EAT day 11

We woke in Richard and Rachel’s garden after a disturbed night. I woke around 10pm to a blazing fire directly opposite the property at the farm. It looked out of control. I went up to the house to alert Richard who was already coming out to check on it. They have horses , as do a to of neighbours, and horse people have lots of cameras so their local community network had already spotted the blaze. what ever was burning was letting of a lot of small explosions.

After investigations, it turned out this fire was intentional and there were a few blokes stood around it. Richard warned them that it was likely the fire brigade had been called. They had, and they turned up very shortly after. Who knows what they were burning, I watched on from the comfort and safety of the tarp, but whatever they were burning at 10pm, probably wasn’t an effigy at a celtic pagan ritual. Probabaly.

We were in total boondock territory, the access to all these properties was down rickety single track by-ways, unpaved and unused save for the residents. We were on the edge of the marshes, banjo country; which I didn’t know even existed in Suffolk. I’m so glad to know now that it does.

We packed up by 6 and left for an early jump on our last day. Before long we’d made in into Oulton Broad.

I went into a posh hotel which had lights on and had offers of ‘breakfast’ on a board outside. Confident they wouldn’t yet have the machines ready to offer us coffee, I thought i’d chance it because, well, coffee.

We quickly made it out of sleepy Oulton and onto the Carlton Marshes Nature Reserve which was pretty as a picture this joyful morning. Unfortunately for me it was the start of shark week so I was felling very sorry for myself and couldn’t enjoy it to the fullest. We began to see boats cruising the Waveney as, unlike the first (magical) section on the Angles way, the Waveney here is a big wide flowing river. As such i felt the need to get in it to make everything better. We stopped for our last gruel breakfast, but I just couldn’t stomach it , and , with a bap and some cheese left in my food bag I opted for this far superior choice. Our food bags at this point in any trail (nearing the end of it) go from being the most glorious part of the day to utter gank and our feeling towards it is that of disgust. We now crave fruit and salad and things you can actually chew.

We passed a man who was extremely smug about the fact we were all out walking on this beautiful day, he wanted to bond with us over this fact as deeply but as quickly as possible. He aggressively told us that we were blessed and that “other people miss out, don’t they?”.

We soon came to the town of Beccles where at the marina we were able to buy Eric a massive sausage while we sat and had coffees. She, along with us was looking less than her best, poor ragged little angel.

It was a quick schlep from here across byways and tracks and a short section of road into Bungay. We marched into ‘The Mayfair’ which was a relatively new cocktail bar that an old acquaintance of mine runs. Here we had a celebratory tapas pile and some ‘bad nan’ cocktails. Highly recommend.

My end goal though was aways a garlic chilli pickled egg at the Green Dragon. If you’re ever in Bungay this pub is a must. It’s the friendliest and most efficient service. Eric was fed treats from the unlimited jars scattered about the pub, by every friendly patron who spotted her. We absolutely stank at this point. Before too long Mr Spokes arrived to collect us and wished us the 20 minutes back to my childhood home for showers and chairs.

200 miles, Eric’s biggest adventure yet. I highly recommend both the Norfolk Coastal path and the Angles way – utterly stunning and completely diverse. Wild camping was a breeze save for 2 nights where it was a snatch trickier but only because Snakes has limitations. The walking is easy, the miles come quickly and the scenery is delectable. The Peddars way, the most ancient and popular of the three was none of the above superlatives, but its not far so, its over quickly.

Thanks to all my pals who came to join us along the way, and for the cheery support form you lovely lot.

Next stop, Oregon….