Today I ate a hedgehog

Saturday 28 April – Portreath to Perranporth

The day after a long day is always an anxious one, so it was with some trepidation that we set off this morning. We knew it would be shorter (21km) and less strenuous, but how would we cope?

The short answer: very well!

Today was a great day. The weather was kinder, cool but dry and sunny, almost ideal walking weather. Our bodies seemed none the worse for wear. There were a few steep drops and climbs but not as many as yesterday. The scenery remained dramatic and fascinating, mostly walking along the clifftops high above the sea, with the added excitement of hang gliders at one point, hovering above our heads, enjoying the updrafts from the steady breeze. The treeless hillsides were covered in low growth brightened by flowering gorse, yellow primroses and masses of delicate flowers. The various coves and settlements each had their own charm.

Like much of this part of Cornwall, there was still plenty of evidence of the tin mining days. One interesting thing we learned was that many of the ventilation shafts have been secured with conical mesh caps, to make them safe but allow the local bats to use them.

We dropped into several pretty coves, each one with a different character. Our favourite was Trevaunance Cove, pretty as a postcard with a small collection of houses, nestled in a sheltered, tree-filled valley. Unlike yesterday we arrived at out destination, the Seiners Arms pub, by 4pm, time to relax,  and for Peter to have a coffee, and sip a pint of Betty Skogs bitter in the lovely old bar. The Seiners is right by the water, with a great view from our bedroom window right down the beach.

Oh, and the hedgehog? That’s a Chapel Porth specialty, a waffle come with Cornish icecream, topped with clotted cream and smothered in roasted hazelnuts. Yum!

Distance today: 21km