Walk Day 8

Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea going for a curry last night! Landlady very obligingly served us breakfast at 6.30 and we were on our way by 7.30 (even allowing for several trips to the loo!). Richmond is a lovely town and the walk took us through Town Square and down past the river rapids, then up along a river walk for about a mile through trees where the ground was carpeted with wild garlic and the air was occasionally heady with its aroma. From this walk there were lovelly views back to Richmond town and castle. Well worth a return visit. We went past Catterick race course and over lots of high styles. Not too many kissing gates today so I wasn't feeling left out. If yesterday was a day of waterfalls, then today was one of flowers with bluebells, harebells, primroses and forget-me-nots, not to mention our walk through several fields of flowering yellow rape-seed. Kev managed to time it just perfectly for a pub stop at lunchtime but we only allowed him one pint. There was rain in front of us at several points but we only managed 3 spots and about 3 minutes of light drizzle. The rest of the day was hot and sunny with Julia walking in shorts and our coats packed in rucksacks. Kevin now looks like a lobster! I've also learned that while Julia teaches English, Kevin is fluent in sheep. Every time we have been in a field of sheep and lambs he has started bleeting and 'baa-ing' at them and they always answer - he even gets the lambs running towards him till they realise they have been conned. I was glad he did not try the same thing when we walked through fields of young frisky and inquisitive bullocks today. Today's walk was quite flat and supposed to be 23 miles. Julia did tell me I was likely to get a speeding ticket if I did not slow down when we went into the villages but my GPS - and our feet - suggested it was nearer 20 and we finished at just after 4pm - we even managed to break into a run as we crossed the busy dual carriageway of the A19 at the end of today's trek. Tomorrow is supposed to be 21 miles and very hot - as well as being quite hilly, so we are expecting a very hard day. On top of that our accommodation is another 2 mites off the route with no likelyhood of a bus or taxi. Still, once that is out of the way there will only be 2 days of easy (15 miles) walking left. Where has the holiday gone? So far - 8 days of dry and sunny weather - who would have believed it.