TAKE A LEFT..

Well, that was good.   Our week in Cornwall came, as ever, up to our expectations and despite strong winds we managed some more of the south west coast path.  A week ago today we went to Land`s End, really just to park the car, which cost £5 for the day.   Now normally I would consider that pretty expensive but it turned out to be value for money.

Not the `attractions` of `Legendary Land`s End,` with its captive audience paying £10 to have their photo taken beneath the famous signpost, the overpriced do-nuts and the general air of `tat` which pervades the commercial opportunities on offer.   But the £5 car parking charge was worth it as we took a left turn onto the coast path and headed away from the madding crowd.

After about 20 minutes walking, we soon reached the rugged solitude of Pordenack Point, passing the Armed Knight and Enys Dodnan on the way and took in the superb lichen-covered, flower topped, castellated pinnacles of the granite rocks.  No wonder the artist JMW Turner was so inspired by this land and seascape that he tried to capture the majestic beauty in a drawing. 

It always seems to be the case that if you are prepared to leave the car parks and walk just a short distance you can have the glories of the coast path almost to yourself.   Our short distance turned into quite a long one, at least for us, as we reached Nanjizal Bay and scrambled up to Gwennap Head, which we had reached last October from the car park at Porthgwarra further along the coast.   We thought we should then make our way back to the car, where I confess we were seduced by an overpriced plastic cup of tea and a couple of legendary do-nuts.

But I was left with the thought that it didn`t really matter, for it is impossible to put a price on the sheer joy that the coast path can bring.   The best things in life, it seems, are almost free.