Sunday 23 August 2015

Hell's Mouth to Portreath

Hell's Mouth is a sinister place because of its history of suicides.
But the walk along the clifftops to Portreath is exhilarating. Fabulous colours. A steep climb towards the end is rewarded by a spectacular waterfall.
So tired on reaching home that I attempted potato crisps. Totally delicious and such a bad idea.
Another memorable thing about this walk: encountering a woman who had picked two huge wild mushrooms, monstrously big. She was holding them like mini parasols and in conversation with a fellow walker about what to do with them. Could she go home and eat them? Would they be delicious? The answer would have been - not to have picked them in the first place, especially as she couldn't identify them. An act verging on vandalism... a strong word, but it felt a bit like it.


















Tuesday 18 August 2015

Sennen to St Levan

Fabulous scenery on this walk - but the start past ugly, commercial Land's End itself something of a endurance test in August. And the windy road to St Levan hard to negotiate as so busy with cars en route to and from the Minack Theatre. So many people...
But once past Land's End and on track to St Levan, it's plain sailing.
One thing that sticks in the mind - a grumpy woman in the carpark at St Levan. Why on earth is it necessary to fuss so much?  She could have ruined our day and maybe she ruined other people's. Luckily the sun and scenery made up for it.
Setting off: looking back at Sennen beach


Towards Land's End

Oh! Walking past Land's End Hotel
And looking back at it thankfully in the distance





Towards St Levan and Porthcurno




Poldark country: Ross swam here (naked)

Monday 17 August 2015

Rinsey to Porthleven

A well-walked walk.... memorably met a man with his son who claimed to have just seen a Cornish chough and an admirably flushed unfit woman, walking from Porthleven to Praa Sands to reward herself with an icecream, then back again.
The drink at the end of these walks - this time at the Ship Inn, Porthleven, is always a reward.
And at home, the harvest has started. The combine is a seriously industrial sight after four hours of cliffs and sea. They're still working hard even though it's starting to get dark.
Looking back towards Praa Sands


Perfect picnic spot


I would not trust my lfe to this rope







Porthleven harbour




Friday 14 August 2015

Sennen to Botallack

Another dazzling day for a coastal walk last Saturday. This path from Sennen to Botallack runs almost at sea level for much of the way - before alpine climbs in and out of long deserted mining valleys. We spotted five Cornish choughs on the cliffs near Botallack, a first for me.



















Reading and watching

  • Foot by Foot to Santiago de Compostela/Judy Foot
  • The Testament of Mary with Fiona Shaw at the Barbican
  • The Testament of Mary/Colm Toibin
  • Schwanengesang/Schubert - Tony Spence
  • Journals/Robert Falcon Scott
  • Fugitive Pieces/Ann Michaels
  • Unless/Carol Shields
  • Faust/Royal Opera House
  • The Art of Travel/Alain de Botton
  • Mad Men Series 6
  • A Week at The Airport/Alain de Botton
  • The Railway Man/Eric Lomax
  • Bright Lights, Big City/Jay McInerney
  • Stones of Venice/John Ruskin
  • The Sea, the Sea/Iris Murdoch
  • Childe Harold/Lord Byron
  • All The Pretty Horses/Cormac McCarthy
  • Extreme Rambling/Mark Thomas
  • Story of my Life/Jay McInerney
  • Venice Observed/Mary McCarthy