EAT Day 6

We woke in our snuggly four poster tarp bed. I almost forgot myself and called for room service.

We packed up and went to find Majeeda and Molly who had spent the night in the bunk rooms at the same campsite. While we slept soundly they had been kept awake by a raucous party in a room next door. Camping always wins lads. (Except when it’s really windy, thunder, lightening, rainy, too cold, too hot or too illegal).

The girls had brought breakfast provisions and we all ate together in the communal kitchen while Eric took the opportunity to have a lie down on the sofa.

We hopped in the car and drove the few miles up the road to where Snakes and I had finished our walk yesterday. We headed straight down to the beach and were back on the gloriously sunny path by 7:30am

We stomped on atop a high earthwork and its flat compact path. The sun was up and positive remarks about being up early and smug about it came thick and fast.

Into the dunes now at Holkham the ‘award winning coastline’ that the second Elizabeth loved so very much.

All the signs we’d seen suggested dogs needed to be ‘under control’. Eric loves a beach and stays close. Nonetheless at the sight of Eric, three binocular wheeling walkers in front of us turned and very aggressively shouted at us that Eric had ‘ran into the back of them’ (she hadn’t) and ‘should be on a lead’. It was one of those immediately confrontational, turning around and shouting at you while simultaneously walking away from you type of jibes.

Molly was livid that “the morning vibes had been ruined by being shouted at”.

The instinct is to veer away from the shouty people but I’m often inclined to face these sorts of situations head on with unnervingly good eye contact. I never mind being told what to do, but I do mind being shouted at.

I caught them up, Eric on a lead now and deeply apologied for her having “knocked into you” to which they confessed she hadn’t and that it was more about her being on the lead. Before I could apologise further for the inconvenience we’d suffered them, my three laddy bodyguards behind me leapt in to defend little Eric and ensure that they knew she was a perfect angel, which she is- mainly through being walked into a state of lethargic hypnosis by her owners.

We headed for the pines now and moved onto Wells beach where you can expect to pay between £78,000-£90,000 for a beach hut smaller than my garden shed (but with nicer views to be very fair to them)

From here we followed the bank now south and inland to Wells proper, specifically aiming for the Two Magpies bakery where I was unfortunately not hungry (or rich) enough to buy quite everything I wanted (which was everything). We took coffees and puppaccinos to the harbour and had a little sit down.

We carried on through Wells and out through crab shack, lobster pot, rust encrusted and sea themed tracks, into narrow paths and coconut smelly gorse lined lanes. Lovely.

There’s not many better ways to spend time with old chums than walking I don’t think. I’ve known these two since I was about 16, they’ve rerouted themselves back to the homelands in recent years. How nice it was to walk and recount and reminisce and create memories anew on such a mighty fine day with two people I love so very much.

We pulled in to the little village of Morston which means ‘marsh town’- population 86. We sat on the small quay and made use of their picnic tables and kiosk. Majeeda made the most excellent sandwiches – Eric had lunch and cooled off in the shade while we feasted for a good while.

We easily walked the next 4 or so miles into Cley, straight to the George and Dragon for a pint and a sit down- sun kissed and wind swept from the day.

Before too long the girls departed for the bus back along the coast back to the car, and headed for home. Snakes and I walked a further few minutes up the road to the Three Swallows pub. Here my parents arrived with a resupply box containing food , normal human clothes , Eric’s favourite food and a more substantial ablutions kit. We had a two night stay booked to rest and recharge our dog.

17 miles on the day