Looking over the bay to Gribbin Head
We missed a sign somewhere when walking through the Carylon Bay golf course and had to backtrack again.
It was a fine Sunday morning that meant the course was full with golfers of all shapes and sizes and abilities.
There's a brilliant description of golfers by the writer and poet Simon Armitage in his book, Walking Away.
Something like ' two rotund gentlemen in the most ridiculously garish golf garb, played their shots and were giggling and chuckling as they squeezed into their buggy like two clowns driving away in their clown's car looking for the circus.
Shortly after the golf course we came to Par followed by birdie, bogie and blob.
No we didn't, I made that up.
Had to walk inland through the almost redundant china clay docks at Par, through Par town and eventually out to the beach.
Par Beach looking across to the docks.
The beach area is very natural and has recovered from the years of contamination by waste from the china clay works that washed down the river turning the beach and bay into white sludge.
Polkerris
We descended steeply into the lovely little hamlet at Polkerris and sat outside the Rashleigh Arms.
There was another Rashleigh Arms yesterday in Charlestown named after Charles Rashleigh who built the dock there and designed the layout of the town.
It was originally called Porth Meor but he was so renowned that the residents changed the town's name in his honour.
Gribbin Head
The Gribbin
The 84 feet high tower was built as a navigation aid to shipping and to distinguish this headland from Dodman Point and St Anthony Head.
Coming into Fowey with a view up the river
Passed through a couple of beautiful little beach coves and into Fowey to catch the ferry across to Polruan.
Stopped for refreshment knowing that we were only half way and there was nothing but hills between Polruan and Polperro.
Ferry across the Fowey
From Polruan the path was much quieter.
This was an isolated and difficult section and was stunningly beautiful past Blackbottle, Lantic Bay and Raphael Cliff.
Looking towards Lantic Bay
Not looking forward to that climb
Lantic Bay
Yes, that climb
The roller coaster to Polperro
It was a hot day and hard going.
We reached a sign near Lansallos that said 3 miles to Polperro but I had walked this before and knew it was more like 5 miles but would feel more like ten miles.
Thought it'd be better to not tell that to Maggie.
As with other less populated sections the path gets very overgrown making for slow progress and tricky underfoot.
About a mile from Polperro I heard an anguished cry behind me and looked back to where Maggie should have been.
Ran back to find her in a crumpled heap in the undergrowth below the path.
Although my sister is quite petite I had a job to pull her up and back on to the path.
She had missed her step and tumbled straight down.
She was very fortunate to fall where she did into a soft landing, anywhere else would have had serious consequences.
Just like when drivers drive slowly after seeing an accident it was a very slow and careful walk from there to Polperro.
Polperro Harbour
Got to the Old Mill House Inn, where we were staying, at 7.40 to be informed that the kitchen would close at 7.45.
Chef came and told us don't bother looking at the menu because he'd run out of most of it.
At least there was a worthwhile reason for the early closure because Sunday night was music night with an acoustic jam.
The band were really good in a Steve Earle style but we withdrew when it went open mic and the pub singers came on.
We were knackered anyway.
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