I'm having supper over looking a beautiful valley running down to the sea just north of Lands End. I thought the hostel was a lot closer so have an extra 4 miles to do tomorrow but it is just down hill so should be ok.
The day was mostly taken up with the train journey from Winchester to Penzance via Basingstoke. I didn't realise that a train could stop so many times between Basingstoke and Exeter.
It's now time for a short rant about the parlous state of cycle provision on trains. On the whole of a 10 coach South West Tains service there are 3 cycle spaces. The racks are floor mounted ones that clamp the front wheel. Offer no support to the rest of the bike and all the panniers have to come off. First Great Western was better but there were probably still only 6 or 8 spaces on an 8 coach train. End of rant but I will have to give some serious thought to getting back from John O'Groats. After today's experience, I might courier the bike back and fly home.
The train ride from Exeter to Penzance was one of the prettiest I have ever been on and I had always wanted to go on that stretch by Dawlish and Teignmouth where the train is jammed between the back of the beach and the cliff:
I had a few minutes in Penzance to get an egg and bacon bap and wonder at the cross section of people that live there. It appeared to be a strange mix of public school boys and girls on holiday, fishermen and festival goers. Although there aren't any festivals going on!!
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