More May 14; Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16

Back to having internet access - not always available here in the West Country.

More of May 14 -
A really great day - Breakfast was a standout too, at The Avalon. French Toast, fresh fruit and Greek yogurt, good coffee and soy everything for me.

R and I decided to stay in Tintagel instead of walking the Coast Path. Touring Tintagel Castle was too good an opportunity to pass up. The ruins are from a 12th century castle that was built on the supposed spot of King Arthur's birthplace/castle.
Lots of good Arthurian legends abound - there is a cave below the ruins that Merlin lived in. He cast a spell so that a rival lord would take the form of the current lord of the castle so he could sleep with the current lord's wife (the most beautiful woman in all the land, of course).
She got pregnant and Arthur was born.

We took loads of pictures. Bought a wood and shell mobile at a boot sale (sort of a local mini flea market where people sell stuff from the trunk of their car.) The mobile will look good in my garden at home.

Our Avalon hosts had a great suggestion - since they were calling a taxi to move our luggage to Port Isaac, why don't we just ride along with it?
Brilliant.
We had plenty of time to walk up to the 11th century church, tour the Tintagel Castle ruins, go back to The Avalon to pick up our packed lunches and get the taxi.

Very chatty and happy taxi driver - used to be a farmer but was so stressed by working so hard all the time and still not being able to make ends meet - chucked it all, refurbished his farm buildings into six cottages to let as holiday cottages and decided to drive a taxi.
He loves his job now and is making buckets of money.
Says he has the best job ever - driving interesting people around the beautiful Cornwall countryside.

Arrived at The Slipway Hotel in Port Isaac at 2:30.
Our "room" was really an apartment overlooking the harbor - directly above the Lifeboat Station.
Walked around oohing and ahhing over all the Doc Martin locations.
They filmed here this morning (we missed it) but we hope to walk to the next town where they are filming tomorrow.

Walked up to the Old Schoolhouse (school location they use in Doc Martin but that really is a very good restaurant) and made a reservation (on The Avalon hosts' recommendation) for dinner.

9:30 p.m.
Fresh Port Isaac lobster - Yum.
Good wine and good Guinness.
Good dessert.
Home, happy and fat.

Friday, May 15
The day started very windy/rainy - a blustery Cornwall coast day.
Very nice breakfast downstairs in the pub (all of our accommodations are B+B's - true bed and breakfasts) then geared up for a walk to Port Gaverne, the next town over.
By "geared up" I mean rain clothes.
Doc Martin was supposed to be shooting there, so we thought we'd take a look.
Absolutely gale force winds again - hoods up on our GoreTex jackets, rain pants on.
Walked past the hotel in Port Gaverne and Martin Clunes (Doc Martin himself) walked out just then - serendipity.
We walked on by and back down into the village. We stood on a small porch out of the wind at the Port Gaverne Hotel and watched some pre-filming activity at the harbor (rescue boat in, "no parking" cones up, movie dogs arrived.
Then...waiting, waiting, waiting.
Fed a tiny bird from my hand (cookie crumbs from my pack).
Went into the hotel and had a good coffee at the bar.
Then - the rescue boat out, parking cones down, movie dogs depart.
Weather continued nasty throughout - not surprising they suspended filming.
Walked an inland footpath until it got too muddy (part of a cow path, so really torn up by hooves and extremely muddy.)
We walked back to Port Isaac (in the driving rain) and enjoyed a very relaxing afternoon of lolling around and reading - which was the whole point of a "rest" day.
Fish and chips from a local shop for dinner in our room(s).
Watched a Prime Suspect DVD and again slept like a log.

Circular walks around Port Isaac and Port Gaverne - 4 miles.

Saturday, May 16.
Walked today from Port Isaac to Padstow - 11 miles.
A glorious start - bright blue sky, but again, gale winds.
The color of the ocean was tropical blue. Weird but beautiful.
Started with an inland footpath (as we usually do) and walked across some lovely fields to Port Quin.
Happened upon a farm filled with Doc Martin crew vehicles. Large's Restaurant van (a show prop) was just sitting there, so we took some pics. More serendipity as we wouldn't have seen it all if we had started on the Coast Path instead of the inland path.
I guess we are Doc Martin gawkers - didn't realize that we would be so star-struck.

Views today were spectacular because of the blue sky and sun (there were sudden cloudbursts, of course, and plenty of times when we got drenched) but it was the kind of day that they take postcard pictures - perfect sunlight and green, green fields and blue, blue sky and ocean and waves and on and on.

Came upon a strange resort town called Polzeath - tacky and a disconnect from all the other places on the path. Ate lunch there on a bench - and got drenched in a downpour.
Continued on to Padstow - the last mile or so was over/through sand dunes and was heavy slogging.
An odd little twist was that we had to take a ferry across a bay to get to Padstow.
Fun until...we got drenched.
Made it to our B+B - Cyntwell House - cozy and cute (third floor up in the rafters of this 200 year old house.)
I was craving a good salad and the only place to get that was just out of town at Tesco (like our Safeway.)
So, we walked there and 100 yards from Tesco IT STARTED TO HAIL. No lie - drenched again.
But, great success at Tesco - wine, salad stuff, lunch stuff and candy - all for less than what a couple of pub drinks would cost.
Ate in our room - loved it.
Watching bad Brit TV as I catch up on this.
So, that's the update - I'll do photos tomorrow - don't feel like doing all those captions right now.
This bed is great.