Land's End to Fowey

June 10th

Land's End hostel and B&B

I had great plans to leave early, because today was to be one of the hardest days according to my Cicero guide. However when the alarm went off I turned over and (shock horror) it was almost 9.00 before I left my really superb overnight accommodation. It never ceases to amaze me how tiring travel is. Sitting on a train all day shouldn't be tiring but it is and it was.

 Breakfast was diy but several nice cereals including two porridges and one muesli, yoghurt, a pint of milk, half a pint of lovely orange juice and wholemeal and white bread to toast and four eggs for microwaved scrambled eggs. I scoffed the lot in anticipation of the need for bags of energy.

The iconic Land's End sign

Land's End is every bit as tacky as John O'Groats but more expensive. £7.50 to park and minimum of 10.99 to get a photo in front of the iconic Land'sEnd sign. There is a fence around it and only the official photographer can enter except this morning because I brazenly entered and duly took my photos and departed before I was challenged.

On the road by 09.15 and fortunately the reverse of last night's Penzance to Land'sEnd was mainly down and there was a nice air behind. Penzance came up fairly quickly and I stopped at a harbourside cafe for a coffee. It felt like an alien had descended. When I handed over a Bank of Scotland £10 note it was treated with extreme suspicion (a blast from the past) My attempt at disarming humour "Scottish pounds are worth more than English ones" was met with a seriously stony silence. To add injury to insult my greasy spoon coffee cost £3.00!

I am not very good at selfies

My Garmin was proving to be disappolnting. I couldn't see the screen and the confusing series of beeps before a change of direction were difficult to interpret. At one point I nearly ended up on the A30 (the nearest Cornwall has to a motorway with thundering trucks) 

After Leedstown I abandoned the country lanes and took to the A roads following the reverse of my train journey last evening. Cambourne, Redruth, Truro, St Austell and then the final 8 miles to Fowey. 

Yes it was hilly. Yes some of them were long but it wasn't too bad until I reached Par (which is 3 miles from Fowey) Polmear hill was a seriously steep mile long drag which tested my legs to their limit at the end. I had to resort to gear 28 halfway up.

Truro Cathedral

Truro was an interesting City. It has a cathedral but I doubt if the population exceeds 20000. The centre was pedestrianised and cobbles. Not great for cycling but I discovered the oldest Cornish Pastie maker in the world! Established in 1860 Warren's famous bakery sold me a giant cornish pastie for £4.95. It took a lot of eating and proved to be a mistake which repeated for the rest of the afternoon. 

Getting the nutrition  and hydration right is going to be problematic. Another problem only raised it ugly head when I took a shower. Several parts of my body failed the shower test. It was overcast all day so I didn't bother with sunscreen. Big mistake. Note to self. Sun screen first thing irrespective of the weather and its forecast.

Ship Inn Fowey

I am writing this in the outside space of the oldest pub in Fowey. It was established in 1560 by a sailor who took part in the defeat of the Spanish Armada. 

I was warmly welcomed when I arrived and felt the need for a pint of Cornish Ale which was greater than my need for a shower. Hicks Cornish Ale slips down a treat.

My bike is sqeezed into what would have been a coalshed. 

I have had to book a table for dinner because when I arrived at 5 there were reservation stickers on nearly every table. It is Friday night but it is going like a summer fayre which is why I am outside typing this outside.

UPDATE I have just eaten the biggest fish and chips I have ever seen. The fish was hanging over the sides of a huge dinner plate. I guess I will cycle it off tomorrow.

Fowey Harbour