Well that was close

I’d just made it to the campsite as it was starting to rain and the wind was really picking up. I was wondering if I should just wait in one of the sheltered areas for the rain to calm down, as I figured it wouldn’t last long, or if I should just put the tent up quickly.

I’m so glad I made the decision to put up the tent straight away because since then the wind is even stronger and the rain has been relentless. I keep on imagining what it would have been like if I was wild camping tonight or if the conditions had been like this last night. I guess I just got lucky that it wasn’t.

When I was putting up my tent a guy came over and offered to help because I was struggling a bit with the wind. He almost apologised for offering to help but it was greatly appreciated. I said, yes please, hold that! Because of his help I managed to get the tent up quite quickly. What a really nice person. I’m still quite worried about this wind though – it’s bringing back bad memories of Sunday last week and I really don’t want that to happen again. For now though I’m nice and cosy in my tent whilst all hell breaks loose outside.

Looe

Today I finally got into Looe and I could see it was very popular. Lots of people all crammed into quite a small town. It was very pretty but I sensed that it had its difficulties. There were lots of signs up about public order offences and drinking being banned in the streets.

I went into the coop to get some supplies and into boots to buy spare batteries for my head torch. I’d been meaning to buy these for days but I kept on forgetting and then cursing myself whenever I used my torch. Luckily it never ran out. Last night would have been a totally different story if it’d failed.

I knew I had to eat but as it was so busy I decided to cross over the bridge to West Looe which seemed much quieter. I was happier here. I went into a cafe and had fish and chips and sneakily charged my phone for a bit. I’ve not been able to get any power since the hotel with Jenny on Monday so everything is running a bit low. To be honest, the small amount of power I got in the cafe didn’t make much different.

Guess what – I erred

Just before leaving the cafe I thought I’d better look at where the campsite I’d booked for the night was. I had said I fancied a short day because my feet were hurting. Hmmm, 9 miles. And with the terrain of the coast line, this could take 4 hours and it was 3:30pm. That was more than I thought it’d be – I’d better get a move on.

The terrain was pretty easy immediately after Looe. Quite flat as you walk along the see front with nice views of the sea and a small island just off the coast. I was easily making good progress here.

It then moves to smaller paths but still fairly easy as far as coast paths go. You get more enclosed by bushes as you go but that just protects you from the elements.

I have a hunch about what may have happened to my socks though. When walking down a particularly overgrown part of the path my tent poles got snagged on a bush and it basically grabbed them from my rucksack. It looked hilarious seeing them tied up in a bush. It also dislodged my sandwiches so that would have been my food and shelter gone.

Polperro

Polperro is another one of those little towns or villages rammed into a small enclave on the coast. It’s quite remarkable how they’ve managed to get so much in such a little space. It also looks fantastic. I do however have mixed feelings as I noticed nearly every property was a holiday let so I wondered if it’d lost its spirit. Not for me to judge I suppose and maybe without that, and it’s associated tourism, the place would go to ruin. I’ve really no idea but it didn’t entirely sit right with me.

Onwards to the campsite

A lot of the paths after Polperro were on the end or basically in the edge of cliffs. It was quite windy and I must admit I did feel a little exposed to the elements and slightly scared. It felt like I was doing something stupid although I was still following a clear defined path. One slip in the wrong direction and you’re not coming back. My mind did slip into thoughts of my children walking these and I don’t think I would have liked it. As you’re also alone, as everyone seems to have gone home by this point, it adds to that feeling of isolation and also exposure to the power of the sea. I also loved that feeling as seeing nature like this is quite invigorating and as always the views of the cliffs and sea are amazing.

At West Combe I turned inland towards the campsite which treated me to a half mile stroll through some woodland and a nice break from the wind. Looking forward to my sandwiches.