Bike Route: Plymouth to Looe 17mi 2000ft of climb
Accommodation: Room at Number 9 (Airbnb); host Hazel. Private room with shared bath in bungalow. Room at front of house, TV, teakettle, tea, coffee and biscuits, and bathrobes and towels; shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel are provided. Dogs Charlie and Bear.
Dinner: Smuggler's Cott. Local mussels and scallops for me, breaded brie and local bream for Ken. Smuggler's Cott is a very, very old inn in the center of town near the wharf. Very quaint.
This was supposed to be an easy day. At mile 3, we boarded a ferry to cross the estuary into Cornwall, and then we continued along the coast. We knew there were a few steep hills, but with just 17 miles to go, we expected to get to Looe early enough to drop off our bikes and walk around the town.
What we didn't know was that a STEEP, long hill at mile 10 took us up above the beach near Looe, and then dropped us down right on the beach. The route out of the beach was up a VERY STEEP hillside on stairs, finishing off on an INTENSELY STEEP push up a single-track path through nettles. By the time we carried our bikes, and then our bags, up that 500-foot pitch (taking turns to keep an eye on the gear at all times), we were wiped out. And time was ticking away...
One more steep, steep downhill followed by a steep uphill, and we were finally at Hazel's place.
Hazel was a hoot. Her bungalow was neat and tidy, the room was small but clean, and we enjoyed chatting with her. After quick showers, we found our way down to the inn she recommended for dinner--down the STEEP, STEEP hill to the harbor. Back up the hill to bed. Tired, again. But still happy.
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| Our ferry ride across the estuary was free. Cornwall doesn't charge to enter the county. It does charge to travel within and to leave the county. |
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| Bikes are first to load and last to unload. |
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| Finally, we are in Cornwall. |
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| We found the prettiest little private park in the middle of the countryside to eat our lunch. The gate was unlocked and not posted against trespassing, so we made our way through and sat on a log near the pond. |
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| Fields and fields of sheep in this area. |
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| As we rode by this field on the far side of the hedge, we heard a sheep bleating. We stopped at the gate just a short way on, and Ken (who was a few seconds ahead of me) say the tiny brown lamb on the right being born. The mother appeared to be working on birthing its twin while the little guy wandered around crying. Incredible. |
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| The beach at Looe was surrounded by dead-end roads leading to apartments and steep paths. There was undoubtedly a road up out of there, but we didn't see it and our cycle route led us up a flight of steep stairs instead. |
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| At the top of the stairs, and an even steeper narrow path, was a steep road... |
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| ...leading to a steeper road... |
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| ...leading to another path. |
We finally made it to Hazel's house--and she pointed us down another steep hill to the harbor for dinner. |
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| At the end of the day, we climbed back up the steep hill to our room at Hazel's. |
