Holiday Write up Part 2

Hey ho, a phenomenally crap last couple of days...busy, understaffed, muggin's constantly on till.....the usual....even Green-Eyed Guy couldn't cheer me up yesterday...though I was on my break the time he came in and watched him stroll round the shop via the CCTV....not at all stalkish.

To change the subject completely...figured I'd give the holiday write up another go. So, without further ado:

Day 2
Another gloriously overcast day, I suppose more than one sunny day a month is too much to ask for....anyhoo, overcast but not raining.....so I opted for one of my must do's which would not be enjoyable in drizzle.....The Camel Trail. This is an old railway line between Padstow to Bodmin, via wadebridge...which is now a foot/cycle path.

Due to my non keeness to cycle the round trip, which stands at a thigh busting 23 miles, I figured a sedate one way trip would be the best option....the bike hire company at Padstow had other ideas however, a one way cycle not an option...I was determined to get to Bodmin and I figured if you could hire bikes in Padstow you could in Wadebridge also....so off I trundled....5 and a half miles by the power of foot.

It certainly is scenic, the Camel River a mere stones throw (true indeed, I checked, much to the annoyance of a passing duck) for the duration. I would hate to see the trail during the height of the summer (a word I use loosely) season though as it was busy enough for me on an overcast day in September....the tranquility of my walk spoiled every few minutes by townies, chavs and cotton tops determined to incorporate some 'healthy' into their busy schedule of car/coach touring and fish and chip eating.....Still, I ventured on, safe in the knowledge that in their steadfast concentration in maneuvering their mode of transportation, I was actually observing the countryside and wildlife.

I arrived in Wadebridge a respectable 1 1/2 hours after I had set off and was left with a conundrum....do i risk another 6-7 mile on foot to Bodmin which could mean cutting the catching of two buses back to newquay a little fine or hire a bike to Bodmin and back...equally as risky at 12/13 miles. I opted for B (even though the helpful gent in the cycle shop did say they offered a drop off service in Bodmin) and decided to put my faith in my thighs.

This part of the journey was much more enjoyable....it was much less busy and the river had shrunken to a picturesque and leafy lined body of water rather than the massive expanse between padstow and wadebridge. Another benefit of being on a bike, i soon found, was that the woodland route had yet to dissipate the puddles from previous days....making it much easier to pass than on foot...though in retrospect I'm thinking I should have passed through the largest puddle (which covered the entire width of the path and was several feet long) with a slow approach and an air of caution than with the 'bat out of hell' and 'feet in the air' approach which sprayed water everywhere and left my jeans from the shins down feeling a tad soggy (jolly good fun though). By the time I reached the outskirts of Bodmin, and baring in mind I had a 2 1/2 hour bus journey, I opted to turn round and hoof it back to Wadebridge.

Speaking of bus journeys, the one from Newquay to Padstow is definately worth while. I made sure I sat on the coastal side and the top deck of the double decker and immersed myself in the outstanding views...the journey though perhaps not for the faint of heart due to the narrow lanes, sharp bends and steep declines into the beach resort areas. Not without its hiccups either as the bus was nearly a half hour late leaving (due to a breakdown) which meant some passengers were less than chirpy....shortly after leaving Newquay the bus was held up first by a learner driver and then a street cleaner and the passengers chuckled at the situation....all except a lady positioned behind me who asked her husband, in a less than impressed tone, why everyone else was laughing...to which he answered wearily 'they find it funny dear....something you wouldn't know about' (the golden years indeed)