In my planning for this walk, I thought of this day as our day off. At just five miles, it would give the legs some rest. However, we have found we are not very tired. The hikes so far have been 6.7, 9.4, 7, 11.2, 7.5, 9.7, 8.8, and today’s 7.2 miles. The distances hide some of the effort required by elevation change, path conditions, and the weather, but the body also gets used to it! Tomorrow is our longest planned day at 12 miles, so we shall see.
Today, we took an inland route that was shorter, less elevation, and via an open farm that looked fun to visit. While the coastal scenery is superb, we somewhat agree with one blogger who said they found the one-dimensional aspect of the coast path quite monotonous. I think yesterday’s slog along a difficult path in strong wind and rain jaded us, but we will be back on the coast tomorrow with ferry crossings thrown into the mix.
Today’s inland route took us to Roskilly’s farm. We enjoyed walking through the farmland before and after the farm. The footpaths were well-enough established that it was easy walking, yet we felt pleasantly isolated from the world. The blackberries were ripe and tasty, with the best being firm yet flavorful, sweet yet tart, and with small seeds.
The open farm had some ponds that we enjoyed walking around, and some of its pigs and cows were happy to pose for photos. Their food offerings for lunch did not quite hit the mark so we moved on. We found a fine sausage roll at the SPAR in St Keverne. Fortunately, we still had room for a cream tea at the Fat Apples Cafe before heading down to Porthallow, the official midpoint of the SWCP, and the location of our B&B. The Gallen-Treath Guest House is someone’s home, into which we were warmly welcomed. We have a fine view of Porthallow Bay from our window, but are far enough away to hear the wind whistling through trees rather than the waves crash on the coastline. I am sure we will sleep well tonight!
We passed through the sleepy village of St Keverne where we enjoyed our sausage roll on a bench in the central square in front of the church.
We followed a river down a verdant valley. There is something so soothing about the sound of rushing water. The rhythm of crashing waves is invigorating, but the continuous gurgling of the river as she tumbles toward the coast brings joy to the soul! I was not the first to think this. As David wrote in Psalm 23, “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.” We didn’t lie down by the river today, though I took a fine nap later.
But first, the river took us to our next destination: the Fat Apples Cafe. A cream tea was the perfect complement to our sausage roll for lunch.
We had to stop by the sign on Porthallow’s beach that marks the SWCP’s halfway point, but it wasn’t a major milestone for us. We were not half way through our trek yet!
I enjoyed the view from our room at the B&B so much that I had a great afternoon nap.
We rounded out the day with a finely cooked dinner in our B&B, and heard many tales about our hosts traveling in the US. We were the only guests of five rooms, though they were full again the following day. As the light faded, the mist pushed its way into the cove, which doesn’t bode well for tomorrow’s views, but it’s difficult to predict the weather around here!
The Adventures of the Cajunlimeys 