DAY 23 - WET WET WET - WHY ARE MY SUNDAYS ALWAYS WET?!

ROWLANDS GILL TO LANCHESTER

Slept very soundly right up until 8.30am but woke a bit dehydrated from my 1/2 marathon efforts yesterday!  As i already mentioned in yesterday's entry, (a bit ahead of myself!) the breakfast here at Burn View was wonderful - organic cereals, fresh large blueberries and raspberries, fresh juice, poached eggs and homemade bread! Just wonderful, along with Sundays papers ... the only thing putting a dampner on things was the rain outside! 

I delayed my start until 11am and then waterproofed up to my eyeballs, i set off up a very long hill on my 11 mile walk to Lanchester.  My backpack fet so heavy today and by 5 miles, i was completely soaked as the wind kept blowing my hood down and if i made it so tight the wind couldnt pull it down, it meant i couldnt see out properly!

Most of the wet route was along pavements until the last 3 miles when it disappeared and i was back to the mercy of the on coming drivers seeing my postbox coloured figure approaching.  For those motorists that i think were not going to pull wide around me, i had to step into the wet long grass verge but i considered soaking wet feet and boots a small price to pay for not being knocked down!

I eventually reached my small lane where my nights B and B was located and walked the 1/2 mile along until i reached Hamsteels Hall Farm.  It looks like a true working farm but i was warmly greeted by June and shown to my lovely 4 poster bedroom complete with ensuite shower and flatscreen TV!  It was only 2.45pm when i arrive but immediately i started ceasing up in my legs and back from the cold and the wetness of the day so i tookup her suggestion of using the bath along the hallway as there are no other guests tonight.

The old style bath was lovely and deep and lying in the hot water melted all my aches and shivers away!  I wrapped up in my PJ's straight after and couldnt believe that on this wet Sunday afternoon i was all ready for bed by 5pm!  I watched TV, read my magazines, heard about the children having their BBQ back home and then watched some more TV!  Heaven for a Sunday and all the while it just kept raining outside! Ugghhhh!

I also need to take this opportunity to say how great my Greepers Laces have been during my trip.  They are so easy to undo when i get to my destination and whether i have wet cold fingers or gloves on, i dont ever have to worry about undoing wet knots!! A truly great invention and i am sure they are super for kids too especially before they learn to do up laces!!  Thank you again Peter for letting me try these out - they have passed with flying colours and i have used them every day!