Day 3: 22.8 miles from Newbridge to Sandford-on-Thames
Actually the most amazing breakfast ever. Cereals and rubarb and yoghurt with coffee. Warm freshly baked raspberry and almond muffin. Scrambled eggs on toast. I honestly didn't mean to eat all of it. But it just sort of happened. Really sad to leave this lovely oasis.
Back to the path again - this is how I remember most of the path, running through meadows with lots of wild flowers and reeds drooping down to the winding river.
Had to leave the river for a few miles, to do a detour around a massive campsite that had commandeered the river side and had a friendly sign up saying 'The Thames Path is NOT HERE'. OK. Hold your horses. We'll go around you. The fields we ran through seemed to go on for a long time, and were full of very skinny sheep and sheep poo, and overhead there were lots of military aircraft circling overhead. It was a weird few miles.
Finally made it back to the river. Lots of big houses appearing on the river banks now. Spent many happy moments this week deciding on which was my favourite. If I'm ever rich enough to have a big house, it will be here, and it will have turrets and a summer house, and a boat house. On the downside, I got two horsefly bites here - am allergic to horseflies. At least they're both on the same leg, so only one leg will go gammy.
No proper lunch stop today. Sad times. Instead, had a picnic of cereal bars and haribo and water by the ruins of Godstow Abby, from the 11th century, during which a friendly rabbit pooed on my phone.
Approaching Oxford! The romantic spires, as described in the guidebook, get closer with every step. Past Port Meadow. Getting busier! Lots of boats. Very pretty and sunny. Go by Oxford and all the boat houses. Very serious looking rower-types in these parts. Run past Iffley Lock which is the most beautiful little lock anywhere. Left the path at Sandford-on-Thames for the day.
Two more miles off the trail to find the B&B. Most horrid two miles of the whole entire week. The village we were headed for was along an A-road which was busier than the M25 at rush hour on a really busy day with roadworks, and had no path. Tried to find the way through fields but the path ran out. Had an argument, which I lost, just because Andrew shouts louder, not because I was wrong. In fact I was right. We should have gone back to the last village and taken a taxi, but instead we ran on through fields of wheat and other scratchy stuff, and rocked up at the next village with two gammy legs, and really angry. But at least we didn't get chased off by an angry farmer, or attacked by guard dogs.
The B&B (The Whispering Cottages in Nuneham Courtenay - everyone must go) was the most delightful place; how I imagine paradise to be, if paradise turns out to be in England. A beautiful cottage filled with cups and saucers, an Aga. a Secret Garden with roses and a winding path covered in a tunnel of flowers, a dog called Maud, and lovely owners. At the bottom of the path was the old Cabinet Makers Workshop, where the B&B was, and then it got even more better, as there was everything you could need - milk in a miniature milk bottle tied with a ribbon, a sweetie jar, and the softest bath mat in the world. And again there was lemon drizzle cake, which again was delicious. So, I went from feeling totally rock bottom at the end of this run and really hating everything, to feeling like I had arrived in paradise, all within two seconds of walking though the front door. I haven't had a pensive thought for three days, but this seems like a good opportunity - things can turn themselves around in an instant!
Went to the Seven Stars pub for tea, which again was amazing - there seems to be some kind of quality competition going on in these parts - everybody and everything is top notch. The bill came with jelly beans in an espresso cup, which to be honest far outshines any other bill I've ever had. Imagine if bank statements came with some jelly beans in the envelope.
Day 4: 20.5 miles from Sandford-on-Thames to Wallingford
Actually the most amazing breakfast ever. Fruit and seeds, coffee, Aga breakfast on a little frying pan. Andrews legs have swollen up from all the hayfever yesterday. The owner kindly gives us a lift back down the Road Of Fear to where we finished on the path yesterday.
Very hot. Beautiful running. First stop was Abingdon - which claims to be the oldest continually occupied settlement in the county. Woah. Very pretty. Restock on supplies. Carry on the way, and meet a friendly runner who is out running on his lunch break (how lucky is he to have this to do at lunch time!) and is also into ultra events. Quick lunch stop of lemonade and crisps at the Barley Mow pub at Clifton Hampden (the guide book says this is the best known of all Thames pubs, so it was rude not to stop) where meet some friendly pub goers interested in what we are doing.
Revitalised, we return to the path and spend a couple more hours running through meadows. I really love running here, but it's really bad for hayfever. All of my skin itches and my eyes, and I don't even have it that bad, and Andrew is like a massive ball of allergy. But it's pretty enough though to make up for that. There have been so many little dragonflies, I think they are called damselflies, or damsonflies. Sometimes there are so many, its like a little cloud of shimmering blue floating by. If you look really (really) closely you can see one sat on the brown piece of grass.
Super excited for tonight as we're staying in Wallingford, which is near where Agatha Christie lived ,and she based lots of here books here. Love a bit of a murder mystery. Today seems like a quite long day, so spend the last few miles thinking of potential plots. Past the poshest campsite in the world, where each immaculate plot seems to have its own boat, across the weir (each one we go across the river gets bigger) and finally can see the spire of the church in Wallingford (which is the focus of the current plot in my head - Professor Plum murdered Dr Black in the cellar with a candlestick). Hurrah! We are here! Showers and water and food and rest. Check in to the George Hotel, only we haven't a reservation here the receptionist says, we have made a reservation at the George Hotel in Dorchester-on-Thames. But not to worry, he says, as it is only a 10 minute walk up the High Street, no need for a cab.
Ah well, no big deal. A walk will help stretch our legs. Walk off. And on. And on. Have walked out of town by now. Check google maps. Dorechester is 3 miles away! Call hotel to ask for a cab, who say they don't have any cab numbers. Wow, how helpful. Find garage and actually the nicest lady in the world helps us, and even walks us round the corner to the local taxi firm. Who turn out to have gone bust. This isn't going well. The lady finds us another number though, and finally a cab is booked! Arrive at the other George Hotel (which is 3 miles back along where we just ran) and it is indeed very old (from 1400s) and beautiful. Total let-down though, definitely been spoiled from the bed and breakfasts, as this is horrid. Not even a proper shower! Just read that, and sounds a bit diva-ish for someone who is on an outdoors type adventure week. But I've never pretended to be good at camping, and I want a shower!
Escape to Fleur-de-Lys hotel next door, which is a million times nicer and serves amazing food (I tried samphire grass for the first time, and Andrew had a deconstructed raspberry cheesecake - oooh, fancy) Things suddenly seem much better. Walk around Dorechester, which is insanely old and pretty, and look around the Abby grounds. Decide Agatha Christie probably also spent a lot of time here too.
Stats
Total days: 54
Total miles: 561.3 miles
Very hot. Beautiful running. First stop was Abingdon - which claims to be the oldest continually occupied settlement in the county. Woah. Very pretty. Restock on supplies. Carry on the way, and meet a friendly runner who is out running on his lunch break (how lucky is he to have this to do at lunch time!) and is also into ultra events. Quick lunch stop of lemonade and crisps at the Barley Mow pub at Clifton Hampden (the guide book says this is the best known of all Thames pubs, so it was rude not to stop) where meet some friendly pub goers interested in what we are doing.
Revitalised, we return to the path and spend a couple more hours running through meadows. I really love running here, but it's really bad for hayfever. All of my skin itches and my eyes, and I don't even have it that bad, and Andrew is like a massive ball of allergy. But it's pretty enough though to make up for that. There have been so many little dragonflies, I think they are called damselflies, or damsonflies. Sometimes there are so many, its like a little cloud of shimmering blue floating by. If you look really (really) closely you can see one sat on the brown piece of grass.
Super excited for tonight as we're staying in Wallingford, which is near where Agatha Christie lived ,and she based lots of here books here. Love a bit of a murder mystery. Today seems like a quite long day, so spend the last few miles thinking of potential plots. Past the poshest campsite in the world, where each immaculate plot seems to have its own boat, across the weir (each one we go across the river gets bigger) and finally can see the spire of the church in Wallingford (which is the focus of the current plot in my head - Professor Plum murdered Dr Black in the cellar with a candlestick). Hurrah! We are here! Showers and water and food and rest. Check in to the George Hotel, only we haven't a reservation here the receptionist says, we have made a reservation at the George Hotel in Dorchester-on-Thames. But not to worry, he says, as it is only a 10 minute walk up the High Street, no need for a cab.
Ah well, no big deal. A walk will help stretch our legs. Walk off. And on. And on. Have walked out of town by now. Check google maps. Dorechester is 3 miles away! Call hotel to ask for a cab, who say they don't have any cab numbers. Wow, how helpful. Find garage and actually the nicest lady in the world helps us, and even walks us round the corner to the local taxi firm. Who turn out to have gone bust. This isn't going well. The lady finds us another number though, and finally a cab is booked! Arrive at the other George Hotel (which is 3 miles back along where we just ran) and it is indeed very old (from 1400s) and beautiful. Total let-down though, definitely been spoiled from the bed and breakfasts, as this is horrid. Not even a proper shower! Just read that, and sounds a bit diva-ish for someone who is on an outdoors type adventure week. But I've never pretended to be good at camping, and I want a shower!
Escape to Fleur-de-Lys hotel next door, which is a million times nicer and serves amazing food (I tried samphire grass for the first time, and Andrew had a deconstructed raspberry cheesecake - oooh, fancy) Things suddenly seem much better. Walk around Dorechester, which is insanely old and pretty, and look around the Abby grounds. Decide Agatha Christie probably also spent a lot of time here too.
Stats
Total days: 54
Total miles: 561.3 miles
No comments:
Post a Comment