Language / Taal / Sprache / Langue

a 125 mile walking route from St Germans to St Michael’s Mount

Hannafore

Travelling in Extraordinary Times

Padstow Constantine Bay St. Mawgan Newquay St. Piran's Oratory Porthcothan Gwithian Lelant Ludgvan St. Michael's Mount Witchiel Helman Tor Gate St. Blazey Polruan Polperro Looe St. Germans
When I arrived in Cornwall in mid-August 2021, I was one of the few foreign travellers venturing to the island during the pandemic. The experience was both strange and remarkable: the British Isles had turned inward, shaped by strict rules and invisible barriers. As a visitor, I navigated a labyrinth of tests and forms: a dance of codes and registrations that seemed to limit my freedom before I had even begun. Brexit and Covid together made even the simplest things complex.

Shop shelves were often bare, pubs closed, and hospitality constrained. Even finding a place to stay became an adventure. My plan to walk the entire Cornish Celtic Way in one journey had to be set aside. Midway, I had to pause my pilgrimage. Yet within these obstacles, I found something unexpected: the challenge of the path, a deep connection with untamed nature and ancient heritage, the hush of the landscape, and the boundless sweep of sea and sky.

The stories and the generosity of those I met touched me deeply. In those three weeks something stirred that could not be ignored: the quiet spirituality of Cornwall called me back. I resolved, quietly but firmly: “Next year I will return to complete the Cornish Celtic Way and to carry forward the images and insights of this journey.”