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I am writing this whilst sitting on a train heading North East for Suffolk from Falmouth in Cornwall. It's an exciting journey of five hours to London then all change, a predictably stressful tube ride to Liverpool Street then on the final train to take us home for a little holiday. Eight hours in total it takes to get to Suffolk from Falmouth; eight hours. You can get to America in eight hours, all be it on a plane.
I say a stressful tube journey because I may have picked up a few bits and bobs for our new house on our travels. George has been remarkably calm since he discovered, after our early start this morning that he will be carrying a full length mirror and woven hearth rug along with his own luggage. And will no doubt be required to assist me and my burden of ceramic jug, non-stick wok, collapsible shelf thingy and a couple of picture frames along with my own ruck sack. It all seemed like such a good idea at the time.
However a five hour train ride is a great excuse to sit and do nothing after a very busy Pendennis regatta. As predicted, the regatta brought challenging weather and sailing conditions, fantastic social events and friends from afar. The first day of the regatta was the wettest race I have ever sailed in and with strong, gusty winds meaning many sail changes and incredibly heavy loads, I was basically done in right from the start. The weight of three strand lines and sails triples when they're full of water and lets be honest - I'm getting too old for all of that.
My staysail team were awesome, heaving on sheets and jiggers on the leeward side, often waist deep in strong flowing water as the boat powered up and until I was happy with the staysail's trim. Our harnesses came in pretty handy, keeping us on the boat with its lack of safety rails. But what an adrenaline rush it is. I can't help but love it.
I also cant help but love eating much fresh local lobster and crab whilst here in Cornwall. It's such a treat and a great way to explore the local fisheries and seasonal produce. And if you'd like a simple recipe for a very tasty crab and chili linguine dish then just watch this space... I'll be back.
So I won't selfishly bore you to death just because I have five hours on this train to kill but I will leave you with a few piccys. Don't they tell a thousand stories?
Thanks for reading. Note I didn't talk about the weather too much. But lets hope Sunny Suffolk is just that...
Cheers!
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| Tidying the decks and wooling sails after a long day racing |
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| Bowsprits in the fog of Falmouth |
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| That there is blue sky. I dont have photoshop I promise. It was real.... |
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| Finally getting a sandwich on the rail after the last long race |
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| The forepeak full of wet sails, my bunk in the background. Nice. |
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| And some of beautiful Cornwall; |
