Date: 20180621
Time: 9:40 – 14:35
Distance: 14.4 km
Stay: Pier House Hotel And Restaurant, Charlestown
Walk
A short but heavy route today. It goes to Charlestown, a picturesque fishing village that is often used in film recordings such as Poldark and (for the elderly among us) The Onedin Line. Here are also some big old sailing ships. I have been here with Ada a long time ago and then with Ada and the kids in 2009. The weather wasn’t very good last time, so we went into the Shipwreck and Heritage Center.
During the first, not so heavy part, I go through a lot of meadows with cows. It is a very sloping landscape and I can see how the Coast Path goes. That’s a good thing because I see that there are cows on a part of the Coast Path that is fairly narrow, on the edge of the meadow where there are bushes. Fortunately, I also see that there is a possibility to simply walk through the meadow. Then I will not end up in that narrow part and a little later I can pick up the route again.
After the meadows I arrive in Pentewan. This is a small village with a holiday park that is many times larger than the village. Here are the necessary opportunities for a drink, but it is still too early. I am just walking and have traveled less than 5 kilometers. So I go on.
After Pentewan the ‘heavy’ part of the walk starts. It goes down and up steeply a number of times. As far as I’m concerned, it is not that bad, it’s heavy on the legs, but I got used to that. What I find more annoying is that quite a bit goes along some meadows that are very narrow. On the left there is barbed wire and on the right there are shrubs that partly grow on the path. The path itself is a narrow worn track. That means that you have to put your feet right before each other every time and that does not walk easily.
After a while I come to a part where the path is wider again and even later well mowed. Here it is good again.
When I arrive at Black Head, I make a diversion to walk to the tip of Black Head. The Coast Path skips this, but since the route is already short today, I can manage a little extra.
That extra is not that bad, a few hundred meters that only go up a bit (and later down), but it is worth it. From Black Head you have a great view to Mevagissey and also to the coast where I still have to come (tomorrow probably).
After Black Head it is not done with the steep slopes. It goes down and up again with stairs. Those steps are very uneven, as is normal on the Coast Path.
But then I come to Porthpean Beach. Here it is very busy. I think there are a number of school classes that have an outing. I take a break at the beach with a juice.
After the break it goes up one more time, via a regular staircase. Then I walk to Charlestown at ease. There I first sit on the terrace for a pint (or two) and then I walk around the harbor in Charlestown. I also walk past the museum that we visited with the kids in 2009.
Weather
Sunny but not too hot. Nice walking weather.
Lyric of the day
Large sailing ships in the port of Charlestown that can sail away. So today Sail Away by Deep Purple:
If you’re driftin’ on an empty ocean
With no wind to fill your sail
The future, your horizon
It’s like searchin’ for the Holy Grail
You feel there’s no tomorrow
As you look into the water below
It’s only your reflection
And you still ain’t got no place to go
Time will show
When, I don’t know
Sail away tomorrow
Sailin’ far away
To find it steal or borrow
I’ll be there someday yea-yea-yeah yea-ye-yeah
Oh, woman, I keep returnin
To sing the same old song
The story’s been told, now I’m gettin’ old
Tell me,where do I belong?
Feel like I’m goin’ to surrender
Hard times I’ve had enough
If I could find a place to hide my face
I believe, I could get back up
Time will show
When, I don’t know
Sail away tomorrow
Sailin’ far away
To find it steal or borrow
But I’ll be there someday yea-yea-yeah yea-yea-yea-yeah
Sail away tomorrow
Sailin’ far away
To find it steal or borrow
But I’ll be there someday yea-yea-yeah yea-yea-yea-yeah
Sail away tomorrow
Sailin’ far away
To find it steal or borrow
But I’ll be there someday yeah yeah yeah yea-yea-yeah yeah yeah yeah
