Sunday 24 July 2011

July 22

At the George Hotel, we stayed in the Chili Pepper room :)


...with an amazing rain shower head - so wonderful!  Showers are religious experiences after miles of walking.


To get back on track, we must find a bridge over the River Stour!  Let me see...


Goodbye, Shipston-on-Stour!  Lovely to meet you!  We really enjoyed the George Hotel.  The fish 'n' chips on "Fishy Thursday" were exquisite!



This is the beginning of Day 2 - I am headed for the first stile with the first marker on it, which you will see makes me very excited.




"Our old friend the River Stour down below us to right."


Day 2 - Today's walk takes us through the Cotwalds.  This is going to involve A LOT of climbing, unfortunately. :)
"Having turned right, off road, go straight across field following defined track..."


More cows!  I took this picture from OUTSIDE the pasture, which is where I prefer to be.



This information greeted us at many gates into large fields.



"Turn right at T-junction of roads by welcome bench.  Leave Willington and walk down road with care."  I think we will use the welcome bench to have a little snack.  I am enjoying the last of Bill's homemade cake.  He really made us wonderful lunches that we nibbled on for two days!  I was sad to eat the last of it, but I had to - everything was so yummy!  He even made us homemade peanut butter cookies (which are my favorite) using dried fruit and peanut butter chips.  Did I mention how much we love Bill and want to go back to Stratford to visit him?


The next three pictures show the first real climb we had to make.  "Go straight on up hill following bridleway waymark."




Here is the view from the top of the first hill.  What a climb!  Our legs will look fabulous after this!


Oh, we can see miles away from where we've come!  Is that Shipston?  I think so.



Looks inviting, doesn't it? 



"Through gate and go straight across yard."  Ummm, Karen.  Look up.  He's ready to ram us!  (She's laughing in the picture.)
*This was actually the highlight of the day.  We still laugh about it! :)


All the cows ran away from us in this pasture.  Smart cows.


They didn't mind being photographed, either.  You would not believe all the poo in Britain.  Lots of poo.




So much poo.



We came to the Cherington Arms, and we had to use the facilities because we were sure we wouldn't come across another inn during today's walk.



...so we stopped to enjoy a Pimm's!



Most of the stiles we encountered today required us to climb over them.  So we are climbing hills and fences today!  It caused us to get tired really fast.


This is the medieval-style Cherington Church, which is on the path.  We had just walked through the churchyard.




This is the view of Cherington (and other villages) from a high point later in the Walk.


Karen is hiking up yet another incline!  How many are there?  Still many more to come...


Look at the pretty forest!  Oh, we're going to go through the forest, are we?  Crap.


At the entrance to Whichford Wood, we found this warning...


Oh, well!  "Into the woods and through the trees to where I am expected, ma'am..."


No one I know would believe that I walked through so many wooded areas :)  Karen led the way here!


From inside Whichford Wood...




Yeah, we walked up that hill.


Sure, she looks sweet.  But there was a sign before we entered her pasture: do not feed the pony!  She bites!  She didn't approach the fence until after we had left her area.  Karen has video of me talking to her :)


"Where grassy track turns right veer very slightly left to go up large field on well-defined path..."


At the top of this particular hill, we were on the brink of death!  We stopped to have some lunch by some trees before continuing our journey.



What?  These crisps are make by a company called "Walkers"?


One final glimpse of the countryside that we have covered today before we arrive in Chipping Norton!


We stayed at the King's Arm's Hotel in Chipping Norton at the end of the day. Not the best choice - the bar was just below our room and we could FEEL the "club" music until 2am.  Then the drunk guys came upstairs and started running into walls and slamming doors.  We don't like them.

This is how we felt upon arrival.





The pedometer said: 14 miles; approx. 30,000 steps; approx. 1270 calories burned.  Yeah baby!
Total so far = 25 miles!  Awesome!

1 comment:

  1. The more I read of your adventures, the more I WANT TO DO THIS TOO!! (Well, except the man exposing himself part...glad you didn't encounter him, ha!)

    Another thing to put in your pocket? Bill, maker of yummy things. Thanks.

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