The nerves settling, I set out from my cosy hideaway wearing my favourite tee shirt and shorts, and had my jumper and coat in readiness. The rain was hanging off,and the wind relatively calm. It was cold, but with my back pack on, it didn’t take long to warm up. After a half a mile walking flat, and the ocean in view,the landscape changed dramatically. Now I’m walking up the headlands on a sticky wicket from all the rain. Thanks to my walking poles and one step at a time I managed not to fall. The steeper it got, the slippier it became. It still was a lovely wooded walk. When reaching the top, it opened up. The signage was poor, and so I did take some wrong turns. With the help of locals walking their dogs, I was fortunate to always find my way back to the path. After three hours, I saw a bench and enjoyed a rest and a brew from my flask. Phone reception was poor as I tried to contact Emily. I marched on through all the gorse bushes before finally descending back down, also a slippery and tricky track. The drop off on my right side reminded me to take lots of care. The last hour, safely back on the coast, was nice, as by now,I was starting to feel sore and lethargic.I found my accommodation, dropped off my pack, then walked to Port lock weir along the beach. The gibbers made it difficult to walk. When I reached my destination, I was hoping to catch a bus back to my accommodation, however, the next bus wasn’t for another one and a half hours, so I walked back along the narrow country road. Tomorrow morning, I will bus it back to my starting point. The reason I did this, firstly, there will be a high tide in the morning, and the beach will be inaccessible. The second reason, tomorrow’s a longer stretch, so now I don’t have to do that tricky beach part. After a nice hot shower, and a pub meal, which was opposite my accommodation, I was ready to stack some zeds.
The beginning. Looks shiny, no, it’s raining. I don’t mind the rain too much. It’s the freezing cold wind I don’t like. I took that photo yesterday. Today when I start walking I hope it won’t be shiny. I’m starting to feel better. I have two more days of taking my dose of antibiotics. I’ll walk today and see how I go. Can’t sit around for ever. I’m heading to Portlock weir. Supposed to be an easy walk. They don’t want to kill you just yet. I had a steam train ride yesterday. That kept me out of the wind and rain. Today is forecast for little or no rain. One can only hope. I will have a big english breakfast today, a good heart starter. I’m sort of relaxed, but also a bit anxious. I’ve never walked 1100 kilometres, and I’m on my own missing family. I know once I start, I will settle into the groove. I remember a couple of years ago, I started walking after a day of being cleared of covid and was kicking arse on all eight cylinders within a week. I’m hoping that will happen this time. Might rug up. I will carry my pack. If I find I’m not well enough, I can use a delivery service. I’ve given myself the best opportunity, by resting and staying off the booze. Now it’s time. Cheers
Last week Emily and I had a fun week. After picking up the hire car from Paddington, we had to leave London without going through central London, otherwise you get charged fifteen pounds for the privilege. It’s called congestion tax. Pity if you’re a tradie or delivering something. I guess you would pass it on. Oh!and if you drive an older vehicle, you pay an extra twelve pounds and fifty pence daily for ULEZ. What’s that you’re asking me,ultra low emission zone. Don’t tell anyone, I’d hate the city councils in Australia to find out. I actually met an Irish man called Patrick, true story, who bought a 2010 Mazda. A beautiful car,but he can’t afford to drive it anywhere. Even in Bristol, which is not really a big city charges the same taxes. So I guess they do it in all the cities. Bristol was only nine pounds. Public transport is a cheaper option. However, it is also quite expensive. Two pounds for each bus ride. You need to catch a few to get across town. There is no shortage of those big red double deckers. There must be thousands of them. You can see up to 10 or 12 at any given time when you’re at a large roundabout. Any way, getting back to our road trip, we took a while to escape the busy roads of London, and it was blissful to be driving along country roads and driving through all the villages to Stratford upon Avon. Along the way we stopped at the fox inn and had a pub lunch. We had parsnip soup. I’d never had it before. Really nice, with a roast meat sandwich. The funny part was, the fox inn was connected to the fox house. I pulled up,got out of the car,opened the door, and as I walked in,this poor pommy man shit himself, wondering why some Aussie rat bag came barging into his house. When I realised, I said, sorry mate, and Emily and I closed his door and went next door. We got to Stratford later in the day,checked in and walked for 10 minutes,and ended up at the dirty duck. Met up with Jessica, who Gayle and I met 38 years ago when she was a beautiful young lady. She still is, just a teeny bit older, like the rest of us. The next day Em and I went to jess’s house and here partner John joined us for a walk through the meadows and along the canal. We then had lovely leek and potato home made soup and sandwich at Jessica’s cottage for lunch. A rest in the afternoon for poor old me while Emily and Jessica played scrabble. Later that night,we all went to the theatre, after a couple of pints at the dirty duck. As you would. The next day Emily and I left Stratford and headed to Cambridge. We stopped at some amazing places along the way. Again that night, had a pint,and pizza for dinner. We left early the next morning, and joined the morning rush hours back to London town. The first 80 kilometres took an hour, the last 10 kilometres took more than an hour. Never mind, we had a fun time. The last few days before me catching a train to Bristol and onto Minehead were interesting. I don’t think I have enough time to tell you, but, keeping a long story short, the plumber came a couple of times to tend to the new washing machine, that keeps flooding the pizza shop below Emily’s unit. Then Emily had to ring the fire brigade as some clown living in the basement below the pizza shop, must have been burning tyres, as the pizza shop and the unit were choking in an insipid smell and smoke .I felt sorry for the pizza shop owner, as he was copping it from up above and below. Also, the cough I haven’t been able to shake, Emily got me to see the doctor. With the cold weather, I have a lung infection, so hopefully a bout of antibiotics will sort that out. After reluctantly hugging my beautiful daughter good bye, I caught the bus to Bristol. Met some great guys in the place I was staying. Two poms and an Irish man. They love their grog. I decided to start my antibiotics yesterday, so I don’t want to drink any alcohol. I’m going to look like a dickhead sitting in a pub,without a drink. I now have made it Minehead, the starting point of my eleven hundred kilometres. I hope I’m feeling well enough to start on Wednesday.
Follow the red line. Hopefully you can zoom it in. Starting in Minehead, finish in Poole. Jessica, and Stratford.
Leaving home at 7am and catching the train from Caboolture to Eagle Junction,the connecting train to the airport was cancelled. A half hour later and the next one running late, I’m thinking, I should have caught an uber. Half the price and I would be there now. Lucky I left early. Arrived at the airport, and 90 minutes later cleared through passport, security, etc, on my way to the airport gate. A forty minute delay and at 11.40 am, finally on my way to Shanghai. As the plane was only 70 percent full, I had plenty of elbow space. Really good flight. Only problem,most of the entertainment was in Chinese. Not much English options.Also,I can’t listen to Michael Buble type of music for 12 hours.The food was good, maybe just good. Arrived in Shanghai, starting to feel tired, and now I have a 6 hour wait, with delay 6 and a half. The next leg is fully booked ,and the pork and rice looks like what those poor blokes were getting fed on the Burmese railway back in 1943. Never mind, I can handle anything if it’s over a 1000 dollars less and it’s over in 32 hours. Made it to London, security, pass port control,etc,took all of 5 minutes. Bought a pommy sim,and let the adventure begin. Our daughter Emily texted which trains and bus to catch, so now 7.30 am again, feeling knackered by 8.30,I’m hugging one of my beautiful girls on Harrow Rd Maida Hill in London. Only problem now, I need to entertain myself without falling asleep for another 12 hours, to get my body into the new time zone. And guess what?I brought blue skies with me. London has had a miserable winter and start to Spring. Not today, 9am and it’s already 10 degrees. If the sun stays out, it could hit 12. What’s that you’re saying?I’m excited?Ken oath I am. Last week was like 4 and rain. Emily and I walked all through the suburbs of Bayswater, Paddington, Hyde Park for hours. But by 3pm and I’d been awake for what felt like 3 weeks, I succumbed to an hours very deep nap. After that, Emily had to catch up with a friend, so I went to Angie’s house, The local Irish pub. I enjoyed it that much, I’ve been back more than once. The last couple of days we have walked a lot, caught tubes and red buses, tube is underground rail for the not so travelled reader. Found brilliant street food at Notting Hill markets and just chilling out,literally. Today, Sunday, much the same. Next week we will hire a car and head to Stratford Upon Avon, where Shakespeare was born. We’ll visit friends and take the country byways back to London town before I make my way south for my trek known as the south West coast path.
HANKS TRAVEL BLOG 