Six Days Off

I’m off the path for 6 days. Loafing in St Ives today and with Maggie tomorrow through to Tuesday, picking up here again Tuesday evening. My feet are in very good nick. Ready for the restart. No twinges in the left thigh so I’m ready for active service when I’m back on the path.
St Ives is really nice. Lots of people but really nice.

I’m going out on a boat at one o’clock for a couple of hours fishing. Mackerel hopefully but it’s not guaranteed this time of year.
It rained so much yesterday that Wilson attracted a lot of slugs. I must have thrown thirty off my head, face, neck and arms in the night. Big uns too. I’ve moved Wilson to a drier spot with sun drying it out more to avoid them tonight. Maybe nick a salt pot from a chippy to punish any stragglers. No – not to flavour them before I eat them Ziva. Used them for bait in France for a few unsuccessful minutes but apparently they are the natural bait for Sturgeon. Might be good for Mackerel.

Talked to Danny from Mexborough last night and his partner Laura, down here with young Lucy. Nice couple and it’s summat like Danny’s 18th stay in St Ives. It’s amazing the number of people who come back year after year. Mind you Tassat, our French house in the past, was our hideaway for 18 years. Familiarity and reunion. Lovely.

I’ll blog periodically over the next 6 days and then kick in again next Tuesday. I’ll break now and renew this blog after i’ve caught lots of fish.

Renewing the blog, the boat only went 300 yards from shore and the whole boatload of punters all caught fish. I got about 25, being clearly the best fisherman. No, the seal was the best fisherman.

I gutted and topped and tailed a dozen fish on the beachside, amid enormous interest from the gulls, which I brought back to the campsite and cooked on a barbecue sharing them with two young German lads from Stuttgart. The mackerel were absolutely delicious. We saw off all 12.

The view from the site is lovely.

It’s now Friday noon and I’ve caught the train to Penzance to pick up a hire car to pick up Maggie from Plymouth to spend four days in Looe. Then back on the path again.

One of my favourite memories so far was following Antonia through coastal woodland paths whilst she played Incredible String Band on her iPad. The Iron Stone – ‘out on the long beach where I found it, dancing horses told their tale’. Then Williamson’s guitar and Heron’s sitar battle it out to a remarkable conclusion that drops your jaw. You’re looking for a spiritual rest and Mike Heron leads in with ‘Douglas Traherne Harding’ – ‘when I was born I had no head, my eye was single and my body was filled with light’.

Kismet Hardy. May the long time sun shine upon you, all love surround you, and the pure light within you guide you all the way on.