Headlines
Breakfast: the Australian connection
Escarpments and Teashop and Diversion to Lunch by the Golf Course
Ewes, Lambs, Cows, Calves, a Foal and One Bull
Deb says: Don't forget the icecream van !
Is This the Way to Brighton?
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Stream of Consciousness
Breakfast: the Australian connection
For today the itinerary shows a comfortable 21 kilometre hike. No need to rush. We can relax over breakfast.
I try smoked haddock in creamy sauce... The haddock tastes like kipper, the sauce goes well with it, makes it less strong. I wouldn't choose it often but more often than kipper.
There's a toaster -- with see-through sides! Brilliant ! As the toast cooks you can actualy see what colour it is -- and stop if it gets too brown. Imaginix, or some such brand. I (unsuccessfully) try to remember the name...
The hosts have been to Australia. Driven west to east and north on a motorbike. Did he say 34,000 miles or kilometres?! Took a year. Plan to do it again and get a bit further north in the Northwest.
We chat a while, exchanging wild stories of travel in Australia. Head off at a leisurely pace... Have you noticed the references to not needing to hurry? Ha :-(
Escarpments and Teashop and Diversion to Lunch by the Golf Course
Today, the weather is clearing. There's still mist but further away. To me, the mist looks brown... I think, looks more like smog blowing in from London. Whatever, we can see some views :-)
We are walking on the Downs. To the south, from what we can see, the Downs roll away towards the sea. To the north there's a sudden drop, then a lot of flatland with hills in the far distance. The drop is "escarpment". Such as Fulking Escarpment... enough said :-)
Our packed lunch (from the b&b) is enormous! Little packets of snacks, chocolate bar, drink -- and two rounds of sandwiches. More that we can possibly eat. So, of course, there are places to buy food on the track...
Saddlescombe Farm is now National Trust. There's accommodation, I think there's a restaurant. There is the Hikers Rest Tea Shop, an attractive woman serving from a caravan in a courtyard of the farm. (Deb says, The English do love their tea shops!) We stop for a drink. Deb can't resist a "Chocaholic Icecream".
We walk through Pyecombe. It's one of the rare occasions where the walk actually passes through a village (or the edge of a village). I guess that's the thing about a "planned" walk, it will be taken away from busy areas. As opposed to the Spanish Camino which goes through the middle of every village near its path. The original pilgrims needed the villages for shelter and supplies.
Just past Pyecombe. the guide book shows that we go up a hill and past the golf course. As we start up the hill, a hiker and a cyclist come down... There is a diversion, they tell us! Sure enough, we backtrack a hundred metres or so and see the signs -- which we had completely missed on the way past! Hang them over the signs that point to South Downs Way, I thought, We saw those signs!
We follow the diversion. Down the hill a short way. Across a busy road. Through a gate and along a muddy track. Then a gentle climb up a grassy path, with a view over crops and the golf course...
At the top of that track, with a beautiful view over crops and golf course. Sun is shining, we are sheltered from the wind by a hedge. We eat a very pleasant lunch :-)
Lunch! Little packs of biscuits, chocolate, chips, fruit, drink -- and two rounds of sandwiches. We could only eat one round. (Each, that is !)
There are, as usual, ewes and lambs, cows and calves. One paddock is especially full of cows and calves. Deb is a bit nervous: a recent Bill Bryson book spoke of people being killed by cows. We walk within a couple of metres of cows. Some look, most ignore us. Right at the end of the paddock... one cow is a bull ! We allow him three or four metres clearance. He is busy sniffing a particular cow. A calf is watching them, rather bemused.
Further on, there are lots of horses. In separate paddocks, we can't walk close to them. In one enclosed yard -- there is a foal ! Still young, still gangly, still cute :-)
We walk down a long farm track. Reach the bottom, cross a sealed road. Now there's a gate to open... I try, and fail. It's a very solid gate so I climb over. Before Deb climbs, a young man comes over and opens the gate for her... The catch slides... I hadn't thought of trying that !
The man says something about cars at the other end of the track that we are now starting up. Cars? Turns out, he really said, Cows.
At the start of this track is a slurry pond... where all the cowshed waste is stored. Now that would be a challenge for bog snorkellers !!
At the top of this track we turn left. And the young man -- still 100m away at the start of the track, starts calling out... Must be something like, "Here cow cow cow!" Because slowly -- very slowly, after many calls -- the cows in the paddock at the top of the track... start to amble out of their paddock, onto the land. Then on and into the milking shed, presumably. Very clever :-)
Walking down a dry slope. I stop to adjust my shoe laces. And find that I can't ! The laces simply won't slide, to pull tighter ! I work out what's happened: the shoes and laces were wet with chalk-infused Downs puddles, the water dried, the chalk remains -- and chalk on the laces stops them from sliding smoothly !
Later: The shoe laces now operate as expected. My interpretation is, the chalk has been knocked or rubbed off.
Deb says: Don't forget the icecream van !
Another sign that we have an extra large packed lunch today: there is an icecream van ! Pity we don't need an icecream. We have an icecream.
Is This the Way to Brighton?
And now... it all starts to go wrong :-(
Remember at the start of the day, a "comfortable 21km hike" ? Well... It's more than that... We pass 21km and there is no sign of the end. (And yes, we are on the right path!) It's obviously a misprint in our itinerary. Unfortunately my mind was set for a relaxed 21km... I get tense.
Luckily Deb does not get tense when she's tired! Deb continues to navigate. I continue to mumble and grumble.
We meet a couple of hikers who ask, Which way is Brighton? We all agree on a rough direction. (I agree but maintain a sullen silence.)
It seems that this couple left Kingston with the advice, You can get to Brighton by following the footpaths, it'll take about an hour. They have already been walking about an hour. Best estimate is, they have another few hours -- three or four -- to go. If they can find footpaths in the correct direction.
I think, if they backtrack us along the South Downs Way for almost an hour they will reach a road, They can phone a taxi to pick them up there. I don't suggest this, it would possibly depress them...
Good luck, we think as they leave. Must read the next few days' papers, looking out for stories of lost hikers...
And finally... we reach the Juggs Inn (at the bottom of Juggs Road, just past Juggs Barn). From here -- as arranged by the tour organiser -- we phone a taxi. Quarter of an hour later, we are off to Lewes (pronounced lew-es, very soft e), to our b&b. Where we collapse.
It's about 6:30pm. We've walked 37 km -- a record. In a bit over eight and a half hours. Would have been better if we'd (well, if I'd) known to expect a very long day's walk.
Dinner in the nearest pub, the Snow Drop Inn. Old building, nicely done up. I order lamb stew... If I'd read more carefully I would have realised that "tajine" implies the sort of spices and meal that I don't like. This one is of that sort but quite nice :-)
Home. Collapse. Sleep...
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Dr Nick Lethbridge / Agamedes Consulting
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"I feel that my enemy is anyone who would, given the power to do so, restrict individual liberty." … Chuck Pratt, 1965
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