Day 40 - 43 Plymouth to Beesands
Day 40 - Plymouth to Wembury. There are two options leaving Plymouth, the ferry to Mount Batten or a longer walk around east Plymouth and Plymstock. The sun was shining so I opted for the walk. Initially this was through some industrial estates but then contined on to the beautiful Hooe Lake and round to Mount Batten point. The afternoon was a lovely stroll along the gentle cliffs towards Wembury listening to Pink Floyd and Mott The Hoople in both ears. One of the most relaxing days so far.
Day 41 - Wembury to Kingston. I left my BnB at about 8.30am and walked along the coast to the gorgeous Yealm estuary, to get the 'ferry' (I've seen bigger rowing boats !) but had to wait about half an hour until 10am for the service to start. It was a great spot to sit for a while and I got chatting to a group of cold water swimmers, there seems to be a group every morning on every beach, usually ladies. After that the day became a bit of an ordeal for some reason. The walking was quite tough but not too bad, it was just that my body felt tired, especially my legs and they just wouldn't go where I needed them to. Very occasionally I have days when I feel lethargic and sluggish and I'm not sure why. I tried resting and also listening to all sorts of different music but nothing really worked. I trudged on for about 14 miles but then came to the fabulous Erme estuary where there is no ferry but quite a wide river that has to be waded across. I had timed it okay to ensure it was low tide in a couple of hours so it was off with my shoes and in I went ! There wasn't much current, the problem was that the sea bed was covered in sharp stones. It took me about 15 minutes to do the 50 yard crossing and the only way I can describe the torture I endured is to say it was like walking over a sea bed covered in lego bricks ! There was plenty of thick seaweed about which was much softer but also incredibly slippery. When I crawled out and collapsed on the opposite bank I was it a bit fearful about looking at the soles of my feet but somehow they had survived. I hobbled the last mile to the pub I was staying in and when I got there just lay on the bed and didn't move for several hours. Not the best day I've ever had !
Day 42 - Kingston to Salcombe. My legs and me were feeling much better and more energetic this morning. After the 4 miles to the Avon estuary, another ferry was needed across to Bantham. As you can see from the photo in the gallery, to summon the ferry you have to ring the bell and wave to the other side which I did with increasing urgency for several minutes. A passing boatman then told me I was in the wrong place and I should go downstream a few hundred yards ! I worked out that because it was low tide the ferry would not have been able to dock where I was and sure enough after a few minutes a small boat appeared and I was soon on my way. The area around Thurlestone and Hope Cove is lovely but I'm getting so used to seeing amazing views every day they maybe don't have quite the same impact as at the beginning of the walk. During the afternoon I was passed in the opposite direction by several groups of teenagers doing their Duke of Edinburgh award walk. The last group were tailed off by some distance and clearly struggling with their map reading as one of them asked me if I knew where they were ? I did because I have maps on my phone whereas they were using the paper version but I was conflicted becasue I'm pretty sure it against the rules for them to receive help of this type. Fearing I could be responsible for them getting lost forever I showed them on their map and hoped they didn't mention anything to their leader ! The rest of the day was uneventful and I got to Salcombe by about 4pm. Its not my favourite place so I didn't look around the town and just headed for my BnB instead.
Day 43 Salcombe to Beesands. The day started with the ferry across the Kingsbridge Estuary and this time it actually looked like a small ferry ! It was then a gentle walk around the headland but the going gradually became more rocky and strenuous until mid-afternoon. This is a really quiet section of the path and I only saw two people all morning. I spent an hour or so sat on Lannacombe beach as the sun gradually came out from behind the clouds. A seal was bobbing about in the sea fairly close to the beach and I enjoyed watching it for a few minutes. It was coming ever closer to the beach and to my amazement even began to get out of the water. Sadly it then became apparent that it was in fact a black Labrador ! After quite a strenuous afternoon, the path flattened out towards the village of Beesands where I was staying the night in a lovely traditional pub.