Falmouth

3rd August 2020

16th July 2020

Falmouth

I have to say I'm not sorry to be leaving Perranporth today. Not saying I haven't loved it, but can't wait to get to the south coast and explore the small coves and fishing villages. 

After breakfast and prayer, we pack up the awning - in the wind. We need to get used to our awning, which we completely under utilised on maiden voyage. As We pack it away, I try to think how we can use it better. For instance, a table and chairs and storage boxes with extra items in to make the holiday easier ( not sure what they might be). We'd have to curtail the wild camping, which we love to do. Anyway, lots of food for thought. 

 We're not hurried, although we do, theoretically have to be off the campsite by 11.00 am or was it ten? No matter.

We meet Jo at the gate an say our goodbyes, them off in the direction of Mullion and us heading towards Falmouth. 

"I'll text you. We can still meet up. WE won't be that far from each other ." We hug. We get funny looks from other campers wandering into the shop. Bloody corona virus, giving people the freedom to judge how each other behaves. Somewhere along the way I feel freedoms have been lost.

Our next campsite are insisting we have the correct amount of cash in a sealed envelope ready to hand over to them. Another result of Covid times. It means we have to work out how where we get it. 

Ah, that's the answer, go buy some petrol, we need some anyway and all petrol stations have ATMs, don't they? That'll be a no. Now we have petrol but no cash.

However, we don't actually need it till tomorrow. We will find cash later when we find the shops. Tonight we'll be wild camping. 

As we drive towards Falmouth the view of the river and boats catch my eye and I wonder just where will we be tonight. 

I ask the Lord to help us  find somewhere without too much difficulty.

Oh my word, we love the picture before us.

We park a mile or so outside the town (which we din't know at the time),  next to the River Fal and feast our eyes on the loveliness as we near the harbour, the deepest natural harbour in Western Europe, apparently. 

We slow or stop every now and then to take it all in. Peter particularly likes the boats , and there are so many of them. 

The town is quaint, with narrow streets.

Fortunately the high street is blocked to traffic between the hours of 11.00 am and 16.00 pm, which is just as well with so many people visiting. It looks as if it's part of their safety in this pandemic time. 

But even with no cars it's difficult to keep distanced from others especially when some, mostly the young, I have to admit, don't give a fig.

The place is buzzing, definitely lots of holiday makers here. We find seats on the quay and I go and buy chips, one portion for us to share - £2.50. They were nice but I'm not sure they were worth that much. I'm trying to be more receptive to these spontaneous moments that my lovely hubby likes so much.

Getting over my reluctance to spend when we don't need to and just for the joy of it is still alien to me.

I'm hoping it will get less painful with time.

Taking a look at the parking on the quay, it looks as if we could possibly park here for the night. £1.50 after 5.0 o'clock and free from midnight till 9.00 am. There is nothing to say we can't stay for the night, but later we discover that all council car parks have a "no sleeping in your vehicle" policy. Shame, it would have been great to wake up in front of the harbour.

We find a terrific place in the end, right on the coast road out of Falmouth. Others are  already parked up and we think we've found the spot listed in park4night, though not sure.

After eating dinner earlier, sausages with all the left over salad, we're now ready to set up for the night, going incognito as Peter doesn't want us to look as if we're camping. To hide we have to put a screen, the purple blanket,  between the back and the front chairs, helping to make us look less suspicious. This , unfortunately has the disadvantage of making the inside of the camper hot, especially as we obviously don't have the top up.

We go to bed early and spend a long time listening to the conversations of the many passers by. Will we be moved on, we wonder.