England Log #8 - June 17, 2000

 Notes at top of previous pages:  Oilseed grape (yellow fields); Elder flowers - white flowers on trees, like dogwood.

June 17, 2000    Saturday

I love it when I'm just setting around in England and I hear the Beatles come on the radio or being sung somewhere.

Had a nice walk this am.  Met a very pleasant cat, who did come to a "here kitty kitty" call and I got to see some of the cutest Cornish hens strutting around in a little yard with a big rabbit.

Funny thing I didn't know about a bed & breakfast - when you set down to breakfast,  you order.  It's not just laid out as I expected.  I was filling my bowl with cereal when the proprietor came over and asked if I'd gotten to look at the menu yet.

I ordered the "small" Full English breakfast, which consists of bacon, sausage, egg, tomatoes, mushrooms, and potato fritters.  Small indeed.  This is a wonderful granola oatmeal cereal though!  And this cheese is wonderfully soft & spreadable.

This should be a marvelous day for hiking.  The sky is clear, sun is out and its getting warmer by the minute.  Almost made a mistake & left my raincoat at home.  It hasn't rained yet, but it's gotten cool and/or windy enough for me to use it several times.

There are a group of Austrians here, speaking German.  They are very nice.  Say that they've been to Scotland & Ireland already and still have another week of Holiday ahead of them.  They've been driving, which I don't envy because of the gas prices and the confusion of driving on the left.  People do really whip around in their little cars, and the 'roundabouts' or traffic circles, as we call them, are everywhere and a bit dangerous.

These foods are so rich here!  The potato fritters are like little fried potato cakes - really wonderful.  The sausage tastes like it was freshly packed from the pig this morning.  Their 'bacon' is more like a slice of ham instead of our idea of bacon.  As always, the tea is marvelous.

Oh -- it looks like ham & tastes like bacon.  Wow, that's good!  The baked tomatoes are wonderful - can't do much to those, I guess.  Eggs are better in the states, though.  (and yes, I know I shouldn't generalize from just one egg)

Radio station is quite interesting.  We've gone from Beatles to Ave Maria to the Mama's & Papas.  For the most part they've got the same music & choices here as we do in the U.S.

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Taking a short break after the first leg of my trek this morning.  I could not have wished for better weather!  Warm with a cool breeze coming in off the ocean.  I've lost myself several times, but found myself again.

cricket match in Helston

I'm thinking that there's something in me wanting to drag this out to a ten-twelve mile hike.  I've seen rabbits, pheasants, swans, herons, and some other lake bird I'm not familiar with (loon).  Plants, too -- oak of all different varieties, purple flowers everywhere (Foxglove), and lots of buttercups.  Oh!  And don't forget the 'kissing gates' every hundred meters or so.

Foxglove

Kissing Gate

Stile along the path

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Hike to Loe Pool - once a Smugglers/Pirate Cove, 

now cut off from the ocean by a spit formed through sediment deposition.

The pool itself is a freshwater (or slightly brackish) wetland, slowly being filled in by sediment runoff from the surrounding hills.  Many waterfowl & seems to be a very healthy ecosystem.

This is the Penrose House - not sure if there's historical relevance or just a residence, but it was noted by name in the hiking notes.

The high hills around the Loe Pool referenced in my hiking notes below.

The freshwater side of the Sandbar.

Atlantic Side of the Loe Pool - looking East toward the 2 headlands

OK.  Now I'm sure there must have been an easier way to get up to this "high pass" rather than risk my life on that hellish incline, but right now I'm just grateful to be alive.  I ran out of foothold about halfway up and nearly slid back down.  Not going to try that craziness again.

Lovely view, though.

xxxxx

Beach at Porthleven

I think these must be the loveliest beaches in the world.  The water is clear as a swimming pool.  There is no debris other than seaweed.  And the beach is not sand, but pebble.  What an amazing thing it is to walk across & not have my feet get hot or be suctioned down or have little clams burrowing around.  The tide is starting to come in and it is time for lunch.  I must say it is magnificent here.  Every little pebble, stone and rock is neatly rounded.  There is not a sharp edge to be seen anywhere.  Reminds me a bit of birdseed.

xxxxx

Porthleven is a great little fishing town with quite a variety of shops & crafts.  The 'chemist' is their term for pharmacy, so that's where I have to go for sunblock.  I also need nail clippers and band-aids for my toes.  They wouldn't need the band-aids if I'd had the clippers before.

Prawns & salad with mayonnaise - my saving grace for lunch.

Ran into a little wren on my way over here that hopped from branch to branch alongside me for a while.  It had a red face and chest.  Reminded me of the story of Branwen, who taught one to speak.  The way it looked at me, I almost believe it could be taught to speak.

There are townhouses here that can be let for the summer months and I am one of those people who could be drawn into such a thing, lovely as it is out here.

Jetty at Porthleven - grounded boats around the edges and more off to the left out of the picture.  

When the tide is out, the fishing boats are grounded.  It's starting to come back in.  Seagull beside me thinks he's my best friend, even before I gave him bread from my sandwich.  Gone six miles according to the chart, so should be a relatively short hike back to Helston.  Still waiting for the chemist to reopen at 2pm.

xxxx

Well, I love tea, but I'm missing my iced tea now.

Got my nails cut and my toe bandaged up.  They're overnighting my baggage to the next stop, I'll have everything back then.  The walk back from Porthleven was easy - only three miles, so I was back by three-thirty.  Everywhere seems to shut up shop for Saturday afternoon, so I had to settle for a personal pizza for dinner.  Heavier than I would have preferred, but ok overall.

I'll be glad to get my other bag -- stop scraping my legs while shaving, put on my swimsuit and use acne cream again.  My face hasn't broken out badly, but a couple of pimples here and there.

I'm a bit pink from my walk today.  I need to make certain I wear sunblock tomorrow, assuming its another day like today.  My poor shoulders aren't too happy with me.

xxx

One new man who just showed up at the hotel today is from Alberta, Canada.  He's rather boorish and likes to talk about himself.

Just met another new couple, who are from California and are very pleasant.  He's born in London but grew up in the states.  She's from Holland and has been in the states since '57.

We talked about how lovely it is here, about the gardens, roses, coastline, food, and a number of other things.  They'd tried to find a hotel in Porthleven on the beach, but it was all booked up.  They're very pleased with the Strathallow though.  The sun sets late here.