Day 203 - Will climb for Cornish Pasties

Phil and Amanda waiting patiently for me to catch up ... and
the walk was just starting.

We awoke to the promise of rain...at some point in the day. So we put off our plan to walk the South West path until tomorrow when sunnier weather was due.

After Amanda and I returned from our trip to The Bakery for morning coffee (which turned into an excuse to have a Cream Tea for Amanda and toasted banana bread with honey and yoghurt for me), we left the cottage for our revised walk around Edgcumbe. The sun was shining off and on.

Looking back toward Cawsand and Kingsand.

We walked up the hill through Kingsand joining the coastal path through a gate. Wild flowers were in bloom everywhere, with the waves of red campion (in their pink variation) mixed with bluebells covering the forest floors particularly breathtaking.

We ignored a sign warning of a mudslip and stuck to the path closest to the water (and not requiring climbing a hill). In several spots, large trees had fallen down the hillside and across the path, but we were easily able to climb over or under them.

Eventually our path joined up with the Camillia garden path around the Edgcumbe estate. We wandered through the estate's mill, looked around in the shop, then meandered into the manor house. We decided against taking the tour, and instead made our way down a path to gunpost Phil had spotted earlier.

Amanda points the way.

Amanda holds up her prize.

At one point, we came across several small art installations. One was a depiction of the artist journey around the area and the different types of rocks. The artist had created small boxes inside of which were small tiles for the taking. Only one was left in a box with a rather small opening. But between the two of them, Phil and Amanda managed to get it out. The prize: a lovely tile with the name of the park and a sample of sandstone.

We walked through the gardens, and past the Orangery where we debated going inside for lunch. But somehow beer and cider at the local pub a bit further on was determined to be more the order of the day.

The Edgcumbe Arms is a large pub near Cremyll ferry. If you are ever hankering for a Sunday roast, this is the place to come. They have an all-day, every day carvery which looked delicious. The scone and banana bread still not long out of memory, we opted for a smaller lunch. And as luck would have it, Cornish pasties were on the menu, so Amanda got her chance to try one.

Just as our meal was served, the fire alarm went off. Like the law-abiding Canadians we are, we got up to leave the building ... of course taking our drinks and lunch with us. By the time we were seated at a picnic table outside, the alarm had ceased. But it was so nice being able to eat right by the water that we stayed where we were.

View from the top of the hill overlooking Millbrook and the Tamar River.

From here, we walked a path that paralled the Tamar River back to the outskirts of Millbrook. We climbed a steep incline (paved, no less) up about 95 metres. At times if felt like we were climbing a ladder. Amanda made it up first and was having a nap when we arrived.

From here it was downhill all the way to Cawsand. We stopped into the local shop to pick up a fresh bread, vegetables and Prosecco for a quick nibbly dinner. Which begs the question: is Millionaire Shortbread a fruit or a veg?