June 20, 2000 Tuesday
What a magnificent view this is. Really, it's been an incredible morning all around (minus my again wet Feet).
Took leave of my companions at the B&B and got a ride up to St. Keverne with the taxi for my luggage. She kept insisting to drive me halfway there and I kept insisting against it. I'm so glad I did. The weather has been wonderful. Mid-sixties with that ever-present sea breeze. I've been hiking through fields a-plenty. Cows, horses, sheep and goats everywhere. That also means their foul-smelling remains as well, but that just makes it smell like home at the farm. Saw a lovely standing stone in one of the easrly fields. The satelite dishes are off in the distance and closing with every field and farm. Asside from the stiles I've been climbing over it's been quite an easy day of it I'm wearing sunscreen, although it's overcast. Was worried that the cows might take interest in my bag they way they did yesterday - I also forgot & wore red pants today. And now that I think about it, this white "underground" t-shirt looks a bit like a bullsye. Fortunately, however, they haven't been taking much notice.
Been 2 1/2 miles & it's 11:20 - I should probably get moving since I've got another 6 miles to do. Been trying to get to the B&B by 4pm & doing a pretty good job of that thus far.
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Again I've already managed to add an unintended mile to my trek. It's easy to do when you're doing through poorly marked pastureland. Fortunately there was a man in a cottage at the farm I could ask for help. The thing that really threw me was the shock-fence I had to climb over.. They never mentioned that in the instructions.
I've got my shoes, socks, and feet airing out right now - almost in the shadow of those satellites adn windmills. I'm going to skip the tour. I really don't care how my phone signal routes through here to get to Australia. Suffice to know that it gtes there. Lovely countryside though. This is more than worth the price of admission.
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According to the instructions, I'm about two mils from my destination. I needed a break after walking miles & miles through peatmarsh bogland. Those damn satellites and windmills were all I could see of civilization. And the shetland ponies I came upon were completely unsympathetic. Good thing it wasn't really wet out there or I'd be in a pickle.
I kept seeing all of these bumps in the grass that were rocky outcroppings. This land has much more surface rock than our topsoil in Virginia. It's no wonder their walls and homes are all made of stone while ours are wood &/or brick. This must have been very difficult land initially to cultivate. The wind on the Downs was very powerful and there was a military helicopter practicing its turning manouvers, just to make an additional pest of itself.
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I suppose if I were travelling with someone I'd be more inclined to go out for high tea or do the nightly Pub crawl - but as it is, I find myself just wanting to enjoy the civility of a hotel room. I'm too exhausted to do anything other than heat water in my room and enjoy the lingering day from a comfortable bed.
I'm still fascinated by the whitewash, thatched houses with various plants and flowers clinging parasitically to their surfaces -- but how many can a person look at without starting to find htem commonplace? I've collected some of the flowers and tried to press them, though I've never been good at that - particularly with the heavier flowers. Is today really already Tuesday? I really can't believe it.
Nearly forgot to tell you about the "organic farm" I walked through today. They had chickens foraging for seed on the road -- and in fences they were actually raising Emus. There was also a peacock that strutted past me. They posted a sign that said they were "striving for authenticity," but I have a hard time believing that (they achieved it). Oh, and if you do ever follow in my path & do this hike - watch out for the stinging nettles. Those plants are everywhere. I don't notice them much anymore - I've been stung hundreds of times now - but it's something to consider ifyou have a phobia. Same with livestock and long distances. There are a lot of bunny rabbits, though. What a long, lonely path today was. Before cars, going village-to-village really was a haul if you didn't have a horse or mule - and even than it's still a day's journey round trip.
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Yummie - bath. It was time to break my own rules & go ahead & have a bath in communal facilities. Yes, I've got my own sink, but I'm sharing the bathing and toilet facilities with the ohter guestts. If it were any less clean I wouldn't have, but it was soooooo big and soooooo inviting, I just couldn't help myself when my muscles were soooooo tired from today's walk across the peninsula. This seems to me a good place to sleep for three nights. I'm getting lazy about my meals -- Jennifer has a restaurant right here in the building, so the pub up the street just won't hear from me unless foood downstairs is really expensive. However, I should be picking up a pasty for my lunch tomorrow when I hike to the Lizard. That'll knock out one more 'must do.'
I didn't bring any books from home, so 've been reading the tour guide I gto from Westminster Abbey. I'm enjoying the historical aspects and anecdotes particularly.
Did I mention what I found out about tipping in England? They don't do it! I practically had to fight my bartender the other day to give him 20p, which is nothing really. My brother would be hating life if he were working here. I'm not complaining, it just eems odd -- very foreign to what I'm used to.
Back to the Coastal Path tomorrow. Should be lovely weather for it. I keep coming back every day with a red face, but I'm not sure if that's sun or wind. Not like I've seen much sun, but overcast can be deceiving. I've been wearing sunblock on my face, though. And extra lotion on it after my shower. I'm such impossibly fair-skinned
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Damn, it doesn't take much to get me tipsy! One beer and here I am chatting away with the owner of the B&B like he's my best friend with nothing better to do. Second person on this to tell me that I don't sound like an American - I think they're used to the northern accent on people visiting. The whole poor would has been subjected to the yankies and think that is American! No wonder why we're disliked. <2021: appologies for my regionalist judgementallism here>
I love it - I'm the only guest here right now. I've got the cast & dogs to myself since the owners are working. They also run a bar and dinner establishment - the food is just grand. Had a Stella (it turns out it's a very popular beer around England) with my dinner, which was basically salad, sausage, and new potatoes. I and a bananan bread desert with a caramel glaze. Very good. All this good exercise I'm geting and I'm going to eat it all away!
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