Day 24. Lizard to Porthfallow (15 miles / 25km)

 Day 24.    Lizard to Porthfallow (15 miles / 25km) 

I open my bedroom door this morning to head down to breakfast and there sat outside my bedroom door, washed, dry and folded in a basket is all my washing.     I felt the Christmas morning feeling!!   Like something lovely happened while you were asleep and you don’t know how.  What a start to this day.   – and then I head down to breakfast featuring what I think are the most wanted items in a walkers breakfast.  Fresh fruit, yoghurt and  choice of hot things cooked to order – 2 perfectly poached eggs with extra toast on beautiful bread for marmalade – joy!    I got to chat to Mike and Caroline and had to force myself to get the back pack on and not say put the kettle back on , I’m staying!     I headed off and out – laughing as I left and truly happy that there are people like that doing what they do with such care, warmth and kindness.   Such a special stop here at Lizard – they are wonderful.     

I headed off , past the Lizard lighthouse and also past the massive Fog Horn at the light house.   Mike had informed me the bellowing noise through the night at very regular intervals was in fact The  Fog Horn.   It’s fog senosors had sensed the fog last night and sounded many warning signals to passing ships.   It is a epic piece of equipment ,(pic below) …just not in the night and not on the hour every hour.      I had some odd fog horn backed dreams.   A weird sleep but happy ships were not colliding.  

It starts with stunning cliff top walking that looks back on the lighthouse.   It is beautiful walking – the weather is warming and I am swapping out of rain coat as I climb up,  soon to see the geological monument that is The Devils Frying Pan.  A 200 ft  deep collapsed sea cave that lost its roof , leaving behind a natral archway which the sea raging through it.   After the frying pan it  was a drop into the very very quaint village of Cadgwith.   Thatched roof cottages are built right down to the steep shingle beach – local fisherman are still doing the same as I’d imagine many fishermen before them here in  Cadgwith.  

It’s a varied walk of ups and down with some very deep plunges into valleys before the landscape moves from rugged cliffs to  a stop at the golden, wide beach of Kennack Sands.  It was well and truly time for lunch and Mike at the farm had mentioned that nothing much tops a fish finger sandwich at Mora Cafe, Kennack Sands.    I take every recommendation seriously and ordered one to give my feedback.   The Chef popped out and was delighted to know his FF Sandwich had been recommended …..and devoured.   

It gave me a boost for this stretch of remote,willd coastal scrubland past Black Head and on until it was the descent into the little town of Coverack.   Quick cuppa , drunk at speed.    This is the end point for most walkers of this stage so it was  just me that left Coverack for the added on extra to Porthfallow.    I was going along well – knees were feeing stonger at each step.   Then I took a wrong turn where there was  a stile in a wall – into a field.   I thought it must be right until I found myself in a field all closed off with no other way out.  I checked my map and could see from over the hedge there was road to return me to the trail .. just no way of getting through it.   I found a gate at last but it was bolted shut and tied and then tied again.  I wasn’t meant to be here.   I thought right I’m climbing the gate and getting out – I climbed the gate , got ready to move and there was play equiment, two tiny ponies  and 4 geese….and 1 me.  Not good numbers.   The ponies I could take but the geese …I wasn’t sure about the geese.  I was in someone’s back garden.   I thought about tippy toeing through and down their driveway onto the road but it was too risky.   Geese weren’t too happy with me making any further movements into their house.   So back over the metal and rust gate and back through two fields to retrace my footsteps and make me later gettting to Porthfallow than I had planned.  

I was excited to get there – it was a milestone moment of this walk at Porthfallow.   This little village has a sculpture at it’s centre that marks the halfway point of the South West Coast Path.    It’s 517km from the start in Minehead and 517km to the end of the walk in Poole.   I felt a little teary here and got a photo to remember this point and how far I’d walked and how truly happy and grateful I felt at this marker – that it wasn’t over , that the unknown of the next half would be full of as many unforgettable moments as the first.   

Night night from half way xxx

Walking into the day..

Past the Fog Horn!

The Lizard Point has safety for ships fully in hand

Looking back after walking the cliffs

Good morning!

The Devils Frying Pan

Cadgwith

Fishfinger Bap and Tea stop at Mora Cafe

Just pretty walking

And a lovely gate

Half way!!!!

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