Day 34, 35. Sun & Mon 12th & 13th Feb.

So, we can all remember learning in school about Grace Darling and her father, the lighthouse keeper. The unimaginable bravery they both showed, rowing out to sea to save stricken sailors. I never knew she died so young of TB and I genuinely thought they were from Devon or Cornwall. Not so, they were from right here in Bamburgh and as I'm walking this beautiful coastline, I'm amazed at how the rocks become so quickly exposed as the tide goes out, truly a very treacherous coastal strip.

I finished last week on Thursday in Alnwick, Michelle drove up from Lincolnshire with Ted, picked me up and we had a lovey weekend in Seahouses. I say lovely, Michelle had some sewing to do as my button was hanging off my trousers, I'm guessing that's because I'm losing soo much weight with all this walking my belt is ripping the button off my overly slack waistband !! 🙄 I was doing laundry, shopping and sorting my kit out but we did find some time for a bit of sightseeing on Holy Islsnd and the rugby.. 👍🍺

She is very good to me my Mrs you know. After nearly 30 years together, I can't imagine for a second why she's so completely happy with me buggering off on a walk for 18 months... 🤔 but then she'll drive for over 4 hours to come and sew the button back on my trousers... what a woman, and she knows I love her dearly... 😍

It's all part of the big plan.... hopefully, we will grow very old together and providing I keep out of the way, we'll be very happy, together. 🥰

Michelle and Ted very kindly dropped me back to Alnmouth on their way back to Lincolnshire on Sunday morning. I'll be honest, I was a bit lost for a few hours, I'd had a couple of days of normal life with my wife and my dog, the two most important souls in my world.

I was once again alone, walking up the beach with no idea where I would end up tonight and no idea what was in store for me.

Well, it was the beach, oh, and a pub. I got to Craster and inconveniently the coastal path literally goes through the garden of the only pub in the village !!! Can you believe that ?? It was about 2.30pm and England were about to kick off at Twickenham... 🍺 there was a spare table by the fire with my name on it so I didn't want to be rude...

A couple of pints and a fish finger butty, a comfortable win over Italy and I left the pub to find a pitch for the night. I settled in very quickly just outside the village but I swear there were no sheep in the field when I pitched up... there were rather a lot of them when I woke up in their back yard in the morning though and they though I was there to feed them !!!

I had to crack the frost off the tent when I got up, it was a lovely fresh morning and I slept really well despite it being -3C, again...

It was a good walk, 13 miles on tracks and on

the beach, beautiful scenery, castles and lovely weather for February.

I managed to get up to Bamburgh Castle and was intending on camping out again. I'd spent my weekly allowance on wine for my wife and very posh biscuits for Ted so I needed to have a few nights in the tent to recover... I found a perfect pitch in the dunes but it didn't go to plan... 😬