Beaten

The next morning Penzance was glowing in sunshine. Didn't see any pirates although there is a pirate-themed attraction on an old sail boat in the harbour.

A few kms between the train line and the beach.

Marazion where we found a very good little cafe for a delicious brunch.

Marazion is also where people come to walk over to St Michaels Mont at low tide. On this morning they were being ferried across the choppy water in small boats. Originally a monastry and then a private castle home with its own village and harbour on the rock, it is now National Trust managed for tourists but the family still live there, a not uncommon arrangement. We visited it on our trip three years ago. The Mont

As we walked, the clouds out to sea threatened.

Pushing coins into bits of wood, usually trees or logs but in this case, old fence posts, seems to be a British tradition to bring luck or grant wishes. I have no idea why some posts or trees are deemed to be special for this purpose.

 An old fishermen's hut ready for renovation at Bessy's Cove where a number of old stone houses had already been renovated.

Around the corner the Path took us along a road and through a strange circular courtyard, no explanation, no signage, but obviously a grand very old house..

Perched on its own point called Kings Cove, it has an atmospheric appearance. Google told us later that it is Porth-en-alls, built in the late 1700s by one of Cornwall's most sucessful smugglers, John Carter. The house and estate's other buildings which we had just walked past, have changed little since then, and can be rented as holiday accommodation.

Then we walked down to the beach of Praa Sands, mostly modern houses apart from a medieval fortified manor house tucked away up the hillside a bit.

The next day started out in rain. And wind.

I was glad this section often had fences between our path and eroding cliff tops as the wind gusts became increasingly stronger.

In Porthleven we found an unfussy cafe that was happy to have us there making puddles on their floor. We ate a slow early lunch watching the rain on the window and people leaning into the wind as they walked outside.

The storm barrier was raised at the harbour entrance as we headed off after lunch.

We staggered around past the clock tower, walked a bit further sheltered a little by houses until we reached the edge of Porthleven and the full force of the 70+kmph wind hit us. Knowing there was a sand bar somewhere ahead that we had to cross we decided to abandon the walking. We turned back and watched the waves breaking over the end of the harbour wall for awhile.

And then caught a bus.