To a Long Steep Hill

 Monday 29th April Our train tickets are returns from Par - which seems a long way away now.  I am in a panic that we won't be able to get through the automatic gates at Plymouth.  This will lead to a visit to the ticket office and trouble because I have lost my Senior Railcard.  I make Derek and Maggie drive us ridiculously early to the station.  There is no problem and the gates click open.  We have a cold half-hour wait for the London train.

 Sunday 28th April We are not due to leave Polperro until tomorrow, but we have been invited to stay the night with our friends Derek and Maggie in Plymouth.  There's a bus which takes us directly to the centre of Plymouth, so yet again, we trundle our bags up to the bus stop at The Crumplehorn.  We quit our Airbnb a day early.  We pause to buy a gift box of fudge for Robert our allotment neighbour who has been watering for us.

  Saturday 27 April We catch the early bus again.   This time there are no kids, being Saturday.   But the bus runs a few minutes late, and does its diversion to the school, even though no one gets on or off.   We get out at Widegates again.   The rain is pouring down and we convince ourselves that we have missed the connection. It is a low moment.   We are in the middle of nowhere, in the rain.   We about to start hunting for a taxi, when the bus appears out of the rain.   Maybe it was also running late.   At the Portwrinkle turning, the bus stops.   We are the only passengers again.   Lady driver pops her head up to explain why we have stopped. “Yes, we know” we laugh, “We were on the bus yesterday”. We get out at the top of Portwrinkle Hill because I am sure the path starts here and we can avoid climbing back up – but I am wrong, and we find ourselves committed to walking along a busy road.   But soon the path comes ...

  The weather has worsened.   We have worked out a bus route to our next destination which is Portwrinkle.   Once again, we are walking backwards. So we catch an 08.40 bus which is ram-packed with school kids who all get off at a big secondary above Looe.   The empty bus takes us on to Whitegates where we wait for a connection.   In a couple of minutes it appears and swoops back down to the coast at Seaton, then threads its way through Downderry.   At the turning to Portwrinkle, the bus halts.   We are the only passengers.   We are sitting on the top deck wondering what is happening, when the driver’s head pops up at the top of the stairs.   Us: “What’s happened?” Driver: “ I’m waiting for the other bus to come up.   If we meet in the narrows, we are doomed”. Sure enough a few minutes later, another big red double-decker eases along the tiny road.   It is completely empty.   Why do they run these huge buses on these trick...

  Today it’s a short walk to Looe.   Just four miles.   The weather is changing.   It’s cold and there is rain.   We stop for coffee at Seaton.   The café has little cabins and we shelter in one for our coffee break.   This is a good moment to shout out for the way coffee culture has penetrated Cornwall.   Me: “We’d like two coffees please”. Café lady: “What coffees?” Me (seeing list on wall): “Oh, can you do Americanos?” Café lady (OK, barrista): “Black or with milk?” Me: “Milk, please” Barrista: “Hot or cold milk” Me:   “Hot if you can do it”. Barrista (with contemptuous look): “Of course. Large Americanos or small?” Me:   “Small, please”. Barrista:   “£7.00 please, cash or card?”. We are on the edge of West Looe by lunch time and find a table with benches.   It is cold.   We are right opposite Looe Island.   I wish I had brought my binoculars. An old geezer comes passed with his dog, which p...

                                                           View of the harbour from our Polperro Airbnb                                                     It’s goodbye to Fowey today. We are moving base to Polperro.   I assumed we could repeat yesterday’s journey, but it would mean an early start again, because the next bus after 09.29 was so late.   So we booked a taxi to pick us up at The Ship.   Driver got us a mile past the Bodinnick ferry when I realised I had left my sticks propped against the pub.   We turned back.   They were still there.   But it did mean we did the ferry three times and doubled the fare to £80. Each ferry ...

  We are over the river on the 08.35 ferry where we wait for the 9.29 bus to Polperro. The plan is to walk from Polperro back to Fowey, thus avoiding bus anxiety.                                                                                  Ferry to Polruan I have another nostalgic moment.   In 1964 I spent a summer holiday here with Nigel (Humphrey) Morrison and his family.   When the bus arrives, it is a minibus, and instead of turning the bus round, the driver reverses all the way up Polruan Fore Street. We are on the path in Polruan by 10.30.   We are unaware that we have walked right past our next Airbnb. The guide books talk up this section as being hard – but we found it quite OK.   Of course there are ups and downs. ...

  Monday 22 April Fowey has a special significance for me.   My mother’s family came from Fowey.   We go to the museum to see what we can find out about the Brokenshaws – my mother’s maiden name was Brokenshaw.   There is a very helpful volunteer curator in the museum.   The Brokenshaws were ship builders.   There is a model of one of their ships on display – The Ann Beer.                                                                       The 'Ann Beer' My grandfather’s name was George Beer Brokenshaw.   The curator unearths the will of William Brokenshaw my great (great?) grandfather.   Ann was his wife.   My grandfather – whom I never met – married Norah Grigg, my grandmother whom I knew well. Her family came from St Austell. ...

                                                                     The Daymark at Gribbin Head   We get an early 25 bus to Par and are on the path by 10.30 for the walk back to Fowey.   We stop for coffee at Polkerris and it’s an easy walk to Gribbin Head where we eat our sandwiches.   Lots of people on the path.   The Gribbin Daymark is a nice Sunday destination for people.   We see Menabilly in the distance.   It’s six and a half miles to Fowey, but easier than the Mevagissey section and we are not so knackered.   All the same, we award ourselves a day off tomorrow.   We have supper at The Ship Inn, interrupting their quiz night.

  Moving on from Charlestown means either one very long day back to Fowey or one short day followed by a moderate day.   After our bruising yesterday we opt for a short day.   So we get up slowly and get 25 bus to Charlestown leaving 11.18.   It’s only three miles to Par so we have a coffee in Charlestown and don’t hit the path until 12.30.   It’s a beautiful day.   We amble along and have our sandwiches on the beach just before Par and a dreary bit inland to the 25 bus.                                                                                         The Lugger We take the passenger ferry across to   Polruan and have supper at the Lugger.   We also scout for the bus to Polperro.

  Logistics on this section are tricky.   We have to go back to Mevagissey, where we finished up last time.   I have found the GoCornwall bus app.   Eventually work out that there is no direct bus, but we can get one in St Austell.   All booted, we climb the hill and get the 25 bus at 09.14.   It takes nearly an hour.   There’s a wait at St Austell bus/rail station, so we have a coffee. 23 bus to Mevagissey only takes 15 minutes, so we are on the path by 10.40.   It’s 7.5 miles to Charlestown and the path is hard.   Also it rains in the morning.   However it clears by the afternoon, and we are in the Rashleigh Arms by 17.45.   There is a direct bus back to Fowey.   We are seriously knackered.   Not only was the path steep, the signage and directions were poor.   We got lost at least twice. Once making us walk down a busy road, and another time having to walk up a very steep hill which added to our time – and pain. ...

  It’s the usual panic whenever we go by train. On the way to the bus stop, dragging our wheely cases when Chris says “Have you got your Senior Rail Card”. No I haven’t.   I rush back, but can’t find it anywhere. Meanwhile both the Richmond buses have gone.   WE spend an agonising few minutes waiting for the next bus.   An R70 appears and gets us to Richmond in time for the Reading train.   With the rail card we paid £94 for two open returns to Par.   Fortunately, there is no ticket inspection on this train and the inspector on GWR doesn’t ask for the card either. Our taxi driver (£18) at Par says it has pretty much rained every day since Christmas. We are just pleased that we decided not to come in March again.   The forecast is good, and the sun is shining.   We are optimistic. Our AirBnb is on something called Bull Hill in Fowey.   It doesn’t seem to exist on Google Maps.   Driver says he has it on satnav, but can’t get to it....