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Hiking in Los Tilos: Monday 19th October 2020
I woke early and watched the sunrise again over Santa Cruz beach. The sky to the north of the island was clear so I decided to go for a hike around Los Tilos National Park. This part of the island is the most green as the top of the hills are usually shrouded in cloud. The region is a Unesco Biosphere due to it’s unique cloud forests. I parked at the visitors centre and decided to hike to Marcos y Cordero It was a long walk up through the hills which started with a gradual incline but became progressively more difficult. The start of the walk took me through…
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Finding my way around Isla de La Palma: Sunday 18th October
I woke at 7 am and walked 5 minutes down to Santa Cruz beach to watch the sunrise. It was a partially cloudy morning and I could see the island of Tenerife in the distance where the sun rose. From the beach I could see the steep hills and laurel forests rising behind the town which were shrouded in cloud. I brought breakfast from the supermarket and returned to the pension to search online for apartments to rent longer-term. After breakfast I drove to the other side of the island to explore a bit and to check out the location of some accommodation I had seen online. The other side…
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Bristol to La Gomera – Sat 17th October
I stayed overnight in the OYO Winford Manor near Bristol Airport as I had an early flight to Tenerife in the morning. Yesterday afternoon I caught a Megabus from Exeter to Bristol Airport and then a took a taxi to Winford Manor. I had to wake at 4 am to take a taxi back to the airport which was only a 10 min ride away. When I arrived at 4.30 am the Ryanair check-in desk had just opened and it only took 10 minutes to complete the bag drop and walk through the security as the airport was quiet. The flight was due to depart on time at 6.20 am.…
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Cycle Tour of Devon and Cornwall: Day 15
27th September 2020 Route: Okehampton to Exmouth Distance: 35.8 mile (57.3 km) Elevation: 0.6 miles (0.9 km) The overnight rain has cleared by early morning and I had a good view across to the Meldon Viaduct from my room in the Inn. I had traditional fried English breakfast before leaving the Inn and cycling the final return leg of my journey back to Exmouth. I cycled through Okehampton and up through into the Devon hills. It was a great day for cycling as it was cool, sunny with no wind. I cycled up and down the rolling hills all the way to the edge of Exeter. I descended the steep…
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Cycle Tour of Devon and Cornwall: Day 14
27th September 2020 Route: Wadebridge to Okehampton Distance: 52 mile (83.2 km) Elevation: 0.8 miles (1.4 km) I woke to the sound of light rain on the tent. The wind had stopped but a heavy mist had set in. I had to pack the tent while it was still wet and headed back down in to Wadebridge where I stopped for breakfast at a small local bakery. The drizzling rain continued most of the morning but it felt warm without the wind. The route took me up into the hills and towards the edge of Bodmin moor. I briefly stopped in the village of St Trudy. The lanes were very…
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Cycle Tour of Devon and Cornwall: Day 13
26th September 2020 Route: Newquay to Wadebridge Distance: 32.1 mile (51.4 km) Elevation: 0.5 miles (0.8 km) I had a good nights sleep despite being woken several times in the night by the hooting of owls and then by the resident peacocks in the early morning. I made porridge for breakfast and packed up the tent. It was a lovely morning and so I loaded up my bike and headed out towards Newquay. The cycle route took me along Gannel Estuary and then over the hill to Towan Headland Across from Towan Headland is the vast Fistral beach which is famous for surfing. It was still quite breezy so there…
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Cycle Tour of Devon and Cornwall: Day 12
26th September 2020 Route: St Ives to Newquay Distance: 32 mile (51.2 km) Elevation: 0.4 miles (0.7 km) I slept well as the wind and rain had eased overnight. I made my porridge and started to pack up my tent when the campsite owner came over for a chat. He was about to leave to check on his fishing boat in St Ives harbour. It was a small boat and he explained that he had not been able to take it out much over the past two years as the summer wind had changed and now blows from a northerly direction making the seas very rough around St Ives. We…
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Cycle Tour of Devon and Cornwall: Day 11
25th September 2020 Route: Treen to St Ives via Lands End Distance: 27.3 mile (43.7 km) Elevation: 0.4 miles (0.7 km) I managed to get some sleep during the early hours of the morning when the wind weakened. My earplugs helped to block out the rattling noise of the tent in the wind and rain. When I woke the rain had stopped so I hung out my clothes to dry as it was still fairly breezy. I also put my phone to charge using the solar panel as the battery was low. I made porridge for breakfast and then started to pack up my gear as the outside of the…
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Cycle Tour of Devon and Cornwall: Day 10
24th September 2020 Route: St Michael’s Mount to Treen Distance: 14.1 mile (22.6 km) Elevation: 0.2 miles (0.4 km) It was a cloudy and cold start to the day. I managed to dry the outside of my tent with a cloth and packed up before it started to rain again. I cycled along the seafront and stopped at a cafe for an egg and bacon baguette. The sky was very black looking out across St Michael’s Mount and Penzance. While waiting to be served I chatted to other cyclists who where on day trips and very impressed that I was tackling the coastal route. Just as I left the cafe…
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Cycle Tour of Devon and Cornwall: Day 9
23rd September 2020 Route: Long Downs to St Michael’s Mount Distance: 20.6 mile (33 km) Elevation: 0.3 miles (0.4 km) I slept well and woke to a damp morning. I made breakfast while being watched by the llamas. The sun came out briefly helping the tent to dry quickly in the breeze. I packed up all my bags and left the campsite. I still hadn’t met the owner so left my payment for the night under a box in a disused dog kennel. I left the campsite and cycled along the country lanes towards Marazion and St Michael’s Mount. It was great weather for cycling as it was cool and…