Penryn, Portreath, Towan and St Agnes

Today has been far more relaxed but still features the odd cliff car park, windy walk and dubious camper spot.

Last night, after one too many pints, I decided to stay in the centre of Porthleven right by the harbour and only 50m from the pub… pretty much where I parked before the pub. It was sheltered from the wind and I had a lovely view of boats this morning so not too bad.

First call of the day was to Penryn for a big breakfast with Kitt and Teeny Al. It was wonderful to see them again and we spent a happy hour chatting about in-laws and weddings over yummy food and coffee. Perfect start to the day.

With the bad weather still rolling in from the south and a hankering to visit the beaches around Newquay and Padstow, I deviated from the original plan and headed north to a lovely little cliff side car park a mile west of Portreath. The waves on this side of Cornwall are too big for me, but perfect for those that can actually surf, so I took the coastal path over into town to watch the surfers make the most of the storm. It’s always so tantalising to jump in the water even in wet and windy weather, but short of getting naked and scaring (or scarring) all the dog walkers on the beach, I had no means of getting in. Besides I was getting wet enough just standing in the rain! So with dry clothes calling my name, I trudged back to the van, boiled the kettle, put my new snazzy heater into drying mode and settled down with a cup of tea, the sound of John Butler and the view of waves crashing into the shore below. Cliche or what?

After not too long a chill, I got itchy feet and trusted my gut to head towards Newquay. Despite being a 30 minute drive away, it was just what I needed. The rain was still coming down, so I intended on hitting the shops or a pub to get out of the rain. As always, I parked in the little car park on the harbour wall, overlooking Towan. It was too tempting. There were a few people in the water and the waves were perfect, it was meant to be. It took about 500 years to get my wetsuit on and I was a blind as a bat without my glasses, so this was going to be epic! Board waxed, booties firmly on, glasses definitely off, I trudged to the waters edge with jittery nerves. The sea always soothes straight away and as soon as my portly belly hit the top of my board and my little arms started paddling for their life, I felt completely at ease… if a little out of breath. And what a lush surf, the rain came down as I floated out the back and the perfect lines of waves kept coming. I caught a few, building my confidence and my sense of salty satisfaction.

Board out and wrestled back onto the top of the van (no mean feat) and wetsuit left in a soggy mess at the bottom of my waterproof bag, I headed to my favourite spot in Cornwall for a pizza and a pint. St Agnes, you are the best.Read more