The alarm was set for six as I was to be on the 8:03 am from Paddington Station to Penzance. J&C were on the 12pm (they booked almost the day bookings opened about 9 weeks before the trip). I booked a couple of days later and could only get my bike on the 8:03. Jane was even later booking and ended up on the 14:00 which got in to Penzance at about 17:28. Actually later as someone seemed to have a heart attack or stroke on J&Cs train which caused delays to trains for the rest of the afternoon.

Nice enough trip down. Lots of green fields, cows, sheep, horses, a few wind turbines and a couple of MW size solar farms. Two coffees from the trolley to fill in the time. Surprisingly the mobile phone coverage was patchy beyond the London suburbs.

Arrived in Penzance, slung a leg over bike for first time on this trip. And nearly went off as the loaded panniers had thrown the balance out. Still a pleasant ride along the bay footpath to the Swordfish Inn (>400 yr old, recently refurbished but still squeezey stairs up to the rooms).

Penzance is ridiculously cute in the Doc Martin way. Small and old granite shops and homes got cuter and cuter when suddenly a thatched cottage appeared. Around the corner a mossy tree covered stone walled lane. Cute.

Hand washed just about everything that is not riding gear, put the handlebars on the bike properly, pumped the tyres and got ready for dinner. Dinner was a compendium of fish tapas courses (marinated anchovies, sapphire dressed white fish, grilled butterfly mackerel etc). A step up from Ye Olde Fish’n’Chips fry up over the road.

Back home for a hot chocolate before bed by 21:30