We pack our bags and say a sad goodbye to Captain Blake’s Retreat then drive along the coast road back to Looe. The councils of Cornwall are generously offering free parking for this period – thank you very much. Parking up in West Looe we pop briefly over the river to purchase a sun hat in East Looe before following the coast path along the river bank. I’m guessing the west side of the town would be the favoured side to reside, much quieter and some lovely houses set back from the water front.

The coast path, at first, crosses open fields dotted with yellow sweet-smelling gorse. St. George’s Island, just out to sea, looks peaceful. It’s a designated nature reserve with a resident warden – I imagine I would yearn for a long walk (it’s only a mile around its coastline) but it does have open countryside, woodlands, beaches, and I’m guessing, lots of interesting wildlife and very peaceful.

The sign post says its three miles to Talland – a most enjoyable stretch with the sun shining, an array of wild flowers blooming, the path easy going, occasionally rocky but mostly single-track dry mud paths, I expect it gets sticky when its rained a lot.

At Talland Bay we stop for lunch at the pub – the Smugglers Rest. Well, it’s a kind of pub more of a café that sells beer but they make good panini’s and it has a lovely view. Further on there is a little café on the beach with beach huts to eat in which also looks good.

The path heads straight up the hill from Talland, it’s quite busy here with dog walkers and a couple trying very hard to push a child’s buggy on the bumpy path, a decision, which I guess they were regretting.

We stop on a secluded beach to admire the view before meandering through the streets of Polperro. It’s very sweet with a handful of shops. I buy gift cards from an artist in her gallery and an ice cream before following the little stream along the road up to Crumplehorn (great name) to catch the bus back to Looe (a trifle scary as the driver had forgotten he was in a bus and drove a very fast on the windy Cornish roads).