The Lazy Cherub Enigma: Pounding the Pavement

May 27, 2016

Woolacombe to Braunton

22.86 km

33,093 steps

Today was the day our luck ran out with the weather. The forecast for the day was overcast with intermittent showers which meant digging out the rain pants and pack covers – it was going to be a wet one! The morning started out fine. No rain and beach and estuary walking all to our selves. For this stage, the walking is flat so any push we make was more trying to beat the rain than make up time lost slogging up and down cliffs. About two hours in we leave the beaches and head inland to Baggy Point also known as “Wreck Point” for its plethora of ship wrecks and the inability for rescue boats to get to it due to pounding surf and rocks. Somewhere in the fields of green we lost our way and never made it to the point. Instead we followed a wet overgrown footpath into the town of Croyde. I was kind of glad for this since it was starting to rain and I could use a hot drink. Croyde is another one of these beach towns that appears to completely subsist on vacationers renting trailers in trailer parks. There are a lot of sand dunes that you can’t go on because it is a lizard protection zone but it does have a nice sandy beach that, even in the cold and rain, people were determined to use as if it was in Maui. I felt rather pathetic shivering in a café while outside I could see children and adults in bathing suits running into waves blissfully unaware of the inclement weather.

A break in the rain meant another push to Saunton. There is not much here except the omnipresent Saunton Sands and the golf course/military training grounds. Still, it was another welcome relief to come upon civilization because now the rain showers had morphed into rain torrents. Again, we were fortunate that just as this set in we were at another coffee shop so yes, we settled in had more hot drinks. It was definitely a moment of relieve and foreboding as we watched the rain pound down. Relief that we were in a nice café and foreboding that this could be another “Wainwright Flashback” and have to endure 5 hrs. of walking in “English Weather.”

Fortunately, the rain let up and we make the final push into Braunton. This was mainly done through the golf course where you had to watch for flying balls and through the military training grounds where not much training seems to be happening. This may be because this entire area is now a protected wildlife sanctuary for lizards and adders. You see plenty of signs warning you to not let your horse our your person step on a lizard or adder because doing so can result in a hefty fine. (Which had me wondering, how would anyone know? Are the lizards and adders micro chipped? Do those microchips record who stepped on them and when? Or are all the lizards and adders under military protection and there, in the marsh, are hundreds of soldiers in gilly suits keeping a watchful eye on their assigned amphibian or snake?)

Our lodgings in Braunton were The Firs B & B. It was quite a slog into it from the town proper but in the end proved to be well worth it. The Bennings are avid competitive road cyclists and triathletes so Ken right away got treated to a tour of the cycling man cave of Jim and his son (who also co-owns the bike shop in town which yes, we had to make a pilgrimage to. All hail the carbon fiber God who personally, I only worship because s/he comes with an espresso machine ready to re-caffeinate weary legs.)

Braunton is also home to the English surf museum where you can learn the history of surfing in the UK. Seems it started around the turn of the century using coffin lids and progressed from there. It seems a little less hang ten and more about after a few pints lets get crazy and ride some winter storm waves. But hey, whatever gets you into the water!

May 29, 2016

Braunton to Instow

23.22 km

34,663 steps

After a much needed rest day in Braunton we are back on the path and on our way to Instow. This section of the walk is part of the Tarka Trail and is a flat paved trail system created on a disused railway line. This makes it very popular with cyclists and very busy over all to walk due to “traffic.” The upshot however is the journey is always punctuated by places to stop for a drink or snacks. Welcome to the civilized section of the trek!

About 3 hours in you arrive at the town of Barnstaple. We ducked into the town center for a Nero’s break and to grab lunch. There happened to be an ale and cider festival going on but we did not partake. Ken has me on a strict “You get one vice only on the walk” regime and so I had to go with lattes over ale. From Barnstaple we “soberly” made our way to our next waypoint – Fremington Quay. The quay is a popular rest and hang out spot for cyclists and Triumph motorcycle enthusiasts.

The remaining journey is uneventful path walking through estuaries and reclaimed farmland until finally we reached our destination at Instow. The path diverts around a cricket field that was filled with pristine white (in clothing and skin tone) players in the midst of a game. This particular club has been around since the early 1800’s and still uses the original building with is original thatched roof. Instow itself is a pretty seas side town with a nice beach and tiny harbor. It is also home to “John’s Grocery and Bakery” which has the BEST flat white in the universe and has a deli counter to die for.

Our accommodations for tonight are from Air B & B (The Roses) at the very end of High Road (and yeah, the road is high – my feet were not happy). What an exceptional value though. For $60 CDN we got our own room, bathroom (with kick ass rain shower and tub) AND A FRIDGE!!! Yes a fridge – stocked with beverages for us to have!! And there was a cat – Seamus aka “Mr. Furbs” who was awesome.

May 30, 2016

Instow to Westward Ho!

21.38 km

32,025 steps

We are back with the fine weather and another flat walk along the Tarka Trail into Westward Ho! Our first stop is the town of Bideford for a lunch break. This place has potential and perhaps if this weren’t a Sunday it could have been more fun but seeing as it was a Sunday, most things of interest were closed (such as the Pannier market) so we ended up with a Co-op meal deal on a bench by the water. Pretty sketchy along there to be honest. Lots of betting shops and strip clubs that offered bottomless coffee with your breakfast (yeah – open to way too much interpretation). From here we walk another few hours to the very scenic Appledore, which is actually a short boat ride across the bay from Instow (but again, being purest we took the l-o-n-g way around). And because it is just across from Instow there is also another “John’s” so FLAT WHITE BREAK!!!

From Appledore the trail heads into the Northam Burrows Country Park consisting of 243 hectares of coastal plains and sand dunes. It is home to the oldest links course in England where you are warned to be mindful of flying golf balls and for golfers to be mindful of horses grazing on the green.

Westward Ho! is your typical weekend holiday town. There is a small arcade and amusement park in the town center and the beach strip is lined with chippies, ice cream carts and teashops. We stayed at the Village Inn and ate take away Chinese from a place run by white people. (Ok I’m just going to say it – so far on this walk we have not run into a single non-white person anywhere. None. There is, however, a lot of canine diversity J)