Walking blog: The philosophy of walking

Colours and moods whilst walking in Cornwall

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  on Sunday, 07 August 2011 08:13

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The moods and colours of the landscape in Cornwall vary from day to day and I feel are more intensive in this county than elsewhere. It has a lot to do with the light and the fact that Cornwall is a stick of rock out in the Atlantic surrounded by the vast expanse of sea, which affects the light particles. The schools of painters that have made Cornwall their home understood this.

So the greys of possible storms, brood and dominate yet their darkness is cloaked somehow by a bright sheen almost like those glass jars one shakes that have a snowman in it and a snow storm. A scene within a scene. One can almost see the vast expanse of the light out in the whole Atlantic behind the inclement thick curtain of grey fluffy clouds parading across our skies. We had this threat of rain on Monday along the Helford. Our three walkers this week were Annette and Mum Brigitte with Susanne, all from Germany.

The coast around Zennor is more challenging for walkers than most of the Cornwall coast path as the path usually involves straddling large boulders, which in many cases are the actual path. With the sea out in the afternoon we spent a few hours on Porthzennor beach, swimming, scrambling and rock pooling. On Wednesday, the beaches at Crantock and Porth Joke were busy but we were not there long and were not too overwhelmed by the numbers. It’s great to see so many people enjoy the coast of Cornwall but I can’t help wondering how much of Cornwall they actually do see. Definitely not the variety that we see from the luxury of our guided walking holiday in Cornwall. The words “courses” and “horses” come to mind.

The beaches on the Roseland tend to be quieter than elsewhere as was the case on Porthbeor beach, which involves negotiating a lot of steps before one can enjoy the vast expanse of soft sand. So on our Thursday hike we were even treated to viewing some local Cornish wrecking with a family gathering in what looked like some remains of a boat with outboard gear and the like.

Friday the light was special. We walked a circular route from Predannack NT land to The Vro overlooking Mullion Island on the Lizard peninsula, walking south via Soapy cove to the extremely busy Kynance Cove. The rich orange of the lichen and the soft blues and greens of the sea contrasted so well that these colours with the browns, greens and red of the serpentine are ingrained on my brain.

Wonderful walking once again.