Day 204 - Life is better with a jaunty scarf

Amanda rocks her jaunty scarf at the
Cliff Top Cafe in Whitsand Bay.

Clothes really do make the woman. And, as Amanda taught me on this trip, nothing says fine country hiker better than a jaunty scarf. It really is the must-have accessory that adds that little je ne sais quoi to the entire experience.

The bottom of the Celtic
cross stone contains an
inscription written by
Rudyard Kipling to his friend.

And for what kind of hike would one need a jaunty scarf? Well, today's walk on a sunny day to the stunningly gorgeous Whitsand Bay in Cornwall proved the ideal type.

We started out of Cawsand up the road to the Rame Church. We've written about it in other blogs, but as is always the case when you travel in the UK, there seems to be an unending number of stories to tell, no matter where you go or how often. On this visit to the church, Phil purchased a booklet parishoner Margaret Parker had created called, "Rame Churchyard Tales." From this we learned of the church's connection to Rudyard Kipling. Kipling's long-time friend Barclay Harper Walton is buried in this churchyard, and a large Celtic cross marks his grave. Engraved on the very bottom stone is an epitaph by Kipling, thought to be the only private grave to contain such an inscription from the author. It reads:

This was a man who did not seek his ends

In trivial honours, but content to be

Himself in all things, never failed his friends

And least of all his livelong friend the sea.

Amanda considers taking on this little fixer-upper that comes
complete with its own form of transportation.

Room with a view.

We crossed the Rame peninsula, stopping to check out the Dartmoor ponies, St. Michael's chapel and the glorious views.

As we rounded the bend on the peninsula, we were greeted with breathtaking views of Whitsand Bay. You stare out across three miles of beautiful sand beaches that stretch from Rame Head to Portwrinkle. These are truly one of Cornwall’s hidden gems.

The cliffs here are steep, and access down to the beaches are few, so as a result the beaches are never crowded. There are rock pools along the way, some big enough to be your own private plunge pool, and they are usually filled with an array of marine life.

Feet beginning to get a bit sore, we stopped for a lovely lunch at the aptly named Cliff Top Cafe.

The Cliff Top Cafe and its view.

From here it was cross country back to the cottage for a much-deserved nap.

Question of the day: Does one nap wearing the jaunty scarf, or is it removed? I never did find out the answer to that.