Day 3 - Tintagel - Polzeath
Author: Dave
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A damp start with a warm finish
Yesterday started off warm and finished up cloudy. Today was the other way round. We left the B&B and the sky looked like it was threatening rain. As we left the village and made our way up a lane back towards the coast it started raining....and it threw it down ! We got soaked while we were putting our waterproof trousers on. We trudged across a badly way-marked field back to the official path as the rain eased a little. The paths were good but even more undulating as the previous day, with the now recognisable random Cornish steps. the paths were the same high cliff top views with stunted, windswept gorse and dropping down, frequently, to small hamlets and bays where the paths were lined with blackthorn and giant rhubarb type ferns that looked like they should be in the Amazon.

Jason off in the middle distance
_It was tough going on the legs and despite J's master-plan of cutting the previous day short so he didn't struggle as much today, I could see it was wearing him down. Late morning the wind picked up and a light rain was blowing into our faces. I put my head down pressed on into the weather. An hour or so later the rain eased and the clouds started to lift. I stopped and looked round for J. I was thinking lunch would be a good plan about now. He was no where to be seen. I could see a good way up the coast and after a couple minutes I saw him coming up over a rise way off in the distance.
I found some shelter behind a stone wall and cracked open the packed lunch while I waited for him. He arrived a while later and more or less collapsed next to me behind the wall. He was completely shot. Engine light mode. I was hoping lunch and a good rest might cure it. We had a while longer for lunch than usual and when we got to our feet and set off I think we both knew there was going to be another bus involved for one of us that day.
I found some shelter behind a stone wall and cracked open the packed lunch while I waited for him. He arrived a while later and more or less collapsed next to me behind the wall. He was completely shot. Engine light mode. I was hoping lunch and a good rest might cure it. We had a while longer for lunch than usual and when we got to our feet and set off I think we both knew there was going to be another bus involved for one of us that day.

The view to Polzeth
_We got into Port Isaac and Jason went to find the bus stop while I carried on the path towards Polzeath. He had a while to wait for the bus and, as luck would have it, the bus stop was next to a pub !
The next section of path carried on for me, with it's arduous ups and downs until just after Port Quin when it flattened off. By now the sun had come out and the day was turning out hot again. it had been a long day and I was about ready for a pint and a shower. Not necessarily in that order. The hard going and the long lunch stop had eaten a lot of time. I broke into a gentle trot to try and make up some time. Somewhere between a jog and a fast walk. The last few miles had flattened out to wide grassy tracks with a good gravel track the last mile or two and I made good time. I came into Polzeath along the beach where I found a collection of shops, pubs and restaurants.
The road came in from a steep hill to the right and back up a steep hill to the left. I didn't know which one the B&B was up. I tried to phone Jason but there was no signal so I figured it was a 50/50 chance. I opted for the right hand hill and I found a pub at the top (which we later ate at) but not the B&B I was after. So back down the hill and up the other side and found the one I was after.
We seem to have a habit of booking B&B's at the top of steep hills after our harder days walks. Why ?
The next section of path carried on for me, with it's arduous ups and downs until just after Port Quin when it flattened off. By now the sun had come out and the day was turning out hot again. it had been a long day and I was about ready for a pint and a shower. Not necessarily in that order. The hard going and the long lunch stop had eaten a lot of time. I broke into a gentle trot to try and make up some time. Somewhere between a jog and a fast walk. The last few miles had flattened out to wide grassy tracks with a good gravel track the last mile or two and I made good time. I came into Polzeath along the beach where I found a collection of shops, pubs and restaurants.
The road came in from a steep hill to the right and back up a steep hill to the left. I didn't know which one the B&B was up. I tried to phone Jason but there was no signal so I figured it was a 50/50 chance. I opted for the right hand hill and I found a pub at the top (which we later ate at) but not the B&B I was after. So back down the hill and up the other side and found the one I was after.
We seem to have a habit of booking B&B's at the top of steep hills after our harder days walks. Why ?