Woman on Her Way

July 12: Stonehenge

Today we took a double-decker bus to Stonehenge. We sat on top and enjoyed the view and narrative. At Stonehenge, we used audio guides to listen to explanations and details about the circle of stone. My first impression was that it seemed smaller than I imagined. No one seems to know why these giant pillars are placed there, positioned to act as a calendar, or how the bluestone slabs were brought from Wales to the Salisbury Plain. The audio guide talked about the various theories and myths and gave a lot of interesting (and boring) facts.

Twenty-five years ago, Dennis visited this site that dates back to the Neolithic period, some 5,000 years past. When he came, he and his friend were the only ones looking at the stones. Now there is a booming tourist business involving buses, souvenirs shops, and a tourist center that is slated to open this December.

From here, the bus took us along a two-car garage wide road that snaked around hills and steep grades to the Old Sarum Castle. Branch limbs were bouncing off the windows and top as it hugged the banks at a rapid speed to let other vehicles by. At one point, a tractor had to back up and climb the shoulder to let the bus pass. Riding upstairs on this part of the trip takes courage–or blinders.

Old Sarum Castle are ruins of a royal palace, cathedral, and town dating back to the 12th century. It was fun to lay on the grass and try to imagine what life was like for the inhabitants. There were the privileged few and the workers: bakers, archers, police, cooks, and those that dug out the royal privy. I imagine that they had hopes and disappointments, celebrated births and weddings and cried at funerals, and had feelings similar to people of this era. I wonder if they had time and inclination to ponder their existence and the ability to change their plot. I left grateful to be living now rather than then.

I was hungry and wanted to take the bus back to the city. Since we only walked a few miles today (and since he had a Full English Breakfast), Dennis wanted to walk back to town; not on the dangerous roads, but on a “short cut” he spied from the top of the hill where the castle ruins were. The path quickly became a single track and then a walk though grasses that at times reached my head. I was not pleased. I had no idea where I was and my instincts said I was going away from where I wanted to be (and food). Dennis kept saying he knew where he was and why could I not have faith in his guiding ability. By the time we crossed the river and got back onto paved roads, I was very lost. Also, it was late and all the eateries had stopped serving at 2:oo P.M. I ended up buying a sandwich in the Shell petro quick market. Not very satisfying.

July 11: Salisbury

Nature treated us to a wonderful sunset last night, and then an imposing display of stars. We never would have seen this had we not camped. The silk sheet that I placed inside my sleeping bag kept me warm and I slept better. After shaking off the morning dew from the tent, we took the street bus to Par, the neighboring town, and then the train to Salisbury. Come to find out that for £30 and proof of birth date, people over 60 years old can purchase a rail pass that provides a 33% discount on all trains in the U.K. When we asked at the tourist center yesterday, we were told that only citizens were eligible for this discount pass. When we arrived in Salisbury, we visited the Tourist Center there and asked them to contact the TC in Fowey; their misinformation cost us 18 quid.

We are staying at The Old House in Salisbury. This 16th century building was converted into a 10-room B & B by the present hosts a couple of decades back. It has lots of character, but I favor the meticulously-kept gardens. From our room, I can smell roses and honeysuckle. In fact, there is a floral scent throughout the city; the air is crisp without pollution, like after a spring rain. The center of Salisbury is a pedestrian zone with lots of eateries, markets and stores. We stopped for tea and pastries and watched the tourists walk by.

One of the stores on the street is The Last Bookstore, which made us comment on the life expectancy of print books. The majority of our books sales are e-books. When I started selling Women of the Way about a year ago, 30% of sales were printed vs. downloaded electronically; nowadays, the printed version is minimal. There was another bookstore in in town; it recently closed–another example of change resulting from technological advances.

We visited the Salisbury Cathedral. For more than 750 years, pilgrims have come here in search of inspiration and peace. In my opinion, it is much more attractive than the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. This was my first time in an Anglican church and found it less ornate (not so much gold and silver and fewer statues) than the ones I visited in Spain and Portugal. The church has beautiful grounds surrounded by a high wall with large oak gate entrances. It was a nice promenade to help us digest our evening meal.

July 10, Fowey

This is the view from our room. Lovely, isn’t it? It was a bit cool for me during the night; I will add the silk liner to my bag tonight. We decided to take a “zero” day (only walking into town.) There, we tried to make lodging reservations because the sections from here to Falmouth do not have many accommodations. Since we could not find any, we changed our plans. We will take the train to Salisbury. We will visit Stonehenge and Amesbury (after hearing Andy talk about it a few days ago). After that, we will head to London.

The British are very humorous. At the right is a sample of their humor. There are many whimsical signs such as this. Also, they like to tease. I am really enjoying them.

July 9: Fowey

We took the ferry to Fowey from Polperro. It was an hour’s ride that saved us many hours of walking on a strenuous path. There were only eleven passengers on the small boat and three dogs, not counting the captain’s dog Ky, (Cornish for dog) who was also first mate. You could tell by her behavior that she simply loved the excursion, barking with delight at the waves and nearby boats.

The English love their dogs, which are well-trained. The canines of every breed and size are allowed in pubs and restaurants; vacationers walk them through towns, and many hotels and B & B advertise that the pets are welcomed (though I have not seen signs referring to cats.) When on the SWC Path, the owners water the four-legged trekkers before they take a drink; there are special bins for doggy poo.

It was nice getting a different perspective of the coast line. From the ferryboat, we could see hikers on the hills and the path as it traversed the cliffs. This part of the path had no place to replenish water and food. I was happy to bypass it.

There were several isolated beaches and caves on the coastline. To the left is the first view we had of Fowey, a small town at the mouth of a tidal river. On the opposite shore is the town of Polruan.

The actress, writer, and comedienne Dawn French has a home on the entrance to the harbor (see right). Maybe some of you have heard of her.

We have a room with a view, but no “en suite” bath–we are using our camping equipment. This evening, Dennis will use his amateur radio and I will finish a book. The two of us are like old fogies.

July 8: Polperro

This morning at the B & B, I had Nutella on toast. Though I had sampled this hazelnut and cocoa spread in the States, I particularly liked it today. It seemed to have a richer flavor. Googling, I found that there are various international flavors for Nutella,

Today’s was a moderately-easy five-mile walk. In the open, I used the reflective umbrella to provide shade and I drank almost two quarts of water. The waistband of my skirt was white with salt. The picture to the left shows Portnadier Bay. In the distance you can see Looe where we started about an hour earlier.

The seacoast is often rocky, as shown in the picture at the right. We saw various seabirds including gulls, terns, albatross, and others we could not identify. We heard seals barking as they played in the water. This section of the SWC Path is very popular and we met a lot of day trekkers, many with their dogs. One person we met was Andy from Polperro. He gabbed with us for a while, telling us about other nice walks in England. Dennis was particularly interested in the path around Amesbury, near Stonehenge, since we plan to visit the Circle of Stones before we go to London. We met up with Andy again in Polperro, and he was kind enough to tell us about his favorite eateries as he escorted us to the road that lead to the campsite we were interested in.

It turns out that the campground was over a mile away–uphill. The reason we were interested in it was because Dennis thought the elevation would help him make amateur radio contacts with hams in the States. Disappointingly, the area designated for tents was in a treeless field. We would not have had relief from the unyielding sun nor could Dennis put up an antenna. So, we hiked back down to the town and found a B & B.

After checking in, we went for lunch and ordered Cornish Creamed Tea, which I had been dying to try. This is a traditional Cornish fare made from clotted cream, jam and scones. We both enjoyed the snack.

Polperro is one of the nicest towns I have seen so far on the SWC path. It is small, but very charming, and the people are very friendly.

July 7: Looe

The South West Coast Path (SWC) is a 630 mile-long trail on the coast of Cornwall. It is a roller-coaster route going from the top of the cliffs to the little fishing towns and back. We are doing only a small section from Plymouth to Falmouth, walking contrary to most guides, which provides many opportunities for missed turns and getting lost.

After trekking 4.5 hours today, I did not need to do step aerobics; there were more opportunities to exercise my legs than I cared for. Instead of the cobblestoned walkways in Portugal, today we walked on 50% field grass and 50% pavement. It is very difficult on the ankles to walk on a slope. For this reason, I did not mind the “Diversions” onto road paths to avoid land slips caused by recent rain, even when one of the detours had a 14.5% grade for about 2 miles. Before reaching the top, I was huffing like a race horse, each step a deliberate effort.

To the left are yellow canola fields and our first look at Downderry. The impressive cliffs overlook the Lone Stone promontory and we could see the Plymouth lighthouse in the distance. It was a steep decline into the town and I was feeling my toes, luckily I did not end up with a blister. The sharp downhills hurt Dennis’ knees, so we stopped in the city, took off our socks and shoes, and relaxed on a bench beneath a shade tree. We were only there about 15 minutes, but it made such a difference.

We met two east-bound hikers: a woman walking alone doing the SWC in sections, and Ivan Godfrey, who is a life-long trekker.

We saw a few opportunities to camp today, but we were low on water, or the campground offered only field camping, with no trees for shade or for the amateur radio antenna. For this reason, we ended up in a B & B in Looe a coastal resort town. We have carried camping equipment on our bikes and backs for over two months; we need to justify our doing so by camping at least a few times. Maybe tomorrow.

To the left is Looe. There is a beach and all the honky-tonk of a seaside town–only with a British flair. There were many tea shops, fish and chip take-away restaurants, tattoo parlors, and trinket and bead stores. The seagulls are nesting and they coo and squawk constantly. From our room we look down on rooftops covered in bird poo and see the gulls feeding their young.

July 6: Portwrinkle

“Cracking weather,” Bewitching panoramas, and Caribbean-like aquamarine waters made Dennis exclaim “If I had to live here for the rest of my life, I would not regret it.” We walked on single-track grassy paths, pavement, in fields with black and white cows, a golf course, a military target firing range (Tregantle Fort), through quaint and colorful fishing villages and mostly on seaside cliffs overlooking the Atlantic. I enjoyed today’s walk more than the Camino Portuguese. It is verdant , varied, and unblemished.

Choosing photos from the ones we took is difficult…all do not display the beauty of this part of Cornwall on the Southwest Coast (SWC) Path, a 630 mile path around Cornwall. We are doing only a short section between Plymouth and Falmouth, a week to ten days of walking. If what we saw today is exemplary, we will be treated to beautiful vistas surpassed by more indescribably beautiful ones. In addition, the people are very kind and generous, often going out of their way to help us.

We started off by taking a ferry from Plymouth to Crymell. The ferry’s mascot is Molly, a large black dog who has her own Facebook page. We walked through the formal gardens at the Mount Edgemont House. On the lily-strewn duck pond, we missed a SWC waymarker (acorn) and walked up to the mansion. It was lovely and we had beautiful vistas from the top of the hill, but we added at least 2 miles to our days trek.

We detoured across a gap and then up a steep incline to visit St. Michaels’s Chapel, built in 1397. I had no trouble climbing up to the ruins, but felt dizzy and scared climbing down. All that, high-altitude, open space was disorienting.

Today’s journey was long. The guide said 12 miles, but it took us more than 9 hours, which make me believe the mileage is off, in spite of the additional 2 miles or so. We arrived in Portwrinkle only to find there were no available B & Bs. There was the country club, but we did not even try that. Instead, we walked another mile to the Finnygook Inn. It was expensive, but we were exhausted and could go no further.

July 5: Plymouth

Plymouth is a welcoming city and tourist flock to enjoy the beauty and shopping. Unexpectedly, I received that confounded stare when I asked someone if the markings in the road indicated a crosswalk. Gee, I thought I was speaking English! Luckily someone interpreted it as a “pedestrian crossings.” I am learning.

First thing this morning, Dennis wished me a happy b-day. Then to my delight, I discovered the B & B had oatmeal (porridge). I actually squealed with joy at not having to eat the typical Iberian toasted bread or croissant, which caused others at breakfast to laugh.

We went to New George Street to resupply. This street has three outfitters, and we shopped at two. I bought shoes and a shirt; Dennis bought a shirt, socks, and a hiking pole to replace the one that wore out. Most important, we went to a book store to buy The Southwest Coast Path guidebook and a Kindle to replace my broken one We went to pharmacy (Boots) for Omega 3 and a UK electrical adapter, which weighs more than a cell phone. Now we plug this into the wall, then the Spanish adapter that lets us plug the American cords. Traveling can get complicated. At least we were able to buy everything we needed in four stores, unlike in Spain where stores tend to specialized in only one thing: pharmacy–drugs; hardware store–adapter, etc.

We walked on Hoe Hill, a large open area with monuments to veterans, an 18th century lighthouse, and a large Ferris wheel (8.5 £ per person). The park is beautifully adorned with flowers, holly bushes, and something which I have not seen in a long time, deciduous trees. Along the boardwalk we spied only a few brave boys in the water; even though it is July, the temperature is only in the 60s F. Even though I was wearing my fleece pants and jacket I did not stand out too much from the locals who wore long sleeves and pants.Of course, the younger generation was more scantily clad, as was Dennis.

The royal citadel is a walled area, different from the walled cities in Spain and Portugal in that the rocks appear newer and better maintained. The deep blue sound glimmered in the sun and contrasted with the stony cliffs and multicolored sail boats–very picturesque and Dennis took many photos. The one on the right shows the marina, Charles Church, and residential housing in the background.

We delighted our taste buds with Thai food, and then returned to prepare for our hike from Plymouth to Falmouth on the Southwest Coastal Path, which is deemed one of the most beautiful hikes in the UK. Though the path is more than 600 miles long, we will do only a portion before heading to London.

July 4: Plymouth

The sun came out just as we entered the Plymouth England harbor. Getting through customs entailed walking by a drug-sniffing Newfoundland Setter, and then getting our passports stamp. Easy-peachy!

As we walked out of the terminal, we met two cyclist, Theresa and Adrian from Falmouth who kindly gave us a lift to the tourist information center. Unfortunately by the time we arrived, the office was closed…so we were SOL in getting hotel info. We started knocking on all the B&Bs until we found suitable accommodations. A bit pricey, but with a view of the ocean.

Since the UK uses the pound Sterling, we needed to get to the ATM. There, we asked locals for recommendations to a restaurant and were guided to the restaurant above the gin distillery. I ordered all vegetables, having missed them on the Iberian Peninsula: pea and mint soup; salad with watermelon, olives, and feta; and sweet potatoes with spinach. I will be happy not to see croissants, ham and cheese sandwiches, cod, and, of course, potatoes for a long time.

We are thinking of hiking the Southwest Hiking Trail from Plymouth to Falmouth. First , we’ll see what the tourist office has for info, then search out guidebooks and maps. I also have to find a better hiking shoe. Hopefully we will be off on Saturday.

July 3: Santander

July 2: Palencia

We took the train from Santiago to Santander with an hour stop at Palencia., which gave us time to visit the city and sit tranquilly in an outdoor cafe to enjoy a beer. It was sunny and 30 C (86 F), the warmest it has been in two months. Delicious!

These statues are next to the cathedral. What do they remind you of?

We arrived at Santander in the late afternoon. Conveniently the train station is across the street from the bus station. The hardest part of arriving in a strange city is getting one’s orientation; getting a map is the first thing we like to do. The tourist information center was 900 meters away and we left the tourism office with a map, a hotel list, and an attraction guide–knowledge is powerful.

We found a nice pension near the train/bus stations and then went in search of a book to read during the 17 hour ferry ride to England, and then we went in search of a restaurant that did not serve the customary fare. We walked for almost two miles before we gave up; all we found were cafes, clothing stores and perfumers. Though we did not walk far that day, we were both exhausted from the boredom of sitting 10 hours on the train.

July 3: Santander

Once again, nature is not on our side. It is in the 60s, misty, and overcast which means our photos are not a brilliant as we would like. After storing our backpacks in a locker at the bus station, we visited this beautiful ocean-side city. First we went to the post office and waited in line for about 30 minutes before getting waited on. We laughed at the officious clerk who stamped the paperwork as if it were a royal document. Bang on the ink-stamp, and then bang with a flurry on each of the six pages. I couldn’t help comparing the number of people assisted in the duration with the number that the Ashton Street Post Office near us could process, and with fewer people.

We walked along the board walk for several hours, taking photos of various statues. One sculpture commemorates young naked boys who used to dive for coins. ( Yes, the statues are anatomically correct; I just had to look). We passed huge buildings, the port, maritime museums, concert halls, beaches, sailing schools, parks, and lots more. Since is was inclement, most of the passersby were tourists or people going to work. The bay in Santander is considered one of the most beautiful bays in the world, but the inclement weather dulled the beauty. The only ones on the beach were lifeguards.

We culminated our walk at the Magdalena Palace, constructed in 1908 as a summer residence for the royal Spanish family. We visited the grounds and walked around the huge edifice. On the grounds are tennis courts, polo fields, carved trees, even a small festival.

We left there in search of Cocido Montañés (Highlander stew or Mountain stew) which is a local hearty bean stew. Unable to find any, we ended up with pasta, which was surprisingly flavorful.

By six P.M, we returned to the bus station for our backpacks and then went to the ferry to await boarding at 8:15. The room is tiny, which may have caused Dennis’ seasickness. After leaving the room, he felt much better. Soon we will be in England, at last.