June 2011 – Page 2 – Neil Baldwin's blog : Warning contains walking, technology, photography, holidays.

Mullion to Lizard Point (11 miles)

Woke up this morning to very bright sun, however the weather is supposed to turn a bit later. We were up relatively early made sandwiches and drove down to the green at Lizard to catch the bus to Mullion then walk back to the car.
The bus was a popular choice the people waiting more or less filled it up. After stopping at a couple villages and doing three point turns, we arrived at Mullion cricket pitch. There followed some confusion I had decided to leave the map at the hut but take a photo of it, trouble was I missed Mullion.

After asking 3 people we eventually found the coastal path. The weather was great the sun was out but there was a breeze to take the edge off the heat. We followed the path Helen spotted a seal.

We stopped for lunch at a place with a view, the cheese sandwiches tasted all the better for it. A bright green beetle landed on Helen and was not in a hurry to fly away. I got some photo’s and video of it. It really was tucking into the grape I dropped.

At one point I had a look over the cliff edge and spotterd some movement, through the bins I could see bird of prey chicks. We debated them into Peregrins but when an adult Kestrel turned up and fed them it settled the argument.

We were getting very tired as we approached Lizard Point but we found the time to have a look for the Choughs and were rewarded with cracking views followed by a fly past. The cafe was welcome we had a soft drink and shared an ice cream. We then headed back to the car via a less troden path.

We took the opportunity to whizz over to Helston sainsbury’s to get a card reader and the car washed. A long day but very enjoyable.

Cadgwith Cove Inn

As promised a restaurant review. We walked down the hill to the Cadgwith Cove Inn for something to eat. They had three real ales we had tried the otter earlier in the week so went Aunt Betties Cornish beer, next time it will have to be the Doombar.

As we passed our parked car we noticed that it was covered in bird poop, in fact so covered it looked like a gull had exploded over head.

Moving back to the restaurant review, I had the fish and chips which was very nicely cooked, and Helen and the feta and spinach pie with chips, which looked and tasted good too.

On the way back to the hut I took some pictures of the village as the sun went down.

Cadgwith to Lizard Point and back (8.7 miles).

Holiday really starts today, the first day when we would normally be at work, didn’t get up till 830. After had some breakfast and coffee, was soon diying to get out and away from day time TV.
The aim was to walk towards Lizard Point and see how far we could get.
The coastal path is quite hard walking but the rewards, in terms of views and wildlife are well worth the effort. Some highlights included, Linnet, Stonechat, Sedge Warbler, and Whitethroat. By about 12 we had got to Housel Bay Hotel the cappucino is highly recommended, don’t forget to dip your biscotti for the sugar rush. Next stop was to be the light house.
We found a quiet space before Lizard Point to have our sandwiches and to test out the Moomins flash. Sandwiches were lovely and the coffee was still hot enough. At Lizard Point there was the usual tourist shops and tea establishments, the RSPB were doing a Chough watch, apparently there were three young, we hung around for a bit and saw the parents return to feed them.
From the most southerly point we headed in to Lizard village where there are more shops and we manged to pick up some rolls and bread for sandwiches later in the week. On the way past a farm we spotted a bird of prey sat on a hedgerow we could not decide what it was, eventually it took off and it was obviously a Buzzard we had tried to turn it into all sorts of other exotic things!
Eventually we turned and headed back to the coast, and when we took a rest to eat our last roll, we spotted another Chough, it is always far more rewarding to find them yourself that to have them pointed out.
We were then soon back at the hut, for a well earned rest, it was blissful to get the boots off. We plan to go to the pub for some food later, watch this space for a restaurant review.

Rain on The Lizard

After an early night we were up relatively early, the rain the weatherman promised had descended. You could see sheets of rain rushing past the house up the valley. There was a bit of a swell and the waves were crashing on to the rocks off the beach.

After some breakfast we decided to do a drive about day and headed to Falmouth to have a look at the National Maritime Museum, which we had visited some years ago and remember being worth a look round. We took a detour to have a look at The Lizard, as we suspected it is a bit of a kiss me quick place, but it will be a welcome stop when we walk from the house when the weather is better.

Once parked up in the museum car park (£3.30 for 3 hours, but plenty of spaces!) we headed over to the museum entrance, we passed though the shops which included deli’s and a Rick Stein fish and chip shop. The museum was how we remembered it it was well worth a visit plenty of stuff for everyone you and old.

By the time we had had a good look round and some coffee and cakes, it had stopped raining, so we headed for a quick look round the town. The car park was now full and people were queuing for spaces! Much of the town was shut as it was Sunday, so we headed back to the hut taking in a detour to look at Gweek to recee the place in case we wanted to use it as a walking base later in the week.

The temperature was much higher as the rain had passed though, and we were on the tail end of the low pressure front. We went for a quick walk along the coastal path but it started to rain again. We saw plently of sea birds passing through some we recognised as gannets, others perhaps shearwaters. I also noticed that some opf the birds round here are rather trusting, in the village there are lots of jackdaw who let you get within two metres of them, then there was a couple dunnocks who were very trusting. Best of all there were some swallows gliding about 6 inches off the road surface up and down the hollow that the road made at the bottom of the village. The would glide towards you at about ankle height then steer away at the last moment.

We were back in time to watch the Canadian grand prix which looks like it will be wet, bring it on.

Two go mad in Bridgewater

Two weeks holiday bliss, were off to Cornwall and then North Devon. We were both up fairly early, the anticipation of a trip to Cornwall on our minds.
Eventually left the house at 0800 round the M25 and off down the M4, things were going swimmingly. We got past Bristol no traffic jams then we heard that a horse box had turned over round J24 and soon we were in a jam. We were near the Bridgewater junction so we thought a detour was the best option. We’ll never know if it was the best option, we ended up joining all the other people who had the same idea. Bridgewater was locked solid and by the time we got back to the motor way we have witnessed some road rage and the sat nav said we had lost 50 minutes.

Back on the motorway at junction 25 we were soon back up to speed and made good progress and were soon nearing our destination. Surprisingly we had not had to stop for a comfort break, although if we had hit another traffic jam I think I would have been tempted to stop for a coffee and a pee.

Our approach to Cadgwith was not the recommended route but we wanted to get a paper at Ruan Minor, so we ended up going down a very narrow road, (the sign said 2.2m) there was not enough room for the cart and a walker! As we got towards the village we had to go down a hill that was 25%, I heard a few muted squeaks from Helen! We were parked up at the cottage at 14:30 the trip had taken us almost six and a half hours without a stop.

We soon had everything unloaded and decided as the weather was so glorious we would head down to the center of the village for a quick look round and a cheeky pint at the pub. On the way there I took some pictures including 2 sets of shots to make up panoramas.

After a pint we headed back to the hut for some tea and an early night. The weather Sunday looks to be a washout.

Check out the panoramas here http://neilbaldwin.net/panoramas/index.html

The tourist (***)

Angelina Jolie and star in a block buster with plenty of othjer engish actors. The essence of the story is that Angelina is trying to meet up with her lover who owes a lot of money to the british government and the secret service are after them.
They devise a pan where she picks up an innocent tourist on the train to Venice where most of the film takes palce.
The plot twists a bit and there are some good action scences and it is strange to see ??? Play a more serious part of the pirates films. Helen want to give the film 4 stars but it is my blog and I say 3 stars.

Les Petit Mouchoirs (*****)

Went to Rex with Abida, to see this French film. It is a story about a group of long time friends from Paris. One of them Ludo is the soul of every party and one night is hit by a lorry on his way home from a night club. Even though you know it is coming it still comes as a surprise.
Anyway all the friends who usually spend the grande vacances at Max’s summer cabin near Bordeaux, now in a dilemma whether to go or not. Eventually they do.
The film concentrates one by one on the different charaters and relationships between the various people. The film makes you laugh and cry. Just deserving of the 5 stars.