Gretna

Just relaxing and washing before dinner. Had a great Indian meal last night, and we plan to get back there tonight as from now on probably less choice in very small villages. We did our walk today, and have finally officially walked to Carlisle!! We were taxied back to Burgh by Sands to begin, and started later - about 11.15 - as the prediction was for better weather later in the morning and into the afternoon. As always the predictions were a little off, and the morning was fine, but so also is the afternoon, and at 4.30 it is still even sunny, so we had a good 13 km walk.

It was basically flat, though we did go up and down the river banks now and then, and there was a lot of walking through mud and boggy ground, and through fields avoiding the bogs and cow pads, so it was quite hard work some of the time. We are following the Hadrian’s Wall pathway signs which are black and white rather discreet acorns, not nearly as obvious as our Camino yellow arrows and scallop shells, or the red and white signs in France. We are training our brains and eyes to notice them...one mistake today took us down a particularly boggy path till we finally reached a field with a chained and padlocked gate and had to turn back. So we are getting vigilant!

But it was beautiful scenery, cows and fields and along the river into Carlisle. Tomorrow we finally leave this small city (small enough that we feel we now know it quite intimately!) and head off into smaller towns and villages for the next 6 days of walking, then we have 2 days walking through Newcastle upon Tyne where we finish.

This morning I did a really risky thing - I bought new walking shoes!! Amr suggested it, and it did seem the only solution to my rain sodden shoes, which were still wet this morning, and which were obviously no longer waterproof and would be wet the whole 10 days. I last used them in 2014 on the Coast to Coast and I think they have sat disintegrating in my cupboard since then. So I have to report that the risk paid off - got some great shoes on sale - £80 reduced to £40 - and I wore them all day and they were so comfortable and coped with the mud and puddles...phew...they are now truly worn in and no longer look pristine! Tomorrow and for the rest of our walking days rain is predicted...we know that this won’t necessarily mean that we walk in rain, but I am happy to have proper shoes that have a chance of keeping my feet dry.

Tomorrow is a 17 km walk (which probably means a bit longer), and I hope Carole and John won’t find it too long. They kayak and cycle but aren’t as intrepid walkers as we are. But today and yesterday were a good mild introduction to longer walks I hope.Read more