You shoud treat all people equally, right?

Not eat them all at once!

The demands of cycling in Cornwall were about to reveal themselves in full and I was also about to find out that you can consume a huge amount of food keeping the show on the road.

I was woken this morning by the song of a finch that I didn't recognise. Carefully poking my head from the comfort of my tent, I duly scared it away. (Here's one for you David. A musical song followed by a double chirp at the end, lasting in total about 5 seconds.)

I breakfasted on biscuits and a cheese sandwich left over from yesterday; consumed a half litre of water and crawled out of bed. Necessity being the mother of invention, I used the dew from the grass to wash myself down before packing up the tent and heading out.

The road down into Newlyn is like many others in Cornwall. Incredibly steep and narrow. Not for the first time, I resolved to buy a spare set of brake blocks...soon.

Penzance was shut down, it being only 7 in the morning as I passed through the town and headed for the beach at Marazion. With St Michael's Mount as a backdrop, I warmed up the last of my rice pudding with a pint of fresh milk and had a hearty meal while my tent dried off in the wind.

It took me another hour and a half to reach the original first stop just outside Helston. If you're not in a hurry, the up and down of this countryside offers white knuckle downhills and gentle pedestrian slogs up the other side. Anyway, by about mid-day I had found my way to my first water crossing and was grateful to the crew of the King Harry Ferry for letting me off my fare in the name of charity.

These tiny inlets at the extents of the Falmouth estuary show why this has always been a safe haven for ships during stormy weather. Far into the creeks, huge vessels lie at anchor, presumably either waiting to be decommisioned or for the economy to pick up.

From the ferry I climbed to the village of Philleigh where the very excellent Roseland Inn brews its own beer. Cornish Shag, 3.8%, Chough to bits, 4.2% and High as a Kite 4.8%. The food too is excellent and I wasn't paid to say this.....although they did let me borrow their electricity.

The half a pint was probably a mistake for anyone about to cycle away from Fowey after coming off the car ferry, fare free. The climb out was enough for me and I was grateful after 70 miles, to find a welcome campsite at the top at Lanteglos Highway.

Tomorrow's another day. I'm all in.