SWCP - East Prawle to Stoke Fleming

SOMEHOW THIS NEVER GOT POSTED FOR LAST SATURDAY. IT WAS WRITTEN IN BLOGPRESS BUT OBVIOUSLY FAILED TO SEND

Saturday 23rd July

The Pig's Nose renewed its eccentricity credentials last night. After I had posted on the blog I went to pay my bill at the bar. A Lakeland Terrier was sat at the bar on its own stool lapping up a half pint of beer.

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Today was a 14 miler ( tops for me these days). The bonus was that it was supposed to be mainly flat. That turned out to be erroneous apart from the walk round Start Bay following Slapton Sands and Slapton Mere. A section before Bee Sands was one of the rockiest narrow paths I can remember anywhere - it was like switchback miniature boulder hopping in a narrow gully overgrown with bracken on both sides.

The approach to Start Point was increasingly dramatic on some narrow cliff edge paths with a fair amount of ascent up to the final ridge when a Tarmac road over the ridge leading round to the lighthouse took away some of the drama. The view of Start Bay was spectacular, a huge almost perfectly circular area of blue sea with my destination visible many miles away on the other side. That view would go into my top hundred.

The forecast was for circa 19 degrees but it was more like 30. I really toiled and sweated all day drinking several bottles of water, two Fantas and a tea stop.

I had decided to camp at the Camping and Caravan Club site but on arrival at Stoke Fleming I found the adjacent pub marked on the OS map no longer exists. I was heading for a camp site in the village when a restaurant/ bar attached to a large caravan/chalet/holiday home site appeared. I asked if they had any accommodation and the guy let me have a chalet bungalow at a knockdown price and I was able to eat at the restaurant. The meal was a concoction thought up by a chef with ideas but no skill or gift for combining ingredients and some of the stuff was only only half warm. Background music was piercing pop but the decor suggested something more sophisticated. Another place pretending to be what it isn't.

I bought some tea bags, milk, and a tin of rice pudding for my breakfast and intend to set off early to get to Brixham in time to find somewhere to stay. Internet couldn't find anything suitable and I had come to the end of my patience with the awful music. I am back st my chalet now having written most of this back here.

It has been a hard, sweat dripping day and I am well tired. I don't think this will go with only 3G but I'll try.

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