Business End of the Season

Heard that somewhere before? Yes you have if you read my 13 September blog. Well that’s where I am, going for an early finish next week, so I got up at 7am and set off at 8. Pushing off from Burton Freshwater I quickly made it to the beach which forms part of the 20 plus miles of pebble bank formed of trillions of pebbles thrown up 6000 years ago from a change in sea level. It was ok for the first couple of miles and then the pebbles invaded the path. It was like wading through porridge, really strength sapping. I aimed for breakfast at West Bexington but the only cafe was shut and there are no shops.
The real plus factor was the weather. Yesssss!!! Again it was July but this time in October. Warm, sunny and clear.

Beautiful irises, or are they orchids, growing in the shingle.

I made it more than three hours after setting off to Abbotsbury and had a late breakfast of a huge pot of tea and crab sandwich with salad. Perfect! My spirits lifted instantly.
Above the village the Chapel of St Catherine towers majestically surrounded by earthworks. A few clouds blew over and I thought summer was finished but it soon cleared again. It was in the early twenties centigrade. Amazing.

I really enjoyed the cross country route of the coast path back down to Chesil Bank. The Bank runs between the open sea and a long open lagoon which opens at one end to Portland Bay, and which is mostly saltwater. It’s a haven for birds, particularly in winter when thousands turn up there. It smells disgusting, like a sewer. Drain the bloody stinky thing and fill it with concrete.
It looks nice in the sun though.

What the good weather has done is bring out millions of daddy longlegs. Don’t know what they’re called in French. Papa Jambes Longues or summat. As soon as I switch the lamp on in Wilson I’m covered in these things.

The slugs have buggered off and I’ve got daddy longlegs all over my head now.

I’m staying on this campsite tomorrow as well as tonight as the path goes round the Isle of Portland and comes back again. I can leave my rucksack in Wilson. Brilliant!
Here’s my good friend Wilson and the Isle of Portland behind in the evening sun.

I’ve done 18 miles today. I’m feeling as fit as a butcher’s dog. 573 miles done, 57 to go. I’m finishing on Wednesday and if I keep going I’ll get another day off in Swanage. Might go fishing or summat.
Sleep well family, friends and new friends I’ve not met yet but are reading this.
Night Night