EAT day 5

I felt like I slept on a cloud in Lou’s ridiculously plump bed. It was 6:40am. I showered again, just because I could, made Eric some meat slice breakfast and brought Snakes a tea to the comfort of our cloud.

We meggled for a short while before dressing and packing, we loaded our clothes bags of spare laundries and stuffed our food bags full of the unnecessary amount of things we bought yesterday when overexcited at the co-op.

Lou made us very edible scrambles eggs, which was surprising considering while making it she’s repeatedly told me she had no idea what she was doing.

We departed at 8:15, with all the lures of food and clouds and squishy carpets and last nights beers, we knew it wouldn’t be an early start.

A short drive up the road landed us back where we were collected yesterday. We hope to see Lou next in August when we head to Oregon to meet her and Heather on the PCT. Good luck guys!

The trail was full of sun and had an air of beach about it , probably because the sea was 5 miles away. We made short work of the first 7 miles through fields and a villages and eventually popped out in Holme and the sea.

Here we said an unemotional goodbye to the Peddars way and welcomed in the North Norfolk coastal path in all its meandering glory. The day was hotting up nicely and the walking easy and visually most satisfying.

Eric loves the beach, but doesn’t love low tide. She was desperate to march straight to the beach which was at least a mile out in the wrong direction. Poor Eric. We stopped at seven miles at a little tea room. We bought Eric the world’s most expensive tub of dog yoghurt which she refused to eat on account of it not being ice cream. I found a very willing lurcher called Willow to polish off the yoghurt while Eric licked the butter wrapper from our scone. She has rich taste.

We steamed off from here marching on speedy boardwalks with beautiful vistas across the dunes and out to sea.

After the village of Thornham, the trail moved away from the sea and much to Snakes’ disappointment we now headed due south to circumnavigate the busy A-road. To achieve this we had to walk a 3 mile southerly detour, the majority of which was in the ‘wrong’ direction. I’m happy to walk the trails as they’re presented and not bring too much brain power into any kind of conversation about efficiency, but this sort of long- cut gives Snakes a twitch.

Down the lane towards Brancaster we passed a caravan and a truck, which looked as though it had been embedded in the verge for some years and was becoming part of the hedge. The caravan had a neat spread of shiny crockery and immaculate kitchenware drying in the sun, and offcuts of carpet hung out looking like they’d had a good bashing. A woman was walking up the track back to (presumably) her caravan and wished us a good morning.

We both immediately spoke our minds on reflection of this homestead as we passed yet more signs of a happy existence hanging in the trees nearby. Our opposing reflections were testament to our very differing personalities: I immediately want to know this woman and everything about her life that lead her to be embedded in a hedge. I want to maybe camp nearby and spend a few days learning about her daily routines and rituals, share some food with her and ingest her evident skill at being so comfortable with so little.

While Snakes just queries quitehow many poops must be in the local vicinity.

A lovely shaded church in Brancaster provided water and a much needed rest where we devoured lunch and took a load off. Well, Eric didn’t as she’s no longer carrying her bags again, much to her self satisfaction.

We absolutely motored the next 3 miles as I was largely on the phone to the company we’d elected to install our new windows- asking them to please be better at their jobs. They agree and endeavour to be as such.

We popped out in the road at Burnham Deepdale where there’s the nicest, poshest ‘Nissa Local’ shop ever known. As well as the backpackers there which is a bunkhouse/campsite and caravan place.

We checked in to an £8 per person hammock pitch, where pre-installed telegraph poles act as trees to support our tarp. The bathrooms were overly generous in size, the whole site was immaculate and there even featured a book swap. My favourite.

We set up camp and our beds then headed out to walk a few more miles of the trail. It was early and a sunny evening.

We walked on a high earthwork path surrounded by marsh and wetland and birds and big Norfolk skies – it was beautiful.

With lighter bags we steamed the 3.88 miles to Burnham Ovary Staithe and found ourself sun kissed and tired by leg, sat inside the ‘Hero’ pub. Eric made short work of the dinner she hates with treats as a luring topper and we made short work of the pints we’d ordered.

We had an hour here then we’re collected by our pals Molly and Majeeda (whose particularly perfect faces you may remember from the first three miles ) and they whisked us back to our camp.

Majeeda had come equipped with shower gel, towels , pillows and a big fat duvet for us! What a dream.

We headed up the road to the Jolly sailors pub and gorged on hearty dinner and hearty chats before returning to our tarpy palace and bed. Warmer than ever.

19 miles on the day