Mishaps and the Big Cornish Write Up Part 3

The forecast for the weekend just gone was warm, dry and most of all sunny...whoopee I thought, since the winter is fast approaching this may be the last time I can get 'out and about' and planned a walk to Kingley Vale on the Sunday with my Pa....I went to work on Saturday as per and about two hours in was unloading the delivery (the first shift in the last 5 I've not been on the poxy till I might add) and picked up a pack of dried milks....soon after I was frozen in place by a dozen red hot pokers stabbing into my lower back....I'd pulled a muscle, apparently quite an important one as it was around 6 or 7 minutes before I could even hobble out the back to sit. I left work early and have since been signed off for the week (today being the first day I can sit for a length of time to make an entry....couldn't even put on a pair of socks until yesterday)....and needless to say I didn't get to go on the walk over the Downs of which I was really looking forward to....oh well, at least I have some DVDs for company.

Anyway since I have some time, how about some more holiday write up:

Day 3

Forecast....rain, hmmmm, no surprise there....but anyway I had factored in some wet weather activities and so ambled away from town (down a bloody great hill) and through a picturesque park under an amazing viaduct (that's the train kind not the water kind....and yes I did have to look it up the make sure) to the local zoo. I'd figured if the weather was to be miserable what better way to spend the day than with a bunch of cute and equally bedraggled looking critters.

I somehow managed to time my ambling with several of the feeding times, including the otters, penguins (one of whom appeared to have a cold) and the lioness which was cool....I wiled away a few hours before heading back to base....skipping the ludicrously twisty, turney hill for for steep steps which I happened upon in the park.

Meerkat plus baby Meerkat....can I get an awww.

Ten points if you can you spot the critter in this photo

In the evening I went with Natty to the harbour to watch the rowing practice and instead spent much of the time watching the wild seal with was floating about.Day 4

The only problem with holidaying with oneself and using the power of foot is that it can become quite a mission, indeed of military precision and organisation, to get to where one wants to go and see all which one wants to see.

Today was two trains and a bus (with 2 buses on the return journey) to do the Bodmin and Wenford Steam railway (too much to ask that the national rail service would arrive to Bodmin Parkway station in conjunction with the steam railway timetable which is part of the steam railway route...oh no)....Still I managed to find the main station in town and relaxed for the 40 or so, chuff chuff, minutes journey through the outskirts of Bodmin and into the country...listening, as always, to the intellectual and observational conversation of the couple sitting opposite me which included 'Ooo, look at the trees, they're just like the ones at Centre Parks' and ' how about fish and chips with mushy peas for dinner tonight....there's protein in mushy peas' and also 'they must be goats, they can't be sheep, sheep have black heads and feet' (while looking a field of sheep....the dear lady, who I think was from London, apparently using the image of Wallace and Gromit's Shaun the sheep as a template for all sheep).....meh, provides entertainment for others I spose.It was a nice enough, although a budget stretching, outing but I actually found the mainline train route into Bodmin more scenic than the steam railway route also, and I know I've mentioned it previously but still, if you're ever in the Padstow/Newquay area make sure you take the 556 bus, preferably from the top of a double decker.....a thrill ride which will literally turn your knuckles white....the roads aren't really designed for the buses and incorporate blind corners, ridiculously steep hills and have a tendency to meet 4x4s at break neck speed which involve both vehicles having to 'hedge' as I have termed it.....the whole process is actually 'hope the breaks work...the standoff....the 4x4 back off and the hold ya breath 'hedge' maneuver'

After the immensely enjoyable bus ride I had just about enough time to get fed and watered before us ladies (Natty, her housemate and friends) set out in some truly gnarly weather (the remnants of one of the hurricanes from across the pond) for a movie night in Truro.....the Movie Mamma Mia (which we only realised was the sing-a-long version when we got inside).....this can only be described as the most surreal experience I think I've ever had...the film itself is borderline crazy, funny in a 'what the?' kinda way mix that with the all singing, all dancing audience....pass me the booze please somebody...did I partake in proceedings.....well, when in Rome......

After the viewing we left the theatre slightly gayer than we entered.