Chester to Wales – Dee Dah Down the Dee

For those of you who are sheltered from exposure to such phrases, a Dee Dah is slang for someone from Sheffield. 

The night was long and I was woken at 3am by a group of kids walking past my tent. I grabbed the handle of my machete but they buggered off. It was lonely there but I soon got back to sleep. This is my tent in the early morning light. On a hillside desolate. Can nature make a man of me yet?

Today was to be a walk from Chester to Northop Hall Country House Hotel. On the map below from Chester on the right bank of the Dee, crossing at Queensferry, along to Shotton and up to the Hall. 

I got up early and walked a couple of miles to a business park where I got a bus to Chester, had a breakfast and hit the road. Chester is ok but not as spectacular as this looks. It’s a bit shabby in many places. Historic though with the walls, castle and Roman remains.  

I thought it was a bit inappropriate for the funeral staff to be smiling. They’re paid to mourn the passing of people they don’t know and look miserable. Lovely horses.

I left the city and headed down to the River Dee where the stone pillars either side of this cycle path marked the Welsh border on the English side of the river. Cheeky taffs, nicking our land. 

The path ran on and on with a hard surface grinding my feet. When I took my boots off this evening my right sock was stiff with blood. Did it hurt a real man like me? Yes it did. Mummy, mummy, mummy. 

The river is tidal and the tide turned to come in, bringing a bore which was frightening in it’s intensity. I was too slow to capture it but it looked like this stock photo, and then water kept blasting in from the sea amazingly fast. 

At the same time a strange plane which looked like a dolphin flew over to land at Liverpool airport. It was the second time in two days at 4pm and I missed it again. Stock photo to the rescue.

Small doner kebab for a late lunch and up the hill from Shotton to Northop. Looking back to the Dee valley the steelworks at Shotton were still churning out metal sheet.

And finally 11 miles to Northop Hall. I’m tired. My spark’s gone and my blog is flat.

Be alright tomorrow though.

Night night.