29th June - 1st July

29th June day 480

By the time I'd woke up hope had gone to check the washing washing i grabbed my tiny travel towel and wrapped it round me and made a coffee. On her return she informed me that it was still damp but should be dry in a couple of hours.

I finished my coffee and headed over to the wash room. The clothes were still a little damp but i felt sure they'd dry soon enough so put them on anyway. After all i was used to wearing damp clothing anyway. When i returned to the tent I began to make us breakfast and another coffee and packed my gear up ready for another days hike.

With everything stowed and our bellies full we left the site together and headed back to the beach where we'd met. Along the way i continued testing hope on her plant identification. I hoped it would spark an interest in this londoner to learn more about nature and what it could provide. I pointed out various plants and asked her to name them. Slowly she was getting it and with less and less prompting from me.

As we continued through the lanes a large dragon fly buzzed down towards us. Hope had never seen one before and ran towards me. She didn't know how to react. Calmly i told her it was ok and this unusual insect was completely harmless.

Reaching the beach we made our way to the ice cream parlour where we'd first met, it was closed but the cafe next door was open. I thought it would be a fitting fairwell to buy us both a cone before I headed off back to the coast path. Taking a seat overlooking the sea we continued to talk and watched the activities of those who had come to praa sands for a holiday.

It was time for me to go. I had a good days hike ahead of me if i wanted to reach the lizard by nightfall and it was already 1pm. Hope decided she would follow me for a bit to see me on my way. Together we found the trail leading towards the cliffs. As we walked i spotted a plant i really wanted to show her. It was burdock, rich in starch and a good staple. We stopped and i dug up the root. Peeling off the dirty outer shell i took a bite and handed it over. Hope was hesitant at first but took a bite too. I think she was quite amazed at how good it tasted. She'd had burdock and dandelion tea but never really considered what it was made from or in deed where it had come from.

Having made our way up the first hill and a good distance from the beach I turned to say goodbye to hope. We had a hug and i sensed she felt a little emotional that our encounter had now drawn to its natural conclusion. As i walked off i concentrated on my next destination a small town called Porthleven. When i arrived i knew i needed to get more food enough to last at least a couple of days. I didn't need much more as i was aware that from now on i would be coming upon more and more villages and would never be far from a store of some description.

It was to be a very hot day with the summer sun shining down on the coast. A cool clifftop breeze was welcome as i continued to hike. Leaving Porthleven where i had sat with some chips and a roll watching children jumping from the quay side into the water and catching crabs in their buckets i knew lizard point was ahead and not beyond reach that day.

As i continued i began to feel weary, the air was clammy. A few miles from the town a came across a beach. There was a fresh water lake  on one side with picturesque surroundings. Trees lined valleys either side and would prove to be a perfect place to camp and get an early night.

I wasn't in a rush to get to the lizard so decided to stop and pitch my tent near to the lake and sheltered from the wind. It was a lovely warm evening and after I'd cooked up another gourmet meal i decided to go for a little swim. Not having any swimming shorts with me i hoped that no one would pass by and if they did then i hoped they wouldn't be offended.

Leaving my clothes on the shore i waded in. It was a little chilly at first but felt refreshing once I'd gone in enough to cover the sensitive parts. Feeling quite free i swam out away from the sandy shore and away from the reeds. The sun had disappeared from sight but over the sea a full moon hung, which incidentally is what any passers by would have seen if they'd been looking at the lake when i decided to dive under the water.

30th June day 481

The skies were once again clear and the sun shining. As i sat in my tent making up a porridge sachet i heard the sound of helicopters and fighter jets flying low to the ground above me. I wondered what was going on. This continued even as i packed my kit away and headed off from the paradise I'd come across.

It was very hot indeed and unusually I decided not to wear my tshirt. It was simply too hot. Thankfully up on the clifftops there was a lovely cool breeze which helped me remain comfortable.

Having used my last porridge sachet that morning i decided that when i reached mullion cove I'd seek out a store and try to find some more. Sure enough the second place i visited did have porridge sachets but they weren't the same as I'd had before. These needed milk added but could I find any dried milk. Well maybe, by going to the last store in the village. As i wondered through mullion looking for the cost cutter i caught a glimpse of what i believed to be goonhilly. Large satellite dishes laid out in an enormous array. They were quite some way off and too far to walk too but i was happy that i had that chance of a glimpse.

Following the instructions of someone I'd asked I came across Denton. Denton was a colourful character with long curly grey hair, a beard and wearing a blue neckerchief with white spots and dungarees. He looked like a typical cornish folk singer. "Save the children" he said looking at my tshirt I'd now put on to enter the shops "the cornish eat children. When you save the children bring em here we're not greedy, one will feed many". He was quite a character. He then burst into song. "My fiancee is 14 years younger than me, and i have one leg shorter than the other and it only has two toes". He showed me as he pulled up a trouser leg revealing a small prosthetic stilt before starting a little jig. I'd met many colourful characters on my journey but Denton was  by far the most unusual.

Leaving Denton who had now turned his attention to two ladies working in a shop we'd walked to together so that i could get a couple of things for later i headed back to the cove and picked up the coastal path. The day was getting hotter by the minute and once again i removed my tshirt to help cool me down very aware that if i wasn't careful i could end up getting burnt again.

I followed the path determination was all that was driving me. The views were lovely but as i rest i didn't pay them much attention all that was on my mind was the intense heat, the dusty trail and the enevitable climbs ahead. As i reached kynance cove i saw three young adults on a small island they had been  cut off by the tide, something i was known for by now. They weren't me though so i went close enough to call out and make sure they were ok. "We're fine, ok" one of them cheerily replied. I wasn't entirely convinced but the tide had begun to turn and as they were well above the water line and in no immediate threat i signalled back ok and continued on. I wanted to reach the lizard at least by nightfall and as i turned each headland it still seemed quite a way off.

Inevitably the miles were covered and the climbs conquered. Arriving at Britain's most southerly point was well not quite what i had expected. I had expected it to be barron with a sign or something saying that I'd arrived at the most southerly point but instead i found a gift shop and a cafe which were both closed. I felt a little disappointed.

As with lands end I'd hoped i would be able to camp up but as with lands end this was not going to be the case. It was still light and I had a couple more hours of light left so i decided to keep going to see if i could find somewhere interesting and secluded to stop.

I followed the coastal path on around the cliffs looking back every now and then trying to find something magical about the lizard, something that would make the place rememberable. To be honest it was truly uninspiring. Gradually the lizard disappeared from sight and i eventually came upon Cadgwith a quaint and old looking fishing village which reminded me of Clovelly. Tightly packed houses and steep cobbled streets. Passing a pub with a sign outside welcoming walkers, muddy boots and dogs i decided to stop for an orange juice and lemonade before carrying on.

The light had now begun to fade and if i wasn't careful i knew I'd find myself having to walk the cliff path with my head torch. Night time was now upon me.  i was about to pass an old disused quarry but luckily for some reason i stopped. A small path led off from the coastal trail down alongside it and to a lovely patch of grass large enough for the tent. It was quite well sheltered and seemed a perfect place to camp.

1st July day 482

Waking to the droning sounds of a fog horn is not really how I'd imagined starting my day with fantastic weather the day before. But then again I was still in Cornwall and should have been used to the weather patterns by now. After turfing out an army of ants from my tent i headed off along the coast. The thick mist was lingering but it was also very warm. After walking only a short way i had already begun sweating.

The coast although shrouded in the vale of white had quite a mystical feel about it. I couldn't see far as the landscape faded off into the distance.

While i hike the footpaths cut off from society the wind gently blowing in my left ear and the sea whispering in my right, the odd sound of birds singing, the thud of my boots against the dry earth and the swashing of water in my bottles i often felt like i could be the last man on earth.

Drawing closer to caverack i began to see signs of life. An electric fence, the tops of roofs, a tarmac road. Then there were people. I headed down to the harbour and made my way  around. I was looking for a local store to get some meat to add to the savoury rice I'd left in my pack. Caverack just wasn't that sort of place. It was a tourist village.  There were pubs, restaurants and expensive art galleries. I had my doubts i would find anymore villages along the way so started checking over in my head what i had left in my pack. I had savoury chicken flavoured rice, porridge and chocolate. That'll do i thought.

I could now feel the sun trying to break through the mist as it slowly burnt away. I carried on away from the harbour safe in the knowledge that Falmouth would only be a day or so away and that i would soon be picking up the much needed supplies jo had sent on.

Having gone round the next headland a rather unusual piece of land that stood a little out of place in Cornwalls landscape in that it was low, it was cliffless, it simply didn't fit, i found myself passing a rather large quarry. The mist had all but dispersed and the sun was beaming brightly. My backup battery packs were both almost void of power and as i was in need of a rest i decided to take some time out to relax, top up my tan but more importantly get some charge on my power monkey solar battery pack.

Its a slow process charging from the sun but at 30% i decided it would be enough to do me for that night. The coastal path soon after inexplicably now veered away from the coast. I had no choice but to follow it. After navigating the roads for a few miles i was then redirected to a seaside village and the path returned to follow the coast once more. As i looked back it became apparent that the rugged cliffs and banked woodlands were too steep for a path to be cut and that was why the diversion was required.

Time was now passing and evening drawing in. My legs were aching and my hips felt sore once more. Ahead but across the water i could see large ships anchored off shore. There was a town situated on the coast, it had to be Falmouth. I knew though to get to it i would first have to paddle across an estuary and with the night drawing in i knew it would have to wait til the following day.

Keeping an eye on the coast i began to look for a viable place to launch. As i continued to hike i found myself at Nare point. Nare point was a coastguards observational point and a place that had been used during the war as a decoy docks which had been so successful it had been bombed nine times. I carried on now heading up the estuary and towards some woods where i found a nice quiet spot with a stream following nearby. Home.