Falmouth to Penzance: more hills and daffodils

April 12, 2014

586 metres (1863 feet) up

WEATHER: COOL AND CLOUDY, HIGH 12C

Today's route was hilly again—-lots of downs and ups into and out of drainages--but not so much pushing as on the first day. In contrast to yesterday, the skies were grey and the temperature quite cool for the whole day. Due to the holiday weekend, Al mapped a good route on small lanes to avoid the predicted heavy traffic on the main roads.

One of a number of large fields of daffodils that we passed in this part of Cornwall

We reached Marazion, crowded with tourists, by lunchtime and were pleased to find a window table at the Kings Arms pub. It felt good to sit inside and warm up while we waited for our lunch—tomato soup and melted brie on toast with beet and apple. Marazion is the gateway to St. Michael's Mount, a castle and garden on a rock island about a kilometre offshore, a little like Mont St. Michel in France. The castle can be reached by walking on a causeway at low tide or by boat at high tide. We'd visited St. Michael's Mount ten years ago, so just admired it from a viewpoint this time, before heading on to Penzance, only 8 kilometres further along the coast.

St. Michaels Mount, with the tide fully in, seen from the shore in Marazion

This photo, taken on a visit ten years earlier, shows the causeway from Marazion at low tide

A view from St. Michael's Mount back toward Marazion, also taken on a visit ten years ago

June and Stewart Kent welcomed us to the Ashton Guest House just off the seafront promenade in Penzance, and showed us to our comfortable large room upstairs with Stewart's paintings decorating the walls. Besides the usual tea and coffee supplies, there was an informative booklet with a town map and detailed restaurant suggestions. The Dolphin pub, just a few blocks away, was highly recommended, and we walked there for dinner. We'd been eating a lot of seafood, and tonight both of us had the lamb, which was perfectly cooked and served with figs and white carrots. We still had room for dessert, so Al had an excellent apple crumble with custard and Eva chose the chocolate brownie. Replete, we wandered along the waterfront back to the guest house for another good night's sleep.

Part of Newlyn harbour, near our B&B in Penzance, with St. Michael's Mount in the distance to the east

Telephoto of St. Michael's Mount and the hills we rode across from the east, taken from the shore near Penzance

Today's ride: 44 km (27 miles)
Total: 164 km (102 miles)

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