CORNWALL, 4th JULY 2020...

Saturday 4th July:

Rain began the day… It did, however hold, as I strolled along the road towards the village, noting a passing cyclist, dressed in full garb pressing one side of his nose and then the other, in order to catapult snot onto the kerb with some venom as he pedalled on. I wondered what he would touch later in the morning and I then wondered who would touch the same places afterwards… ‘Be kind’ is a message in a local garden but actually, he was a total pillock…

No oystercatchers were visible on the rocks below from the sea-wall but there was one male jogger, who forced me onto some steps to avoid his chesty breathing. There was nobody in the post-office/shop when I got there, so I was able to procure milk and a newspaper with no hassle at all.

The village was gearing up for its opening of 2 Fore Street, the Ship Inn and of course the deli, which had been providing takeaway food for a while, I believe but it did seem unfortunate that on the first day of rules being slackened, the weather had registered its dismay. Sad for those who might be camping along the Cornish coast, for just erecting tents would have been a nightmare in these elements…

The caravan is really good though, the sound of ‘rain on the roof’ setting me humming John Sebastian’s Lovin’ Spoonful song of the same name as I sorted stuff out and prepared for a venture out after lunch, possibly to Porthleven…   

Misty drizzly showers became less frequent and so a walk into Mousehole preceded the drive to Porthleven, where the Ship Inn, the deli and 2 Fore Street were getting business. However, some thick mist accompanied the drive to Porthleven which was the recipient of some listless seas. I parked and paid but an older chap had backed his 4x4 partly across an area reserved for motor cycles and partly across a disabled space, leaving his engine running and fumes poking into the coastal atmosphere… Why? 

Social distancing seemed to be observed in shops, pubs and eateries but with folks walking along the quaysides, it seemed like there really wasn’t a problem to be reckoned with. Two young men were eating pasties there and were being attacked by seagulls, so in the end, one of them decided to offer a chunk to a bird while his mate filmed the jape. A gull took the bait and the two chaps were chuffed and guffawing, despite the fact that one of them had rather a bad cough… Their ‘friends’ were well amused. 

Sad to see the Rick Stein restaurant closed but the overall impression of Porthleven this time was that of a somehow exposed, windblown, slightly run-down and unsafe harbour town.

Drove back to Mousehole through Marazion and Long Rock, where pleasingly the drizzle had stopped and I chose to walk along the sea-wall and round the village before tackling a chicken jalfrezi and a beer back in the caravan… 

Walked into and out of Mousehole, both times being forced to walk in the road by a group of four people with a dog, chatting next to their parked vehicle. None of them moved and not only for me. None thanked me, or other detoured pedestrians. Degrees in ignorance from Nobhead Uni’, I guess…

The tide was in, four young folks were diving and jumping off the harbour wall into the sea, despite the sewage warnings and a strip of mist was seen to hang over the ocean some way out like an awning… 

A DPD delivery van had parked opposite the bus stop in Mousehole and so when the bus arrived, there was a blockage, allowing only those who hadn’t feasted on McDonalds to walk between the obstructions. Other vehicles would be jammed until either the DPD van left, or the bus made its awkward turn to exit the village… 

And still the strip of mist hovered…

The curry was tasty enough and the aroma lingered, despite the caravan windows bing opened and the final walk around the harbour preceded a change in the weather yet again, for ran began falling and the large boat moored in Mounts Bay disappeared from view in the worsening mist. It was quite chilly too…