A common man marvels at uncommon things. A wise man marvels at the commonplace. CONFUCIUS

Friday 7 December 2012

South West Coast Path. Day 3 (Morning): Kingston To Burgh Island

I left the Dolphin, staggering under the onslaught of a full English breakfast: orange juice, cereal, bacon, egg, sausage, black sausage, tomato, mushrooms, fried bread, baked beans, toast, jam, coffee. Good grief, how on earth would I manage to eat this every morning? It had rained torrentially all night, but the day dawned fresh and clear. Of course, everything on the ground was saturated, which made the going difficult in places.  

Goodbye Dolphin Inn...

I followed a track down to Westcombe Beach...

The occasional bursts of sun in the clear air etched out the rockscape beautifully.

Ahead I could see Burgh Island off Bigbury-on-Sea. 

Crossing one of the path's innumerable streams...

... I descended to Ayrmer Cove...

... with its striking, striated rock formations.

I climbed above the cove...

... getting nearer and nearer to Burgh Island. 

You can see the tidal sandspit connecting the island to the mainland like an umbilical cord. At high tide the sandspit is submerged and Burgh Island becomes a true island. The large white building is an Art Deco hotel. However, it was only late morning — far too early to start thinking about a room for the night. A wooden Coast Path sign beckoned me on... 

6 comments:

Ruth said...

Exhilarating photographs! I'm off to write a novel ...

George said...

Magnificent! I'm curious to know whether there are bridges that cross those innumerable streams, or does one ford them as best as one can?

The Solitary Walker said...

A novel, Ruth?

Mostly there are footbridges, George, but not always. Sometimes conveniently placed stones or pieces of wood aid the crossing. Other times you can just jump!

Ruth said...

Only joking, but I felt inspired by your pictures. :)

Laura said...

Stunning photography and serene landscapes. I love the Pub/Inn. We don't have anything so quaint here in the Pacific Northwest of the US.

The Solitary Walker said...

Thanks for visiting, Laura. I must say that traditional English pubs and inns are essential ingredients of any walk over here!