Saturday 30 May 2020

Pentewan Beach Cornwall and Seeing What is Sometimes Missed in Life

Pentewan Beach, Cornwall

We walked to Pentewan Beach, Cornwall and found we were the only people enjoying the freedom, other than someone collecting shells.

Some of the rocks were covered with mussels, and other limpet like shell creatures, waiting anxiously for the tide to turn.



We walked to the cliffs where we spotted a sunflower painted on the rocks. This reminded us to look more carefully at the abundance of wild flowers growing freely - which we may otherwise have missed.

Sunflower painted on a cliff

It's strange how easily we can miss all sorts of things in life. Sometimes we need a nudge to keep us focused.

Wild flowers on cliffs, Cornwall

Okay, I know the next bit is way off track to my normal posts, but I had been reading an old book from the 1930s. The author Dr. Paul Brunton wrote:

The great De Beer diamond fields of South Africa were discovered through a child picking out of the wall of an old Dutch farm a small coloured pebble - out of a wall which, for years, had been passed and re-passed many thousands of times by people blind to the treasure at their elbows ...


Wild flowers on cliffs, Pentewan, Cornwall

Wonder what we may have passed by. The author in the book went deeper though as he continued:

How many people have heard the gentle whisper of the inner self or felt its faint guidance, only to brush the visitants aside without understanding; how many have dismissed as mere thoughts the early intimations of diviner life?


Thrift flowers, Pentewan, Cornwall

Free seats at Pentewan for contemplation!

Pentewan Harbour, Cornwall

Thanks for visiting my blog.

Wednesday 27 May 2020

Watching the Weather on a Walk Along the Beach at Carlyon Bay, Cornwall


Thrift flowers on cliffs, Cornwall

Ah, blue sky and sunshine, perfect for a walk along the beach and, luckily, there were only about half a dozen other people at Carlyon Bay.

The thrift pink flowers stood proudly on the cliffs against the blueness of the sky.

Thrift flowers on Cornwall's cliffs

The weather in Cornwall can be changeable. Often you can drive along the coast and find the weather is quite different.

Carlyon Bay, Cornwall

Looking west was a mist - even though in a northly direction there was blue sky.

Sea mist, Cornwall

We walked along the beach and enjoyed the fresh sea air - and not a footprint in sight.

Beach at Carlyon Bay, Cornwall

The sun did it's best to shine through the clouds.

Sun trying the shine through the clouds, Cornwall

After walking the full length of the beach we traced our footsteps, back towards the mistiness.

Carlyon Beach Cornwall


The cliffs were still standing …

Cliffs, Cornwall, Carlyon Bay

… with blue sky in the background.

Cliffs and blue sky, Cornwall

Whatever the weather, it's difficult to beat walking along a beach to lift the spirits.

Sunday 24 May 2020

Back to Walking on the Beach


Cliffs at Par, Cornwall

It felt good, the sea air filling our lungs. Yes, after so long away from the beaches, because of the coronavirus, we had a stroll along a beach. There were only a few other walkers and those we saw all respected social distancing - and to quite a degree.

It was also good to feel the damp sand beneath the feet at low tide.



Sand when tide out at Par, Cornwall

There were a few dog walkers. This dog waited patiently for his ball to be thrown into the distance.

Dog on Par Beach, Cornwall

It was a little hazy over the cliffs in the morning air.

Par Beach, Cornwall

A skeleton washed up on the sand - but no treasure!

 Bird skeleton
Rocks were uncovered because of the low tide. Actually there were a couple of seniors in the sea with their boards. You can just make then out in the photo beyond the rocks.

Par Beach, Cornwall

At the far end of the beach a small stream enters the sea. Two swans seemed quite contented.

Swans at Par Beach

After walking the length of the beach we decided to return by following paths through the sand dunes

Wild flowers at Par Beach, Cornwall

Lots of wild flowers within the dunes ...

Sand dunes, Par, Cornwall

… including this little beauty.

Flower growing wild in Par sand dunes

We followed an often used path as we couldn't see any other walkers.

Sand dunes, Par

The green hills came into view and also a few people, in the distance.

Green Hills seen from Par Beach

We spotted one lady sitting comfortably on her beach chair amongst the flowers.

Par Beach, Cornwall

The end of our walk and we headed back to the car. All in all very pleasant. It made a change from walking from home.

I feel that as long as beaches are reasonably empty it's quite easy to comply with the coronavirus rules. We actually do it to extreme as we leave well more than the suggested two meters / six feet and 6.7 inches from other people.

If a beach looked busy we would move on to somewhere else.


Par Beach, Cornwall

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Stay safe.

Thursday 21 May 2020

Wandering and Wondering

Flowers in Cornwall

The photo above, just because the flowers looked so great when I saw them. 

Below are valerian. I find these interesting as they seem happy to grow out of stone walls with very little soil. I have seen pink, red and white varieties all clustered together.

Valerian, Cornwall

Just to confuse things this wall loving valerian is different to the herbal plant of the same name - the one Hippocrates believed was a remedy for insomnia.

Valerian growing in wall, Cornwall

This shady path reminded me of my father, who liked to sing. One of his favourites was "In A Shady Nook, By A Babbling Brook ..." but I'll refrain from singing! Strange though what comes to mind when you walk.

Shady path, Cornwall

A pleasantish view with trees and houses.

Inland view, Cornwall

Nice rambling through the lanes. There was a vapour trail in the sky. We don't see many of them. If we do it is usually from flights to and from Newquay airport.

Of course there are various chemtrail conspiracy theories. For example, to quote from Wikipedia, "they consist of chemical or biological agents left in the sky by high-flying aircraft, sprayed for nefarious purposes undisclosed to the general public."


Vapour trail in Cornwall

But, getting back to the real world, we passed by these old buildings now deserted.

Abandoned cottage, Cornwall

The cottages are crying out to be converted and even have there own supply of valerian growing from one of the boundary walls.

Old cottage, Cornwall

Back home, a quiet corner in the garden. Must be time for tea!

There is a Japanese Proverb: If man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty.


Garden patio, Cornwall

Cheers!

Monday 18 May 2020

The Green, Green Fields But With A Sting In The Tail

Cornwall's green countryside

Walking by the green fields of Cornwall.

I believe the cows above are Welsh Blacks, which are closely related to the now extinct Cornish Blacks.


Farm, Cornwall

The farmer was ploughing his fields, which was a treat for the seagulls as they had food virtually on tap.

Tractor ploughing field followed by seagulls.

More seagulls were waiting for their turn at the buffet.

Ploughed field, Cornwall

A reminder of the once profitable china clay industry in Cornwall. Some of the fields nearby have now become a solar energy farm.

Solar energy by china clay works, Cornwall

Wandering on some beautiful horses ...

Horses in Cornwall

… and a yellow field.

Yellow field, Cornwall

Not that the horses seem to mind what colour the fields are as, long as they are tasty.

horse, cornwall

More fields, some recently ploughed, but there is unfortunately a sting in the tail ..

Green & ploughed fields, Cornwall

… the remnants of a sign stating 'Another Green Field Set to Disappear!' So yet more local green fields will be lost for housing and even more housing.

Another green field lost sign in Cornwall

Just along the road from the sign above the Higher Trewhiddle Estate is already being built. See my post: Large New Development at Higher Trewhiddle, Cornwall Is On It's Way

Friday 15 May 2020

A Previously Unexplored Puplic Footpath, Cornwall


We spotted a Public Footpath sign on the A390, something that had never registered with me previously. So the only thing to do was to explore and see where it would lead - though I did have a rough idea as I know the area quite well.

The path wasn't that appealing but we did arrive at a farmer's field with a green view. We had to walk carefully as the field had recently been seeded.



As we expected the path led us to lanes which in turn led to Polgooth, a small former mining village. It has changed a bit though, since those days and is now quite a pretty area.


Not a place to be speeding in a car as the sign warns of horses often on the roads.


And sure enough a horse and rider came clip clopping along the road,


Another warning sign: no footway.


Across the fields there are signs of the old mining industry in the area. It is claimed that mines in this area supplied Phoenician traders with tin 3000 years ago.


Times move on and today this is a pleasant residential area with holiday parks and chalets for tourists and holiday makers - (subject, of course, to the coronavirus restrictions currently in force.)


All very attractive and with a 16th century Polgooth Inn nearby.


Hawthorn flowers as we make our way back to where we came from.


Fields and stables and then we are back on the A390. All very pleasant but not what I'd call a 'proper walk'.


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