Day 12

August 22, 2015

Depart Torcross | Arrive Brixham, Accommodation: Smugglers Haunt, Brixham

Distance: 34.1KM | Cumulative Distance: 290.2KM | Grade - Easy/Strenuous

Ascent: 4,485 ft | Cumulative Ascent: 30,512 ft.

Cumulative Distance (both walks): 754.2 KM | Cumulative Ascent (both walks): 92,217 ft.

NO DINNER FOR YOU!"

Last night, as I was waiting for my I-Pad Mini to charge I read the instructions that was in my room, just to pass the time, when I read that breakfast was not served until 9am, which caused a bit of a panic in light of the distance I was covering the next morning. I raced downstairs to try and sort it out and that's when I met my host Carol and her daughter Bonnie, and they were in a bit of a state. Turns out Carol's husband had been rushed into hospital with a heart problem, and poor Carol had suffered a wasp sting, and for which she had a nasty allergic reaction and she too had been in hospital. It made my problem rather small by comparison. Anyhow Bonnie agreed that she would get me off by 8 or 8-30 at the latest, as her job is to get in early as she bakes all the scones for the cafe. As you saw from yesterday's picture they were very good.

The nice thing about last night was the fact that I, and a younger couple who I met as I was leaving this morning, had the house to ourselves because Carol went and stayed with her daughter last night. Anyhow I was up by 7 am and showered, dressed and finished my packing and then just read the Internet until I heard noises downstairs around 7-30am which I assumed was Bonnie arriving for work.

By 7-45 Bonnie had fruit and cereal on the table, and I followed it with toast and coffee, before departing about 8-20 ready to face the 22 miles ahead.

The path starts right across the road from where I turned to go up to Seabreeze, and the 1-3/4 miles is pretty flat. Within a couple of hundred yards of starting my walk I came to a Sherman Tank which is a remnant from the 2nd World War, and which has been turned into a memorial to all of the American Servicemen who lost their lives in a tragic exercise. The U.S. military were doing a full on live exercise as part of the build up to the D-Day landings which included live ammunition drills. For more information if you Google Slapton Sands US Military disaster I'm sure you will find something.

The walking was perfect for the first little while, and the weather was fantastic with blue skies and sunshine, then all of a sudden I hit my first climb of the day. A new piece of trail has been added, and it had a distinctive Canadian feel to it, as it was in the form of switch-backs that went up the side of a hill. It brought me out at a place called Strete, a small village and as I was entering a gate at the far end of the village I was joined by a pleasant guy and his dog, and they were heading to the beach for a swim. Turns out the fellow had been to Canada in the early 80's when he was at Suffield with the British Military, and he had also trained in Jasper. We walked together for a few minutes and he told me he swims in the sea bout 200 days of the year. Hardy soul!!

As we turned into a field he said cheerio, as he was heading down to his beach, whereas my path was taking me into a field that led straight down and then straight up again! I then crossed the road and enter erred another field before I descended through some fields and eventually behind Blackpool Sands. As I was getting closer I could hear all this hooting and hollering and a rather annoying man on the Tannoy system. Turns out there was some kind of competition including lifting rather large tires after going through an obstacle course. This is all speculation of course as I could only see a little of the action, and that from a distance away.

I could not get away from Blackpool Sands quick enough and before long I was back on the cliff tops and then being dropped very quickly to be close to the water. By now of course I was suspicious that this was not good, and shortly further on there was another climb ahead of me. It suddenly dawned on me that today was another 4400 feet of elevation, but the big difference is now I'm relatively well "walked in" which means it's not as difficult as say a week ago.

I had been pushing rather hard and finally at about 11am I arrived at Dartmouth Castle and decided to treat myself. There was a little cafe that seemed quite busy and so I went in and ordered a coffee and a crispy bacon bap, which in Canada would bea bread bun. It was very tasty, and just as I was leaving I was asked about my walk again. It's amazing how many people stop me because of the Walking People out of Poverty, and Opportunity International Canada beneath, that is printed on my tee shirt.

The walk from Dartmouth Castle to Dartmouth was not very long and I quickly found the ferry to get me to the other side which was Kingswear. This ferry was different as it was shared by foot passengers as well as vehicles, with only 7-8 cars getting on at any one time. Two minutes later, at 1pm I saw a sign that said Brixham, 10 miles. Little did I know just how arduous the afternoon was going to be!

Because the path runs across the grain of the land there is a lot of ups and downs, and although there are link paths I did not take any of them as that would mean I'd be taking a shortcut.

The first climb of the afternoon was not too bad and actually went through woodland, and I enjoyed some fine views across to where I'd been a short time before.

I then endured a steep climb down to Scabbacombe Sands before being re-routed back uphill until I was above Long Sands. This was now becoming very much the norm, first it's a steep drop down followed by another long climb, and I'm not going to bore you anymore and just let you know that it was a lot up and down.

Coming into Brixham is very deceptive and just when you think you are there, and you will be enjoying a well deserved cup of tea in a few minutes, the trail takes you out to Berry Head and then proceeds around to an old Fort before coming into town via the Berry Hotel.

I should mention that just like the end of my long day that led me into Cremyll a few days ago, where I met Blue the OES, this time I saw another OES and only this time he had not been groomed. He was a beauty as the pictures will show.

Finding my accommodation was extremely difficult but I eventually found it, but not before the rain came down. I'm on the top floor, more stairs you see, and once in my room I devoured all of my cookies before enduring a long hot bath. Blissful!

I then went to find dinner, and as you can tell by now I'm choosy about what I eat because I need food to power me through the next day, and unfortunately the stodgy British food doesn't do it for me. I got turned away from not 1,not 2 but 3 restaurants because they were full. That wasn't what I saw when I went it. Anyhow I found a pub that did a cannelloni dish which was passable and I'm now finishing this 14 hours after starting out this morning.