Bike Route: Looe to Truro Overland 36mi 3000ft of climb
Accommodation: Manor View (Airbnb); hosts Geoff and Ali. Traditional Cornish retreat in an immaculately restored Victorian mansion with private lounge, en-suite, and shared hot tub.
Dinner: Ganges Indian restaurant. We shared sweet curried chicken, sizzling lamb, and rice. Lovely food, attentive staff.
Another long day with tons of climbing--nothing like the hike up the steps and hill to Looe, but still tough. We aren't complaining yet, but we are sure looking forward to our rest days in Penzance.
Leaving Looe, we had to go back down the hill to the harbor, and then climb up the other side. We had an option of following the coastline for 53 miles and 4500 feet of climb, or going overland with some stretches along a main highway for just 36 miles and 3000 feet of climb. We chose the latter.
We still had plenty of time on country roads with fantastic views of the Cornish farmland. It was Sunday of Coronation Weekend, and most stores and restaurants were closed. About halfway through the day, we were looking for a public toilet and found an open coffee shop / cafe in a park, with ice cream, chips, coffee, and tea. That was our lunch. And it was just fine!
A little farther on, as we entered a small town, we saw and heard helicopters overhead and made our way through a gauntlet of emergency vehicles. We couldn't see what was going on, but when we hit the main street, it was blocked off and filled with tables, tents, people, food, and music--a coronation street party. We were tempted to join in, but Truro was calling to us and we were already running a little late for our check-in. (It wasn't until the next day that we found out the helicopters and emergency personnel were rescuing a tourist who had become ill at the top of the church tower and had to be airlifted down and out. She recovered.)
When we arrived in Truro, we found Ali and Geoff's house easily. Geoff was outside, and he and Ken hit it off right away. Ali led me to a storage area for our bikes and then to the guest lounge on the ground floor and our private bedroom/bath on the first floor. The house had been newly renovated by Geoff, a builder, and decorated by Ali, with a quirky, tasteful style. It didn't take us long at all to settle in and feel completely at home.We were hungry for real food after our snack lunch, and we found a great Indian restaurant just a few blocks away. Afterward, we were again glad to just head back to our room and a good night's sleep. I'm sure Truro had historic points of interest, but we did not see them.
The way out of Looe led us back down to the harbor, then up the other side.
