I’m not sure the moon actually woke me up. Maybe it was because the tide was in, and the sea quite noisy, but something woke me up. It must have been about 2 o’clock in the morning and I noticed how bright it seemed outside, so I decided to take a look.

The scene, with the moon bright and reflecting on the sea, was breathtaking. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to be witnessing this. Of course, I took a picture, but it really didn’t do the scene justice.

I then tried to get back to sleep. I’ve been struggling a little with sleep on this trip. I’m sure I’m getting enough but it’s very disturbed. I dream a lot that I’m still walking.

Already here

I had one peanut left which wasn’t the most substantial of breakfasts. I didn’t realise I’d finished them, but unfortunately I had.

It was ok though because I’d eaten well the night before and all I had to do was walk a few miles to Plymouth and then there’d be plenty of places to get food.

Today was going to be nice and easy because Jenny was driving down from Leicester so all I had to do was walk. I didn’t need to worry about where I’d camp. I’d just get through Plymouth and then find a suitable spot to stop get picked up. I had a vague idea that I’d try to get to Freathy as I knew there was a carpark there which would be easy to get to for both of us. I thought it’d be funny as well because I’d previously camped at the back of the carpark when I was desperate to find a place to stay back in 2023.

I got going around 7am. I often enjoy the first few miles of the day, it’s a calm time, no one is around, and I’m not normally worrying about anything. The path was relatively flat and picturesque, despite nearing a city, and the miles were flying by. I met a couple of early risers, the first an artist who said his early walk helps to get the creative juices flowing, and the second, a man who’d just been scuba diving. He said it’d been a good early morning dive and the wildlife had been superb. He was now having a drink to warm himself up.

The first few cafes I passed were closed but eventually, just on the outskirts of Plymouth, I found one named after Jenny. I thought that apt as she was coming to see me today, and also that she was paying for all my food. She was already looking out for me.

Normally I say no to marshmallows and cream on my hot chocolate, but today I thought I’d go for it. It was very nice.

The cafe was full of locals and some were asking me about my rucksack and now heavy it was. I said it wasn’t too heavy but they were welcome to lift it. One man felt it was too heavy and I needed to be careful with my back. He was part of the local ramblers association and called his friend over to discuss. They were really nice people and they wished me well. I’m really lucky finding these cafes that are a bit more rustic and less commercial.

Will saves the day

I felt confident about getting through Plymouth quickly today. I knew where all the ferries went to and from so I was not concerned about anything. So I was a little set back when I arrived at the first ferry slipway to discover it closed. There was a sign saying where it had moved to but it was very vague, so I went hunting for it, but in totally the wrong direction.

I decided I was going to have to ask for help and soon found a young man walking his dog. Luckily he knew where it’d moved to and, as he was going in that direction, said he’d walk with me to find it. He was a really friendly young man. He was called Will and his dog was called Duncan. Will asked about my trip and I think he was seriously interested in doing something similar. He was a physics graduate but hadn’t quite decided what his future might look like. He’d already done some travelling but I get the impression he’d like to do some more.

Well, thanks to Will I found my ferry, so saved me a lot of wandering around. I like that he was considering his life and what would make him happy. It’s all far too easy to just do what’s expected.

Stop moving the ferries

It’s amazing how a walk is easier when your feet are ok. I remember it being quite a hard slog through Plymouth but today it was easy. I stopped for a while to watch a Brittany Ferry dock in the harbour but soon arrived at the departure point for my next ferry over to Cremyll. Again, this had moved but I followed the signs and got reassurance from the fellow passengers that I was in the right place.

Unusually for me I didn’t video much of this journey. I was too busy talking to everyone about what they were doing or what they did. One passenger told me that, now I’d completed the crossing, I was officially in Cornwall. That did feel like a milestone on my journey.

Worst part

I don’t know why I struggled so much last time with finding a spot to camp. There really were plenty of places just after Kingsand. But I suppose last time was late and I was worried. This time it was early afternoon, I was relaxed, and was bing picked up anyway.

The path is great all around here, right out to Rame Head, and the gets a little fiddly around all the huts and caravans built into the cliffs after Polhawm Cove. They are strange dwellings. I assume just used for holidays. With little paths weaved into the cliffs to get to each one. I wondered if they had power or water. I could see why, once I’d got here, I couldn’t find anywhere to camp. There’s not a single flat piece of ground available.

And now the worst bit. I think maybe the worst part of the SWCP. The path leads out onto a road and stays there for a couple of miles. There is no pavement and there are a lot of blind bends. It does feel a bit unsafe and I was constantly being careful to keep myself visible to traffic to avoid being run over. I’d previously walked this in the dark and I shuddered thinking about how I’d felt at the time.

I wish there was a separate path here.

Time to rest

I arrived at the carpark where I was due to meet Jenny. She still had about 30 minutes to go so I just lay down, using my pack as a pillow, and relaxed.

When her car arrived I saw her searching for me. It was quite funny as she’d driven about 5 feet from me to get into the car park.

So, a weekend off now. I’m so immersed in walking this trail now. I hope that doesn’t wear off before I get going again on Monday.