Walk completed August 28, 2011

Friday, June 3, 2011

Day 3, June 3, 2011 -- Trewellard to St. Ives

While I was traveling to St. Ives
I met a man with seven wives.
Each wife had seven sacks.
Each sack had seven cats.
Each cat had seven kits.
Kits, cats, sacks, wives;
How many POUNDS were going to St. Ives?

I don’t know the total weight, but it’s about 10 fewer pounds than it might have been. (4.4 kilos, but I can’t remember how many pounds a kilo is. Maybe I should take up smoking.) I mailed the maps today, and that’s a story in itself.


Gypsy Caravan
 But let’s start with the beginning. Last night I stayed at Gypsy Caravan B&B. The accommodation is a restored old Gypsy wagon (or caravan to the English), which was a 19th century (or maybe earlier) camping trailer, pulled by horses. I had seen a few of them in Ireland. This one has seen its last horse, but staying in it was quirky fun and comfortable. Those old trailers, of course, had no bathroom facilities, so the owners remodeled an old storage room for the bath. Without a doubt, it was the best, most modern bathroom facility I’ve ever seen in England.


Levant Tin Mine Ruins
 After a good night’s sleep, I was awakened by singing birds at 5:00 am. I like arising early, so took advantage of the opportunity.  I packed into the duffel the items to ship ahead, and then went for an hour-long walk to visit nearby ruins of a tin mine. Followng breakfast, I headed off to the post office in Pendeen, pack on my back and duffel in hand. But the post office had no shipping boxes, and no shipping envelopes. The postmaster suggested I ask at Pendeen’s only grocery store, a Co-op, similar to 7-11 in the US. The clerk was able to find one small box, which he gave to me. Now I had a problem, what do I send ahead? Sending the maps I had planned to send to Donald Gray meant carrying everything else, and with the weekend approaching, the prospect of sending the remaining stuff anytime soon was not good. But I couldn’t send everything to Donald, because some items will be required before I see him.

In the end I decided to send everything to the B&B where I’ll be staying before I get close to the Mendips. That means I’ll have to carry all that stuff again a week earlier than I anticipated, but at least the weight is off my back for the next two weeks. I have time between now and then to solve the future problem. Don’t worry, Donald. I won’t withdraw your title.


View from Coastal Path
 With the weight off my back, I moved along comfortably and swiftly. That is, except for the time consumed in conversation with virtually ever other hiker on the trail. (Hey, we all have our weaknesses.) That, plus the late start after the post office fiasco, caused me to arrive in Zennor (6 trail miles from my destination St. Ives) at 3:00. The trail between Zennor and St. Ives is reputed to be extremely difficult and correspondingly slow. With the prospect of arriving in St. Ives at 8:00 or 9:00 pm, I decided to take the faster route by walking the road.


Pauline, Roger and Nora Too!
 Roads are usually boring and unpleasant, and this was no exception. But I moved along rapidly until I met Roger and Pauline, from Devon, who were parked alongside the road in their beautifully restored 1972 VW bus. We had a nice conversation and made tentative plans to have dinner together when I’m in Barnstaple in mid-June. Maybe they’ll even treat me to a ride.

I arrived in St. Ives at 5:30, tired but happy.


© 2011 Ken Klug

4 comments:

  1. Allo Ken!
    See, I knew you'd have fun, already making new friends and planning your next feast! Love the Gypsy caravan, so cool, I'm saving the pic.....
    a bit of a pack rat!
    Rest up, fuel up and tomorrow will be another great day.

    Danielle

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  2. Hi Ken! Enjoying your posts! Terry

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  3. Hi Ken,

    Do you remember this;

    "I hope you are recovering well. Next year the roles will be reversed and it'll be me following your JOGLE day by day!"

    I'm delighted that day has finally come! Very well done to you for making it to the start despite the set-back last year. Enjoy your journey, if you are blessed with same good fortune as myself it will be an amazing experience.

    Best wishes

    Gary

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  4. It's a promise - you can have a ride in Nora Too when we meet in Barnstaple. Safe travels
    Roger & Pauline and Nora Too x

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