From: Padstow to Port Isaac
Distance: 12m / 19.2km
Cumulated distance: 100.2m / 161km
Percentage completed: 9.75
Today was a day of two halves. The morning was flat, dry and the route undeviating. The afternoon was undulating, outrageously muddy and the route weaved its way between fields, farms and fords.
This morning I woke up to what was probably the biggest temptation to cheat on the End to End. It would have been so easy to catch a ferry across the Camel Estuary to Rock, cutting out a several mile detour inland to Wadebridge. But it’s sufficiently early in my journey for me to be a purist and feel strongly (well, fairly strongly) that I must resist transportation.
Setting out, Liz optimistically pointed out the blue in the sky. Not much of it to see from where I was standing! It was a treat to have Tess, her golden retriever, with us on our walk in the morning along the Camel Trail.
Teeniest bit of blue sky peeking through between the clouds
Liz and Tess
Before we set off this morning, we took a wander around the streets of pretty Padstow. It doesn’t look to have changed in a couple of hundred years and it made me think of the people whose last ever sight of England was here. Padstow was the port where many, many people left the UK for North America, to find a new life in the nineteenth century. Padstow was the UK’s third most important departure point for Canada .. only Liverpool and London were greater. It makes me feel absurdly sad for all those people who left the country, looking back at the town, knowing it was the last they’d ever see of their homeland.
Padstow cottages
Nowadays of course, Padstow is known for the colonisation by a celebrity chef and is known by the locals as Padstein. It’s difficult to find anywhere to eat or stay which isn’t owned by him. But we did find an independent café for an early coffee and some local grub.
Cornish breakfast
The walk inland to Wadebridge took us along the banks of the River Camel. It’s a really popular cycle path where the number of bikes hired in the summer has to be limited, so that it doesn’t become a jam of cyclists. Today we saw a handful of runners and a couple of walkers. Both the terrain and the weather could not have been more different from yesterday. We were able to bash out the 5 miles to Wadebridge very swiftly.
The Camel Trail
Tess attempting to become a black dog .. for the cause!
In the blink of an eye we’d reached Wadebridge. Some tempting interior shops and a very friendly café called Relish, where the owners made a donation when they heard about the Walk. Great coffee if you find yourself in Wadebridge https://www.relishcornwall.co.uk Relish was also the rendez-vous for meeting up with two other friends, Nick and Joanna. I was a wee bit nervous of the impact they may have on lunch plans ……
Jules and Mena before things went badly downhill after lunch….
Well…. at this point your standby correspondent (acting unpaid) Nick is forced to take over the keyboard as lunch really did spiral out of control – as some of the following photographs will evidence. As we left Wadebridge Jules had a glint in her eye which with hindsight was the prospect of Sauvignon Blanc therapy at the Maltster’s Arms public house in the picture perfect village of Chapel Amble; as it turns out there was not much evidence of chapel and it did not help our ambling one jot…
The Maltster’s Arms (aka the Monstor’s Arms) – scene of Jules’s downfall.
We dined lavishly on moules-frites (a Cornish classic) and fish & chips. This was washed down by yours truly with a modest half pint of weak beer……
….. and by Jules and Joanna with a veritable ocean of Sauvignon Blanc. I will leave you, dear readers, to ponder on the consequences.
Jules and Joanna at lunch with appropriate caption on accompanying beer glass
Slightly awkward attempt by your guest editor to leave the pub – both legs in one trouser leg.
…But back to the walk. During lunch (and after) the heavens opened in true Cornish style. It seemed at times that all the mud in Cornwall had been liberally spread across our route. At first we rather prissily skipped around puddles in an optimistic effort to keep clean and dry but, little by little, the mud and water asserted itself. By the end of the day we ploughed resignedly into each and every slough, up to our ankles and occasionally knees in wet and slime.
Jules tries out a Cornish slalom course, apparently left over after the recent snows. Note the perfect skiing stance – bend ze knees!!
As the afternoon drew on and the sky darkened we plodded northwards towards the coast, climbing up over open windswept downland before finally and gratefully beginning our descent through a narrow river valley towards Port Isaac and the sea. The mud of course went from bad to worse, especially in the farmyards where the livestock had made their own special contributions.
Some of the Cornish infrastructure was in worryingly poor condition…
As we approached our destination we were greeted by the sight and heady aroma of the Port Isaac sewage treatment plant – a triumph of 1970’s engineering and municipal low budget architecture. But a welcome sight as the day’s end was approaching.
Port Isaac is of course famous as the scene of television’s “Doc Martin”. He of joyous, glass half empty fame. No sign of the good doctor on this occasion which was a pity as we all needed treatment of one sort or another.
Jukes was both physically and metaphorically in deep water by mid afternoon…
Getting our kicks….
Picturesque Port Isaac
We could have stuck around for a swift half (or a consultation at the doc’s surgery) but as it turned out we had a better offer. Liz arrived to rescue us and whisk us back to her house for a roast rib of beef to die for, washed down with copious quantities of red wine. And so to be as the rain continues to pour down outside and another 15 miles of cliff path awaits us tomorrow.
Black Dog Tails
Here’s Katrina. This heroic girl saved a man from drowning in Hurricane Katrina.
“I must resist transportation”, leg of lamb with mint sauce and now a roast rib of beef, departure point sadness … your photos and sketches Jules … your blogs are a feast for all the senses and so much fun. As others have commented they’re a highlight of my day. Now David has signed up too.
Good on you!
Thank you so much, Jo .. it’s wonderful to feel so supported by everyone! Welcome David! xx
Loving your daily updates so well written. Makes me wish I was joining you… x
Lovely to get your message, Lisa. Think you and the rest of book club should come out together to join me! Think of the themed books we could read! x
Great progress under harsh conditions, ie “assistance” from your part-time correspondent Nick. His efforts to pass off Doombar as weak beer are recognised for what they are: fake news. Almost double figures % of the way! And shan’t be long to Devon! Px
If only you’d be here to help us through the harsh conditions. JJxx
Port Isaac….first ever holiday with Jonathan. Uphill and down dale trying to breathe quietly so he didn’t think I was unfit!!
Are your feet staying dry? Love reading your adventures. Xx
Couldn’t believe how quaint it was last night! The hills would really have tested you .. as they did us! xx
A day to remember I think but a lot of fun. Your stand in correspondent has a great way with words. He made me laugh and I could clearly imagine the scenes. Hope the rain clears for you. Xx
The stand-in may well get another shot at writing copy up in the Pennines! Rain due to clear sometime today. x
Well done taking on the commentary for today’s soggy tramping, Nick. Have fun!
I will get young Nick to reply after he has finished porridge-make duties, Silvia! x
Thanks Silvia and congratulations on your new title- that must make Doug the Earl of Freycinet! We are off again and it has stopped raining! Should be easy to maintain that “pale straw” colour roar we are all looking for! Best, N
What fun! Wish I could join you. Xx
So do I! x
Well, you seem to be looking after yourself gastronomically – bravo! I hope you don’t mind the odd snippet from my own journal as you pass through the same places.
Sunday 20th April – 2008
“I asked for a Lucozade at a café bar in Wadebridge, and I might
as well have asked for a glass of Saki – he said he was never
asked for it, but on my many walks along roads, empty Lucozade
bottles seemed to be the most common item jettisoned from
passing cars.”
That’s very interesting, Conrad .. lovely to get your comments, both for me and the other readers.
I wonder why after reading Day 8 it reminded me of what Guy Gross said to you before you left Sydney … Jules ! WTBD sounds like teh giant pub crawl … enjoy ! alcohol is the best anesthetic to combat body pains xox
Total one off! Promise!! xx
You look as if you are ‘ahem’ making the most of your adventure. It sounds like good fun amidst the mud.
Oh yes! Back to the ups and downs by myself for a while now!
Hi Jules. I’ve been printing your blogs as they arrive. Col and I were on a 4-hour drive today, and it was the perfect time to catch him up on your travels. We both are in AWE of you – the snow, the rain, the mud, the beauty – you capture it all for us. The pictures the first couple days along the coast look so much like what we see at Flinders. Walk well!
Thank you so much Angie! So lovely to get your message. I’ve also received your email about your very generous donation .. I’ll reply tomorrow morning. Jxx