The following morning, we woke bright and early to the rumbling of a farmer parking his pickup behind the van, ready to deliver his free roaming cattle with fresh supplies for the morning. I opened the van's doors to be welcomed by a view of vast, green fields laden with fresh morning dew. I filled my lungs with the scent of crisp ocean air spilling through the open doors.
This was made all the better as the smell of fresh coffee steamed out from the percolator bubbling on the burning hob.
After a breakfast of fresh coffee and hot buttery toasted teacakes we walked the quiet coastal path to stretch our legs, walk off our foggy heads from the late night red wine and give Meli a chance to explore these new and foreign tracks she seemingly enjoyed so much.
We walked until the heavy grey clouds loomed over our heads and until they gradually released a few drops of rain at a time, dampening our cheeks. The sun popped out of the clouds, warming us from the slight chill of the onshore breeze and damp, only to disappear behind the clouds once again.
We knew the afternoon was forecasted to brighten up, so we continued walking until we reached a small fishing harbour and found the only open cafe available. We stopped for a cup of tea, a wander down to the harbour, then back along the coastal path, following the route towards the van. The plan was to drive round to Porthcurno for an afternoon of coastal walks in the sunshine, enjoying the clear waters and the possibility of a cold water dip.
We parked the van in a field full of tourists down for the long weekend, making tracks towards the Minack Theatre for that afternoon's show. The further along the cliff path we trod, the fewer people we found. We walked with the sun shining, as it followed our footsteps down the path leading us down to the beach. A refreshing taste of sunshine on our pale winter skin was a welcome change from the long, grey winter and the many blustery walks.
We clambered down the slippery rocks with Meli hesitantly making her way down, checking back every few seconds to make sure I was still there. But once on the beach, all thoughts of me vanished instantly as she spotted a potential playmate in a fellow furry friend.
Walking further over towards the rocks, we lay our towels down in the most sheltered spot from the cold wind we could find. The sea breeze slipped through our rocky shelter, and the sun continued to cower behind the clouds, making it fairly hard to keep the woolly jumper off completely. It certainly wasn't quite summer yet, but the golden sands and the crystal clear south coast water would have you think otherwise.
I couldn't not take a dip in the icy blue when the water was so clear. I have a bit of a thing for clear water. I'm obsessed with it. I have to get in it. For me, it's just too beautiful to resist that dip and dive into that turquoise liquid. I'm not sure why it's so appealing, I suppose it's the fact that I can see everything underneath and really appreciate the beauty of it. Some of my most memorable surfs and swims have been when the water was glassy and completely clear. That is my biggest weakness. Even on a day like this; when the water still had its icy winter chill, I couldn't not get in when it looked so inviting...
After an hour or so on the beach, the sun had begun to drop and the cool ocean breeze had picked up a notch. It wasn't until our bellies began to rumble that we realised we should pack up and trace our footsteps back up the path, towards the van, and to find a suitable place to park the van up for the night.
We drove away from the touristic chaos of the Minack theatre and wound down the narrow lanes until we spotted a sign for the Logan Rock pub. We had heard that there was a campsite nearby, and so took the turning. We weren't sure of where the campsite was, but as it turned out, we stumbled across a field with no sign or indication that it was possible to camp there, yet we spotted a couple other vans parked up.
One motorhome and one camper. Perfect. We rolled up to the end of the field, settling on the idyllic spot; with a view over-looking a few ponies grazing just beyond the fence and the ocean a short distance away.
We parked up, let Meli have a sniff and a wander, then we had a drink and a nibble of something to satisfy the belly gurgling. We saved the main event of dinner until after sunset as we decided to take a walk through the fields of long grass to see what treats could be in store.
We walked to the end of the field, to discover the most incredible landscape. Large boulders jutting out, forming their own island. We hadn't even realised this was here. It's called Logan's Rock, and although now I realise it is well-renowned, I hadn't ever heard of it before. I couldn't believe I'd never been here before, as even in the low light of the evening, it still looked incredible.
We clambered up boulders, with Meli loving every step of this new adventure, her own rocky playground. We huddled between some larger boulders to shelter from the chilly winds and watch the lower behind the lush south coast fields. The water was still as clear as ever, but i managed to refrain myself from jumping in.
We perched on a smooth faced boulder until the sun set, the wind grew colder and our bums numb. We made tracks back up to the van, for a glass of wine and a hearty van meal prepared whilst overlooking the lush green fields with the sight of Logan's Rock peaking in the distance.
Our music played gently in the background; accompanying us as we ate the remnants of dinner, as the last light of day gradually faded away. We savoured every last ray of light, watching the ocean and Logan's Rock slowly disappear out of sight.
It's easy to forget about the rest of Cornwall when you don't often get the opportunity to leave the town you live and work in. But, when the swell is non-existent, sometimes you have to forget about the surf and just ditch base and go explore and discover places new, that you didn't even expect to find.
A visit to Logan's Rock on a golden summer's evening, with a bottle of wine and your favourite loved one, comes highly recommended from yours truly...
Lotsa love,
Ems x
