Normally I wouldn’t post a photo this blurry. But this is not normal. (Then again, I have never claimed to be particularly ‘normal’ and quite frankly am not sure what that means…).
The truth is, this photo makes me laugh out loud. I think that’s a good thing to happen. There is a dorky happiness to this photo that lines up with my ridiculous Easter egg outfit and yesterday’s obscene amount of rain that fell from the sky.
I missed one day of this walk and the tail end of the other due to my goofy right knee. But the rest of them slogged through the longest day of 28 kms so that, in spite of her multi-blistered feet, Yvonne Mounsey, along with Bruce Searle and Kevin Redl, bagged a total of 135 kms.
And yes, the weather was sometimes inclement (this is what’s known as an understatement).
But in spite of the rain, the mud-sucking boggy trail, innumerable stiles, slick cow patties the size of small islands and thick trails of nettles, we continued to stomp and stump our way to the finish.
Between the aforementioned torrents, there was a couple of days of blue ceilinged days with perfect puffy clouds, there were fabulous picnics under million-year old oaks and sheep that followed our every move. Through it all we laughed like children on a fortnight’s holiday in one of those olde English books from yesteryear.
Collectively we would recommend the Dales Way to anyone who’s ready to walk.
And walk.
And walk…
What a fine looking group of travellers – I’d give you a bowl of hot soup for your trouble any day.
Count me in on the soup Stacia! We had such a fine fine time tromping about and yukking it up with Yvonne and Bruce. We were all meant for that trail 🙂
It’s true Michele, I am able to find amazing coffee almost anywhere (except British hotel rooms and their preponderance of Nescafé with whitener…ugh). Then again, I seem to make that a daily quest; part of my travel rituals and probably a way of creating a little but of routine out of nothing but unknowns, which is – as you know so well – both the joy and the distress of travel.
Soaking wet but happy! Way to walk it!
Laughed our way through the whole boggy mess, Michele 🙂 Enjoy Puerto Escondido (where I believe the weather is a little warmer!)
You are a true hiker. Wet, but true. Congratulations!
Thanks Carol. Aside from the wonky knee, I really love these hikes. It’s amazing what distances you can cover and how different the landscape is from moment to moment.
Over hills, over dales,
You have tromped the soggy trails…
We have indeed, tripped, trapped, tromped and tramped. We have stepped, stomped, stumped and staggered. We saw swales, tarns, vales, meres, dales and hills. We stayed at an inn, guest-houses, a farmhouse, a B&B and hotels and most importantly, we had the full-on traditional English breakfast every single morning.