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2016 Trip

First two hikes in Falmouth, if all goes according to plan.

7/10/2016

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Working out bus transportation can be a crazy, complicated process involving multiple bus schedules and maps; decisions about how long to hike; exact timing of transfers and connections; and pinpointing the exact locations of the dang bus stops themselves, a tip we cleverly picked up in 2015 after trudging up a punishing hill to get to a specific bus stop, catching the bus just as door was closing, and then—after all that— watching as the bus slowly meanders down the hill we had just climbed and stops at the bus stop we'd just been in front of. 
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This map shows bus routes in the Falmouth/Lizard area.Our big goal is to walk the corner of coastline called the Lizard, connecting up with where we ended in 2015 and witnessing—and hopefully touching or standing on—a super rare geological phenomenon called Mohorovicic Discontinuity, which I explain here using all the geology words I know.

You can see that there are no buses directly from Falmouth to Mullion Cove, which is where we ended the 2015 hike. There are frequent buses from Falmouth to Helston, however, where we can change to another bus that will pass relatively close to the trail. After an hour or so of intense back-and-forth timetable and map work, it looks like we can take the 9:45 #2 from Falmouth to Helston, arrive at 10:30, take the 11:30 #37 from Helston to Mullion and arrive around noon, depending on where the bus will drop us. From Mullion we walk to Lizard Point, then up to the village of Lizard, where we take a bus back to Helston and another back to Falmouth. It works on paper.

The hike on the other side of the Lizard is a bit trickier to plan, as there are few bus stops in the area, and buses run only a few times a day. In fact, there's really only one reasonable plan: Leave Falmouth again at 9:45 on the #2 to Helston, arriving at 10:33, catch the 11:15 #36 to Coverack, arriving at 11:56. This time we'll walk to the Lizard from the other direction. Then bus to Helston and another back to Falmouth. So that's the plan; if all goes well, it will work.
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Saturday 9/21

Land at Heathrow, train to paddington, train to Exeter, train to barnstaple, walk to The Old Vicarage—where we are staying until Thursday.
Have to remember how to read these boards.
Our room.
Love the bath!
First, tea in the garden.
After our tea we walk to the bus station to pick up bus schedules. Hop the 21 to Fremington, which is where we left off last time.
On the path.
Ha! Bob wants “he was a character” on his tombstone.
Fairly uninteresting walk, mostly along marshes.
Security idea for PP@L
We’re on an old railroad line, cute tunnels and all. This looks like a tunnel from the Thomas videos.
Our first pub. This is Instow.
My new favorite drink. It’s cucumber and elderberry and so good I have two. Which means we are finished for the day! We’ll complete this stretch of the walk tomorrow.
We order fish& chips takeaway rather than eating it in the pub because (a) it’s about half the price, and (b) fish & chips taste best outside! Check out the newspaper wrapping!
Not so healthy but it’s the first night and we’re on the coast where the fish is fresh, so.

Sunday, 9/22 Morning

Ate a marvelous breakfast, then walked straight out of Barnstaple to pick up the path heading northwest.
We fill out a little form the night before, choosing our breakfast time and meal items. Plus, there’s a sideboard of granolas, yogurt, fruit, etc.
View from our table.
Walking through Barnstable before hike.
The path. Heading first to Braunton.
The path is flat and fairly unremarkable. Sky is threatening.
We reach Braunton, almost pass right by this, then decide to stop for a short break.
Lovely inside, nicest people.

Sunday, 9/22 Afternoon

We walk Braunton to Saunton, intending to catch bus at Saunton, except I read Saturday’s bus schedule instead of Sunday’s because it’s so easy to do that and we soon find out there is no Sunday bus service in Saunton.
This Is looking back to Braunton. Path leads along this estuary. I think it’s an estuary.
Blackberry bushes are everywhere!
We’re right next to military training grounds.
Lunch break. Sandwiches. Forgot to pack dessert.
Ha! We see this sign as we close the gate after walking across the field.
It’s here that we realize that no bus will be coming. Luckily there’s a golf course right next to the path and we bum a ride to Braunton, which we know for sure has Sunday buses.

Saturday, 9/22 Evening

Our main goal on Sunday every time we come to England is it to make it to a Sunday Roast Dinner. Usually we miss it. Today though we are lucky: we find a good place in Braunton and end the walk on a full-belly note. Total miles today: 11.5.
Roast beef, potato, assorted fresh veggies, gravy, and Yorkshire pudding. Yum.
Waiting in the rain for the bus back to Barnstaple.
The Vicarage at last! We are both exhausted.
This waits for us every afternoon. That’s fresh cream on top.
Washed our clothes though not very thoroughly.
Choose breakfast and go to bed!
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