Walk completed August 28, 2011

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Day 9, Wadebridge to Port Isaac

“Rain before seven, clear by eleven” was the advice I received from another breakfast guest. I hoped he was right, because it had been raining before seven and was still raining hard at 8:00 breakfast. By the time I left the B&B at 9:00, the skies had cleared. Never question a local’s wisdom.

The B&B I stayed in last night was built around 1670. To be sure, changes and upgrades have been made over the years, but the building remains basically as it was. The plumbing is probably from early 20th century. Electricity, probably a little later. WiFi was probably the most recent improvement, which is how I did last night’s posting.

The route from Wadebridge to Port Isaac by the South West Coast Path is 17 miles. Andy Robinson’s guide book for the End to End trail departs from the SWCP by passing through pastures and following country lanes until reaching Port Isaac, and then continuing on to Boscastle the same day – a distance of 19 miles. Since today was intended to be my rest day, I decided to follow Andy’s route only seven miles -- as far as Port Isaac --  and save the 12 additional miles to Boscastle for tomorrow.

It’s a good thing I did. I've developed blisters on the balls of my feet over the past two days, and despite treating them with every technique known to medicine, my feet were very painful today. I’m not sure I could have done 19 miles, and even if I did, I wouldn’t have been very happy. I’m hoping that the short day today, and only 12 miles tomorrow, will help them heal faster.

Port Isaac
When I arrived in Port Isaac, a television crew was filming an episode of Doc Martin. I had never heard of the program, but as was explained to me by a security official, it is a drama series based in Port Isaac. I thought I might have the good Doc look at my feet, but it wasn’t in the script, and actors have forgotten how to ad lib. I should have tried the old “Do you know who I am?” routine and promised them a ratings boost with my vast number of followers. Oh well, their loss.



A FEW WORDS ON MY MAP

As often as I can, I am inserting a marking pin where I spend the night. On the main map, very little progress can be seen. If you click on the link under the map, a larger map opens in a separate window. By continuously clicking on the + or – buttons, you can zoom in or out. (You’ll have to re-position the map by clicking the < or > buttons or the up or down buttons.) If you are interested, that will provide a better idea of what little progress I make. You can also switch between satellite images and the map. Finally, in some of the villages, you can drag the little man to a street and walk him down the street to see what I was seeing.

You can also click on my pictures to enlarge them in a separate window – so if you really want to see the rock Marley was carrying yesterday, you can.



© 2011 Ken Klug

2 comments:

  1. Doc Martin is a great show! We watch it on PBS.

    Bonnie O'C

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey, great news that a new series of 'Doc Martin' is being filmed. Hope you have good weather today.

    ReplyDelete