So, that's it: one month along the SWCP completed pretty much as planned. The SWCP goes on from Penzance along the southern coasts of Cornwall and Devon to Poole but for me that will have to wait for another year.
I feel... like I could continue hiking but I don't feel unhappy to stop. I don't feel any great sense of accomplishment... perhaps because on the SWCP the journey really was the goal. The beautiful coastline, the lovely villages and towns, the conviviality of good friends, the excellent food and mostly excellent places to stay... all of these were parts of the journey. And on the other hand there is nothing particularly special about Penzance as a goal... even from the perspective of the SWCP, for which Penzance is one town of many along the way.
So, just as each day's hike along the SWCP was lacking the preeminent goal of a summit or a pass, so too did the SWCP (or the part of it I hiked this year) lack a preeminent goal and concomitant sense of achievement upon completion. But on the other hand, here each day's hike was a richer and more varied experience than a day in the Alps because the coast changes continually and thus the day is full of many different beautiful vistas, whereas in the Alps hikes are usually much more static -- often you'll have one view as you climb, and one other as you descend. In sum, very different experiences, and for me each has its attraction.
The journey was the goal... I like that. And I liked this hike too.
