Friday 13th May...

Still a little frazzled, but had a reasonable night's sleep. We're heading on the number 12 to Beachy Head around nine this morning after breakfast, in the North Laines area. First an Italian coffee and crossiant, with butter and jam, and now a mushroom and egg bun from the Flour Pot. It's a better day so far. Not as windy. Actually it's pretty still here on Sydney Street. Gulls and pigeons wheel about expecting dropped crumbs as Michael eats slowly and I gobble mine.

My best friend is definitely Lola. She makes me live. She helps me forgive. The first one and final one. And it's not long now. Gentle and happy. Warm and loving. Yes I am a little tearful today because I don't know what I am doing...

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A brief walk and wait in the Pavilion Gardens for Michael to take a call from the a Judge for a case in July. The Great Escape festival starts in Brighton from Friday. The Strawberry Fields Guesthouse is fully booked, but this is enough of backpacking for me. Nothing will reduce the exhaustion. No amount of coffee, cake or calorific content. Number 12X to East Dean. 

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We got to Alfriston but there wasn't a bus. It was a tough walk those miles over the Seven Sisters from the Birling Gap to the information centre at Exceat. We stopped to eat lunch at a place where there was no wind. Michael wasn't hungry and was worried about the cheese, but he ate it all and only gave the Rook a morsel. He's getting funny, and a little on my nerves... when I wanted to walk he was taking his Longjohns off and took so many photos of sheep. It's his way forever cold and warm and click click click

Perhaps we've spent long enough together? We hardly know each other and perhaps walking, hiking and touristy stuff is too much? I've had enough anyway of the more tourist element of the journey. I am looking with fondness back on London to Winchester and now to Leeds, Lola and the allotment...

He's not that to driven and perhaps I am crazy to want to walk carrying that backpack. So tonight we're at the YHA in Southease. This gives him a German chance to be ill at ease. At the South Downs YHA the noise on the road is too much...

Last night I was crabby too, but I slept well at the YHA, the room is next to the main road so wasn't quiet in the early evening or this morning. We're sat for breakfast. The train to Cambridge is leaving Southease at 9:05. In Cambridge I could just continue on to Peterborough and Leeds today. It would save me money...