Thursday, October 02, 2008

Back to Reality and Part 1 of the Big Cornish Trip Write Up

Cooeee, yeah yeah I know I've been back from hols for nearly two weeks now and not a single tale of my exploits...thing is, I wrote everything down while I was away and took plenty of pictures for those who freak out at large bodies of text on a page (you know who you are Josh)....but I've been tardy and trying to settle back into my vacuous routine at work...and the weather on my days off has been so nice I've been attempting to make the most of it by getting out and about locally before autumn temps and 4.00pm sunsets set in....Last Sunday for example I took myself off to Cissbury Ring (An Iron age fort) which sports some great views of the surrounding villages and Downland and is a healthy 7 mile round trip.




So that was the weekend...this week has seen an increase in the population of West Worthing/Goring....which is the only conclusion I can drawn as to the immense popularity of Co-op and a constant stream of customers who seem to have a problem with the current speed of the Earths' revolution....then again of course there is Green-Eyed-Guy who has graced the shop floor with his presence during my shift twice this week, but as always led to nothing more than wistful looks and slightly cringe worthy conversation on my part and probably a desire to find a new place to food shop on his.....

But anyway....Cornwall, I fear this may have to continue over a few entries as I was super busy and wandered far and wide covering at least 45 miles on foot...over hills and cliffs....I now have thigh muscles rather than something usually found in the bottom of a bucket of KFC.

The train journey was long and arduous...having to go north to London before being able to get a direct train to Cornwall instead of a day of changing trains and dragging luggage which is the coastal route....and the day before my travels the country was quite literally drowned after a months worth of rain in a day particularly in the region in which I was now traveling....the train at one point slowing to a crawl to negotiate a particularly water logged area where cattle were huddled pathetically on the only dry patch under a tree, a farmer was pondering the best course of action from the opposite side of the field and the train line was mere inches from becoming swamped somewhere in the middle....still we did make it through and I arrived in Newquay late afternoon....my very good friend and lifeguard extraordinaire Natty met me and I was given a whistle stop tour of the area after dumping my stuff....her house share is amazing by the way with an actual kitchen with an actual oven and a lounge/dinner area complete with an open fire....not that I'm at all jealous, nothing at all attractive about an open log fire in a snuggly lounge on a cold autumn evening...nope, not at all.

In the evening we wandered down to the harbour and the rowing club, of which Nat's a member, for some drinks and catching up....it's safe to say i truly miss my ex flatmates company and wish it wasn't quite such mission to get over to see her...it's also safe to say the alcohol on an empty stomach is a less than wise idea....as is the shortcut through the ever-so-creepy graveyard we took on the way back home.....Travelling took it's toll and I was 'Z' bound before 11pm.

Natty's part of a rowing team (using the pilot gig boats, what was the old lifeboat back in the day) and it just so happened I had arrived on a competition weekend....so on the first sunny day in over a month I wandered down to the harbour, met Natty, and was hustled on board a fishing boat to watch one of the races out on the route itself....now I'd like to say I took loads of pictures but the boat was rolling around a fair bit and I choose to cling onto the rigging rather than fall arse over tit...and possibly overboard. It was great fun....and unlike young Natalie, by her own admission prefers to be in the water rather than on it, I maintained a pink rather than a green complexion.

Back in the harbour, and with the races continuing, I bade Natty fairly well as I was keen for some exploring...she pointed out a nearby coastal path overlooking the harbour and off I trotted. Cornwall really is a fantastic place for views and I wandered past the Headland Hotel (which those who recall the film the Witches may recognise) along the sand dunes parallel to the popular Fistral Beach and out to Pentire Point, where I watched the waves before walking back to the house.

Well there you go, that's about as much as I can manage for now...enjoy the pretty pics...and in the words of SGA (of which I have just about caught up with) To Be Continued.....

4 comments:

Kimberly said...

Your pictures are beautiful!
I can't get over how different your beaches are from ours. We have very flat and boring beaches. You have the lovely cliffs and rocks!

I bet ours are much warmer though! :D

Emma said...

in some parts yes...where i live however beaches are flat and shingle filled and all are freezing, at any point in the year....i havent even ventured into the sea since the last time i was in cornwall over two years ago.....the scientists insist the water temps are going up, sue to the dolphins, sharks, jellyfish etc which happen along more and more these days but my blue toes beg to differ.

Firefly Mom said...

I have to ask first about the "actual kitchen with actual oven" comment. Do you not have a kitchen?? I'm now picturing you cooking on a hotplate in a dorm room ;D

Those pictures are amazing! I'm the opposite of Kimberly - I can't believe how much your coast looks like ours.

Emma said...

kitchen?.....we have a tiny room (which used to be a bedroom) with a few cupboards, sink, washing machine, microwave and a worktop on which sits our supposed oven....which only one person can cook in at a time and has two hobs on top....of which only one works when you're using the oven part