The 15 mile challenge

Can't say for sure that the stage from Combe Martin to Woolacombe is 15 miles (the book says 14.75 or something) because I forget to reset the GPS after a stop, but it felt like 25. Yesterday's walk is reputed to be one of the toughest on the path, but compared to today's, it seemed almost modest! I don't think I ever did so much upping and downing and so many stairs for such a distance. It took from 7:00 a.m. to about 3:00 with maybe a half hour stopping altogether. Much dramatic scenery, though.

Leaving Combe Martin, the water looked silver:




I just love this shade of blue:



Sometimes it is easy to miss a directional sign:



View from the bench where I stopped for lunch:



Others lunching with a friend:



or alone:




or for the third or fourth time, perhaps:



These were fire-engine red, but look more purply in this picture and maybe even prettier:



Despite the disconcerting sign, you go up anyway:



As elegant as was last night's lodging, so is tonight's, shall we say, casual. Meet Roger, the host:



Did you notice that he is not wearing shoes? He let me use the kitchen, though, to make a salmon sandwich, which was very nice of him.

Tomorrow's walk is longer than today's, but it supposedly has some stretches classified as "easy," but after today's classifications of "moderate" (?) and "strenuous" (here! here!) I am dubious!

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Location:Woolacombe