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Published: September 18th 2022
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Sitting in sunny Simonsbath in Somerset. No walking planned today and probably none wanted! Almost 600 km over the last month or so is about enough or according to Julie probably a few days too many! So today is washing, reflecting, blackberry picking, writing and catching up with emails and travel stuff before I collect a car and head off to Stratford for some ‘real’ tourist stuff and some Shakespeare.
Lee is still asleep but after a long flight and train trip that’s no surprise. Hopefully having me around to sort of look after her will help her and she’ll be OK.
I think the Queen is to be buried today so the mood even among guests here is a little somber. If it’s not today it’s tomorrow which has been declared a public holiday here. I have been hearing of 14 hour long wait just to file past her coffin and the outpouring of grief and love has been quite surprising to me. The Queen’s death and the entire rigmarole around her passing has been a super blessing for the new Prime Minister here. I’m sure secretly she’s delighted with everything! It’s given the new PM and her cabinet a true honeymoon period and certainly kept the spotlight well off them. If I ask I find the general sentiment very gloomy re the political system here. It’s more of the same, none of them are any good, she (Liz Trus) is too wishy wash, things are beyond fixing (National Health in particular), she’ll be out next election… I’ve found you can poke around politics and make fun of any character but not so with the Queen. Some here will not entertain any negative comments even in jest. Even in some of the pubs we have stayed in there have been condolence books to sign and people have been very effusive in their comments. What does Buckingham Palace do with all the condolence books?
Devon/Somerset has greened up appreciably in the last month or so. Locals were concerned about fires but with just a couple of days rain that has all changed and the greenness I associate with this region has returned. I was up early to assist Sandy cooking breakfast for a school group and the morning temperature was less than 2 degrees and our first job was scrapping ice from the car windscreen. The nights have been cloudless and cold but the skies are full of stars and have been quite spectacular. Exmoor is declared a UNESCO dark sky zone and the nights are really dark and black but ideal for star gazing.
A few people have asked what next as they realize our walk is coming to an end. I’m considering walking in Slovenia and am investigating possibilities there. I’ve heard some excellent reports so I’ll continue to consider Slovenia but at the moment it is a definite possibility. I love walking in England but it is becoming expensive. Accomodation and meals particularly are essential but expensive.
Will post but will keep you informed as we get ready for Stratford, Portugal and a few days in Greece.
Caio for now.
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