Last October south of St. Ives on the Cornwall coast, I stop to chat with another solitary South West Coast Path walker who is walking the opposite direction. After a pleasant conversation and as we prepare to separate, Alan Rowell mentions that he is the retired vicar of nearby Pendeen Parish Church although he lives in Truro.

In March, I email Rev. Rowell with the subject line “A Hello and a Request.” I describe my plans to return to the SWCP; I also ask him if he would be available to meet in Truro, and to offer a prayer of blessing for my walk. Lo and behold, he responds the next day! “What a pleasant surprise to her from you…I would be happy to ask God’s blessing on your endeavor.” He even adds “If you are staying in Truro you are welcome to sleep on an airbed on my floor which is the least that I can offer you (I sleep on a sofa).” What a generous fellow! Since I have a reservation at a nearby hotel, we simply arrange to meet.

At 10AM, Alan arrives at the downtown hotel. Distinctive with his dark beret (how many Englishmen wear a beret!), Alan smiles gently. After pleasantries, Alan says: “I’ll show you a few places in the downtown area; we’ll have lunch back at my apartment; and then I’ll show you some things that you won’t see walking the coast. How is that?” True to his words, we walk around the quay and toward the Truro Cathedral. After pointing out an interesting sculpture and a heavily silted quay, he introduces me to the Town Crier. Afterwards, Alan says “That man takes his job very seriously. Works four days a week and seems to be greeting a tourist coach every time I see him.”

The Truro Cathedral doesn’t have the age or the grandeur of many cathedrals. The cathedral does have personal loyalty though. “The proud people of Cornwall didn’t have a cathedral of their own until 100 years ago. Then, people all over Cornwall banded together to raise money.” Rather than taking centuries to complete, the quick construction also explains the uniformity of style and appearance.

Inside the cathedral, Alan greets several others. As retired clergy, he has no responsibilities in the cathedral; however, he participates in various activities. He modestly states: “Let me show you around, but I’m not a very good tour guide.” Besides the expected stain glass windows of Jesus’ birth, ministry, and crucifixion and resurrection, there were two unusual panels. One panel showed John Wesley preaching; another panel showed the beheading of King Charles I. Neither did I expect in a Church of England cathedral! There are several beautiful pieces of more modern religious artwork.

As we walk toward his apartment, I repeat my earlier offer to buy something for lunch. “Oh no, I’ve already prepared something simple.” True to his word, he has prepared a simple roll with slaw and cheese with simple cake and ice cream for dessert. I also see that he doesn’t really have a bedroom. He does sleep on a sofa. When I begin to ask him about his walking the South West Coast Path, he says: “I have something for you.” He hands me his softcover,, self-published book “Alan Around our Glorious Coast Again.” Like books centuries ago, a subtitle continues: “in which he tells you about the early morning swim in the house where Queen Victoria’s father died, the Westminster chimes of Lundy Island, nut-free nuts, the children who swing from ropes and hide in toilets, the old lady who keeps something in her boot to get her an extra four miles, ‘wellettes’ and when they are most effective, and generally, he rambles on….” Such a nice and unexpected gift! When I ask him to tell me about some of his experiences, he says “do you want to know what I have planned for this afternoon, or tell you when we get to the different places?” “Surprise me when we get there!” He has too much that he wants to show me than talk about his past walks!

So, off we go. For almost four hours, he drives me to places near Truro. At one stop, we look across the river to see the Tullimaar House, where Eisenhower, Churchill and allied generals discussed the invasion. Walking uphill from that spot, he shows me the remaining ditches of an iron age fort and a more recent Cornish hedgerow. “What makes Cornish hedgerows different is that a farmer doesn’t just plant shrubs and trees; instead, the farmer will build a stone wall several feet thick and fill it with dirt. On top of that wall, shrubs and trees are planted. Over time, everything binds together.” Another Cornish difference.

We drive to a place listed in the book “One Thousand Churches to Visit.” The church is “Come to Good” Meeting House, a thatched roof Quaker house built in 1707. Beautiful!

Finally, we go to the Kennall Vale Nature Reserve. The vale has every shade of green imaginable. With the overnight rain, the stream in the center of this vale is both making its presence known and wasting rushing as fast as possible through this small vale.

We head back to my hotel. I’m grateful for such a generous and kind man to take six hours to show me around Truro. I’m grateful for the opportunity to read about his walking the South West Coast Path, with his faithful walking stick POGO. I’m grateful for a man who quietly enables me to begin to anticipate my own South West Coast Path walk. I’m grateful for him entrusting me to God during my walk.