This morning I had an enforced lie-in because the first bus wasn’t timetabled till about 11 o’clock. I reckoned it would be just as well to give my knees and feet less to do today, anyway. I did investigate getting an Uber but there were no cars available. I had a chat in the kitchen with my host Jackie’s friend John, who had stayed overnight, a retired guy who looked very tanned and fit for his age. Turned out he couldn’t speak well because of a stroke he had 9 years ago. Out front he’d left his vehicle, a three-wheel bike thing that was low to the ground and made more visible by a little flag on a pole. I asked him if he lived up the road and he said no, he lives in Penzance and just zoomed over here for dinner on his bike thing (7 miles). With only one useful arm as well. At about 8.30 Jackie arrived back from her daily morning swim in Penzance and it turns out she cycles there and back. Blimey! She also does a lot of group kayaking, apparently. Life goals.
Anyway, after that lovely start to the day my bus was pretty much on time and I went back to the Sennen Cove bus stop that Elizabeth and I waited at yesterday. The walk through Land’s End, Glenwarra Point and various other coves, outcrops and beaches was stunning. As was the weather. The colours of the heather and gorse and the dramatic rock shapes were just amazing. The whole stretch is superlative and I felt I’d like to return and see it again. iPhone photos don’t really do it justice.
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| A mess of pottage |
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| At Porthgwarra - there’s a similar waymark behind it that’s black and white. Ships have to make sure they can always see the black and white one, and that the red one doesn’t obscure it, or they’ll be in trouble. |
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| Beautiful Churchtown beach… |
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| …just along from overcrowded Porthcurno beach |
I decided to stop at Porthcurno as my toe was bothering me. I walked in sandals all day today (and most of yesterday) because of the Dreaded Toe. So annoying. Spent most of today overtaking, or being overtaken by, a retired-age foreign bloke who’d shuffled across for me on the morning bus. I kept hanging back so he could get ahead, but hh had a habit of stopping to look at the scenery so I repeatedly caught up with him. He was on the same bus back as me from Porthcurno at the end of the day too. Slightly irritating. In Porthcurno, every other person was an Indian tourist. I asked ChatGPT why, and it said that lots of Indians come to Porthcurno because of its global telecoms museum and the fact that the first ever telegraph cables across the Atlantic started here, in around 1870.
Got the bus back to Sennen, to Land’s End hostel. Room a bit dark as it only has a small window, obscured by plants. “Private bathroom” is along the corridor and through the communal kitchen. Not worth what I paid. Walked ten minutes down the road to the First and Last Inn, where I got stupendous fish & chips and a half pint of Rattler cider (very nice) which left me too full.
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| Ooooooohhhhh |
Tomorrow’s first bus of the day back to Porthcurno is at 10 am, so I have time to try out the artisan coffee kiosk just nearby. Then let’s see how far I can get towards Penzance. I did feel a bit tired today so it’s a good job the scenery was so great. I think the final stretch into Penzance is quite boring tarmac walking, but before that there will be lots of hills. According to Strava I’ve climbed nearly 8000 feet this week! 53 miles.
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