First thing is food; we pack hearty lunches. Then we're off. The coastal path runs straight through Falmouth, practically right outside our cottage.
Falmouth's harbour is the third deepest natural harbour in the world. It is only beaten by Sydney Harbour and The Port of Mahon. The first few miles of walking are through town, on sidewalks or lanes.
Henry VIII had the Pendennis Castle built to defend against the French and Spanish.
Henry VIII had the Pendennis Castle built to defend against the French and Spanish.
It's a school day and this class is practicing SUP and kayaking.
Today we're heading to around that first headland. By tomorrow we will have walked round that very far away headland. This part of path leads through all kinds of terrain.
We've walked from Falmouth, way over on the right edge of this photo. It's nice to know where you've come from.
Lunch. We decide to keep track of how long we take breaks so we can compare our walking times to what the path book says. Usually we are slower.
So Susanne decided we would take breaks on the hour or half hour to make it easy to calculate time. A good idea but it ends up not mattering at all because we don't bother writing things down, and by the end of the day we've forgotten all about it.
So Susanne decided we would take breaks on the hour or half hour to make it easy to calculate time. A good idea but it ends up not mattering at all because we don't bother writing things down, and by the end of the day we've forgotten all about it.
We've gone ten miles and are excited that we've reached the Trebar Gardens, where there will be lovely unusual tropical plants and, best of all, cream tea, So we are seriously bummed that there is absolutely no way in.
We walk round and round, can see garden-goers enjoying tea, can see the marvelous private beach—but we can only see it over a stone wall with a locked gate. The entrance is way up at the top, with no access from the coast path.
We walk round and round, can see garden-goers enjoying tea, can see the marvelous private beach—but we can only see it over a stone wall with a locked gate. The entrance is way up at the top, with no access from the coast path.
Susanne has yoo-hooed over the wall. Her hand gestures explain exactly what she's asking of the poor man—who was simply trying to enjoy a tea and the sea view while his wife was traipsing round the gardens—but he has no idea how we can get in.
When they look down and see that I'm already on the wall, Susanne is aghast but comes running anyway to join me. I sit on the wall pretending to take photos, waiting to see if somebody comes running, waving their arms with angry aggression. When they don't, I slide down, and I'm in. Eventually, Bob and Susanne follow. It was like breaking into prison.
When they look down and see that I'm already on the wall, Susanne is aghast but comes running anyway to join me. I sit on the wall pretending to take photos, waiting to see if somebody comes running, waving their arms with angry aggression. When they don't, I slide down, and I'm in. Eventually, Bob and Susanne follow. It was like breaking into prison.
We talk to the man at the cafe on the beach, who says we can pay him to get in the garden and then show the receipt to the people at the top. Nice man. Our goal now is to walk quickly up through the gardens to reach the restaurant before it closes.
We enjoy a quick cream tea and congratulate ourselves for squeaking into the garden just before they close.
In order to do every step of the coastal path, we have to go back down to the place where we climbed in. And because the man down there is leaving in 5 minutes, we have to dash. (The man has kindly agreed to open the gate so we don't have to climb back over.) I snap pictures on the way.
Back on the path. We climb the hill to the bus stop, this time in plenty of time to catch it.