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This is Porthtowan, in Cornwall, where I stayed for a glorious week. This was actually the last I saw of it, as this photo was taken at the top of the cliff as I was leaving for 'home'. |
Going on holiday isn`t a big deal for most people, I realise this. Not even going abroad is an even smaller deal. But I hadn`t been away from home since I was 11 years old, when my Mum took me, my Sister and her boyfriend at that time, to Brighton on the south coast. So, 17 years later, I was pretty burnt out, and REALLY needed a break! So, I made the decision to go to Cornwall.
Originally it was going to be me and my girlfriend at the time, but we split up after three weeks, so that didn`t happen. However, that just gave me more reason to get away from work, chat rooms, Feltham, and everyone I knew! SO, I rented an apartment in Porthtowan, Cornwall for a week, booked some train tickets, and set off. I wanted to take my bike, so I had to get a weeks worth of clothes into a rucksack..and I made it with Litres to spare! So, I set off from Feltham train station at 9am, and headed to the west country.
I stood for the entire 5+ hours train journey, which I did through choice, because of the rucksack, plus I like to be able to move about and stretch my legs, AND hang my head out of the window like a dog in a car! It was a great feeling as I watched myself leave the places I knew behind. And when the City and towns disappeared, and were replaced by rolling countryside and farmland, I began to realise I had made the right decision.
Or had I?! I arrived at Truro train station at 3:30PM, and set off with my bike for the ten mile bike ride to the coast. Except that it was ALL uphill, and I mean ALL. My poor little legs had no chance, and I struggled! I had to keep getting off the bike, and walking, as my calfs were burning. On my right was a wind farm, which I never seemed to pass! I swear for a while someone put me on a treadmill, because they were ALWAYS in the same position on my right. I had doubts about the logic of this bike ride, and the fact that I was going away to relax and re-charge, and THIS wasn`t helping! But, when I turned into a road that leads to Porthtowan, it was double joy, as it was sharply downhill, AND I caught my first glimpse of the sea! I turned a bend, and was suddenly faced with the image above. Beautiful! All my doubts about the torturous bike ride were quickly forgotten, as I remembered I was on holiday! I Flew down the hill at way too fast a speed for my brakes, but survived, and headed into the village, looking for my apartment.
As it turned out, the apartment was easy to find, as the beach road I was on only had about ten buildings on it! The whole village hardly had any buildings in it! I got inside, and discovered the apartment was exactly how it looked in the photo, including how small it was! But that didn`t bother me. I was just glad to be there.
I dropped my rucksack on the floor, and headed straight for the balcony to check out my view. And I was impressed! They said I was close to the beach, and they weren`t joking. It was a beautiful day, despite the fairly strong sea-breeze (for more on this, look at my Pony tail in the photo on the right!!)
The first order of the day was to get to the local shop and get some tea bags in. After a much needed cuppa, I realised how hungry I was, and started looking for somewhere to eat. Just up the road from me, away from the beach, was an old looking pub, but fairly large, and with an annexed "restaraunt". I headed in to find the restaraunt was closed. So I looked to the other few shops along the beach front, and found a fish and chip shop. Closed. It WAS out of season, I guess. Actually, I fully intended to go out of season, I couldn`t imagine anything more depressing than being amongst large crowds in a small part of the country. I had gone to get away from people! So, I had a choice between going for another bike ride - No chance - or going hungry. So I went back to the apartment, and settled myself in.
I should have been shattered by the travel, and I was, but I was also keen to see where I was, so I headed out, although I had no intention of going too far. I went to the Blue Bar, which was situated at the end of the parade of shops. The Blue bar would be my home for the next week! It`s a bar built to cash in on the surfing crowd who popularise Porthtowan, but is still a really nice cool place to hang out. Cool music, and Food! Food! I can highly recommend their Sirloin steaks and chips.There was a live band in that night, called "Trickster", who were actually pretty good, and the crowd greeted them enthusiastically. This is when I realised that the area had a large amount of Students, mainly medical students. I think I had expected lots of, and I don`t mean this in a dispariging way, "Country bumpkins", so it was really cool to find a bar with "My generation" in it, all of whom seemed very friendly. Being such a small place, EVERYONE knew everyone, young and old. And what struck me is the fact that young and old alike were so relaxed and chilled. In terms of temprement, dress sense, you name it. Just relaxed. Being saturday night, and being no where else for a cool crowd anywhere near, it was pretty crowded. Also in were a group of guys who looked like they were on a work trip or something. They did kind of stick out, as they were wearing City club gear, the shirts, slacks, casual sportswear, whereas the locals ALL wore surf gear; Quicksilver, Billabong etc. But they soon relaxed and had a great night too.
After the Blue Bar closed, at 11PM, I took my first walk along the beach at night. This became a nightly ritual for me. I didn`t bother taking any photos of this though, as no photo would come out properly, and anyway, no photo can do it justice. The way the moonlight caught the sea, and the tide, was hypnotic. The Cliffs opposite the Moon were eerily lit up, in an almost twilight, the moonlight was so bright. I stayed there for hours, just walking along the beach, stopping and looking, taking it in.
I would then go back to the apartment, and sit in darkness, or more accurately, bathed in moonlight, and just look out to the night. Then I would sleep like a baby!
Sunday morning, and I realised I would have to get to a Tescos, and do some shopping for the week. I couldn`t keep buying Food at the Blue bar (I thought!), so I tried to find out where the nearest Tescos was, and it turned out to be in Redruth, a city "8 miles" away. So, I took of for the walk (I still wasn`t up for riding the bike after the uphill struggle the day before). After a couple of wrong turns (!) I was on the road to Redruth. And it was a very long road. 8 miles my arse! It took me 3 and a half hours to get there, up hill, as everything seemed to be, no matter where I was going. I did my shopping, then caled a cab to take me home. I know, I`m a lightweight. My shopping came to ?30, as I had bought my usual dish: Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Conclighe pasta, Mozarella Cheese, and Ragu Pasta sauce. As well as loads of other stuff, the cooking oils, washing up liquid etc. So, imagine my feelings when I cooked the dinner, and realised I didn`t really like the way the electric oven in the apartment cooked my chicken. I realised then that I WOULD be eating at the Blue Bar every night! Never mind.
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Who says I can`t make any friends?! |
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This is the Blue Bar, my home from home. Just the coolest place to hang out. Thanks guys! *Click on the photo to go to their website.* |
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I did plenty of jogging whilst I was there.... | ..And also plenty of this. Running and jumping across the rocks further up the beach. |
Claire and me, at least I felt, clicked on the Thursday, which was pretty late in the week! Maybe I`m imagining things, but I don`t think so. I`m normally the kind of person who thinks about someone "She`ll never be attracted to me" even if they are! So, it was unusual for me to think that if I`d been there longer, or stayed there preferably, I think there`s a good chance we would have ended up together. We weren`t flirting or anything like that. Just sometimes you meet someone and you just know these things! Of course, I may be wrong ( I usually am) but I think we were getting on OK as friends, but we hadn`t fallen into that "Friendship zone", so I really came away from Porthowan feeling as though I`d let an opportunity pass me by. As if It wasn`t hard enough to leave as it was! That night I was walking along the beach as usual, and I started to get really upset, as it dawned on me that I really wanted to stay here, with all my heart. I felt like I belonged there, like I was home. The sense of freedom I was experiencing was unbelievable. I know some may say that`s because I was on holiday, and so I didn`t have to work - ANYONE would feel that way! But there was more to it than that. The whole way of life, the relaxed atmosphere, the real sense of community. I wanted to stay. I would have done anything to stay. Me and my Brain! It always rules me over my heart. My heart was saying "Call work, tell them you`re not coming back. Work at the Blue Bar. Work picking up rubbish off the beach. Do whatever, and stay!" But my head was countering with "You would have no future doing those jobs, there isn`t much scope for employment here. You would screw yourself. Go back, and get some money together, Then come down here and see if you can make something of yourself." My head always wins. The scumbag!
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Remember kids; Don`t drink, or this will be you the next morning. | Getting emotional now. One last cup of tea, looking at the beach, before I head back to the train station, and "home". |
The last day was a very emotional night for me, as I`d already decided this was the place for me. I hadn`t drunk alcohol all week, so I went for it! Lemon breezers only as opposed to my usual pineapple, but they were ok, if a little sweet! (and I thought lemon was bitter?!) There was a band on the last night, the "Jelly Guns", who were described as "Old school Punk Rockers"..and during the day were doctors!! They were actually pretty good, not old school at all, playing their own stuff, as well as things like "Teenage Dirtbag", "Peaches", even Robbie Williams "Let me entertain you!" The bass player was priceless, opening songs with "This one`s in B-Minor", and "Don`t panic, it`s D-Flat!" Dressed like an off duty doctor (rightly so) in a polo shirt and 'slacks', smart shoes with short, receding hair, it was awesome to watch him do all the "Rock God" poses and mannersisms. All tongue in cheeck, it really made for a fun night. World class drummer too. And I was astounded when everyone hit the dance floor! It was really packed that night, and I was so happy that everyone who I`d made friends with were working that night, including Claire! I SO wanted to say something to her, but I was back to West London the next morning, so what was the point? The whole place was rocking (literally, as the floor really vibrated as the people jumped around) it was the perfect end to a perfect week. I said goodbye to all the people at Blue Bar - Luke, Chris, Claire, "Cherry Bomb!" and Tara. and I also had loads of pissed up students wishing me luck, and telling me to sort out coming to live in Porthtowan!
So it was time for one last walk along the beach, and cliff tops, bathed in moonlight, and (keep this to yourself, I have a reputation to uphold!) a tear in my eye, as I made my vows to come back to live one day.
Saturday morning was a rather functional one, as I got my stuff together, signed the visitor book for the apartment, took my last few photos, and had That last cup of tea. My head was hurting from the night before, as you can see from the photo above! But I soon recovered, and made the most of my last moments in Porthtowan. Then, with that bloody great rucksack on my back, I left, stopping at the top of the cliff that rises up behind The village, to take in the last views of home, and to take the photo that graces the top of this page. And then I was off. The bike ride that had taken two hours a week before, took half an hour in reverse, as it was all downhill. And then that was it, I was on my way back. I sat down for the train journey back. And of course, I was very melancholy. I really did feel like I had left my home, and my friends, behind, and was going to some God awful place!
I arrived back at Feltham station at 4PM, stepped onto the platform, and looked up at "Highfields" high rise flats, and all I could summon up was one word; "Shit."
Holidays aren`t a big deal to most people. And short breaks in the countryside are even less. But Porthtowan, and the people there, changed my life! I now have something to aim for. Something to carry with me. And some place to be.
