Day 31 - 34 Helford Passage to Par
Day 31 - Helford Passage to Falmouth. After my night of luxury and with a short day ahead, I didn't leave the hotel until about 10am. It was only about 9 miles up the coast to Falmouth and on a sunny day like this the scenery around the Helford River and Falmouth Bay was just stunning. The path was more open and less overgrown than it has been so the walking was easier. There were a few occasions when the path went a little inland and became just another country footpath and I have included a typical inland section in the photo gallery. The only real challenge today was a heard of cows blocking the path who all steadfastly refused to budge. A bit of a detour was therefore needed but it really didn’t matter, the sun was shining and it was one of those magical moments when I felt I had all the time in the world. I arrived in Falmouth mid-afternoon and had a wander around the docks and then the town centre which seemed to be busy and thriving.
Day 32 - Falmouth to Portloe. Leaving Falmouth following the path means taking two ferries over to the Roseland Peninsular, firstly to St Mawes and from there to the village of Place. It was a nice way to start to the day but that was as good as it got ! The path soon became narrow and very overgrown almost all the way to Portloe. The walking was unenjoyable and even slower than usual. I arrived at my BnB at about 5pm feeling hot, tired and a bit sorry for myself. I suppose there had to be the odd day like this.
Day 33 - Portloe to Mevagissey. Another day that was a little bit spoilt by the vegetation. I guess its impossible to keep it cut back but in places it was chest high and I kept on getting scratched and stung. I thought about putting long sleeves and trousers on but decided against it because of the heat. In those places where the vegetation wasn't too bad the views were great and it was possible to see right back to The Lizard Peninsular and across to Devon. The highlight today was undoubtedly encountering a fellow walker who was even slower than me ! Its a rare thing although he was probably in his late seventies and as he was camping his rucksack was about twice as big as mine but who cares about the details !
Day 34 - Mevagissey to Par. It was a proper cloudy day today with rain forecast in the afternoon. As usual, I tried to cover most of the miles during the morning but it really was constant steep hills for the first few miles after I left Mevagissey. Sometimes there are plenty of cafes on the path but today there were none until I had covered about 7 or 8 miles and reached Charlestown. It was a mistake stopping there, as it was a Sunday it was rammed with tourists and pretty grim so I didn't stay long. The path gradually became more open and flatter during the afternoon and I reached the pub in Par where I was staying at about 4pm. 34 days away and still no rain, unbelievable !