spryng | Hadrian's Wall, Day Three: 17.3 miles (Reply)

It's been over a month since we returned from our amazing, incredible, world-altering long walk, so it's well past time for another day of our trip. Welcome to day three, also known as: oh god, we somehow walked 17 miles.

The third day starts beautiful, with overcast sky and an intermittent spray. After breakfasting at the inn - our first of many traditional English breakfasts (which consist of: super salty bacon, one boiled tomato, fried eggs, sausage, tea/coffee, and all the toast you can possibly eat) - we head out, eager despite our still-weary feet.

The scenery isn't much changed from the day before: still lots of fields. Still lots of cows and sheep. Still lots of fences to climb over.

Still lots of queen anne's lace to wade through. Still lots of signs to point us in the right direction.

It's thoroughly gorgeous and calming and slow for the first few hours. The sun blinks at us intermittently and we joke about the sun screen we bought on day one. Because. You know. It could sun at any time.

We cross through a field with actual cows in it for the first time and it is the Height of Exciting. The cows come to see what all the fuss is about, then stay where they're standing to continue trying to figure out what all the fuss was about. We are thankfully left untrampled and I laugh at my silly, albeit brief and strong, fear that they might have.

This little delight is the TINIEST FREAKING SHEEP I have ever seen or ever saw the entire trip. I mean. Damn.

More walls. Ever more walls. I remember remarking when we set out that morning that my pack didn't feel nearly as heavy as it did the day before. I'm starting to feel like maybe I can really handle this.

Did I mention how breathtakingly beautiful it was?

I just - all we're doing is walking through fields and it's somehow the most wonderous thing.

Although the clouds continue to loom ominously, all the weather seems to have for us is a stiff, chill breeze with the occasional taunting spray of rain. Nothing that lasts.

It's about midmorning when we decide to take a proper break and eat some of the snacks we still have. I prop the camera up on a nearby stone to get one of those rare photos of the two of us. :) Second take turned out all right, although you might be able to tell how fierce the wind is blowing.

Only a little further along from our stopping point, we find the other trail that heads south towards Corbridge. Since there's a prominent Roman fortress (and museum!) there - as well as food options - we had decided to incorporate the journey into our trip. So, we head south.

And through a field of sheep. Because, as we're quickly learning, the English will put sheep anywhere. And I do mean ANYWHERE.

Ah, our detour is going so well until we get lost. I happily headed left instead of right at a critical juncture, so we find ourselves traipsing through a pleasant grove - filled with blooming Bergloch - and thoroughly lost. It's gorgeous and oddly magical and in a place like this, it's so easy to see where all those benign fairy stories came from.

We finally make it to Corbridge out of sheer determination, traipsing near highways and through horse pastures until we find a road that meanders into the town. It's a fairly standard English town. That is, a vibrant and old city center surrounded by cute houses that, while obviously modern in construction, still try to blend in with the overall older atmosphere.

We're both tired, though, and cranky, so our first order of business is food and coffee. After which, we find a teeny grocery co-op, re-stock some of our supplies, and then head to the info center to see about buses back up because omg. The thought of walking 4+ miles back up (and it is up, since it was mostly a downhill trek to Corbridge) then the additional 4 or 5 miles to the night's stay on top of the twelve, thirteen miles we'd already done - well. It probably could've been done, but that would have been a 20+ mile day and my feet were already showing signs of the dreadful pain to come.

But there is no bus - or rather, there wouldn't be a bus until after five, which would be way too late, but the info lady is super helpful and secures us a cab instead. Both feeling a little like we're cheating, we head out to the local Roman fort first.

It's our second fort of the trip and this one we decide is worth paying to go inside. There's no restriction as to where you can walk, which is a bit weird, but lots of info plaques which I dutifully read aloud in German.

Then I realize that I was so tired I didn't even bother getting my camera out in Corbridge, so here's a shot of the town from afar (with sheep!):

Back in town, the info lady calls the cab for us and we take a 5 minute ride back to the trail - a trip on foot that would have easily taken over an hour. By now I'm really beginning to appreciate distances and how damn fast cars are. Later in the trip we would talk to a family who was driving the wall and learn that it only takes a few hours to go from one end to the other. A distance that would take us a week to walk - only three or so hours in a car. You just can't appreciate anything at that speed.

Our cab driver is also a lively fellow who tells us about his times in Arizona and to the Grand Canyon, and then laughs heartily for a full minute when I confess I'd still never been - yet I came all the way to Hadrian's Wall. Well. Priorities. :P

The cab drops us off right next to the path, just as another couple clamber over the ladder, going the opposite direction.

It's refreshing to be back on the trail, even though everything is really starting to hurt. We've only got a few miles left, anyway.

We break at a spot behind an old church that the info lady pointed out to us and enjoy the view. As well as some rice pudding.

Then I put away my camera for the rest of the day because the next town is only two or so miles away. We walk and walk and walk, the sky slowly darkening overhead with thickening clouds. As it begins to drizzle intermittently, we find the town of Wall (unfortunately, not this Wall), which was also recommended by info lady, and have dinner. Fortified with cider (several), we stumble our way through a fine mist, uphill, uphill, always uphill.

My feet hate me at this point and every step is agony. But we still have over a mile to go. At some point I proclaim that everything is beautiful, everything hurts, and I hate everything. Really, it's all pretty hazy at this point - there was pain and rain and hills and then, finally, we found the road we were supposed to turn down for the farm, and then we saw the farm, up on a hill, and then we proceed to walk diagonal to the farm so that it looks like we're not ever coming any closer and then -

We make it shortly after nine, dusk falling quickly all around us, and I have enough energy left to take off my shoes.

Day four is next, but it was a DITL, so it's already been compiled. I'll hopefully have day five up a little sooner this time. :)