| From sea to shining sea |
[Apr. 1st, 2004|10:49 am] |
So yesterday we walked the 12 miles of the St Michael's Way, from the north Cornish coast across the peninsula to the south. Actually, about half the distance is along coastal paths and only half is the reckless plunge cross-country across farmland, road and footpath. Nevertheless, it's still quite a feeling to start a walk by the sea, finish it by the sea, but to know they are different seas.
We started late, parking in Penzance in the south and taking a train up to Lelant in the north where the path starts. By the time we actually trod the first yards of the path it was 1.20pm. On our coast path walks, admittedly with heavy rucksacks, we can leave on 12 milers three hours earlier than that and still run into time trouble at the end of the day. This time we knew we'd lose the daylight at about the same time as our paid parking ran out - 8pm. I was convinced we'd spend the last few miles navigating by torchlight, and said so loudly and often until there was a row.
In fact, we got away with it - which means I have to make a public admission of being wrong. Thanks partly to a recent path diversion into Marazion that takes the walk off long and winding roads and onto a shorter run of footpaths, we hit the carpark at Penzance at five past eight, scanning worriedly for parking attendants. We'd covered the last three miles along the sea wall from Marazion in exactly an hour.
And today we're staying in the cottage, resting our aching limbs... |
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