The walk on monday was quite a wet one, so I had the opportunity to practice a bit more my putting-poncho-on-art. Yes, it rained. So many things are said about rain, most of them negative, but I have been learning new things about it. Rain can be knoledge, rain can be phylosophy, rain can make you think about life.
For example, if it were not for the rain, I would not have discovered something about my shoes. When I bought them in Blacks, in Horsham, they said they were waterproof. Thanks to the rain I know that, while my poncho is waterproof, my tent is waterproof, my walking shoes are as waterproof as a kitchen clothe. You just need 5 minutes of walking in a wet grass field, and they are full of water.
And the last thing, nothig like a bit of rain outdoors, to make you aprecciate a nice dry sunny day.
Like the photography above shows, the day was not that awful and there was time to see a little bit of sunshine. The landscape changed and became a little bit like the fields and woods in Sussex, which was much more pleasent to walk on.
Just in the final approach for the camping near Bobington, I went through a knettles field, and they are not so bad beacuse after a while you stop feeling the stings....
Once again my banner made its impact in the camping and a I stayed for free, and got a free dinner: a nice Tesco Microwaved lasagne with brocoli. Awsome. After the usual shower and washing up I cycled (I also borrowed the camping cycle) to the Red Lion in Bobington. There, a couple of pints, planning and updating and was invited to have breakfast on the next morning.
The breakfast was really good, and had the opportunity to know who I think was the manager of the pub, Mathew Shaw. Generous on the breakfast, and in the donation for the charity. Thank you!!
Tuesday was a urban walk. The first part of tyhe walk, through country lanes, I made it on my sandals, while my waterproof shoes got dry hanging from my rucksack. In the first half of the walk I went through Wolverhampton, not the nicest place in the world, but I got another interview for the local paper Express and Star. I remember to have been in the city 5 years ago for the Virgin festival, when I was young.
I walked out of the city, already a bit in pain due to a couple of blisters in my heels. What followed was a few double carriage ways between wolverhampton and Cannock. Went through Cannock and quickly began walking in the Cannock chase, and nice connifer forest. On my way in the forest I asked for a camping to stay, a place that resulted to be a deserted field with a hose and a label saying "camping site", and I bumped into a group of Orienteerers, all of them having problems with control number 13. Surprisingly, they had not heard about the Southdowns spring gallopen champion..... they must belong to a a small crappy club I suppose...... :)
When I arrived to the "campsite", had dinner and went to "bed" quickly. I was very tired.Next morning it was raining, and it was raining for the rest of the day. I did not learn new things about life and phylosophy this time, and i just wanted the rain to stop. No pictures, no nothing, just rain and walk wet.
Next stop was Utoxeter where I am now. I stayed ni B&B; it was time for a real bed.
Today I will contibnue to walk North and I will hopefully sleep somewhere in the peak district. Looking forward to it, but curious about how my legs will cope in the slopes.
Yesterday I spoke with my support team, Jeremi and Paco, and hopefully I should be getting a replacement for my waterproof shoes next week on friday, which will be great. Thank you both you!!
I would like to mention the banner flag again. It is impossible to explain how much support I am getting thanks to it. It is specially good when i go through bigger towns. Horns, thums up and cheerings from the cars, sometimes they even stop for a word or two, or for making a donation, or handing me some water. And then is all the faces reading the banner: faces in :-0, faces in :-), and even faces in :-/ not knowing very well what that "walking Britain" means. And then it is the amount of money raising: around £150 in the last week.
It really keeps me going. The picture below, although not very good, it is a good exmple of it.
And that is all for now. I might be updating the blog tomorrow afternoon, or saturday morning in Buxton, well into the Peak District.
Best wishes to everyone.
Carlos
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