Still Strolling Along

Another easy day and only ten miles. It is hard to know how to break up this last section. The possible combinations are either too short or too long. Tomorrow Ian and Tanya go straight to Robin Hood's Bay, but I stop in Littlebeck.

After leaving the White Lion, we passed Fat Betty. I have no idea what this monument is for but here she is:




Can you see the candy wrappers near the top? Perhaps they were left by some rain soaked walkers as tribute to the sun god.

Isn't this a beautiful patch of heather?





And the color of morning glories is spectacular!





Tonight's B and B is plain but pleasant. It does have a breakfast room with a gorgeous view:





Tomorrow I hope to start out with Ian and Tanya. Then it will be just GyPSy (Get it? Arthur has been renamed; the new apt moniker is thanks to Mandy who, with John, took off on a long stretch two days ago), the map and me. I have so enjoyed the walk with Tanya and Ian. It will be hard to see them go.

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Hill and Dale

Yesterday, got up b and e in the a.m. so that I could backtrack to meet Tanya and Ian. Due to the early hour of departure, Chris, the jefe of the inn, offered to leave breakfast on tray outside my room. All I had to do was make coffee. How nice was that! To add to the perfection, the sun was shining.

The day's walk had lots of upping and downing through the Cleveland Hills, but it was not overly difficult. It was the kind of day that leaves you feeling invigorated but not exhausted. We came across a structure that I thought might be our B and B for the night:




It wasn't.

There was an oasis, though. About 2/3 of the way along, all of a sudden, from behind the trees, there appeared a large cafe. (Don't you love the name?)





You can see other walkers taking advantage of the offerings. A cold soda tasted delicious.

Shortly after our refreshment, came the infamous Wainstones. I swear they were bigger and badder in 2007, but never mind. You are supposed to go through them, but see that little path off to the left?





We took that instead. Fortunately, there was some sturdy, scrubby stuff to grab onto whilst skirting the edge, as the path was a bit, shall we say, high and on the narrow side.

Finally we arrived at Clay Bank, which is nothing other than an intersection with a name. A phone call to Dave, owner of our lodgings, got us a lift down to his farm. What an experience!

Dave: not a hippy, just a 64 year-old former construction worker with grey hair down to his shoulders, a blue cord around his forehead, wearing a black MTV T shirt, who talked non-stop, and drove a filthy car. He turned out to be well-meaning and kind, but at the time, who knew!

We walked into his farm house, which was decorated with all manner of stuff —some pieces quite beautiful—crammed all over the place. Warn sofas, huge coffee table littered with biscuits in open packages, scads of old newspapers and magazines thrown about, a bowl of sugar into which a spoon had been dipped many times leaving tea clumps behind, a couple of bananas, a huge TV set--"Ahhh, jest put yer boots anywhere," said Dave.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" "Yes, please." He disappeared into his, oy, kitchen; messy doesn't begin to describe it. One thing is for sure, the health department had not been around in quite some time. Amid the mess, there was no attempt to hide the bottles of booze in the middle of the table table.

Tanya leaned over and whispered, "Do you think it is safe?" She meant to drink the tea. Out came the tea in questionably clean cups, and Dave plopped down on the sofa to continue his tale about decorating the place and how he wanted it to look like a home and all. The scene, edging on the gothic, was only lacking guys, toting six packs, come to watch the game.

Up to our rooms. Here are two photos, but they don't do it justice:








There were three beds in my room; everything needed a good scrub. Who knows the last time the bathroom had been cleaned, but there were frayed towels a-plenty and extra lose rolls of toilet paper sitting atop an antique piece in the hall. The mix of the crass and the beautiful was beyond weird.

Dave was generous with the Kit Kats and shortbread cookies. "Jest help yourself to whatever you want." A filthy kettle was at the ready for hot drinks we might want to make.

Breakfast was more of the same--butter full of toast crumbs from who knows how many days of use, dirty dishes, but plenty to eat! Definitely an unforgettable experience.

Today's walk was short and through the moors. This is what the moors look like:




Just to make the point, here is a shot in the same spot, facing the other direction:




And here are Tanya and Ian navigating:




Don't they they look competent!

We arrived at the famous Lion Inn at Blakey Ridge by 1:00. This is my most expensive room en route because on weekends, singles pay full price and it seems that the price has doubled over the past year. The room is small:




While taking the photo, I was standing as far away from the bed as possible. The room is cheerful, though, has a wonderful tub and honest to goodness hot water to fill it. The heated towel rack works, so the laundry is almost dry. Amenities can compensate for a lot!

Off to the bar to socialize!


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Two easy days

Some people walk the 23 miles from Richmond to Ingleby Cross in one day. True, it is flat the whole way, but that is a lot of miles. Tanya, Ian, Mandy, and John and I broke it up into two days and we were all booked at the same B and B yesterday, only the B and B had overbooked, so Ian and Tanya had to spend the night elsewhere. The owners were very nice about it, invited them in for a lavish tea, and ferried them back and forth for dinner and again in the morning. (Let's face it, they had to!)

One does not complain about flat, easy days, but then on such days, the scenery is less than spectacular. Never mind, it was not raining, the company was great, and we all had a good time.

Everyone seems to have a kvetch of some sort. Mandy: a terrible cough, Ian: a bad back, Tanya with her broken arm and foot pain. Other walkers have blisters, "postman's heel" or some such. Yet, everyone soldiers on.
This is Mandy walking through a barley field, her shirt pinned onto her pack to dry. I love that she used real clothes pins!





Would you believe that rats do the coast to coast? No? Well here they are going over a style:










You can see how scared Tanya was:





Look at this fine bevy of beauties!






Everyone wants to get a turn:





C'mom Mandy, I know there is a yummy in your pack!





The two couples are at the B and B I stayed at last time, but I came to the adorable town of Osmotherly. This is what the houses look lie:














This is the first day it is warm enough to sit outside at 5:30--granted with a couple of sweaters and jackets, but what a treat. That I can pick up the wi-fi signal outside is an added bonus.

Tomorrow, early, I will backtrack to meet Ian and Tanya. Mandy and John are doing a 21 mile marathon, so our paths now diverge.

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The best B and B yet

Not that it is a big deal, but this post belongs before the next one. There was no wi-fi easily available for a couple of days, so I saved up the posts.


This morning's breakfast in Reeth was elegantly served. One large table set with blue and white linens, English china dishes with classic, floral patterns, all very pretty and inviting. The cereals were in huge ceramic bowls on a tiered stand; there was a crystal bowl filled with pineapple and grapes, and of course, the usual yogurts, juices and milk. These were the h'ors d'oeuvres for those who eat a "cooked breakfast." The coffee was for real and there was lots of it.

That was not the best B and B, though. Today's, in Richmond is, and well it should be, as it is also the most expensive. But hey, tomorrow is a rest day, so I really get to enjoy it.

It turns out that Tanya and Ian are staying here for two nights, also. Happy coincidence! They are out for dinner right now. I "ate in." (Sandwiches, chips and fruit from the grocery store.) Since this place is so comfortable, I decided to take advantage of the room and lounge to get sorted and to do some crossword puzzles. The one flaw: no wi-fi available, even though it is advertised.

The house that houses this B and B dates from the 17th century. If you can read this plaque, then you will know something of the history of it.

No, I guess you won't because I don't see the photo! Here is the story:

Mayor Willance was riding his horse in the fog, the horse went over a cliff, the mayor broke his leg and almost froze to death. He survived by sticking his leg into the carcass of his dead horse. The leg, which had to be amputated, was buried with him when, at a later date, he died. People around here are proud of that story, and here I am in his very house!

So what makes this B and B so special? It isn't fussy or fancy, but the room is spacious, as is the bathroom, which has a REAL shower that--excuse me--I have to reach over to the jar of cookies to get one--ummm, shortbread, very good. There is also a jar of candy, a bottle of water, and, of course, tea and coffee making facilities. The lighting is decent; that is a rarity. Big, comfortable, four-poster bed, an extra quilt in the wardrobe, pine desk with easy chair. There is a window seat with a red, velvet cushion. Ceiling is beamed. Overall, a quiet, warm, open feel to the room. No wonder I didn't want to go out!

Since I have been to Richmond before, I have a pretty good idea of how I want to spend the free day. No doubt, it will include walking, but without pack and boots. In fact, I intend to wear the yellow T shirt I snuck into the bag for just such an occasion. The weather should be fine.

Today's walk from Reeth was like from heaven! About twelve miles of gorgeousness in perfect weather. See the calf? She was very sweet!



See the bull? He was ferocious-looking!




I love this sign! It is posted inside every phone booth. I hope it is legible.






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Location:W End,,United Kingdom

Rest Day

It is a wise and fine thing to have a rest day. The yellow T shirt never made it down Market Street, the weather not being sunny and warm, but it was a day without rain, so who can complain?

This B and B is definitely at the top of the list of all the B and B's I have stayed in except maybe that off the charts one in Wales where the nobility came to hunt, the beds were so high off the floor you practically had to leap to get into them, the coverlets were satin, and alcohol, as much as you wanted, was free. That experience was like being plunked into a BBC Masterpiece Theater production during the era when the BBC had lots and lots of money to makes series such as The Pallisers.

(Alex A, are the paragraphs too long?!)

This place is more "normal." Details I omitted yesterday were of the towels, so fluffy and absorbent and large! And the four-poster bed has curtains, would you believe. Breakfast was lovely. Little dishes of different fruits set out, which I thought were for all the guests, but soon realized were for me, since the proprietress replenished them when I had finished. (The others had not yet come down.) Many garnishes for the cereals, scones and croissants, three kinds of jams, also set out in little dishes on the table along with little pats of butter. Little seems to be the idea here but should not be confused with scant. Hot milk with the coffee; it makes all the difference.

After exchanging the yellow T for the nano puff (my ever so favorite jacket), off I went to Easby Abbey, of which you can see there is not much left:



Henry the VIII stripped this abbey for funds, and executed the monks by many different terrible means, such as burning, hanging, drawing and quartering and so on to make an example of them lest other clerics, on the "wrong side" be so unwise as to resist the king's demand for their property.

Then came back to town to tour the Royal Georgian Theater, built in 1789 by Samuel Butler. I remember that it was 1789 because the guide repeated that date so often that is has become impressed in my memory like 1066. The tour was kind of like the backstage tour of the Met. Very interesting, indeed. Too bad that the next live production does not start until Wednesday. It would have been something to experience a play in a theatre so old--OK, it's been refurbished, but still.

The rest of the day was spent walking around and eating. In short, I did on the rest day what I do every other day--walk, eat, and rest, but in different proportions! Eating and resting---dare I use the word "relaxing"--got top priority today.

Some pretty sights in Richmond, The River Swale:




Walking along a path through flowers:






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The Low Road

Opened the curtains this morning, after a wonderful night's sleep, and what did I see? SUN for the first time in over a week! Now that was a thrill.

Left B and B, run by a very bossy lady, to meet my friends and to decide which route we would take from Keld to Reeth. The high route I did last time, the low route, along the Swale River is the recommended one and the one we took. What a perfectly lovely somewhere between thirteen and fifteen miles we walked today!

Picture-book pretty! Since I am not the greatest photographer, this is the only photo worth posting and it is not very good:



We crossed many styles, walked through many gates, each having its own peculiar way of latching, some of which are very narrow.

Tanya squeezing through:





My room at tonight's B and B is tiny, but there is a cheerful common room. Picked up a "tuna" sandwich (really just mayonnaise) from the shop attached to the post office, it being the only establishment selling such kind of fare open at 4:45 when we arrived. (That places close early in these parts is an understatement.) Added to said sandwich a yellow pepper, chips, and an apple, and called it dinner.

Upon arrival at the B and B, cake and tea were was served, so not feeling one bit deprived.

Best purchase so far, the only one, really, was that pair of gators, I think I mentioned, real ones, not silly little ones that tie on with a shoe lace, but the kind that go up to the knee and are waterproof. For those planning on doing this kind of walk, don't leave home without them.

Enjoying very much the dried apricots and walnuts brought from home. They are so delicious with good bread and butter. Hope to replenish supply in Richmond--tomorrow's destination and the next day's!

It is 8:30 p.m. and the sky still looks good. That unrelenting rain, day after day, was truly exhausting.

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Half Way There

The clouds thinned yesterday; good weather was predicted. Tanya and Ian,




again, graciously allowed me to accompany them up and over the Nine Standards, the infamously boggy section of the walk, which I wisely skipped in 2007 because of the rain. It was exciting to make a real attempt.

How bad was it? Ian's pole was eaten by the mud (he was able to retrieve it), I sunk into an invisible hole to above the knee and fell flat on my face into a stream. Tanya, despite her achiles tendon pain and broken arm (hidden from view in the photo) managed to get through the boggy traps unscathed. It was a marvel.

It must be said, though, that not for Ian, neither Tanya nor I, not to mention a few others, would have gotten by so easily. A shoulder, a pole, whatever it took, there he was at the ready to help. And here is is at the Nine Standards, on the throne of glory on his 67th birthday:





It was tough walking. Actually, we descended to the road sooner than was part of the official route, but didn't have the whatever-it-takes to go back up again to search in the bog for the remains of the "red track." We did well enough.

The Nine Standards are important enough to get their very own sign:





Speaking of signs, some help and others do not:





The Dales are James Herriot country, so you know that animals, large and not so large, rule in these parts. You can see how they live:




and a closer-up:




Having crossed the watershed, which separates the river flow from the Irish Sea to the North sea--maybe that is not expressed quite right, we are now officially more than half way to Robin Hood's Bay.

Kirkby Stephen

The sun did not come out today, but neither did the rain gear. Here is what my boots look like now:




A couple of days ago, shortly after I left the B and B to which I had been bumped (to my great good fortune), I met Tanya and Ian, an Australian couple with whom I have been walking:

I was going to import their picture, but I can't access photos other than today's and I have messed up this draft four times already, so again, pictures have to wait. OK, I canm but I don't have a good picture!


Tanya is walking with a broken arm that has been set with plate in it; she keeps her arm in a sling. I do not know how she does it. Another couple, Mandy and John have been part of the company too, for a couple of days, but we lost them today.

It's been great having this companionship! We hardly went "off course," but when that happens, it is beyond comforting to be with others.

Last night's B and B was positively luxurious! A spacious room, welcoming common area, gorgeous breakfast with fruit in every state fruit can be in: fresh, dried, and stewed. A great shower! The only problem was that the bed was miserably uncomfortable! What can you do!

Yesterday's town, Orton, boasts a chocolate shoppe, where we stopped for hot drinks, most especially delicious when you are freezing and wet. After we had sat for a bit, I bought some rocky road chocolates. Alas, they met a sad end. I forgot that I had put them in my raincoat pocket, so they ended up in the boiler room where all sopping gear goes to dry. Oh well.

Also regarding yesterday--we officially left the Lake District, which normally would have been sad, it being so beautiful and all, but the weather had turned the days there into a terrible trial.

In fact, a man who was guiding a formal group told us than in his six years of doing this work, this was the worst weather he had experienced in the Lakes, so you see, in hyperbole I am not indulging.

I love the Dales! Here are some baby animals we saw today:









Kirkby Stephen is the second biggest town on the route. It has a traffic light and a grocery store. Dinner was a sandwich, chips, some fine cherries and strawberries, and chocolate. It beats pub food after a while.

We actually walked more than fifteen miles today,but not having to climb mountains and deal with rain gear made it seem like less. Also, there is some sine-age (spelling corrector won't let me do it any other way) now that we are out of the Lakes:




Not loving this B and B but it does have wi-fi! It was one of those I had not chosen, but the proprietress did serve hot tea and a decent scone. The shower is barely a trickle and the toilet runs. Cooking odors pervade the halls, then again, on the plus side, one does not have to fight for a 7:30 a.m. breakfast.

Tomorrow's plans a bit iffy. Tanya's foot hurts, so it is not clear what the plan is. The walk is a big challenge in boggy terrain. It is the section I took the road last time.

I am writing this in a room with a TV on and loud; hard to concentrate.

Wait! I have a riddle (look both ways, chicky!):










Why did the chicken cross the road?





You'll gave to take my word for it: to poop! (Max will love it!)

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Location:Kirkby Stephen,United Kingdom

Only eight and a half miles!

Who would ever think that an eight and a half mile walk (walk is the British term for hike, so please do not confuse "walk" with, say, "walk in the park." In the pouring rain, with a climb of over two hours, a climb that goes straight up—and that is just for starters, it can be very very hard. Think of the movie The Mission. Remember the priest guy shlepping up the cliffs beside the falls? OK, so he had bare feet (maybe that made it easier, who knows), but all he was carrying was his flute. Set that scene in northern England in miserable conditions, and you will get the idea--maybe.

Three, young chappies from out of nowhere came to my aid a couple of times to help me over fast-flowing, deep streams. Then I met up with a group, whose leader was kind of enough to let me get in line during a particularly absurd climb, where no sane human being should go.

A little bit later, I bumped into a couple who had stayed at my B and B, and who had excellent navigating skills. I followed them. I collapsed in Grasmere. After an excellent latte in the same shoppe where I had had an excellent latte four years ago, I headed to Glenthorne House, the Quaker-run B and B. It was a gracious, cheerful place to stay. The nicest staff, the best drying facilities I have ever come across, and a cheerful sunroom wherein I drank two cups of tea, tea being served daily at 4:30 p.m. with a variety of cakes, while dozing at the same time.

That B and B, more of a lodge, really, had only three guests last night. Dinner is served there,too. So we ate together--two ladies there for yoga week, one of whom brought her own honey and crackers for breakfast, and I. (I am thinking that that is not a great sentance, but syntax is not my strong suit at the moment.) It was the first place where they made genuine coffee, as opposed to putting instant in a press. Extra stars for that.

Today, rain again, but a short walk to Patterdale, eight plus miles, but a walk with challenges, though not as severe as yesterday's As I was huffing an puffing during an early climb, i saw in the distance a man with a silver backpack. I could tell he was older. He kept stopping. The distance between us diminished. I caught up. He, too was exhausted from the previous two days' exertions in horrendous conditions. I thought, "Hmmm, my kinda guy." He could navigate!

I don't think he was thrilled to have me on his tail, but he finally accepted that i was not going away, and we began to chat amiably. He was really a very nice man to whom I was very grateful. He allowed me to express my thanks by my treating us to tea and scones in Patterdale.How we enjoyed relaxing in the Patterdale Hotel where it was warm and dry, even though we agreed that the scones were disappointing! For shame!

Oh--I never did report how angry I was that Sherpa (the booking company) changed my B and B for tonight. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The B and B they put me in is in a much better location than the one I had chosen, even if it is less luxurious, but these owners could not be nicer.

Not only do I have wi-fi here--not available in town--but, not wanting to go to the not-so-hot local pub for dinner, I asked the owner if they made packed lunches. (Most do.) "Yes, of course." "By any chance, may I get a packed lunch but for dinner, instead?" "Sure!" Not only did Hazel (the proprietess) prepare a tuna sandwich, chips, and salad (you would not get salad in a packed lunch), she added a bowl of soup.

In all B and B bedrooms, there are tea and coffee-making facilites. Here there is Cadvury's hot chocolate mix. It is divine!

You may be wondering, "If the walk is so damn hard, why did I decide to do it again?" It didn't rain last time, at least not in the Lake District where the walking is the most difficult and where there is NO. and I mean NO, sineage. The weather makes all the difference. Not exactly all. Walking with friends, meeting up with strangers who are kind and helpful makes it possible.

Tomorrow I can get a really early start 'cause I am very close to where the path picks up, so my strategy of waiting for someone to come along in case of difficulty is sure to be effective, yet again!

It is raining lightly now, but who knows, maybe the sun really will come out tommorow!

Ruth, Paul, and Nina

It was wonderful to meet up with Ruth and Paul again, friends who have met me annually for a day's walk, and this year Nina, who was also on the Tour de Mont Blanc, joined us. After an early dinner, we went to our separate B and B's for a good night's sleep before the next day's seventeen plus mile walk to Stonethwaite.

It was P O U R I N G the next morning, and little did we know that in such weather, one is supposed to take path that hugs the north side of Lake Ennerdale, not the more scenic south path—we are talking five miles of path here. It was very hard going.


Tried to upload image to illustrate the ten-foot (or more) wide rushing, DEEP streams we had to cross; waterfalls, really. Several. The worst one was the first. Paul tossed his pack across, and then made it across, himself. The others managed in like manner, I needed help. I could not have done it alone. Had I been alone, I would have turned back. Water gushed over the tops ove everypne's boots, which meant that it was squish squish squish walking for the rest of the day. It also meant that your boots, absolutely saturated, weighed a whole lot. Snow-Seal does not deal with situations such as this.

All day, it poured, it drizzled, it sleeted, it blew; The walking was was wet and rocky, and there was a lot of climbing. It was exhausting. Let's put it this way: the above mentioned Nina, who, the morning after spraining her ankle, hiked in the Alps, declared the day to have been a challenge. There is no hyperbole here.

Our reward was a fantastic dinner at the Langstrath in Stonthwaite. I was too wiped out to enjoy it to the fullest, even though being with these special friends is such a treat.

Very sad that I still cannot get pictures to load. Please come back at the end of August when all such technical difficulties will be solved, and you will be able to read the new and improved version. I think I will stop complaining about the pics thing until IT help comes!

Arrive at Ennerdale

I am still trying to get photos into the blurbs. Hmmm, let's see if it works when not in "edit" mode. No, it does not. I have tried everything I can think of. Waiting for further technical support. Thing is, since I did it once, one would think that I could do it again; simply cannot figure out the problem.

Today was a perfect walking day; weather San Francisco-like, but now it is raining. Tomorrow is the most gorgeous of all the gorgeous days of the route, but the forecast, alas, is not good. At least I will have the company of Ruth and Paul, and this year, also Nina, who will be joining us--all from Tour de Mont Blanc walk three years ago.

Logged 11 1/2 miles today; it felt like a lot. Clearly, I am not 100% yet, but it was such a pretty day and I am so sad that I cannot do a running photo narrative. I took pictures with that in mind. Maybe I will get that figured out soon.

I got "off track" a couple of times, but never badly. Isn't it great to be able to catch your mistakes early?! A guy who was staying at my B and B was starting out today using two sets of waypoints!


One is not supposed to check in to B and B's before 4:00 p.m., but I arrived at mine at 2:30 and fortunately, the proprietress did allow me to come in and get settled. A delicious pice of cake was waiting in my room. It was perfect with a cup of tea.

Short post today unless I get back early from dinner and figure out the photo thing! Nahh, if I get back early, I am going to bed!

St. Bees and First Day

It turns out that the lost post was not lost at all, but was in draft mode, but now it is not necessary.  Finding it, though, was a good boost for my still primitive IT skills.

Anyway, had a gorgeous day yesterday.  Perfect weather, walked along beach at low tide, and started to get sorted, a process still in process.  Abbey Farm House (too lazy to do links) is a super nice B and B. When I can add photos, you'll be able to see the bathroom, for example.  Apparently, computer too slow for picture adding, said Steve, the owner.  Oh, and can't get wi fi on on my iPad--at least not here.

Today, perfect weather again and the official start to the walk.  I got "off trail" once or twice, but quickly realized my errors and got righted again.  "If  it doesn't make sense, it is probably wrong!"  For those who care, and that means only one person--maybe-- that is Ben Foster's view of translation. The things we remember! 

This is such a gorgeous walk.  I had forgotten just how beautiful it is.  Of course, having basic competence with the GPS helps. I hiked ten miles today with a less than full pack and then, after returning to St Bees, walked another four or so.  Now at about 90% recovery from shingles.

No memorable meals to report --had a way to rich "mushroom wellington" last night--that is a concoction of lots of  onions sauteed in lots of oil, and a hidden mushroom in a pie crust. It was garnisihed with a sprig of letuce. You would not believe how many dishes here are "pies." They are a national staple.  I did discover a new Cadbury candy bar with peanuts, caramel and raisons.  Yum!  But I am still sulking that Kraft bought out Cadbury.

I thought I would dine on the beach tonight, so bought a chicken sandwich at the post office--the post office doubles as the general store in many towns, but one bite and I thought, uuhhh, no, so off to local bistro, which is at the train station (honest) where I hope the fare will be superior to last night's.

By the way, at 10:30 p.m. it is still light out!  Makes it kind of hard to go to bed!

Tomorrow, the second part of the first leg and arrival at Ennerdale.  Probably no more posts for a few days.

Arrived

Technical skills still seem to be wanting!  Yesterday wrote about the trip over, but maybe, mercifully for ya'll, there was no "Post" option when I was done.  Should that happen again, I shall e-mail to Alex, who will be good to her mama and post for me. 

In a nutshell, the trip over was completely and wonderfully uneventful.  The plane pulled away from the gate on time and landed on time!  Having ingested a fast-acting soporific upon being seated, I slept or dozed the whole way.  It makes all the difference!

Immigration line in Heathrow a stunning reminder of the huge variety of humanity that inhabits our world. Just looking at the different hairdos keeps one occupied until the nice lady asks questions, the answers to which will determine whether you can pass GO or not!  Unlike the Verizon lady whose security question was "What is your favorite song?" This lady asked, when told I was doing the Coast to Coast walk, "Where do you start and where do you end?"  I was wondering if she had been trained in Israel.

Speaking of Israel, there, when you ask for directions, the askee points and says, "That way." Here, it seems that the stock answer is, "Just 'round the corner!"  The corner in a station? Which corner?  A 90 degree turn or a gentle 60 degrees? 

Caught train  to Carlisle by a hair; I mean the doors were closing.  This is because you try to find platform 16 in Paddington Station so that you can catch the very S L O W  underground to Euston Underground Station and from there wend your way to Euston Train Station, at which place you must get your ticket validated. One person says "Take the escalator up."  Another says "Take the escalator down."  And there you are running hither and thither with back pack and shlepping suitcase until you finally find the yellow and pink line on the floor that leads you there. 

Oh well.  Met two jolly men on the final leg of the journey.  They were on their way to pick up mobile homes and drive them back down south to sell them.  It's a lliving!

Going to try to post this and then continue. 

Trying to Get Ready!

Still struggling with mechanics but let's go on to FAQ's OK so these are not REAL FAQ's, they are fictive, but aren't most of them? The difference is that the point of REAL FAQ's is to say to the reader, "Go away and don't bother us. You can find out what you want to know from reading this information."

I am not trying to do that. I am trying to be clever, but, c'mon, it is not that clever. I would be much more impressed with myself if I could use all the formatting niceties.

1) How Do you prepare for such a walk? (That was supposed to be in blue, but I think I did not accomplish that.)

I walked with weights around my wrists and ankles (about 9 pounds) for two plus hours or jogged for an hour and a bit every day and also tried to do the Nordic Track in the evening, which is not all that difficult if you are compulsive and you lead a life that has few social demands!

But any mishegas will suffice so long as you know you can do the mileage each day. (Whoops, if I did get the blue for the question, then the whole answer will be blue and that was not supposed to happen!)

2) How Far in Advance Did you Make Your Reservations?

In November, would you believe? That is because it is difficult for a single person to get a room. It is as simple as that--especially on weekends and more especially on weekends in the Lake District.

It can work both ways, though. Sometimes you are put in a closet; sometimes, if the B and B is not busy, you will be upgraded to a palatial room.

3) Why Are You Doing This?

I love walking and being outside, no matter the weather, and I am a little bit crazy.

3b) Couldn't You Go With a Group?

Yes. But that is a whole other story.

4) Do You Have To Carry Everything With You? (I have given up on trying to put the questions in blue.)

I am not THAT crazy! It is enough to carry a pack with rain jacket, rain pants, a fleece and wind shirt, two liters of water, food and other sundry items--like let us not forget the GPS.

5) Who Takes the Rest of Your Stuff?

A shlepping service! They charge per bag per day.

6) What Are The Most Important Items To Take?

So glad you asked! Boots and socks and your pack.




Oh, look! I finally imported a picture! See the pretty leather boots, all shiny with Snow-Seal (no time for link)? Switched from gortex to leather a couple of years ago because it is easier to waterproof leather.

Now let me say this about socks: Expect to pay for good ones and if you do not, you will pay in blisters. OK?

Which pack?











Look at that! Two pictures! Wow!

BIG DECISION. The green, lightweight, women's XS, Gregory Arreba, a real find four years ago, or the Osprey Youth with the external frame, but seven ounces heavier?

Serious consultation arranged with friend, Jerry Anne. All pros and cons considered carefully. Osprey won.

Why? Its back length can be adjusted, thus taking weight off shoulders and relieving pain in shoulder and arm--one hopes!

Almost time to leave for airport! Sandwiches packed, passport, tickets and other essentials in their proper places. Anxiety level appropriately high!
Oh, and most important, shingles induced exhaustion definitely on the wane!










































- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:New Haven CT

How is this walk different?

How is this walk different from all other walks? On all other walks I went either alone or with a friend; on this walk I am going alone, so it is not different in that way.

On all other walks, I agonized for some time over what to take; on this walk, I agonized, too, but not so much except over the backpack, about which more some other time, so this is more or less the same.

On all other walks, I set the itinerary, including rest days, but had a full service company choose and book the B and B's. For this walk, I chose the B and B's myself—very much fun—paying Sherpa Van Service (hmmm, can't figure out how to insert link, will have to consult with IT support team--Michael, are you there?) a flat fee to make the reservations. It remains to be seen whether my choices prove to be superior.

I did not get all my requests, like, for example, the Quaker place in Grasmere. About that one I am not whining, and, in fact, am kind of curious and interested to commune with Friends for a night so long as I don't have to pray at meals or anything.

On all other walks, I did not take a camera; this time I have one in hand, hope I can use it, and can transfer pictures—or must one say "pics"
these days—to this blog, which is also, whoa, a brand new undertaking, most intimidating.

On all other walks, I did not have a sack full of adaptors, cords, connectors and whatnot to service said camera, recently acquired iPad (so excited about that) and cell phone, but on this walk, I do. (Just tried to import picture; failed! Need more IT support.)

Sadly, I cannot take advantage of 3G since it apparently goes into bankrupt mode when activated overseas, and who wants that?

On all other walks, I took only two tee shirts for day wear—not to worry, Marjorie, I do laundry every day—and one outfit for evening; on this walk, I added a third shirt for day wear and one extra, long-sleeved garment for evening, rounding out my wardrobe to a new level of chic.

Well, that is it for this post; I learned what I cannot yet do using the blogging app. The Getting Ready chapter will have to wait. All in good time!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Still in New Haven, CT, USA

Background to 2011 C2C

Four years ago, in the summer of 2007, I set off to walk the Coast to Coast in the usual direction from the Irish Sea to the North Sea.  There would be nothing remarkable about this—lots and lots of people do the almost two-hundred mile walk every year—except for my being a most unlikely soloist for such an adventure.

I failed gym in high school, paid a fine not to take it in college, have a such a poor sense of direction that sometimes I have to stop and think about "right" and "left," am useless with a topographic map, and, at the time, had not used a hand-held GPS.  Oh, and I was sixty-four years old.  

I did try to join a group, but the groups were full, so on a crazy whim I decided to go alone.  Why? The very names St Bees and Robin Hood's Bay,  were as irresistible to me as were the sirens' call to Ulysses. And, since there was no one to tie me to a mast,  I had to go and that was that.

People ask, "Weren't you bored?  What did you do all day?"

No, I was not bored, not for a second.  I spent every step terrified that I might, at that very moment, be lost, or that I was about to get lost, which did happen plenty of times, making me even more anxious, and the total distance well over two hundred miles.

But with the experience of days, my skill with the GPS improved to the point where the little device became a genuinely useful instrument.  It helped beyond measure that my daughter, Alex, had found  Wainwright's Coast to Coast 514 waypoints   Needless to say, will be using them again this year.

Although I walked alone most of the time,  I met people along the way with whom I occasionally teamed up, sometimes for a couple of hours, sometimes for a day or two, and every afternoon's arrival at the B and B was a sweet victory.

The scenery was gorgeous—lakes, dales, moors, and then there were the sheep, the low, grey, stone walls that go on forever, wild flowers, and tiny villages.  All of it I loved.

The following summer, with a friend, I did the Tour de Mont Blanc, in 2009, Offa's Dyke, alone; last summer, again with a friend, the Pembrokeshire Coast National Trail. I decided to repeat the Coast to Coast because the variety of scenery makes it a truly great walk.  Besides,  I wanted to see what it would be like to do it now that I am, one could say, a bit more seasoned.

That, in brief, is the back story.  In a few days, I will post the first real chapter, "Getting Ready."  Once I arrive, on July 13,  whenever I can get wi-fi and have energy and time to spare, I will write about my adventures, from a "mature" point of view, you understand.  Please visit and comment.  I will welcome the company.