes. I walked along a busy road until I eventually spotted a bashed up sign directing me back to the path. And it was from the path that I took the photo you see here. I apologise to anybody reading this who has a fond connection to Par but I found the place dull in the extreme! (Does the use of the "!" soften the blow. I hope so!)

Not far around the coast is Polkerris where I stopped for a coffee and collected my thoughts. In the South West Coast Path web page, the 14 mile section between Par and Polperro is described as "Strenuous and Challenging". And it was. But along the way was some beautiful scenery.

The view from Little Gribbin to Gribbin Head

The impressive Gribbin Tower

Jennie and I had a holiday in this area a few years ago. This is Daphne Du Maurier territory, and while we were staying in a tiny little cottage on the Pont Pill river, I read "Frenchman's Creek". In the story there is a daring raid on Fowey by a band of French adventurers. One day I was sitting on a bench reading this section of the book as I looked down at Fowey from the Polruan side of the river. It was quite a special moment.

Polruan from the Fowey side of the river

Fowey from the ferry. I was on my best behaviour. You never
 know who is watching! 

The eagle eyed among you will have noticed that there is not a trace of sun in all of these photos. That is because the sun and the heat only arrived in the afternoon.

It was a very tiring afternoon and the relentless ups and downs left me in a state of extreme tiredness and I was delighted to see Jennie walking towards me on the high cliffs a couple of miles out of Polperro. We walked the last bit together. (I am always delighted to see Jennie, by the way).

Polperro is popular for a reason. It is perfect. As a result it was absolutely heaving with tourists. 

Beautiful Polperro, and look at the sky!

Polperro to Port Wrinkle

One thing sticks in my mind about the walk from Polperro which I would love to erase.

As I was walking along the cliffs, a couple of miles out of Polperro, I saw a man in his eighties (I would guess) walking toward me. What he was wearing was a pair of sandals and what I believe is called, a posing pouch. I would have liked to have taken a photo so that you would also have the image to deal with.
I would add that for a man of his age he had a very good body and I think he was very pleased with it. As he approached, I turned over in my mind what I could say to him. But for some reason I couldn't come up with anything other than, "good morning".
Would you believe it.......he completely ignored me and walked on. I couldn't resist the urge to look behind me and I quickly prepared my phone to take a photo. But as I raised the phone, he turned too and I had to quickly hide it. I'm sure he noticed.
What you would have seen was, in essence, a thong which had almost completely disappeared into where the sun doesn't shine. You will have to imagine.  But I have to live with this terrible sight for ever.
Lucky you.
Unlucky me.

Talland Bay is a most beautiful spot to reflect and try to clear one's head of disturbing images.

___________________________

Jennie and I met up in Looe and had some lunch together sitting on a bench by the harbour. We agreed that Looe is one of our favourite places to visit and we will come back again soon.

This is Nelson. He isn't real. He's a sculpture. Nelson was a famous seal who swam the waters
off Looe. And, to my shame, this is the only photo that I took in lovely Looe.

Portwrinkle to Cremyll (Mount Edgcumbe)

I was determined not to treat these three days in Cornwall as an opportunity to tidy up the days that I had missed. I really should enjoy them too. But by the time that I got to the last of the three days, all I could think about was getting it done. Actually the early section fro Portwinkle was lovely and then I came to the Kerslake firing ranges. There was not any firing but I foolishly took the inland route which meant that I walked along a busy road for a few miles. 

Then I arrived at Freathy and the Freathy cliffs. My friend Terry had warned me about this section, but I wasn't listening properly. The path zig-zags in and out and up and down around a lot of holiday chalets and dwellings. I was glad to put it all behind me. 

Rame Head was a delight and I had my lunch there before I walked along the path into Mount Edgcumbe. Here are two photos; one from the west side and one from the east side of Rame Head.

So, then I walked into Cremyll and the end of my walks in Cornwall.

These three days have taken me well over the 500 miles of the path so far. It really does feel that I am getting toward my goal of completing the 630 miles of the South West Coast Path.

I'm looking forward to the walks to come which are all in Dorset. 

Take it easy.

Rob.

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