Day10-Satuday 28th May.-Padstow

I planned to continue up to Ilfracombe today. I awoke to drizzle and a strong wind (surprise surprise). What the hell I thought I'll go anway. Out beyond the bar the waves were too much for me. It is a long way to Ifracombe in those conditions. Going back up the channel guys were windsurfing and kite boarding as the water was calm in the shelter of the harbour.

Back on the mooring, every where looked pretty bleak in the drizzle. This is a Bank Holiday weekend, so I shouldn't really expect anything different.

I'd been to Padstow before,or Steinville as some call it, but never from the sea. The harbour is shallow and the channel is lined by lovely white sand. It reminded me of the scenery on the Scillies. Dressed up well for the blow, people were walking their dogs.I bet it looks fabulous in the sunshine.Liam Reading emailed me to say he was coming down here on Tuesday with Steve Forsey. It's a shame I'm likely to miss them. Steve Sheppard is also in Hayle from today. I'm probably too
 
far north for him. There is a pattern emerging of not quite meeting up with people.

There are several muscular speed boats in the harbour, which take people out around the estuary. They have names like Jaws,Fireball,Sea Fury and Thunder. They growl around with their Vloads of cyllinders but they didn't go out beyond the Bar today though. This is an ideal place for boats like that.

I went ashore to look for an internet cafe. I found one in the ground floor of what used to be the cinema. It is a coffee place called Java and the owner( Henry) reacts badly to coffee. It makes him go a little strange- not like other people: much worse he said. I pressed him on what happened, but he couldn't quite explain it. He gave me a cappucino with chocolate in it for my opinion. He couldn't do it himself. How many of us end up in unlikely jobs for us I wonder?

There is a lock in harbour in the town centre. It's convenient for things except its very limiting when you can come and go. I decided to put up with the inconvenience of my swinging mooring and the row ashore so as to be able to make the most of the tide when I leave.The quay makes a pleasant contrast to the gated development they have built at the entrance to the harbour.It is an ugly thing built off the old harbour wall and has taken in a little wharf wich I rowed into by mistake. There was no way to walk into the rest of the town unless you have a key to the gate.So this is anothr type of lock in harbour!

Justine emailed me yesterday to say people were enjoying the blog and were learning more about me than they'd done in the 10 years at work. What a shame, that it takes my leaving and starting a trip like this before people start to get to know me!

Padstow was heaving as people looked for something to do on a wet bank Holiday. Some were clustered on doorways eating pasties or ice cream. I don't think the speed boat owners will make much money today.

I had lunch in a Hotel called the Cross ways. It was very quiet and I heard the owner talking to the manager. Some people had arrived somewhere up the road (for some reason) about whom they had no record of a reservation. They were full so couldn't put them up. The owner tells the manager to go and tell them the bad news and to take the book with him. The owner said he'd follow on in a minute. I said that was canny to let the manager to take the flak. Years of practice he said smugly. Do we all know managers like that?

So to review how the trip is going I drew in my passages on my road atlas. When I look at the size of Britain its quite dispiriting. It seems like a big counrty when you are moving around it slowly!I obviously am so proud of the picture I posted it twice! How do you remove picures you don't want ?