Week 15

Wednesday 15^th April 2015 – Pleinmont to Pembroke.

I took the 91 bus from St Martin’s to Pleinmont, a route that is now very familiar to me as this is the fourth time I have done this leg of my 365 walking challenge. It was a fabulous morning for walking, with the sun shining brightly and very little breeze; it was low tide, so the sea was well out, exposing the beautiful sandy beaches that Guernsey is blessed with. Knowing I was going to be solo today I decided to stick to the road rather than walk on the beach, although, wherever possible I like to walk on the established coastal paths throughout the 12 mile stretch. Being fair skinned I had loaded up with sun screen and my wide-brimmed hat kept the sun off my head, as it quickly became evident that it was going to get a lot hotter as the day went on.

I quickly covered the distance between Pleinmont and L’Eree, taking time only to observe the comings and goings of people out with their dogs, taking advantage of the sunny weather. One great advantage of the low tide is the amount of rocks which are exposed: looking across from the Le Catioroc was a splendid view in the early morning sunshine. When sticking to the main road you really need to be on your toes around the corner by Fort Richmond as there is no footpath and the traffic does get quite close to you at times.

The coastal path starts after this and there is that beautiful curve of the bay that sweeps around to Vazon. With the exceptional April weather there was plenty of beach activity with mothers and babies in buggies and people just meandering along the wide expanses of exposed sandy beaches. My feet were starting to give me trouble at this stage, and I eventually had to stop and check them by Vistas Café, only to find that I had a nasty blister on my left foot. I would never walk a distance like this without a supply of Compeed plasters and it was with some relief that I was able to treat the rather large blister.

Cobo, as usual, was very busy with all forms of beach enthusiasts, many of them locals who visit the area on a regular basis throughout the hotter weather in the summer. Horse-shoe shaped Port Soif bay with its exposed rock shining in the mid-day sun was a picture to behold, and I often wonder why there are nowhere near as many people on this sandy beach compared to the neighbouring beach at Cobo? The sun was certainly getting much hotter as I pounded on through the coastal path towards the Port Soif Kiosk and beyond, and I found myself having to stop at times to take on much needed fluid as I was losing a lot of body fluid through sweating.

Rousse Tower is always a welcome sight as I know I am relatively near to my eventual finishing line at Pembroke Bay and that it is an opportunity to stop and have take refreshment at this delightful Kiosk, which to me is one of the jewels in the crown of Guernsey tourism. On eventual arrival here I was really feeling the heat and was grateful to have a break and take the weight off my feet. It was great to see the Kiosk so busy today, and the range of salads, sandwiches and cakes is a real testament to Phillipa’s skills, as she provides such a wonderful, efficient service for her spreading client base.

It is amazing what a short break can do for you in such circumstances, and I was able to find an extra gear as I headed towards L’Ancresse Common. There was lots of activity here, with golfers, and many families out enjoying the park and the bay areas in the hot sun.

The experience I have gained in calculating bus timetables since commencing these walks comes in very handy and I was able to optimise my walking pace in order to get the No 92 bus from Pembroke Bay back into my home in St Martin’s. I was some what taken aback by the fact that I had to stand when I did get on the bus, surely an indication of the attractions of a beautiful sunny day, but I eventually got a sit down at the Houmet Tavern when a French family disembarked at the stop

I was somewhat concerned that when we arrived at Pleinmont: the driver had to leave passengers there as the bus was full to the allowed limit. I did wonder if any of those left were possibly elderly locals who will have no other form of transport to get them around the Island?

I was well pleased to finish today’s leg, but it certainly provided me with food for thought for the summer should we have another good long spell of hot, sunny weather.

STEPS!

On Thursday, 16th, we cleaned a further 78 steps above Moulin Huet for our challenge. It was not quite so hot, which was very welcome!

Here we are showing off, having done the longest stretch, of 73 steps, and then Eric is on the road home, having well and truly done his bit this week!