Day 1 – 5th April
The train arrived to time and after a suitable amount of faffing and photography we were on our way. The weather was glorious: hardly a cloud and very little wind. We found the road to Land’s End with no difficulty, but everything was hillier than I imagined. After half an hour, our average speed was only 6.4mph and I was beginning to worry greatly about the entire timetable. This had picked up a little by the time we reached Land’s End.
This is a perfect example of how to ruin a place. What on earth do Tardis noises have to do with a geographical feature which has a place close to the nation’s heart? This is the sort of crap that belongs on Southend Sea Front.
We had noticed on the way that there was a café serving breakfastat a tiny hampel called Trevescan on our return trip. What a breakfast it was! Bacon, thick and juicy, still with the rind on, just as we enjoyed in in the 1960s, and sausages that almost squealed when you stuck the fork in them. Moreover, there was a dog with a ball. Oscar, for that was the doggy’s name, dropped the ball at our feet and we had to thro it for him, He would bring it back and the whole ritual had to be repeated ad nauseam. Teh only thing missing was the non-stop manic barking. We ate our breakfast outside and we enjoyed it so much that we each forgot to take our tablets.
Returning to Penzance was a much faster journey and at one point we exceeded 39mph. We found a very useful cycle route all the way through to Marazion, and then climbed to join the A390. Shortly we found a pub in the village of Kenneggy, the Coach and Horses. It had been recently refurbished and we gathered from the very few peoplein the bar that it had just reopened after a long closure. Our meals were excellent, as was the Betty Stogs bitter. They deserve to succeed.
On the way through Helston we left the A390 for a minor roadbut as wilth many minor roads there was a large hill. It was, however, a fortuitous diversion as we saw our first swallow of the summer.
I was very disappointed in Helston. TGhe bits we saw were scruffy housing in the modern style. The main roadwas so steep and busy that we didn’t feel comfortable riding on it, so we got off and pushed. Then we came across the Culdrose Air Base and the road alongside it was fast, busy and nasty. There was, however, a good cycle track that we used. After the air base, of course, the road deteriorated again and the cycle track disappeared.
At the Lizard we enjoyed splendid tea and cakes – I had carrot cake with orange icing and a blob of Cornish ice cream. We chatted to some motorists who double up as cyclists and the were interested in our journey.
We reached our digs just after 6pm – 57.77 miles at about 8.6mph. We decided that where we can, we should ry for an early breakfast, although perhaps we spent more time sight-seeing today than we normally would.
Our hosts provided some very welcome tea and hot cross buns and once we had showered, we made for the Gweek Inn. It was crowded and we were lucky to get some food as we had not booked. That’s a lesson for the future: ask the landlady to book a table for 7.30 at the local hostelry.
We retired at 9.30 and I didn’t emerge again until 6.30 – 9 hours’ unbroken sleep! I’ve not dome that for a while. Jan is still slumbering as I write.