1st DEC. PORTHMELLIN HEAD to DODMAN POINT

It had been a chilly night. A frost was on the tent and luckily no breeze chilled it more. Usual routine in the morning , we started walking at 8.
The path was dry but the grass wetted our boots. It was a beautiful morning , we watched the sun come up,  its golden light warming.
The going was easy at first following a lowish cliff.A little way on the path was taped off due to the cliff having collapse ,sagged by about 3 foot. There was a divertion to the road. I assessed the situ then climbed down and we continued.
I was full of cold and was continuely clearing my nose of mucus,  I had mastered this just by snorting. Luckily Josh was behind. We got to Portscatho a couple of miles along, I would of stopped for bics but they only appeared to sell fishing bait in the Post Office by the harbour.
Although the path was reasonable,  that is alot of the excess water had dried up in the last few days,  in places the path was muddy where you tried to avoid the mud by standing,  skipping any way you could to get passed as clean as possible. There was quite often an inward slope that was a risk to stand on with the possibility of slipping. At times both J and I fell, landing heavily on hip or knee,  the pack acting against us and helping the inbalance.
At Carne beach we stopped having covered about 3 miles since last stopping. The going had been up and down and took its toll, I was sweating and took off my fleece,  I now only had my base layer on as a top ,I cannot remember the last time I had done this,  a good month plus ago.
Josh had moaned about the headlands jutting out ahead of us,  these were Nare Head and Dodman Point,  I retorted by saying its the route and would be boring without them.  We also had used the heads as pitch sites as they are fairly depopulated.
Having rounded Nare Head we dropped into Portloe and sat on a bench next to the small harbour.I really fancied a coffee but made do with brewing a tea on the stove,  bloody thing took ages as the flame went out three times. I watched as fellow walkers went to the nearby hotel for coffee,  seeing a waitress carrying a coffee pot up to her guests.
Chaps in overalls , no doubt smelling of fish,  were putting up xmas lights no doubt while wife watched Jeremy Kyle and baked mince pies.Another chap dragged his dingy up the shore and laid rollers in ready to bring in his creel boat.
We realised we were sat in the shade and moved up the hill and sat on a holiday homes steps supping our barely boiled tea,  but it was bliss in the sun.
On from Portloe was hard work , the hardest in the last week ,  up and downs and rocky clambering walking,  sweat enducing.
I listened to the epic rugby game,  ALL BLACKS V ENGLAND, I could not believe we were winning and won 38 - 21 , would of loved to of seen the game but at least the radio was there.
As we were coming to the end of the day we stopped in a rain shower at Hemmick beach,  filling our water containers before walking to on passed new born lambs,  sadly one lamb had its back legs paralyzed , I could only think it was navel ill and the lamb was doomed.
We got to Dodman point and its cross memorial,  pitching in fading light avoiding the brambles in the bracken.
We had two packets of curry noodles each, it was watery and bland so I added garlic and s
We were tired and slipped off to sleep around 9. It was still outside,  the odd shower pattered on the tent skin. We were warm and cosy.