Day 12 - Llanymynech to Craignant

Beer drunk: 2 pints
Distance walked: 22km, Time taken: 6 1/2 hours
Ascents: 893m, Descents: 616m

Back to hillier walking today, more forests and woodlands and views, and also less fields and so fewer cows!  I only had to walk through one field of cows today. I kept close to the fence, ready to leap over it, barbed wire be-dammed. I also ambled through it, rather than walking briskly. I think this is the trick. Don't get too close and don't move too quickly. If you do either, they get curious and thunder over to check you out. Apparently they have poor eyesight and need to get within arm's length, which is too close for my comfort levels.

I encountered lots of sheep and the occasional dog today. The UK is a very dog-friendly place. Below is a photo of a stile with a special section on the left which can be lifted up to let your dog through. An actual gate would be easier all round but it is the thought that counts I suppose.

One dog I met today was a young black lab cross. Almost a puppy still. It couldn't decide if it wanted to play or if it should be defending its territory from this evil invader. It compromised by barking at me a few times, then madly wagging its entire rear end in excitement before rushing madly around the garden and down to the gate. It repeated this process a full 5 times in the time it took me to reach the end of the drive. Its owner kept trying to call it over but was laughing too hard at its antics to manage.

Another dog I met was not nearly so playful. It was a working dog and definitely didn't want strangers in its fields let alone anywhere near its flocks of sheep. The farmer had to keep tight hold on its collar until I was safely past. Still, it was only doing its job and had no malice. The only pointlessly aggressive dog I've encountered so far was back on Day 2 I think. However, it was some sort of terrier, so not that big, and was busy trying to bite off the tyres of the postman's van and didn't pay any heed to me.

I also encountered the brother and sister plus their spice, as well as another couple I've been running into on and off all trip. We were all staying at the same B&B last night. There was also another solo walker at the B&B, but he was walking in the other direction. Last night's B&B was a little odd. It was a pub with rooms upstairs. The husband was the bartender and was friendly enough. The wife was the cook and not much of an evening person. She managed to be even grimmer in the mornings. I think she is in the wrong profession. She was a good cook though. I had smoked salmon wrapped around cream cheese again - very good. Main was a proper steak and kidney pudding. Dessert was ginger sponge pudding with custard.

Today I stopped at the Offa's Dyke Brewery at lunchtime and sampled some of their wares. The dark ale and amber ales were excellent. It is shame you can't buy this stuff in Australia. Or perhaps it is better for my liver if you can't.

Tonight's B&B was a fair way off the trail. I had to be collected from a carpark just off route. However, there was not mobile phone reception there so I had to phone from the top of a nearby hill. I'd bought a local sim card and the person who had sold it to me recommended the vodafone network as having the best coverage. However, I had no signal with it from that hill. My regular phone - roaming on the O2 network did. The brother+sister+spice were with me and their phones were on the different network again and they had coverage. Grr. Must remember to check coverage maps myself and not rely on advice next time.

The owner of tonight's B&B was in his 80s. He and his wife had retired to Wales as she was a local. After she had died he'd taken up running a B&B for the company. He was very slow and unsteady on his feet. I kept wanting to leap up and insist he sit in a comfy chair while I made him a cup of tea rather than the reverse. It was all very awkward.

He didn't feed me dinner fortunately but drove me down to the pub in the village. It had been recently bought by a team of locals and turned into an upmarket foodie place. However, they stuck me off in their fancier dining room so I ate in solitary splendour again, which is getting old. The food was excellent. I started with a puff pastry tart filled with buttered leeks and surrounded by fresh asparagus. Main was duck breast, roasted with more asparagus, mustard seed, apple and onions. Dessert was a lemon posset with strawberries - sadly let down by the fact the strawberries were frozen ones that had been defrosted. Why not fresh at this time of year?

Then back to the B&B to go to sleep where I discovered that my host had very kindly gone into my room while I was out to turn on the electric blanket in my bed and leave me extra pillows. I really don't like people doing that - especially as I had the contents of my suitcase strewn all over the floor.