After Robin Hood's Bay, I decided to head to Staithes. This was another village I had seen gorgeous photos of. I took the bus from Robin Hood's Bay on to Whitby then caught the 12:43pm X4 bus towards Middleborough. The timetable indicated that it would stop at Staithes. The bus was similar to those in Wales in that it announced each bus stop. I eagerly watched and awaited Staithes. It didn't happen. I realised quite quickly that I'd missed the stop and got off. I had a short wait before a bus came the other way and I realised the mistake. The timetable said Staithes, but the actual stop was shown as Dalehouse - Captain Cooks Close. No wonder I missed it the first time!

Like Robin Hood's Bay, there was a walk down to the village. 

And more gorgeous streets and pathways. 

I was able to walk out to the breakwater to get some shots back towards the village. 

And then I climbed a path on one of the hills to the side of the village to get a bird's eye view.

As beautiful as both Robin Hood's Bay and Staithes were, reality didn't match the images I had seen back at home. I've come to realise that those pictures benefit from perfect lighting and timing and a bit of photoshop touching up. Very glad I visited both though. 

I walked back to catch the 3:34pm bus back to Whitby but realised when I got there that the particular service only operates after 28 May. Luckily the next was only at 4:04pm. I bumped into 3 gentlemen who had made the same mistake. My "insider" knowledge sparked a nice chat while we waited together.  From Whitby I took the 5:06pm X93 bus back to Scarborough. After a very long day it was nice to have a delicious meal in the restaurant. 

The hotel is really nice - service is great and the view is amazing. But the hotel is old and you can hear every movement in every room around you. Being Saturday yesterday, last night it was ridiculously noisy as people were getting ready for the night. But after that it was all good.  

I woke first just before 5:00am. I was eager to check out the sunrise so I couldn't resist opening the curtains a bit. It was beautiful, if less colourful than I had hoped. I tried to get some extra sleep but once my brain is awakened, that's it for me. I was up for a sumptuous breakfast at 7:30am. 

I had a rough plan for the day which started by catching the X93 bus at 9:50am. I bought an all day ticket which ended up being a great idea. The bus took me to my first destination Robin Hood's Bay (no relation to Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest). 

As with many of the most beautiful fishing villages, there was a walk down first. 

Before lots of winding, narrow streets and pathways. 

I noticed the huddle of rooftops.

At the water's edge there was a beach to one side. 

And cliffs to the other side.

At the end of the visit on the way back up the hill I turned back to see this view. Just perfect.

When I got back to the bus stop there was a bus already waiting so I eagerly jumped on board. After a couple of moments I realised it was pointing the wrong way and would have taken me back to Scarborough. Luckily I was able to hop off before it departed. And even more luckily the right bus arrived soon after. On to my next destination. 

When I awoke it was another blue sky morning, but the weather report was saying that it wouldn't last. I had hoped for a more relaxed start to the day but realised that in order to get to my planned destination while the weather was still good I would have to set out early.

Today's destination was Castle Combe. Not a castle, but a small village on the way to Bath from here. I know of it because it has somehow managed to remain relatively untouched from its medieval beginnings and is particularly picturesque. 

To get there would involve catching the 8:13am train to Didcot Parkway and then the 8:41am train to Chippenham. When presented with the huge array of fare choices I opted for the conservative option which finished up being very expensive. I think I diddled myself there. 

On the train I noticed how tired I was feeling. It's been go go go for the last 8 days and I'm beginning to feel it. I will need to slow down a bit. 

By 8:30am it was starting to get a bit cloudy. I reached Chippenham at 9:13am to connect to the bus which was due at 10:00am according to the timetable I downloaded a couple of days ago. However, when I got to the bus stop there was a notice with a change in times. Luckily it was just a delay until 10:16am, though that means I could probably have left Oxford a little later. 

The bus arrived on time with only one other person on board for the whole trip. When I arrived, the village looked exactly as I expected and picture post card perfect views were around every corner. 

Though I really wish they could find a better place for those two wheelie bins! 

As I walked to one end of the main street I noticed a foot path heading up the hill. I decided to follow it. 

I could tell where I was from the church tower. 

Beneath the trees was a sea of white wildflowers. 

When the path rejoined the road I was greeted with these words of warning. 

The bus back to Chippenham wasn't due until 12:39pm which was actually quite good because it meant that I had to slow down and take things in. I began to look at the village in another way and pick out some of the finer details. 

I noticed the pattern on this guttering. 

The bus arrived on time. By this time the village was quite busy with tourists. I assume they had all driven there or were part of tours. The weather had held out too with patchy cloud and occassional periods of sun.

On the way to the station the bus went under this impressive via duct for the train. Incredible how solid it looked. 

I had a short wait for the train back to Didcot Parkway at 1:55pm. This time the fare was a lot cheaper which reinforces my belief that I stuffed up this morning. From there I caught the 2:49pm train to Oxford. 

After returning to the hotel I decided I had enough time to go shopping for replacement walking shoes. I located an outdoor gear shop and purchased some more more suitable shoes. My feet are thanking me already. 

Tomorrow morning I leave Oxford for my next destination. It's been 5 nights but I feel I could definitely see more if I were to stay longer. Oh well, a different adventure awaits. 

This morning when I woke up the sky was blue for the first time since I arrived in the UK. I had plans for another trek in the Cotswolds, so wasted no time getting to breakfast. As I was getting ready to leave I noticed that the soles of my boots had almost worn through! Too much walking. I will have to get some new ones but my other shoes would have to do today. 

I needed to catch the 9:00am 853 bus to Burford. Well, technically I wanted to get off a little outside Burford near Little Barrington. My plan for the day was to follow two walking maps I found online.  

My first challenge was to find the bus stop in Oxford. I found it online OK but when I got there it wasn't marked. After a little bit of concern I noticed the bus arriving. As I boarded and requested my stop the bus driver was also a bit confused. He doesn't drive this route often and wasn't familiar with the stop. Luckily the lady behind me was after the same stop and had additional information. So off we went.

The bus trip took just under an hour. Here's the map for the first walk.  I got off the bus at #1.

I located the foot path and got on my way. 

The walk took me through Little Barrington and then to Great Barrington. Both had typical cottages and buildings for the area. 

It's been a long time since I saw milk delivered at all, let alone in bottles. 

As with the other day, the walk took me through all sorts of terrain. 

After my walk around the Barringtons the main part of the journey took me along a quiet country lane to Burford. The walk took about an hour and I only encountered one car. The lane way wound through hedges and occasionally opened out to beautiful views of the surrounding farmland and the River Windrush meandering along side it.

And I encountered quite a bit of wildlife. 

Even though I only encountered one car, there were a number of bike riders enjoying the sensational weather. Speaking of which, by this time it was definitely t-shirt and sunscreen weather for me. 

After a delightfully leisurely walk I arrived in Burford. Another picturesque town. Unfortunately, all the car traffic made it difficult to get a good photo to do the town justice. 

After a quick wander down the main street I grabbed some lunch and headed off on my second walk. 

Although this is intended to be a walk from point #1 to Burford via one of two alternative routes, I decided to walk it as a loop. I started at Burford and walked towards #2 then backtracked through #5-7. 

Throughout the day I noticed a lot of airforce traffic. I assume there must be a base nearby. 

This walk followed the River Windrush more closely.

Near Swinbrook there was a mill. 

Shortly after leaving the mill I encountered a young chinese girl also looking for the way to Swinbrook. You can see her up ahead in this photo. We chatted for a while and walked together until we successfully made it to Swinbrook. 

Swinbrook was another quaint village. I continued further to Asthall. On the way there the footpath went through a field with cows. A sign said to beware as the cows can be protective of their young. As I passed a herd, one was keeping a very close eye on me and started "tapping" a hoof. I passed by as quickly and calmly as I could.

Of course, Asthall was yet another quaint village. 

From there I had to backtrack to Swinbrook before heading north. I was following the footpath described in my directions until I came across this field. The directions indicated to walk across it but it was fenced off. The fencing appeared recent and temporary. It also appeared electrified! I found another way instead. 

Along my alternative route I encountered more beautiful cottages. 

Before entering Widley Copse.

The other day and today I've recorded fragments of birdsong. It was particularly beautiful in these woods. I'll try to post some of the recordings when I get a chance. 

Out the other side of the woods I needed to walk across field after field of crops. Luckily there was a very clearly marked path to follow. In the distance I noticed an animal on the path. When I zoomed in I discovered this guy. 

The lines of crop were so regular. 

A bit more walking got me to Fulbrook and then back to Burford. By this time my feet and legs were aching. Not as badly as the other day, but bad enough. I came across the Cotswold Arms and decided to rest my feet while enjoying a well earned pint. 

From there I just needed to find the bus stop. I passed more of the beautiful streetscape. 

When I got to where I thought the bus stop should be, it only mentioned the 233 bus. Confused I set out to find help. I asked a passerby who confirmed that the 853 stops there also. Phew! I double confirmed by asking the lady who was also now waiting at the stop. She was lovely and we had a chat up until the bus arrived. 

I got back to the hotel shortly after 6:00pm and straight into a nice hot bath. 

I have lots of photos to share in this post. I walked close on 20km yesterday and my body isn't happy with me. Last night I felt I may have pushed myself too far, but luckily I'm feeling OK today.

But back to the beginning. I was up early to avoid the breakfast rush. The service here is fantastic and I filled up on a hearty breakfast to give me fuel for the day ahead. It was a grey morning but I expected that to clear. After spending a bit of time making plans and downloading timetables I made my way to the station. On the way I passed my first squirrel of the trip. But he was too nimble for me to catch with my camera. 

I bought a Cotswolds Discoverer pass which is a really cheap way to get unlimited train and bus travel within the Cotwolds. Unfortunately you can't use it until after 9:00am so my enthusiasm to get to the station was somewhat wasted. In the end I caught the 09:24 Hereford train to Moreton-in-Marsh. 

I visited Moreton-in-Marsh on my trip last year but only on my way elsewhere. This time I saw a bit more as I made my way to the start of my walking trail. 

In the Cotswolds, as with all of England, there are public footpaths which are signposted walking trails through the country. They're really easy to follow and, as you'll see from the photos, they take you through all types of terrain.  I found some great maps of the footpaths in Moreton-in-Marsh. You just need to keep following the markers.

The start of the journey took me through some beautiful wooded fields. 

I came across this little farmhouse early in the walk. 

The winding paths enticed me onward. 

In Kent I saw huge expanses of bluebells but didn't manage to photograph any. I made sure I captured the few I saw on this walk. 

After about an hour of walking I approached Blockley.

The buildings in the town were of the typical honey coloured stone of the region. 

I stopped for lunch in a little cafe before continuing my walk. Between the fields there were usually gates but sometimes there were stiles like these. 

As I headed out from Blockley towards Broad Campden I reached this field and my one and only lost moment. The field is quite steep and when I reached the top the gate looked different and had no markers. Every other gate so far had been clearly marked so I worried that I might have headed in the wrong direction. So I walked all the way around the perimeter of the field looking for another exit. When I got back to the start I came across a group of walkers coming down the field who confirmed that the gate I first encountered was the exit after all. And when I got through there were markers just past it!  

I passed another farmhouse on my way. 

Just under an hour after leaving Blockley I reached Broad Campden. I visited this little town last year and it has some beautiful little cottages. I didn't take many photos as I had taken so many last year.

From Broad Campden it was only a short walk to the larger town of Chipping Campden. I wasn't the only walker. 

Walking through the streets of Chipping Campden to the centre of the town, I came across some more beautiful houses. 

Finally I made it to the main street. It's hard to get a picture of the street without cars but I managed this angle. 

I took the Cotswolds Way out of Chipping Campden on my way to Broadway Tower. This bird house high on the side of a tree caught my attention. 

As I reached the top of a hill outside of the town I came across this man leaning against the wall painting. I first saw him from the other side. I would have liked to take a portrait photo of him but didn't have the courage to ask. I settled on a more anonymous shot later on. 

From Broad Campden I started to encounter sheep on my journey. And usually very vocal sheep. 

There were some stunning views from Dover Hill. 

This letter box was a flash of red in an otherwise verdant green lane way. 

Then more beautiful vistas. 

Sometimes the foot path went around the edges of working fields. Other times it went right through the middle. 

Or through woodland. 

Towards the end of my journey, when my legs were cramping and aching, I reached one of my destinations - Broadway Tower. The tower is a folly, meaning a building constructed for no particular practical purpose.

Despite feeling that my legs might give away at any moment I couldn't resist the urge to climb to the top.

And the view made it worth the pain. 

From the tower it was just over another mile to my final destination - the town of Broadway. 

And through fields of sheep. 

Broadway is a beautiful town. Had I reached it earlier (with fresher legs) I would have loved to explore but my legs and back were really in a lot of pain. My plan was to catch a bus back to Moreton-in-Marsh but I had about 45min to wait. I headed in to the Lygon Arms for a well deserved pint and a rest for my legs. By this time it was coming up to 6:00pm. 

As I waited for the bus I noticed this fellow "hanging around". I assume he was lost and waiting for his owner. 

I caught the bus back to Moreton-in-Marsh. I had planned to catch an earlier bus which would have connected perfectly with a train back to Oxford. But early on I realised the walk was going to take longer and I made the conscious decision to maximise the walk rather than rush to meet a schedule. The downside was that the bus I caught did not connect with a train and I had another hour to wait. In need of some warmth and comfort I stepped into the Redesdale Arms for a lovely Steak and Ale pie for dinner.

When I finally got back to the hotel in Oxford I immediately slipped into a long hot bath to smooth my well earned aches and pains.  After a grey start the weather had improved. For much of the walk I was comfortable just in t-shirt without my jacket. I even caught a little bit of sunburn when the ferocity of the sun caught me by surprise.

Finally, here's a map showing the towns I visited. 

I took the train to Hastings. On the final approach to the station we passed hills of 3-4 story houses perched up high. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get a photo. I need to get to Hastings in order to catch a bus to Bodiam where there is a ruined castle I wanted to visit. I think castles will be a major feature of this trip.

As I waited for the 349 bus I noticed that everyone getting on the other buses were using contactless cards. I didn't see anyone pay by cash. This made me a little concerned that I wouldn't be able to get a ticket so I asked someone and they confirmed that you can pay by cash. Phew! When the 349 bus arrived I purchased a return ticket to Bodiam.  The bus took about an hour with 1/2 of the trip travelling along narrow roads edged with hedgerows. 

When I arrived, the castle was peeking through the trees. After purchasing my ticket from an extremely friendly assistant I started to explore the grounds and the castle. 

Bodiam is quite distinctive in its compact design and intact moat. 

You can walk up the stairs inside the towers, though the steps were ridiculously high. The top gave a great view of the Kent countryside. 

They also gave a good view of the ruins inside the castle. Unlike Dover, there were hardly any intact spaces. 

I started to get a little fixated by photographing the outside world through the empty windows, gaping holes and doorways.

Walking back across the bridge to the castle, another visitor noticed the very unattractive fish in the moat. 

I had a while to wait before the bus back to Hastings, so wandered around the tiny town on Bodiam and the beautiful surrounding Kent countryside. 

I started to worry when the bus was over 10 min late. They don't run very frequently. Just as I was trying to figure out what I'd do if it didn't turn up, it arrived and took me back to Hastings before a final train trip back to Ashford station.  

The walk back to the hotel was grey and very cold. I even needed to get out my hat and gloves for the first time to keep me warm. But, once again, that's not really a complaint. I don't mind a bit of cold.

It was another fun day of adventure in beautiful countryside.

Today is my last full day in the Cotswolds. I had two alternative plans. One was to head north to Tewksebury. The other was to head south to Stroud and Painswick. As I was checking train times this morning I discovered that there had been an accident on the line to Worcester that I would need for Tewksebury and the line was out. Decision made. 

Of course, the problems with the train line were a little more concerning because that's the line my train will use tomorrow. I started to make alternative plans just in case I had to get to York via a different route. 

Once organised, I headed to the train station to take the train to Stroud. There was a degree of chaos there regarding the line problems but the staff were doing a great job and appeared to be managing the situation as best they could. My train was only partly affected as extra people needed to travel south in order to catch a different line north. 

I wasn't quite sure what to expect at Stroud. What I found was a bit of a mishmash. Some very old buildings some newer. But what I saw didn't have the charm of the other towns I've seen.

What was different, and most impressive about the town were the views of the countryside from within the town. 

There was a busy market in an area of the town called The Shambles, mainly farmers market but there were some craft stalls dotted around. I wandered a bit.

One stall had some amazing mounted photographs of the Cotswolds. I was tempted to buy one but decided to get it on the way back through Stroud at the end of the day (unfortunately plans changed and that didn't happen). I did, however, buy a delicious chocolate and lemon cheesecake brownie from a brownie stall. And the waistline expansion continues.

I didn't stay in Stroud long though. Instead I took the 61 bus to get to Painswick.  Painswick had a completely different feel. The buildings were reminiscent of the other villages I've visited, but with similarly spectacular views to Stroud. Like yesterday, utterly breathtaking at times.

One shop had this cute tiny window display. 

St Mary's church is in the centre of the town. A cemetery with numerous topiary trees surrounds it.  I saw a photograph of the village in a window that I think would have been taken from the base of the spire. There was a mist over the buildings and it just looked magical.

I wandered around so much that I missed the bus I had intended to catch back to Stroud. So instead I popped in to the Falcon Inn for delicious beef and ale pie followed by salted caramel chocolate tart with salted caramel ice cream. More expanding waistline.

Lunch didn't seem that much but I found it hard to move afterwards. Instead of returning to Stroud I decided the easiest option would be to continue with the 61 bus on to Cheltenham.  As the bus reached the edge of the town an incredible vista of the surrounding hills opened up. If only I had walked a little bit further!

By the time I got back to the hotel I felt I needed to walk off lunch a bit more so I wandered around the area by the hotel a bit. By this time it was about 4:30. So many trees are in blossom. There is one kind in particular I have noticed. It has cones of blossom pointing upward. This picture doesn't show the shape all that well, but it was the only tree I could find with the right light for a photograph.

So, the last three days have exceeded my expectations of what I would find in the Cotswolds and I understand why they are designated as an AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). 

Also, it looks like the train line to the north has been cleared, so I'm hopeful that tomorrow's journey will be able to proceed as originally planned. I'll check again in the morning to be safe. 

The places I visited yesterday were beautiful but I still felt that I had only scratched the surface of Cotswolds beauty. After all, I hadn't seen a proper thatched roof cottage yet! So today I decided to go even more off the beaten track. I picked up some good walking maps from Bourton-on-the-Water yesterday and planned a trip around a place called Chipping Campden.

First up I needed to catch the 801 bus again but this time all the way to Moreton-in-Marsh. I had to change buses at the train station. The signal box at the station was very cute. 

Next I caught the 22 bus to Chipping Campden. The bus wound through Bourton-on-the-Hill, Blockley and Broad Campden. All of them looked gorgeous but only Broad Campden was going to be easy enough for me to get to. By the way, I think the names of these places are just as beautiful as the places themselves. 

Chipping Campden was another large town, but with lots of very historic buildings in the honey coloured stone of the Cotswolds. I wandered around a bit, but it was very much a sense of more of the same as yesterday. And it was already busy with tourists. 

I was keen to get back to Broad Campden so I headed off down one of the walking paths. 

Broad Campden was exactly what I felt I had missed so far. Small, charming, no tourists ... and a good smattering of thatched cottages. 

I noticed this on the top of one of the thatches. 

All of the walking paths around the village led to beautiful views. 

On one edge of the village was a field with sheep grazing. It was great to be able to get up close. 

My original plan had me walking on to 2-3 other villages. But with this village I really felt that I'd seen what I'd been looking for, plus it was lunch time, plus I was getting a bit tired of walking. So I popped into the Bakers Arms for lunch. 

I had a delicious spiced parsnip soup with crusty roll. Coincidentally, the Bakers Arms was the local bus stop so I decided to stay there to wait for the bus to start the journey back. As with yesterday, connection times for the return trip weren't so good so it took a long time to get back to Cheltenham. This time I was able to take part of the trip by train (via Worcester) which gave me some time to research options for tomorrow's adventure.

I must admit, there were times today when I turned a corner and lost my breath at the beauty and surprise of the scene that appeared before me. Truly stunning. 

The reason for staying in Cheltenham was to use it as a base for exploring the Cotswolds. It's just outside the main Cotswolds area but very accessible. Though based on what I've learnt, next time I would/will stay in one of the small towns to get a more complete experience.

My original plan was also to drive but I've gone off that idea completely. The roads around here are as narrow as Cornwall. So this morning I checked out all the resources I could to plan an itinerary using local buses. It took a bit of jiggling but I came up with a plan that looked good on paper. But would it actually work?

First off I needed to make my way to the train station. Firstly to buy a Cotswolds Discoverer pass which would give me unlimited train and bus travel. And secondly to catch the 801 bus to Northleach. 

Northleach wasn't a final destination. I needed to change buses there. But it was still a good introduction to the feel of the Cotswolds.

From Northleach I caught the 855 bus to Bilbury. Getting off the bus I overhead a woman with an Australian accent asking where the bus stop for the return journey was. I took the opportunity of speaking with her to find that out for myself too.

Bilbury was prettier than Northleach, with a small river running through the centre. 

I wandered around town for a bit and then to the edge of town.

Not the kind of wildlife signs we're used to seeing in Australia.  

The bus back to Northleach and on to my next destination didn't leave until 1:17, so I decided it would make sense to have lunch. There were a couple of options, but the Swan Inn looked the best and was in view of the bus stop, just to be safe. Had a delicious pulled pork burger. 

Also at the Swan Inn was the Australian woman I had spoken to after getting off the bus. Our paths had crossed a bit while wandering around town and we had a chat while we waited for the bus. She is from Newcastle visiting her daughter and having a holiday at the same time. She gave me a good tip for something to see at my next destination. 

We caught the 855 bus back to Northleach and then waited for the 801 bus to Bourton-on-the-Water. This town had yet another feel. By the time I got there it was about 2:30 and it was packed with tourists. Still pretty though.

I had plenty of time before the final bus back to Cheltenham so I followed up the advice I'd been given which was to walk from Bourton-on-the-Water to Lower Slaughter. I know, the name sounds terrible but it's an old word for "miry place". The walk took me along a public walkway between the towns. I bought some maps with these walkways and am considering doing a bit more walking tomorrow. They're really good paths and it's a great way to get off the beaten track. 

And Lower Slaughter was delightful. 

All in all, the day was a bit like stepping back in time. The towns and villages feel like they have barely changed. Only the road signs and occasional modern conveniences remind you that it's 2016.  

The bus back to Cheltenham left Bourton-on-the-Water at 5:10. By now my feet were killing me. It was nice to sit on the bus for a while. The journey took about an hour and a half. I managed to catch some more shots of the scenery on the way back. 

Time for a shower, a drink and some bangers and mash in the bar. 

Although I know there is much more to Cornwall and Devon than busy ports and sleepy fishing villages, tomorrow I head inland for the rest of my trip so I decided I should get my fix of the sea while I still could. I tossed up between heading east to Devon or west to explore more of Cornwall. West won, mainly because I had all the information I needed to get around and I've found the Ride Cornwall pass so convenient. 

First on the itinerary was Fowey. It looked nice plus I had a recommendation from a friend. I took the train to Par and then the 25 bus to Fowey. Once again, the bus stopped at the top of the town and I needed to walk down a little way to get to the shore. 

The waterfront gave great views of Fowey and Polruan on the opposite side. 

I admired this floating advertisement. 

I walked around a bit. More narrow streets and alleys. On the way I popped into one of the many bakeries and bought a cream doughnut with caramel icing. Not my usual thing but they looked so authentic and traditional. Very delicious. I told myself the walking offset the calories but I'm sure the calories are winning at the moment.

I also admired this display of seaside essentials for sale outside one of the shops. 

There was a coastal walk that I hoped would lead to St Catherine's Castle. My friend Adam had recommended it and it certainly looked like a good spot. Unfortunately I didn't take a great shot of it from the water front, but it was a long way up the cliffs. The walk there was lovely and got more beautiful once I left the road. 

But the view was well worth the climb. 

I slowly made my way back down again and had a delicious traditional Cornish pasty for lunch by the foreshore. It was 1:00 by this time so I decided to make my way to destination number 2.

The next destination was Newquay on the north west coast. I had read that it was much bigger but I thought it might be a nice contrast. It's on the Atlantic too, which I find alluring for some reason. I caught the bus back to Par and then a train on the small branch line to Newquay. I got there about 3:00. 

The tide was out which made the beach super impressive. 

The bridge between these rocks was crazy. 

Overall though, I found Newquay a little underwhelming. Nothing stood out. The next train didn't return to Par until 5:22 so I had some time to kill. I found a pub with an outside area and a nice view. 

Then I bought some fish and chips on my way back to the station. I stopped in a park overlooking the sea to eat them. The fish was amazing but the chips were a bit soggy. The wildlife were certainly interested though. One cheeky bird swooped in an stole a bit of fish right out of the container. I had to guard my food after that. But some of the birds were very beautiful so I have to forgive them.

And speaking of birds, I spent some more time today just listening to the chorus of bird song around me. Wonderful! 

The weather report for today had been mild - high teens. For the first time I went out without a jumper. Just t-shirt and jacket. By midday I had removed the jacket. Got a little bit of sunburn on my head though. That was unexpected. I've purchased sunscreen now for the remainder of the trip. 

One of my objectives for my stay in Cornwall was to get an authentic small fishing village experience, which is quite odd because I distinctly remember finding images of small fishing villages quite depressing as a kid. Anyway, I had a few picked out but I had assumed I'd only be able to reach them by hiring a car. And to be honest, I'd really rather not drive somewhere I don't know all that well. So I've been checking out public transport options and it's possible to get just about anywhere by train and bus.

One village I had my sights set on was Port Isaac which is the village they use for filming the Doc Martin TV series. I worked out this morning that I could get there by train and bus but it would take me most of the day. So I looked for a plan B. Already on my itinerary was a town called Looe which was a bit large to satisfy my main craving, but I noticed that nearby Polperro looked like it might fit the bill. So off I set after a hearty breakfast. 

First I needed to catch the train to Liskeard. That was the same direction I travlled yesterday. Crossing the Tamar River I got these shots.

Which reminds me, so many of the place names here are familiar. Launceston, Devonport, Truro, Callington, Modbury, the Tamar River - except these places are the originals. 

It only took about 1/2 hour to get to Liskeard where I had to change for Looe. The train went through a lush valley. There was undergrowth and a stream running beside the track most of the way. It was too close to get a proper shot that did it justice. Really pretty. 

When I got to Looe I explored a bit. It definitely has a port feel. The tide was on its way out. 

From the foreshore I could see a road climbing up the rocks on the other side of the river. This massive brick structure was essentially a bridge along the side. 

After having a snack on the seafront I found the bus stop for the 73 bus that would take me to Polperro. No sooner had we set of that my decision not to drive was validated. The bus made its way up a steep but narrow road while a poor little car was trying to come the other way. There were barely centimetres to spare. I would hate to have been the driver of the car. 

The trip to Polperro took us through winding hedged roads. I took this picture after getting off the bus, but this part was quite wide by comparison. 

The bus actually stops at Crumplehorn.  You then walk down a winding road to Polperro. 

As I decended into the valley my sense of expectation increased. It was a bit magical. When I got there, the tide was well and truly out but that didn't detract too much from the charm.  

I wondered around the tiny alleys to get different perspectives. The village was exactly what I had hoped to find.

And to the foreshore. 

Along one side was a sign for the coastal walk which eventually split off to Reuben's Walk. I walked for quite a long way. It was a good work out.

I paused for a little while at a seat and drank in the moment. It was definitely another "pinch me" moment. 

I looked back at Polperro. 

As I walked back to the village I noticed one building on the opposite side in particular.  With the trees it just seemed a little foreboding.

All that walking had worked up a thirst so I popped into the Three Pichards for a pint. 

When I emerged it was just spotting with rain. By the time I made it back to the bus stop it was pouring. 

The timing of transport for my trip there had all worked out perfectly. Unfortunately the way back was not so perfect. Nothing seemed to connect so I had quite a bit of waiting time. I guess that's the downside to public transport. But I didn't have to be anywhere in particular so it was kind of nice to just pause. While waiting at Liskeard for the train back to Plymouth it was delightful to take in the symphony of birdsong all around me.

It's been a long day. It's 7:45pm and I'm worn out. I'm not certain what I will do tomorrow. I'm thinking of heading east to check out some of Devon.