EAT day 4

We began the day with Eric barking us awake as an ‘intruder’ walked past the church door. We’d erected a tarp on the iron gate for privacy so no one could see in, but this would have peaked the locals interested on their early morning walk, and peak it did.

Eric was refusing the breakfast powder she hates so we bagged it, and packed up. We made the most of the facilities and were walking through sleepy castle acre by 6:40.

Today was almost entirely straight. The Peddars way is a Roman road which was thought to have been built after the defeat of the Iceni tribe in AD 61. Some believe the path is an even older trackway which was then modified by the Romans, hence a couple of the kinks no doubt. So, interesting right ?

The only thing to break the morning’s monotonous straight walk was Eric deciding she belongs with a family of Muntjacks and taking off , full pelt across Norfolk’s largest field to go and be with them. She’ entered the following field and was out of sight. I could eventually just make out three brown blobs running across the distant horizon and hoped ( wry hard) one of those was not Eric. I checked my watch to manage the panic and slowly started out across the fields. Snakes remained with bags and kept peeping her whistle. Eventually a little blue bagged, ragged , breathless Eric reemerged in the corner of the field where she was last seen. Still very far away. She saw me, then sat down. Fucking Eric.

We motored on, with Eric bag in the pack and very thirsty. We were both a little bored of the tarmac and monotony, until duty called and we stopped for breakfast. Four days of gloopy oaty gruel is enough now. We were tired this morning but, dispite the lack of features of interest along this predominantly hard packed path, we made swift work of the miles and of course there was this fun game:

We met a group of three, day hikers who were section hiking the Peddars Way, the first we’d seen. They were on their day four. They agreed the last bit was very boring and assured us the next bit was more interesting. They weren’t wrong.

Mainly because we were joined on this next bit by Lou Lou and her chonky Labrador Gertie. Tracks turned grassy and sandy, the sun came out. Plus Lou, who resides in Norfolk repeatedly told us how beautiful it was.

You’ll remember Lou Lou from the North Wales Pilgrims Trail, She’s leaving for the Pacific Crest Trail, tomorrow no less (hence the buzz cut!). Mrs Lou Lou, aka Helen, aka Lou’s Mum, dropped her off to walk with us and collected our bags too- much to everyone’s delight.

We gassed the remaining 5.5 miles of our day wonderfully packless.

Mrs Lou Lou collected us further down the line (the very straight line) and whisked us back to Lou’s house , a few miles away. We left Eric in the cool of the kitchen and went to the local shop for a totally over-the-top, ‘got carried away as we were surrounded by food’ type of resupply. Oops.

Back to the comfort of Lou’s immaculate house for snacks and beers in the sun. We’re very used to showers and laundry not being a first priority.

Showers and laundry did of course eventually commence, as did the event which we actually came here for : Lou’s final pack shakedown. We went through every piece of her PCT gear and berated her without let up for every single misplaced ounce, and there were a lot. She remained steadfast however and will be leaving from the Mexican border, to walk 2653 miles, with 3 differing types of wet wipe, a bidet and an electric pump for inflating her sleeping mat because for some reason her mouth is defunct.

Seriously though, it takes a bold human to leave their home and dog and family and the comfort of regular Archers episodes and attempt a 2653 mile jaunt up a country set on implosion in the control of an orange balloon, we wish her and our pal Heather the absolute best of adventures and happy safe trails. ❤️

We ate an inordinate amount of food because I have no off switch when it comes to lasagne. I eventually fell asleep on the sofa and was advised I go to bed by 9pm

15 miles on the day