Monday 1st July: Weather: 14°C to 19°C: Overcast with Sunny patches
Newquay Walking: 11k circuit walk to Trenance Gardens and return to Pentire
Time: 6am to 9.30am
Accommodation: John’s place Pentire, Newquay
Water from fire hoses and burst water mains streaming into Gannel
Gannel view of burnt out Hotel California Fireman still hosing
Gannel View Hotel California
Dinner at Rick Steins Padstow
Will in England 2000 with John and Suzies family
Will in England 2000 with Radko from Slovakia
Highlight today was driving to Polperro so that Suzie could do her section of the SWCP from Polperro to Looe then Portwrinkle. So while Suzie was doing her thing, John drove us 40 minutes to Padstow for fish and chips at Rick Steins.
Awake at 5am for cup of tea, I leave at 7am to do a circuit around Trenance Gardens, such a beautiful place with streams, lakes, ducks and roses - a place my mother loved to go to when she visited John in Newquay. I return via the Gannel and walk along the lower sandy beach at low tide to see the sad site of the Hotel California now just a charred ruin. Back for coffee and breakfast, then more blogging for several hours.
At 11am we all set off for Polperro to take Suzie to the start of her walk. It’s a lovely drive through the countryside, and at 12.30, Suzie starts her walk from the Crumplehorn Inn down the steep road to Polperro Harbour from where she’ll walk the 9k to Looe and stay at the Harbour Inn to walk to 12k to Portwrinkle the next day.
John and I return to Newquay and visit Morrisons Supermarket where I buy a few souvenirs and some wine - Graham Nortons Sav Blanc - to leave with John. Back at Pentire, I continue to blog until 5pm, when we drive to Padstow to visit Rick Stein’s Fish and Chip outlet. We had the best deep fried cod in a light crispy batter, with chips cooked in dripping - that’s his style. Interestingly, their popular softdrink is Bundaberg ginger beer, and since we’re driving back, that’s our drink too.
Back at 8pm for a chat, and then time for me to start packing for my flight to London tomorrow. I sit up until almost midnight trying to catch up blogging from my 12 day diary.