Day 1 - Berwick To Beal

And we're off! - I bounded through the streets of Berwick-Upon-Tweed this morning hoping no one would see me, and though there were a few folk about I was largely ignored - in that marvellous English way, rather as if they woke up every day to the sight of some tosser parading down the high street in a gorilla suit and green hat. (I had originally attached a knotted hanky, but the clouds looked a bit threatening so I plumped for the paddy field job). There was the odd toot of a van's horn as they drove past me, but save for a little girl - "Mummy, what's that?" and a well spoken lady later on on the coastal path - "Excuse me, but can I ask what you're doing?" it was all quite painless really.

It's really remote up here mind and when I located the B and B I noted that there was no road or path leading up to it, just a small stream, and failing to hitch a ride on a Poo Stick, I had to walk all the way round, sticking another couple of miles on the journey. When I arrived there was nobody here, and I hung around for a bit before ringing a number I spied in the porch. "Oh, my wife doesn't get back until 4, just go inside - it's open (not a cat in hell's chance of a burglar finding this place - and the drive is a half a mile long!). After a quick shower, I went out to seek a shop, for I was starving. - No shops, no nothing, just vast, well...nothingness. In the end had a meal in a pub and bought 3 packets of salted nuts for me supper.

I haven't even seen Holy Island which is why I stayed here, by the time I got round to looking for it, it started throwing it down so I bid a hasty retreat and never ventured out again. Tomorow it's the 16 mile trek to Beadnell.