When we were leaving our wonderfully comfortable Polperro B&B this morning, the landlady reassured us that, as we were experienced walkers, today’s 12 mile route would be a ‘walk in the park.’   Well not quite!  

So, having this easier walk in mind, we actually treated ourselves to a few more breaks today.  Coffee in Talland Bay at 10.00am, another clifftop stop at 11.00am to devour some chocolate tea cakes, a mooch around the town of West Looe followed by a picnic lunch stop about an hour out of Looe.  

But it was no surprise that the walk was no picnic – the same old long, steep hills, some seeming to go on forever – when you feel the hill cannot possibly get higher you turn the corner and on up it goes!!  We had some variation today in that many of the hills were tarmac paths and roads, particularly leaving Polperro, Black Rock and Seaton – we had diversions due to crumbling clifftops, private property construction and monkey sanctuaries.  Made a change though and change is as good as a rest.  Rest – what a dream!!  After 6 hours of walking I just wanted to cry when the final hill loomed around the corner – I found a way through it – I thought of a little boy I worked with last academic year who suffered so badly with ADHD – at playtimes I would often keep him calm by marching around the playground with him singing “The Grand Old Duke of York, he had 10,000 men” 🎶 – on repeat!!  Today I thought of (X) with his beautiful smiley face, and sang that song … on repeat …. to get me up that hill.  

So although tiring today, nothing too deadly.  Just one area heavily populated with mountain goats with particularly long curly horns – my brave husband talked ‘goat’ to them all the way through and they kindly vacated the path and found a way to cling to the side of the cliff instead!  

We’re staying in a pub tonight just out of town called The Halfway House – Emily kindly came and picked us up and showed us to our spacious and very comfortable room.  Only have to go downstairs for dinner too – can’t be bad.  

And tomorrow we leave Cornwall and head to Plymouth, Devon.