Fitbit stats total:
254,571 steps (Bloody hell that’s a lot!); 103.27 miles (Smashing job team!) and 26,527 calories burned. (Egad I can eat like a cow for DAYS!)
*Yes, you still need to read in a British accent. We will go back to Southern on Monday.*
Gear required: rucksack, treking poles, rain slicker , mobile, cap, water, mole skin for callouses, lunch, the Freshette (they really should contact me about being a spokesperson), and headphones.
Well, we really, really did it! I was doubtful as we were coming into the home stretch and honestly Frank and I had decided we would bag the last day with Ivy’s knee and all, but the Mountain Goat awoke from her slumber yesterday morning and said she was good to go. We got our bags ready and downstairs by 8 am for the LAST time, had our last English breakfast (I’ll be good if I don’t see one of these for a while to be quite honest.), and packed our rucksacks, put on our rain slickers and boots and headed out for the LAST leg of the Way.
I do need to let you know that Ivy is considering starting a trend in Athens next fall by using trekking poles to help her get around and promised me she was going to wear her rain gear to any football games when it’s raining. (Just kidding- she may have already thrown them away.) She and I did agree that we are both going to have a hard time walking without them after this.
It was a bit emotional for me today knowing this was it. The last lazy cow, the last shagged sheep, the last quaint Cotswold cottage, the last time Ivy and I would roll our eyes at each other when she proved Frank wrong on which direction we needed to go. She clearly has my sense of direction.
I won’t go into all we saw because it was quite similar to what you’ve already seen. But here are a few of yesterday’s highlights:
God really creates some amazing things, if I have learned anything from this experience it’s that we are so very small compared to all He has done.
“I love rain gear, yes I do, I love rain gear how ’bout you?!?”
“Wave your poles in the air like you just don’t care!”
Poppies are my new favorite flower.
Sock change. I can’t tell you the amount of muddy water she rang our of her socks when changing. Gross.
PLOT TWIST: Me lying on a bench trying to recover from some severe heart burn/chest pain. Clearly I am ok because I’m typing this so no one panic.
Me lying against a stone wall at the top of the LAST hill we would have to climb. (Frank and Ivy in background discussing our next move.)
God thing again.
Rounding the bend. You start to see Weston which is right next to Bath. You should know at this point I almost started to cry.
LAST gate….sigh.
“What the *#%!! You said that last hill was two miles back, Frank!!”
Sticks up and we are walking with a great deal of determination to get to Bath Abbey and not at all looking like weirdos with our hiking gear.
There-we made it. All the way from the circle in Chipping Campden to Bath.
So there you have it. There was no parade or fanfare, much to my disappointment, but there were three pair of very muddy and wet shoes and in them the feet that had carried us a very long way. (Yes, I’m considering having them bronzed.) Looking back (because I was in the back and always looking back) it was really just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other.
Signing off from the Way. L
PS- Of course the Mountain Goat won the Overall Best Hiker award. Did you think I’d give it to anyone else?
My Unorganized Life 