Squelch!

Day 12 and I awoke feeling refreshed to the ominous sound of fierce winds and heavy rain on the skylight. The forecast had got it spot on.

After about 10 minutes of walking into horizontal rain, my GPS app also stopped showing me the route (I’d forgotten to download it to make it available offline).

The thing is, neither of these things troubled me in the way that they might have done two weeks ago. I pulled my hood down a little further over my face, dug the slightly soggy map out of my pocket and pressed on in the direction of Ingleby Cross.

It was a good job the navigation was reasonably straightforward,  largely through farmland, as I didn’t spot another walker the whole way. I’ve got pretty used to bumping into one or two of our exclusive little gang at some point during the day but the weather meant that no one was stopping for breaks or they had decided to set off later in the hope of avoiding the worst of the wet.

I did however encounter civilisation but not in a way I would have chosen. I bet there is someone in a traffic camera control room somewhere killing themselves laughing at all these slightly decrepit walkers having to attempt to sprint across four lanes of the A19 having walked more than 140 miles to get there.

I made it to Ingleby Cross soon after 12:30 and found myself drawn to the village’s rather smart little cafe called The Joinery Shop. What with having waterlogged boots and being covered in muck, I wasn’t sure I was the kind of clientele they had in mind but a kind waitress produced some boot covers and beckoned me inside.

As I tucked into a buttery cheese scone and sipped a hot coffee, any concerns about impending trench foot were quickly forgotten.

Another treat was in store for me at my B&B. Lying on my bed reading, I heard some very familiar voices outside and popped my head up to spot Brian and Inge just outside my window. They were checking into the room next door!

The rain had finally stopped so we enjoyed a cuppa together and I was pleased to change my dinner reservation at The Bluebell Inn from a table for one to a table for three.

We will start Day 13 together but our paths won’t cross again after that as they finish a day before me. Part of me feels I could have also done this last leg faster but I am instead opting to enjoy the more leisurely pace and take the opportunity to have a bit of a holiday!

As my destination gets closer, I want to be sure to enjoy every step of the journey. That’s what it’s all about, after all.

Day 12:

Walked: 26,586 steps (8 miles)

Stayed: Ingleby House Farm 

Ate: The Joinery Shop (lunch) and The Bluebell Inn (dinner)