Mevagissey to Falmouth: warmest day yet

April 11, 2014

425 metres (1394 feet) up, steepest grade 20%

WEATHER: SUNNY AND WARM, HIGH 20C.

Today's ride was short and very pleasant. After another good breakfast we said goodbye to Tommy and Susie. We would highly recommend the Bacchus B&B. It was one of our most reasonably priced accommodations, and also one of the nicest.

The view toward the Mevagissey harbour from the B&B. The beginning of the day's route went steeply down to the left then climbed up the road opposite in the photo, and then continued uphill around to the right.

We headed uphill out of Mevagissey and then across heights of land along small lanes, down into and up out of several drainages, before reaching an A-road which had much less traffic than some of the B-roads we had encountered. This was a bonus because it was really the only practical route to St. Mawes. We only had to push the bikes for two short stretches, once up a 20% grade and then up a 17% hill just before the lovely scenic downhill run into St. Mawes. We stopped there for lunch at small cafe on the harbour. It was warm enough to sit outside in the sunshine, and we enjoyed croissant sandwiches with Cornish brie and sundried tomatoes.

At the top of yet another 20% grade (no, we didn't ride it - we pushed the loaded bikes). Many of the steep grades were not marked as this one was.

A very pleasant lunch stop in sunny St. Mawes before taking the ferry

Getting the panniers ready to carry down the steep steps at the ferry landing

A small passenger ferry took us on the 20 minute trip across the harbour to Falmouth, and then it was a short ride to our hotel, the Tudor Court, just outside the town centre. We arrived at 2:00, and had plenty of time to explore Falmouth before dinner. We had visited Falmouth in 2004, and it didn't seem that much had changed, except for the new Maritime Museum and a few waterfront buildings We chose the Samphire restaurant for another seafood dinner: crab bisque and cod with leeks.

St. Mawes waterfront from the departing ferry

St. Mawes and the eastern reaches of Falmouth harbour are well protected

Approaching the ferry landing on the Falmouth waterfront

Today's ride: 29 km (18 miles)
Total: 120 km (75 miles)

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