monday June 12th, Hill Barn B and B to East Ilsley, 21.6kms

Our dinner last night was delicious, veggie lasagna, bread, a lemon tart with cream and strawberries. I had a glass of wine and Liz had a lager. We would have drunk the whole bottle of wine (with regrets) if we had realised how eye-wateringly expensive dinner was!

I slept mainly like a log. Breakfast was my favourite, orange juice, yogurt and fruit, toast and jam, coffee, none of that cooked nonsense for me.

We then headed out into the humid world, remembering which way we should be heading, putting one foot in front of the other.

A distinct lack of hills today, Liz says there was one but I can't remember it. The views were extensive but it was too hazy to see much beyond a blueness. I really wonder what the drovers did about water as there isn't a drop up on the ridge. I've seen loads of great wild camping places but I don't know how you'd manage for water. If you have to descend for a mile (not an actual mile in elevation🙄) and then climb back up I think you might just camp in the valley.

We had a good picnic from the B and B so had some of that for our 2nd breakfast sat by the trail. Quite a few cyclists around and a couple of local walkers, I was really expecting lots of walkers, very strange. Its the 50th anniversary of The Ridgeway being a National Trail this year, there are celebrations but not this month.

In the distance we could see a stone cross, reminiscent of many I have seen in France at the side of roads to protect that place. When we got to it this one had steps and was a monument to Lord Wantage. We were just googling the info when some cyclists came by and stopped, they wanted to know about it so we shared google's thoughts, they were cycling to Hook but seemed impressed with our walking, we are impressed with our walking, for England it is very hot.

Lunchtime found us in a little wooded area with a perfect area of grass that had been flattened, no stingers. We ate, Liz sketched and we noticed on the tree that we had been sitting under a wooden plaque saying Richard's place, who knows.

We then crossed the A34, luckily we didn't have to run, did I say that we don't do running?? There was a huge tunnel uner the road. Totally oversized for the little path that led to it, very bizarre. There were a few murals on the walls as in the photo. 

We made it to East Ilsley in the heat with a few rumbles of thunder, quite a long descent from the trail which we will pay for in the morning.

The pub was expecting us, and woohoo tonight we have a perfect working shower, hot, powerful and with a shower curtain. There's always a bit of an arrival routine when you are backpacking of checking on meals, washing your smelly stuff, showering and making a cup of tea, all of which we did.

As The Swan was the pub, who when asked, didn't do evening meals on a Monday and stated that there wasn't anywhere else in the village to get food on a Monday, we went to the huge pub immediately across the road from them for dinner - idiots!! We met up with Ian, Liz's husband and Adam her youngest who off to be a summer counselor in America on Wednesday. The food was delicious with good conversation. Liz is sketching. I am writing this, we are both drinking tea.

I don't think I have been writing our kms for each day, sooooo much to remember

Saturday 16kms

Sunday 26.5kms

Today 21.6kms

Tomorrow is 23/24 kms, we have had to fit in with the availability of accomodation so the days are quite varied. Tomorrow should be flat, apart from the start of the day challenge back up to the trail, half of it along the River Thames into Wallingford. There is a bit of a blister issue going on here so will let you know how we do, I was wondering whether a boat would be cheating??? Discuss.