LEJOG Day 1 - Lands End to Truro










We woke up to sounds of the sea, coming in from the open window.  The moon was still out shining in the water towards the Lands End lighthouse a mile offshore.  It’s Day 1 and time to go!

Breakfast isn’t until 8:00 so it’s coffee, coffee, coffee until then.The gear is scattered everywhere in our wee room up in the eaves so a couple hours to sort all that won’t hurt - need to come up with a packing system so we don’t have to dump out the bags any time we’re looking for one little thing.  The weather check says sunny, wind is ESE at 12-15 and temp is mid 70s / 22-24. Steve is making trip notes from the book about any little navigation ‘challenges’ to pay attention to.

Had a nice breakfast and a pack up for second breakfast. Pedalled up out of Lands Ends over the tops and then down into Mousehole.  This was via an off route detour down to the sea in Lamona Cove, where there was no road out - we’d missed the turn at the top of the hill so went all the way down to the sea  and then back up!  Mousehole, we’d been to before, and it was lovely again for a coffee by the harbour. Skirted Penzance and around the bay by the stunning Mont St. Michel.  Had lunch in Hayle, which was a nice omelette and a salad.

Then it was ‘route sign carnage’ in Camborne.  The Route 3 disappeared completely to be replaced by town and minute signs.  NCR 3 isn’t the best, but the signs with x minutes to the town centre worked even less well.  We also had a deadline to get the van back by 5:00 in Truro, which as we found with sailing time constraints cause too much pressure and the elements don’t cooperate.  In today’s case, the hills and the cycle route signs did not cooperate.  I finally went with old reliable, Google Maps, on the cycle setting which routed us back up and down all the remaining Cornwall hills to Truro.

All afternoon, we’d been pushing ourselves to get the speed to be get to Truro in time to get the van back and my carrot was to go to Sam’s in the City for a pile of seafood and a big glass of wine, but when we got to Sam’s it was closed!  Under construction and not mentioned on their website.  Such disappointment!  Asked Google again and found Hooked, another Truro seafood place - the evening was excellent and well recovered! 

The van was returned on on time - just.  The wind speed was more like 30mph, and it was a headwind, again.  It was, all in all, a good if challenging in the end day - 47 miles, 2700 feet.  We’re sore, but full - nothing that 10 hours sleep won’t put right!


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