Countdown: Day Before
Finally, I'm at the beginning of my journey, in the village of St. Bees. Not on many maps, but nonetheless a lovely little place. Trip from Carlisle was on the Barrow-in-Furness train, a two-car clickety-clack conveyance, far more bumpy than the Virgin train that brought me from London to Carlisle. Carlisle to Wigton to Aspatria to Maryport to Workington to Parton to Whitehaven to Corkickle to St. Bees. You have to ask the conductor to make a special stop.
Everyone here is sweltering in the heat, but is pretty cool in Washington terms, and except for the humidity, would be almost pleasant.
Walked around the village, such as it is, listened from the street to the students at the music building at the St. Bee's Priory Church school playing Pachebel's Canon in piano reduction. Went down to the seaside, the Irish Sea, and ceremoniously dipped my boots into the water and gathered up a small seashell. The seashell will be dropped off at Robin Hood's Bay in 17 days, assuming I make it that far.
Staying at a small inn, the Queens Hotel; quaint, clean, no air-conditioning. But nice people. Innkeeper even let me use his own computer when mine couldn't connect to the wireless. Probably the last time I will communicate for a couple days. Going into the wilds, with little hope for an Internet connection.
Still not very comfortable going into this venture; but I'll press on.
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Passing through small villages sounds like quite an adventure. You will qualify for 'adventurer status' by the end of this trip. Can't wait to hear how the first days play out. Do you have any fellow hikers????
ReplyDeletePat said...At the risk of sounding too Buddhist, when I begin a journey I always have to manage my expectations. I frequently have an agenda of how things are to go and I view anything that doesn't fit my agenda as interference. When I can allow and accept what is, a space opens up and in that space the real adventure begins.
ReplyDeleteO.K. that's enough out of me for now.
Dennis, you will do just GREAT!!! Don't be faint of heart. I agree with the observation to manage your expectations. Relax into it. Take pleasure in the little things, like listening to the music from the church.
ReplyDeleteHappy 4th of July!
Dennis, you are my hero. How are your feet holding up so far. Hard for me to imagine that the English countryside could be uncomfortably hot. But what do I know. I'll be at a log cabin atop a West Virginia mountain. How will celebrate....you Yank. I like your posted profile but what I think you need is a slutty flight attendant who reads Shakespeare and likes Reggae (?) Love your travelogue gems ..... pace yourself and don't forget your alcohol. JohnFromRichmond
ReplyDeleteI second Marilyn, ppetrash and Sallie G. Going outside your comfort zone! (which I rarely do...) and complaining mildly about it is fine. It may be harder because you are connected, however tenuously, by this blog and email; in the 19th century when tramping about the countryside became popular, one was pretty much on one's own and dealt with the stresses behind the scenes. Oh, yes, you'd write letters. With a quill? Ok, you'd need to time-travel a bit later, so you could have your fountain pen!
ReplyDeleteB. and A. are coping with your absence as best a dog can manage: they take the occasional consoling biscuit, they chow down with a will, and they both went outside several times today and soaked up some rays.
Sent you an email about some domestic details. Hope you will continue to have "excellent experiences!"
kc
PS re: Palin. She up and *quit*. Egad. What next. I think I don't want to know. $peechifying no doubt a factor.