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Today’s walk was fantastic. An easy walk around the lake then a steady climb initially and very fast walking until we arrived at Black Sail Youth hostel where we were able to make hot drinks to accompany our lunch! What a treat. This is a busy place because it is at the foot of Loft Beck which is a mountain about 680 metres high and an important staging point for the walks in the area. There are all these wooly sheep, Herdwick breed that apparently have been here for at least. 1000 years. The name comes from old Norse. They are very untidy and straggly looking, starting out black as lambs and getting greyer and light as they age.

After lunch we started to climb Loft Beck or Loft Craig, straight up! However it had stone steps most of the way and was pretty easy except for the wind which threatened to blow us off the mountain. The wing was really strong and constant so you needed to keep your balance and focus. The views from the top were fantastic though somewhat softened by a haze.

From the top we walked across alpine type grass to then descend. On the far hill was the Hontess slate mine and at the foot of our mountain they have a slate mill and shop for tourists, and a cafe! It was a very steep descent again and Kathy the retired Maths teacher took a tumble on the grass, jarring her shoulder. We were all impressed with the slate products, even slate art was quite fabulous. From this point the walk into Stonethwaite was about five kilometres but some was very rugged and at one point a chain was fixed to the rock wall to help you avoid slipping into the river.

We are staying in two BnBs in the village and they are a good 15 mins to the pub for dinner. Fortunately although we are staying the furtherest, the owner of our BnB gives Paul, our guide, his car to drive. As it has started to drizzle we are very happy. We go off to the riverside bar but find the bistro full of footy fans because it is the only place with reception for the World Cup. England is playing Tunisia.

We are so amused by the intensity and crowd participation as the game is played. Lots of ‘ oh!!’ Then ‘no!!’ The whole time we are eating. The atmosphere was thick with emotion. Because of the crowd we were all squeezed around a small table and eating with our elbows tucked in! We were inspired by the crowd and had lots of playful leg pulling of each person. It was a fun evening?

we are a group of 6 women and 6 men. Lyn and Bruce are the only couple. 3South Africans, experienced walker, 4Aussies( we three and Dennis an English man who has lived in Sydney for 30 years; he speaks so fast we can’t understand him sometimes!) the rest are Brits. We are all easy going and an interesting group.

Woke to a glorious sunny day. They do have them! Our B&B was very good, efficient, well organised and spotless and she made great breakfasts too. Today is the shortest day of the year- summer solstice but one of our longest walking days. We have a 9 hour walk ahead of us. We are walking up to Kidsty Pike(2559 feet) and High Raise (2631 feet) which mark the edge of the Lakes district. The going will be steep and the descent long so a few of the group have opted to spend the day doing alternative activities such as taking the oldest steam driven ferry in working order across Uldswater and back, then catching a taxi to meet us for a flat five miles walk to Shap. Moria was still struggling with her cold, Lyn was anxious about the descent ( that it the guide book looks straight down!) Dennis and Stuart wanted to see something different.

The walkers set off and soon encountered a rough path that was being renovated by the parks authorities with huge boulders. They fly them in and lower them alongside the path with helicopters. We made jokes about every walker carrying a stone up! It would make it a more arduous and slower walk! The scenery is spectacular and we can look back to many of the fell peaks we have crossed. Unfortunately the wind picks up as we climb and soon it is buffeting us around. The Romans made a road across this pass called high street which linked a fort near Brougham near Penrith, with Ambleside. It was their highest road in the country.

It is getting really cold now and Allen pulls a muscle on the last reasonably flat stage near the top. He is in a lot of discomfort. We have a group photo at the Kidsty Pike before heading to High Raise. It isn’t far but by the time we stop for lunch and shelter out of the wind my hands are frozen. It is supposed to be about 6 degrees up here but the wind chill must make it less.

With Allen injured Paul decides to take a different descent across the alpine meadows for which we are all grateful. A 5 km slog over steep rocks would be miserable! The ground is boggy and spongy to walk across so it is a test for ankles but easy underfoot. Allen starts to fall behind so Paul rings for a car to meet us at the bottom. It is slow going and by the time we get to the bottom we are an hour late. Allen is collected( wish we were too) and we meet the others for the last stage. Now we are walking through cows, sheep, and even horses through paddocks and over stiles- about 8. Having to climb some was a real effortbecause everyone is tired. Shap still seems a long way off! We pass the ruins of Shap abbey built around12 th Century. Finally at 6 pm we arrived at The Kings Arms Hotel.

After all the walking I have done I hoped to be not so tired but we are walking at a very fast pace and Bruce remarked that he had done 3900 steps but I have to do double that because my stride is short. I think it is the pace. We are averaging 4.6 kms per hour ALL the time. We only have short breaks too. I am fine but it is strenuous and I wake feeling ready to go in the mornings so that is the main test of fitness I think.

Yesterday (16 th) we arrived in St Bees after travelling from London to Carlisle and being met by my friends Peter and Monty. They had generously offered to drive us to St Bees so we could have a real catch up.

We were extremely grateful because it had turned cold and wet. They have been travelling for a few months so it was a perfect opportunity and the only opportunity to meet in our travels.

We had our meet and greet and then dinner in the local hotel. There were two weddings so the pubs were so-o busy!

Next day, Sunday was our first walking day. Our guide had put the fear of god into us over the supposed difficulty of the walk so everyone was s bit apprehensive.

We set off to the beach to collect a stone, the traditional offering to be left on the beach on the opposite side of the country,

There was a stiff wind but it was good to be walking again. We cut a pretty fast pace and our guide Paul is very good.

We climbed the Dent a hill of about 300 metre but the weather has turned wet, cold and windy. I decided to take out my new Poncho and even if I look like Quasimodo it was fantastic. Much better than my cost!

With no let up in the rain we hurried on to Ennerdale and the Shephards Arms. We arrived very bedraggled and dripping water everywhere. Debra, my room mate had a message that her bag was overweight so we went through her bag to reduce it.

Some of the others have overweight luggage too and they have pooled their excess and put it into storage till the end but sharing the cost.

Great dinner tonight.

Took a jaunt to Canterbury today and explored the town and the Cathedral. The library had an exhibition of the story of the Ladybird children’s books. Kathleen and I were impressed how the children, boys and girls were treated gender neutrally. Girls active, tomboyish even. After watching a program the night before on how most girl toys are pink these days it was a surprise. We have gone backwards!

The Cathedral is very impressive and I was further impressed by the art installations scattered around the interior.

It is of course a medieval church from 597 AD which became a place of pilgrimage after Thomas Becket was murdered in the Cathedral in 1170 and soon after miracles were said to have occurred. At one stage 100,000 pilgrims came to visit in 1177. These pilgrims made the church wealthy and paid for the magnificent stained glass windows that tell the story of the miracles.

It is a massive construction and has a cloister and chapter house as well as the remains of the original Augustine monastery and its herb garden. There are extensive renovations being undertaken and it is an ongoing job conserving and repairing the building. It also has some of the oldest Christian wall paintings in the UK.

The art installations were all based around a theme of pilgrimage/refugees/unity. When we walked into the nave we saw a magnificent boat shaped ‘chandelier’ . It was awesome in the true sense of the word.

The installation of 100 clear glass amphorae, Boat of remembrance, commemorates 100 Years since 1918 and is a memorial for the people of all nationalities who died in the First World War. It also draws on the idea in Christianity that the Church is a place of sanctuary. The word nave comes from the Latin word for ship, navis.

Another impressive installation was the body of nails. Transport. The work is suspended above the first tomb of Thomas Becker. The body is less a thing but a place for feelings, thoughts, memory and introspection like the Cathedral.

The story of St Eustace painted on the wall

For my final night we went to dinner in a newish bistro in Deal. The food was well cooked but not very imaginative and the wait staff lacked polish. It was a bit disappointing. Then we went across the road to a little wine bar where the service was very good and the atmosphere was more relaxed.

Need to be away early tomorrow so it wasn’t a late night.

Kathleen and I took the train to London to meet Kirstyn and her two boys Oscar, 2 and Freddie 4 months and have Dim Sum in Chinatown. It is years since I have been to Chinatown in London and it seems to be much more developed than I recalled. We met Kirstyn at St Pancras and walked over to Chinatown via a park near the children’s Hospital that only allows adults in who are accompanied by a child! It has a range of play equipment and sand pits which Oscar enjoyed while Kirstyn fed Freddie. We continued on through Holborn and passed lots of interesting shops. Just as well I have a backpack because the sales have started and it is so tempting to add to my limited wardrobe.</
We went to a restaurant Kathleen's other daughter, Kate had recommended, the Orient. The food was great and for this little Aussie, such a treat to have Chinese food, and Dim sum (Yum Cha) in particular, after being in France and Germany. It was a very busy lunch with two little boys but also a treat for Kirstyn to have Dim Sum. I admired her ability to just roll with the kids and to come to London on the train. I could not have faced that with the twins!
Kathleen and I struck out after lunch for the outdoor shops. I had resolved to buy a day pack for the Coast 2 Coast after trying my large backpack half empty, and not finding it so comfy. Besides I may have to carry more on the plane when I head back to France and the foldaway backpack won’t carry much. I had done a lot of research and decided on a few styles but ended up buying another Osprey. They are quite a bit cheaper here than at home and they fit me well. My large backpack is also an Osprey. It was even more enticing when we discovered Cotswolds give 15% discount for National trust members. (Kathleen is one!) I bought some new socks and another quick dry shirt. When we left we realised Kathleen had dropped her scarf. After some backtracking we decided it has gone to scarf heaven and gave up the chase.

Next we headed to Clark’s shoe stores to buy a pair of sandals. Wearing the Tevas after a day’s walk is fine but I would like to look a bit smarter for ‘normal’ days. Oh, oh! Two pairs catch my eye and they are very reasonable (especially as they don’t charge me the VAT either). One pair is a very elegant bronze low heeled dress shoe and the other is a serviceable sandal in dark navy. And both in my size!! They are both lightweight so I snapped them up. Um! Now I will have five pairs of shoes to bring home because the sketchers I sent back to England with Karen’s Mum will be collected after the walk. Well that is why I have the daypack.

Kathleen and I had a good wander around Covent Garden which was the flower market but is now specialty shops with lots of floral decorations, buskers and singers. We headed up past Carnaby street towards Oxford street. By now the working day was done for most people and every little pub was overflowing with people enjoying a drink after work. Really amazing how many pubs there are! Literally one on every corner or every 300 metres.

We went up to Euston station so I would know where to go on Saturday and time the distance from St Pancras station. It is about 20 minutes walk between the stations and I am anxious not to miss the train to Carlisle with only ten minutes spare. I have decided to get an earlier train from Deal so I am not rushing.

What was so funny about Euston Station is that the concourse was chock a block with people all looking in one direction-the illuminated notice board for arrivals and departures. They all seemed to have such fixed gazes it was like observing a lot of zombies!

I am staying in tomorrow in the hope the replacement Amex card will arrive by courier but they are so security conscious that they are double checking I am the person redirecting it to Deal. I suspect it won’t come before I leave now. What a saga these cards have been. I feel like I am on personal terms with all the fraud staff of Amex and ANZ!

Kathleen took me to visit Knole, the ancestral home of Vita Sackville-West an author, poet and garden designer. She was such an interesting woman who was married to Harold Nicolson for 50 odd years, had two sons and several lesbian love affairs notably with Violet Keppel and Virginia Wolf. Her husband also had homosexual affairs yet when you read their letters to each other they are very loving. Fascinating characters.

Knole is situated within Kent’s last medieval deer park and there were many deer strolling the grounds. The home is huge, originally an archbishop’s palace, then in royal hands and finally into the Sackville family since the 1600s. It has 300 rooms and is almost a village in itself with extensive gardens. Too big to photograph! The panther was the symbol of the Sackvilles so they line the roof.

I loved the heater that was the most modern way to heat a room at the time.

Vita loved Knole but as a daughter she was not able to inherit the estate and it passed to her cousin Edward, who didn’t want it. Vita married Harold Nicolson a diplomat, to fulfil her conventional side, and they seemed happy but it didn’t stop her having an affair and some serious lesbian affairs.

She and her husband went on to lovingly create a magnificent garden at Sissinghurst Castle, which we visited after Knole. The gardens are glorious and full of fragrant roses. She had her room in the tower where she wrote at night after working in the garden during the day. Her husband had a miniature Oast house with windows looking across the Kent Downs. I would love a room like that!

Harold office.

The property had a house for the children! They had their house and own rooms plus a library, all connected by walls and garden courtyards. The library was converted from stables.Sissinghurst had been a notorious prison for French sailors and there is graffiti from their time on the walls which was discovered during a recent renovation of the tower. When Harold and Vita bought it, it was practically in ruins but after renovating the stables they started on the gardens (which now have 2 teams of rose de-headers that go through the garden twice a week!) Women had been head gardeners for the majority of the time Vita and Harold lived there but since the National trust now own it, they have the first male head gardener (in 50 years).

Although the garden is classically designed in squares or rooms, the planting is exuberant and lush with such a mixture of textures and flowers that it is a feast for the senses. Sissinghurst is also a working farm with cattle, sheep and pigs as well as home to rare species of wild flowers, insects and birds but we didn’t have time to walk around the fields as well. They have preserved the Oast houses that were used to dry hops. There are many of them in Kent and at Sissinghurst they are surrounded by wild daisies. My Australian roots surfaced when I saw the long grass and wild flowers. Good place for snakes!

Kathleen had the book of letters Vita and Harold exchanged over their married life which was published by her son Nigel. They are so interesting. I have read a few things by Vita but my curiosity has been stimulated now to explore a few more aspects of her work. She was reputedly the inspiration for the character in ‘ Orlando’ by Virginia Wolf. I will have to read a biography!

This was a stunning day for both weather and exploring.

After a slow start Kathleen and I walked from her home to Deal along the waterfront. The sky is grey and the breeze cool but there are lots of people walking dogs and strolling. Everything is a buzz. Her immediate village is very quaint and there are some lovely little fishermen’s cottages that we pass. Apparently the council are continually replacing stones etc because the sea is eating away at the shoreline and the homes could disappear in fifty years without this vigilance.

This wild flower garden on the shore was so picturesque. We passed a kite event where all sorts of shapes are being put into the air. Lots of kids are trying their hands at flying kites. The stiff breeze is filling the larger kites and getting them airborne. We were amused by the flapping of the legs of the large panda. He seemed to be running on his toes.

We wandered into the market but as we slept in, the market is a bit empty, as is the fish monger! We took my Brit Rail Pass to be stamped at the station and it was closed so we had to go back later. One woman was very annoyed that the station was closed for this short time. When we returned an hour later the guy was very helpful but I was unable to book in the same carriage as Lyn and Bruce for our trip to Carlisle on the 16 th June. He did say I could sit in their carriage if there were spare seats; ( it did seem weird that I could do that but I couldn’t book a seat in the carriage!).

Before we made our purchases at the market we came across the Deal Ukulele group putting on a concert. I am curious about why Ukuleles have become so fashionable. There are several groups at home. This group played and sang very well.

We wandered around town and it is quite interesting. The beach is all pebbles here and quite steep. I tried some shoes but they were a bit tight. After a coffee and cake we set off home and stopped at the last pub for a drink before taking the path by the campsite up to Kathleen’s home. Her place borders a camping ground and there seemed to be a whole group of tents exactly the same style with the same green and yellow flags which roused our curiosity. We wondered if it was a wedding group or a convention of some sort.

Finally at four o’clock the sun comes out and the sea looks beautiful. We take some wine and cheese and sit on the terrace and enjoy the sun until we are driven inside by the cool air. It is much cooler than the continent.

An early arrival at Tegal, a warm goodbye with many thanks for a great time in Berlin and then I left for Deal, UK.

I carried my backpack in the black bag to protect the straps until I got so fed up I just put it on! What a relief, it is so much easier to wear the pack. There were issues with the trains so we didn’t arrive at St Pancras as expected but we were able to use the underground anyway and I caught the train to Faversham without further problem to meet Kathleen at her upholstery class.

Kathleen has a beautiful home overlooking the English Channel. It is in a lovely garden in a very quaint area Deal in Kent.

Her chair is gorgeous and so original. It was an interesting time learning about the process. I felt quite inspired. She goes to the Creative studios which has all sorts of crafts as well as working artists. A very inspiring place.

We talked a lot last night over dinner at one of the local pubs and both were pretty tired.

My last day I set off solo into Berlin and I spent quite some time at Checkpoint Charlie, Mauermuseum-Haus. It was quite fascinating seeing all the different ways people used to escape. Modified VWs with people under the boot, in suitcases, out windows, in kayaks, tunnels. The museum documents the politics of the divided city, the allies and the Russian communists. It also has a teaching element about protests and politics which was focused on different international crisis.

I then moved on after a couple of false moves on the underground (when I realised I was going in the opposite direction to where I should be heading!) to the Field of Stelae, a memorial to the European Jews who died during the war.

It is a sombre sculpture of grey blocks over a huge area. I found it quite moving.

Then I got myself across to the Berliner Fernsehturm( Television Tower) that gives you a 360 view over Berlin. It was well worth it and really brings together the whole of Berlin. It is a green city with lots of parks even though I did find the central business shops etc rather grey. It looks so orderly with the housing and even a lot of the shops all on the same level as residential homes. The boulevards( Damn in Germans) are clearly obvious. It looks like a Lego city.

My day finished with Katharina, Thom (her ex-husband) and his partner Edi. We had a barbecue in the garden and a bit too much wine but lots of good conversation and food. I felt it was a real privilege to be invited into their home and I made two more friends. Thom used to be a camera journalist and had been to Australia many years ago. Edi is a psychologist.

Goodbye Berlin!

Next morning Katharina and I set off to walk from Kreuzung ( Old East Germany) to Templehof in the West. We explored this now trendy part of Berlin, with cafes and restaurants and quirky shops. There is a lot of graffiti, and around Niederbarnimstrasse there are lots of interesting shops. I loved the wall art of curlers and hair dressing accoutrements in a collage outside the hairdressers.

These brass plaques are in the footpaths to mark where a Jewish person lived before the war and the Nazis.

The housing in Berlin tends to be apartments no more than 6 stories and walls must be all in line on the street. Many have interior courtyards so they seem quite gracious and elegant but there is no parking! It is a premium. There are lots of cyclists, with and without helmets, with and without Lycra! They can take the bikes on the train at any time of the day and there seem to be many more bike and pedestrian lanes side by side.

We had lunch in ‘Little Turkey’ of Falafel, hummus and salad. They were massive plates that neither of us could finish and only €4. Then onwards to the Art centre at the Künstlerhaus Bethanien which was an old hospital but now has work spaces for artists, exhibitions and an open air cinema in summer. We visited one of the exhibitions about pollution in the ocean and some other exhibits that provoked our curiosity but of which we didn’t grasp the meaning!

Outside the art centre we saw a box home for bees.

We saw these crazy guys driving ‘grown up ‘ toy cars!

We came across a garden that had been a target for ‘ garden guerillas’ and eventually the council gave in and now the square is a thriving garden centre, coffee place and teaching centre for gardening. A grand improvement on some of the shabby, bedraggled squares I saw

The last stop(gasp) was the Tempelhof, a former airpot that was used by the Americans to break the blockade on food to West Berliners by the East Berlin government. They were trying to drive them into submitting to a unified Berlin under communist control but the Americans flew provisions in and out at such close timing that some planes crashed and yet they continued and saved the West Berliners.

The airport was built by the Nazis and was the largest airport in Europe but the grounds are right in the heart of Berlin and so is not practical as an airpot now. It has been given to the public as recreation space. The Terminal was a kilometre long. It house police and government admin. Now.