Because of my Jesus bit yesterday I had to return to Tresco to complete that circuit before heading off to St. Martin’s on my mad yellow boat taxi. The vernal equinox low tides are playing havoc with my timings but I struggle on. Started off a bit cloudy with a look of rain but things improved turning sunny. I think my bald spot is badly sunburnt, as it is most sensitive to touch.
Starting along the hillside in the gloom. St. Mary’s across the way.First of many beaches today. The tide is well out and will stay so for about 3 hours.A flat open top boat this morning complete with a lovely boat Labrador.You know what it’s like when yours are the only footprints on the beach?A shingle bit along the dune cliffs.Looking back at Carn Near and the jetty.St. Martin’s for later.Pentle bay. There must have been 70 people on the boat but they’ve all f’d off to the town on the East coast.You know, I thought I had something. Promise no granite out crops today.More Pentle bay.Old Grimsey and a chance for a cappo.I was seated with Mr and Mrs Jack Sparra.View from my table and the sun is lovely and warm.Moving on towards the northern end.No more trees. Just ground hugging heather.The eastern islands and the lighthouse.The wild Atlantic.Looks like he’s sailing but is heading into the wind on engine power.Cromwell’s castle and the channel with Bryher across the way.This is King Charles’ castle but was just a very well built gun fort.The shallows that I walked across yesterday, high and dry again.Round into the bay above New Grimsey, and something is going on down there.Ah, A pagan festival celebrating the turn of the tides and the equinox.Let’s not move the anchor, I’m a bit knackered after the party. No one will notice.Not so sure of the provenance of this stone circle in the village.Now we have some manufactured gardens. Very different. Heading to the abbey.And here it is.They have their own modern transport. Don’t the blades play havoc with the monks’ robes?The quay at St. Martin’s and today the taxi was throwing it around in tight high-speed S turns. Which he can’t do with a full load in case some snowflake gets splashed or frightened. Brill.My lunch date is welcome to the bread.Lower town beach.Poor little tyke dropped its dummy while being hustled off the beach by a frazzled mama eager to get to Pilates.Reaching the end of the Lower town beach and moving inland to Middle Town.The main drag through the island, didn’t see Middle Town, must have blinked.At last. Heading north west and again the landscape is changing. Looking back down to Great Bay.Tight for time but trying to reach the stripey pole at the edge.I do like the grassy track through the ferns and gorse. Lovely for the aching feetThe giant stripey pencil, marking the most southerly part of the UK.The view out to the west.And the east.Higher Town beach with the quay at the far end. I have 1/2 hour – not a problem.The view from the beach.On the path above the beach at the quay. No boat yet but about forty grey-hairs behind me waiting. Most have their raincoats on though it’s not rained a drop in the three days that I’ve been here.
What a lovely day. From the sun baked beaches to the warm fern and gorse framed lanes. The lovely boats to the mad water-taxi drivers. Even the gentle climb to the few hills and, of course, the rather cheeky sparrows.
