Day 38 - Breaking Dave part II

Awaking bright and early, after a good nights rest (for me) in Dave's caravan, I got a cuppa and some brekkie and prepared for today's walk from Pentireglaze car park to Rock.

Dave, emerged and prepared himself for departure and we hit the road.

The picture below was our starting point.

The headland is a little bit up and down, but has some interesting features. The first of these is The Rumps, protruding off the end of the headland, these were the site of an Iron age (or earlier) settlement and excavations have unearthed pottery from the 1st century BC to the 1st Century AD.

A steady climb out of The Rumps brings you around to Pentire Head where I found another reminder of why I am doing this walk. On the top of the head fixed to a rock is a plaque commemorating Laurence Binyon who composed "For The Fallen" on these cliffs way back in 1914. This passage (the exhortation) is recited at every Royal British Legion branch meeting to open the meeting and all acts of remembrance. I was unaware that it had been written in Cornwall!

Apologies for the quality of the photo, the wording is etched into the granite and becomes darker when it is in shadow but unfortunately, having lost nearly two stone in weight during this walk, I found I was no longer fat enough to cast sufficient a shadow to cover the entire plaque!

Close to this plaque, there is the highest point of Pentire head, which offers a fantastic view of New Polzeath, The Camel Estuary and the coast round to Trevose Head.

Dave was noticeably slower paced today, complaining about tight calf muscles, but he was getting on with it as best he could.

As we were heading down towards New Polzeath, I noticed Dave had gone quiet and, having worked closely with Dave for around ten years, I suspected he was in trouble.

Dave is diabetic and has to keep a very close eye on his blood sugar levels, I have learnt through all those years of working with him that there are two noticeable signs that indicate he may need to get his blood sugar levels up. The first, is that he starts talking absolute nonsense. Those of you that know Dave might argue that he always talks nonsense, but this is a special type of nonsense, the type that a madman might holler in the street. The second is that Dave stops talking (the surest sign, because he can talk!).

Today, Dave went very quiet for a good half mile and, when I asked him if he needed to check his bloods, he immediately agreed. The reading was low.

We rested, whilst Dave ate a mini mars bar and just about a whole packet of Jelly Babies to bring his bloods back up.

We resumed our walk, slighty slower than before.

New Polzeath is a favourite haunt for surfers and was busy today (despite there being little or no surf). Dave and I enjoyed watching the many surfers continually fail to ride a wave long enough to be able to stand on their board!

Continuing along the (now almost paved) footpath from New Polzeath you walk round to Daymer Bay, where Dave decided he would stop and rest, whilst I continued on the mile and a quarter or so to Rock.

Leaving Dave to enjoy a Coffee, I crossed the beach and headed around the hill you can see in the photo, where the path runs alongside St. Enodock Golf course on ne side and the Camel Estuary on the other until you arrive at Rock and the Rock to Padstow Ferry.

I turned and headed back, finding Dave looking slightly better back at Daymer Bay. Dave's effort to stand up told me he was still suffering, so it was no surprise when we reached New Polzeath and Dave decided to take the shorter route back to the Car Park rather than come back around the headland.

I made my way around the headland as quickly as I could, stopping to take some photos of the beautiful coast line. I realised that as far as I could see (all the way to Devon) I had walked twice!

I found Dave back at the car, having eaten his lunch he was looking perkier, but in his own words

"You've broken me again Juckett, I'm going back to the caravan and probably collapse on the bed and won't move again today"

At the caravan, I had a cup of tea and after thanking Dave, headed for home.

As for my progress on the walk, all is to plan, twelve days left and 143.8 miles left to cover.

38 days walked, 442.3 miles completed - Tomorrow is a rest day!!