18 March 2013: 29km. Started 09:15. Arrived 16:45.
A bright and sunny day dawned. I enjoyed another excellent breakfast, meeting a German lady from Bavaria and a Swedish lady who was to spend the day in a train to Oxenholme. The latter was concerned the journey would be boring but I particularly told her to keep her eyes open around Dawlish and the Exe Estuary. Remember, this was before the line became famous by being partly washed away.
The tray for dirty footwear worked pretty well but unfortunately there was so much mud on my boots and gaiters that putting them on in the hallway led to further copious deposits of dry mud. The owners kindly swept it all up with into a dustpan before I was even out of the door.
I stopped at Boots to buy some blister plasters as I had already used a few. Little did I realise that the ones I bought there would just be “for the ride” in my rucksack as my feet soon toughened up after the first few days. It was almost as difficult to find the way to get out of St Ives as the way in.
Soon however I was in Hayle, where I bought some stamps and got my “evidence” sheet stamped by the post office. This would need to be presented eventually as proof to the committee if I wanted to join the Lands End John O’Groats Association. The east side of Hayle was very different from the rundown looking area that I had encountered previously when walking the South West Coast Path. There were purpose built walkways along the edge of the estuary. When I reached the dunes, the tide was out so I walked on the firm sand at a good pace as far as the “Red River”. There were some showers over the sea but generally it was fairly dry.
I went up on to the dunes to cross the river and succumbed to the temptation of coffee and cake, meeting a couple of Australian women who said they would love to have the time to walk as far as I was doing.
Soon I was walking again. Last time I walked this path, I had been almost blown off my feet. This time it was much more calm. From a cliff top vantage point, there were a large number of seals on the inaccessible beach below and the inevitable human audience peering down at them.
Passing more amazing coast line, I walked on to Portreath. Unfortunately it started to rain, so I arrived drenched but this was no problem for the owner. I had been to this B&B before and received a typical warm welcome – tea, a generous slice of cake and then a soak in an enormous luxurious bath and a wide choice of bath additives all designed to ease aching limbs. My host told me about the runner who had wanted an ice bath so she had gone to the shop to buy ice for him…. I opted for the warm and comfortable alternative, saving her the expedition to the shop!
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