She Said:
We set out from our excellent stay at the Circles B+B. in Pewsey. Our hosts, Paul and Sadie served up a delicious organic everything breakfast. They showed us the eggs they use - smaller than our chicken eggs and from an heirloom historic breed. They had very pale blue shells and bright orange yolks. Boy, were they delicious, scrambled up with fresh farm butter.
Paul and Sadie are also quite knowledgeable about the Crop Circles that appear in the Wiltshire area and we had an interesting discussion with them about the circles. They had several books (there is a yearly photo magazine that records that year's circles) and I flipped through them last night. Regardless of where the circles come from, they are magnificent as art. The fact that no one can document definitively their origin makes them that much more wonderful (to me).
Today was a perfect walking day - sunny and pleasant, a slight breeze, no rain or mud. We had wider views on either side of the canal into farm fields and grazing meadows.
We met 4 women out for a walk - they are part of a Women's Walking Group that started several years ago to help underprivileged women in third world countries. At first, they walked to honor women in the world who needed to walk each day just to get water for their families. It was a way to feel connected in a very basic way. They all throw some money in a pot after the walk and at the end of the year they buy chickens or goats or whatever else will make a woman's life in a hard place easier. I thought this was a pretty brilliant idea and I will probably co-opt it in some fashion for my own Hiker Ladies group and/or the Woman's Club. One of the women also gave me a sheet she had copied for her group describing a day in the life of an aid worker in Northern Greece, who is trying to help the thousands of unaccompanied kids and teenagers who are fleeing from Syria. Another option they are considering helping. So much to do.
The day was very quiet except for the constant birdsong, which we always welcome. There is a bird that nests in the rushes beside the canal that has the longest song of any bird I have ever heard. It is similar to a mocking bird song - lots of different tunes strung together. The difference is that this bird will sing this song for minutes at a time, non-stop. It is pretty comical, as there isn't a repeating pattern. It must be exhausting, too. R says the bird looks like a sparrow, so small to have such a mighty voice!
We very much enjoyed our packed lunch today - since it was from the Circles B+B it was organic and, I must say, I can taste the difference between organic food and not. So flavorful. Lucky us.
At the end of our walk today, we were picked up by a car service at a country pub and delivered to our B+B for the next 2 nights - The Peppermill - in the market town of Devizes. The building dates from 1450, but the guest rooms are gorgeously updated with every modern amenity. The attached restaurant is award-winning, so we will eat there either tonight or tomorrow night.
We are now more than halfway through our canal walk. We feel fit and happy and thankful for our bountiful lives.
Total mileage:
10.79 miles (K&A Canal)
He said:
Today we did not see one lock on the canal, so that is 10 very level miles of walking, which is a surprise to me. The weather was clear and sunny, but with a stiff breeze to start out with, and fortunately, it was at our backs most of the time. The mud on the path was mostly dry, so that made walking easier. But my feet are still a bit sore.
The main diversions along the way were in the form of bird sounds all around, this area of the canal was really out in the countryside, so there was more nature to see.... I like it.
Our pickup point was Horton Bridge saving us a few miles walking into Devizes.
I had a swift half waiting for our taxi at the Bridge Inn, Horton Bridge.
To see more photos from May 13, click here.
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