The smell of the hot pasties we purchased at Liskeard proved irresistable, so we ended up eating them right outside the shop - and it was only 10.30!  Fully charged for the day ahead we navigated through the back lanes to pick up the Bolventor road across Bodmin moor, stopping briefly to explore the Golitha Woods nature reserve before following the river Fowey through some of the most delightful scenery of the tour.  Josh decided he wanted  one day to own a property in this picturesque valley!  Meanwhile Joe was having problems with his new SPD pedals: one side was a bit tight, so a few times when he tried to stop he ended up sprawled across the road!

At Bolventor we called in to the Jamaica Inn, made famous by the Daphne Du Maurier book of the same name, and settled down to a tasty meal in the Peddlars restaurant.  Josh and Joe could only afford chips, but they got so many for their £1 that they couldn't begin to eat them all!  A short section of the busy A30 brought us quickly to Altarnun, its quaint bridge and river bathed in early afternoon sunshine, and from there we began the slow climb to Davidstow moor, passing wind farms along the way that suggested just how exposed the moor would be when we finally reached it.  It was a little breezy as we climbed, but as soon as we crossed the cattle grid onto the moor we experienced the full power of the north-Cornish wind.  We sought temporary respite in the lea of a derelict airfield building, watching a nearby man doing his best to keep his feet on the ground while flying his kite, then proceeded in close formation across the moor what we thought was the main airfield base!  In fact it turned out to be a creamery, the airfield having closed in 1945!

The final leg of the journey to Tintagel was somewhat cold with a stiff headwind and increasing cloud, so we explored a few of the shops when we arrived, including Granny Wobbly's Fudge Pantry, a sports and camping shop that boasted some very high-tech gadgets and the toy museum with its fascinating range of metallic Star Trek characters.  Having purchased provisions for the night we rode out of the village, past the ancient church and along the rough track that leads along the headland to the hostel.  A glorious sunset greeted us as we arrived at the secluded hostel, situated high up on the headland overlooking the sea.  This was surely the most perfect youth hostel in the land!

There is one dormitory at Tintagel that the well-informed hosteller always wants to occupy, and that is the front dorm, half submerged in the hillside and offering the very best sea views from the narrow windows.  On many previous visits Michael had failed to secure this dorm, but today we were lucky.  It is a 6-bedded dorm, and because we had paid for six beds we were all able to have top bunks and plenty of space for our belongings!

We stopped briefly for pasties and cakes at St Kew Highway, then sped on to Wadebridge for lunch.  We were planning to ride the Camel Trail to Padstow, but since we had plenty of time we rode the section to Bodmin and back first, stopping at the garden cafe on the way back.  There were several cyclists out today despite the rather unfriendly weather conditions.  Back at Wadebridge the three cycle hire shops were doing brisk trade, with around ten cyclists a minute coming off the path from Padstow.  We stopped occasionally to admire the views and wildlife of the river Camel, then arrived in the bustling fishing village of Padstow by around 4pm.  Sadly the pasty shop that Michael remembered so well had sold nearly all its stock for the day, but we found a few left that took our fancy.

The highlight of our time in Padstow was a 15-minute speedboat trip that cost £4 each.  We had never travelled so fast on water before.  We got drenched as the boat turned into the wind, but it all just helped make the trip even more memorable!  A waterfront cafe helped warm us up before we set off once again for the short journey to the hostel.

Our route took us past Harlyn sands.  Even though the weather was still cool and cloudy we decided to enjoy the beach anyway: Joe and Josh ran across the soft sands and straight into the water, fully clothed, before Michael could say a word!  It was just as well we were just minutes away from the hostel!

The light rain continued all the way to Bedruthan Steps, where thick mist ensured that nothing at all was visible of the sea or steps!  Josh was in need of a morale boost so we settled into the cafe for hot drinks and good food.  There seemed little point in going to the steps, but at least the rain had stopped by the time we had finished looking in the gift shop.   We continued through Mawgan Porth to the enormous Watergate Bay, where Josh watched the surfers enviously and decided he'd like to take up surfing one day.  Arriving in Newquay we went straight to Newquay Zoo, our main attraction of the day, and spent a couple of hours examining its many inhabitants.  It's not as large as Paignton Zoo, but it has a different range of animals and kept us very well entertained.  Joe fell in love with a bunch of around 20 otters, Josh was impressed by the roaring lion and we all thought the white peacock at the centre of the maze put on a very impressive display for us!

We explored some of the local shops and had a daylight walk on the enlarging beach before setting off along the coast path from Perranporth to St Agnes.  The path provided plenty of challenges and offered spectacular coastal views.  There was plenty of evidence of the extensive tin mining that once flourished in the area, including a horizontal disused mineshaft and the now derelict engine houses and vertical shafts near Cligga Head.  The conical wire covers over the shaft heads are apparently designed to keep humans out but allow bats in!  Our five-mile adventure took most of the morning and culminated with excellent views of Perranporth airfield, used by the RAF during the war but now used only for gliding and private aviation.  Several planes took off and landed while we were there, many dropping parachutists nearby.

On arrival at St Agnes we ran into an RNLI motorbike scramble near the coast, which kept Josh interested for some time.  Cloud had now blotted out the morning sunshine so we began to feel distinctly chilly as we ate lunch outside the little stores in the village.  Our plan had been to enjoy the beaches along the coast towards St Ives, but by the time we reached Portreath, light rain was beginning to fall.  We made use of the nearby cafe to buy knickerbocker glories and other items, but the rain showed no sign of easing.  Our enthusiasm for beaches began to wane, so we headed straight for Camborne station where we boarded the 1514 service to Liskeard.