Big changes are afoot! I’ve broken this whole endeavor into nine chunks; they’re not equal in distance, time or difficulty, but they each mark a significant milestone to the nature of the walking journey. Yesterday I completed the first chunk as I walked my final day on the South West Coast Path, and my final day with Kimberly as my trail companion - for now. She will be returning at the end to join me for the last couple weeks for the walk into John O’ Groats. But that is far off, and if there is one thing that is clear from this journey it is to focus on today and the path in sight.
Yesterday would have been a painfully long haul, except that I figured out a workaround. We woke up early, finished drying our boots the best we could from the mud the day before, and walked towards Westward Ho! (That exclamation mark is not my excitement about the place, although it is a fine town, but it is legally part of its name. It was created after the success of Charles Kingsley’s 19th century novel set nearby, and the local governments decided to build a sea resort and cash in on the name.) Not too hard of a walk, a few ups & downs, no mud, and precise directions provided by a very nice man in the village of Abbotsham as we walked thru in the quiet early hours of the morning, a bit lost. I was taking a photo of their bus stop, with its shelter, community board, free library, and eggs for sale, marveling at what a great thing public transit is for the community, when he quietly came up to ask what we are doing wandering through with backpacks on. We were totally turned around and he set us off straight again. He was the first incredibly kind person we met on the day.
Made it to Westward Ho! and Kimberly jumped into their sea pool to swim a few laps. I became very cold watching her from a bench on the promenade, so we found a cozy café and had breakfast. Then we thought breakfast deserved a dessert and had cake and lingered longer. Eventually with the sun warming the day, we set off again, walking along the mind-blowing pebble ridge at the back of the loooooong beach, and checking out the remains of two 18th century shipwrecks. We crossed the nearby golf course that had ewes and their lambs grazing; we called out to one golfer to ask if the sheep ever get hit, to which he answered, “Not while I’m playing!” We decided that maybe only golfers with exceptionally good aim could golf at the course. We walked 11 miles, and then…
As the second half of the day was due to be walked on the Tarka Trail, a wonderful, long paved bike/walking route built on the old railway line connecting the towns around the large estuary of the Barnstaple area, I knew it would also be monotonous. Still adhering to my slow travel ethos, and taking the time to see local life and scenery, I decided to rent bikes for the 11.5 miles from Westward Ho! to our Airbnb. It was a bit tricky to arrange, but with the amazing Flavia at Tidal&Trail Bike Hire/Skern Adventure Centre https://www.skernadventure.co.uk/tidal-trail , she made it happen. Another super kind person for the day! We had a fun ride along the estuary into Barnstaple and to our Airbnb.
This morning I walked Kimberly to the train station, as she heads to London, and her flight home to San Francisco. It was sad, but she has been such an invaluable, wise, and supportive companion that I feel full of confidence and joy as I prepare to take steps alone tomorrow into the second chunk of my trip to Scotland. And this rest day was indeed full of planning, confirming details, and readying myself with supplies for the weeks ahead. Suzanne and Richard generously drove up from Cornwall to take me on a picnic and show me some of the lovely Devon beaches I will miss by turning inland from here. More kindness.
There is much scary, sad and infuriating news constantly barraging us all right now, but the kindness shown to me, and that I have seen shared between others, while walking these weeks gives me trust that we are resilient. We’ll be okay. Love endures.
