England Archives - Page 4 of 4

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.