South West coast path hike (Newquay - St Merryn)
Posted on July 30, 2007
Filed Under - leisure |
When I awoke this morning to warm sunshine and a brisk breeze it seemed the perfect opportunity to do some hiking along the South West coast path. I headed north towards Padstow which, although only a 13-mile drive away, is nearly twice as far via the cliff path because it meanders around each cove and headland. But these cliffs were part of the reason I wanted to move here in the first place.
The cliffs have a wild beauty, they are not overly lush. The plants have bold, bright hues but they are tough, hardy, often prickly. Much like myself! I like to think that I am more of the “windswept and interesting” school than the “sunny and charming” school, so this coastline suits me down to the ground. The predominant colours around at the moment are pink, purple and yellow, and there was a spectacular example on the cliffs above Mawgan Porth of purple heather and yellow gorse.
There were plenty of butterflies around today. They almost seem to follow you as you walk along. Apparently most British butterfly species are found in Cornwall - although it’s possible that this is Cornish propaganda. I snapped a glorious Peacock butterfly casually taking a breather on a bit of grass. Showing me the evil eyes there!
One thing I’ve mentioned before–and I’ll mention it again because I really can’t get over it–is the amount of sky in the landscape. As a city girl I find this the strangest aspect to get used to. I have the same open-mouthed fascination with cloud formations that most people have when they emerge from Wall Street station for the first time. Clouds make me feel like a kid again, when you really believed that if you could reach up and touch them they would feel like cotton wool.
Another fun aspect of cliff walking is that every so often you get to another beach. I must have walked across five or six beaches today, most full of families enjoying the sunshine. British beaches look more like campsites than your Mediterranean variety. Gone are the sun lounges, parasols and ridiculous-looking cocktails. Instead we have tents, windbreaks, wetsuits and inflatables. From above they look quite pretty, spots of primary colour against the sand. People stake out a section of beach like a homestead. I saw one plot from above, where the owners had traced in the sand a garden fence, path and gate to their little tent. Even on the beach, an Englishman’s home is his castle! It also ensures the continuity of the great British tradition of hauling huge amounts of crap down to the beach, miles from where the car is parked.
Fortunately, I don’t have this problem. I have no car and I live a stone’s throw from the beach. I still haven’t got bored of feeling smug about this! This morning I was wondering what would be occupying my mind as I strode my solitary way along the cliffs. Would I be thinking about my life? Making plans for the future? Composing shopping lists in my head? In fact, most of my thoughts were taken up simply with reacting to my surroundings, thinking how beautiful everything was, feeling the sun on my skin. My mind seldom wandered from my immediate surroundings apart from a short episode after lunch when I got a Sophie Ellis Bextor song in my head. It is actually great to have nothing much to think or worry about, and to be able to concentrate your full attention on seeing and feeling what is around you. It’s not a state that I crave permanently, but I think it could be an important step on the way to handling life better.
Stumble it!
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