Distance Walked: 27km, Time Taken: 7h 30m, Avg Walking Speed: 3.6km/h
Official distance only again as it rained on and off all day. When it wasn't raining, it was drizzling. Miserable weather. Walked the whole way with the Geordie boys, Dave and David. We all agreed it was definitely a day for walking in company. If you were on your own it would just be too easy to give up. A group of 4 other walkers at the Tormarton B&B (last stop before Bath) were talking about taking the bus. The Davids were deeply scornful.
We didn't stop anywhere, just walked nonstop. I had planned to stop at the pub at Cold Ashton but we got there at 11:40am and it didn't open until midday. Didn't fancy sitting around in the cold and wet waiting for it to open, so pressed on. Ate two chocolates and a packet of rather nasty biscuits around 3pm but wasn't really hungry. My blood sugar regulation has greatly improved.
The only event on the walk was when I was herded through a field by a bunch of rather stroppy cows. It was quite creepy. They were all over the path but moved out of the way as I walked down it. However, they then turned and followed me in an increasing crowd. I didn't, quite, sprint to the gate at the end of the field but I certainly picked up my pace.
The breakfast at the B&B was OK except that the coffee was instant. In their defence, they made no attempt to pretend otherwise. The landlord was Italian too. He should have known better. They really don't understand coffee here. When I complained to the Geordie boys they asked me with genuine curiosity if I could really tell the difference.
Staggered into Bath about 4:30pm in a down pour so didn't take a picture of the Abbey to mark the end of the trip. Didn't take a picture of the Geordie boys either which was a shame. We were so cold and wet and stiff and sore we just wanted to get indoors, so we hastily said goodbye and parted. A bit of shame. Bath looks like a lovely city, even in the rain.
The B&B here is quite nice. My room is way up in the attic of a 3 storey Victorian terrace house, which is hard on my poor knees, but it is a light and spacious room. Only a shower though. Slept well but there is a lot of noise from adjoining rooms. Below is a photo of my room. The only picture I took all day.
Had planned to buy some junk food from a nearby 7-Eleven and just hole up in my room for the rest of the day. The Contours instruction said there was a small supermarket/newsagent near the B&B. Well, there had been, but it is deserted and boarded up now. Contours doesn't revise their notes very often clearly. Felt a bit more human after a hot shower so staggered out for dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant (Martini) that the landlady recommended. Wasn't too bad actually. I had my doubts as it was heavily advertised in the tourist literature. Had a goats cheese and pepperonata tart for a starter then manicotti with ricotta and spinach filling. Wasn't really manicotti (seashells) but more like small portions of canneloni. Tasted good regardless. Finished up with tiramisu (better than mine) and a decent espresso. Washed dinner down with a large (250ml) glass of Montepuliciano so very nearly fell asleep face down in the tiramisu. They served me very quickly. In and out in a hour, which I normally wouldn't like, but really appreciated at the time.
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