Thursday 17th August

By: Mike

 Yesterday we checked that the Helford ferry runs to 20.30, and not 17.00 as stated on the website.  So we have booked a taxi (old friends Telstar) to take us back to Porthallow.  It's the halfway point where we finished last March.

It's the 35 bus again to Helford Passage.  Ferry is prompt, £9.00 pp return and Telstar is waiting for us in the car park across in Helford.  We notice a nice looking cafe in the car park.  Forecast was for another hot day, but this is Cornwall and local conditions prevail.  There's a bit of a sea fret with low cloud and it's distinctly chilly on Porthallow Beach.  Ever-helpful chap from Telstar warns us that there is a broken bridge with huge inland detours.  He says it's possible to just walk round the bridge on the beach and to ignore the detours.  We thank him and pay £25.00 for the trip.  We get take-away coffees from the quirky beach cafe and set out up the cliff.  I regret wearing shorts. He's right about the bridge.  No problem as the tide is low.  At Gillyvase Creek, we arrive slightly before dead low tide and are put off trying to walk across.  We go up the start of the inland route and stop in a field to have lunch.  Mine's a pasty.  Chris has a sausage roll. Then our trouble begins.  

A walker coming the other way warns us that the farmer has planted corn across the path, but we take no notice and plunge into the field.  We get totally lost in the head-high corn, and have to turn back.  We end up having wasted nearly an hour back at the point where we had lunch.  We  take the alternative path to the head of the creek, where we bottle out of going down the far side and round the coast, taking the road back to Helford.  We arrive hot and thirsty at Helford car park only to find that the lovely cafe closed at 15.00!  We mooch down into the village, which is pretty but quiet (aka dead).  The only shop also closed at 15.00, but the Shipwright's Arms is open and they serve us a splendid pot of tea.  We watch some yachties blagging  milk for their morning cuppa, having missed the village shop.  Our timing is off, because we are up the hill on the Helford Passage side ages before our bus.  There is no bus shelter or bench, so we sit on the ground waiting for the 17.28 no. 63 back to Falmouth. We have time for showers before an excellent dinner at Indidog on the harbour.  £94.00 + tip.  This was pre-booked by Chris.  Everywhere is packed out because of the Tall Ships.  

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