A rebel without a clue.

Mike and I walked slowly on the Pilgrim's Way. After the morning onto the South Downs I realise how steady we were. Talking was the main gear of the travel. Here it has been the need to reach respite, repase, rest, relaxation, shoes off, etc. My left foot finally played silly buggers so I reduced to sandals and, in the final few pastures, I took to barefoot and minded where I stepped around cow pats, nettles and over gravelly styles. Expensive but excellent: The Shoe Inn. I've stopped long enough to recharge all batteries. Then I must pick up something for the evening... setting off for the Sustainability Centre up ahead: it has an eco hostel, but no dormitories, just a small private room @ £48. Two other walkers overlook me, but they're carrying a fraction of my weight and only started out from Winchester this morning. One gave me a couple of snack bars and the other slowed me down. It helped me get to Exton. Food in the Shoe Inn £28 with a beer. I had another Wadworth 6X ...

We reached Winchester at around 5 yesterday, but things were clearly not the same. The silly 'argument' about noise levels around the verge, where we waited for the number 64 bus the short 8 miles distance, had grown into a disgruntlement at each other. After a shower in our room I went to find calm, a beer, a dog, or two, and to read a little. Once I'd reached Stables, to meet Mike for dinner, the tension in the air... ... Something fundamental. *** We just ate breakfast together, but there is an unspoken antagonism towards each other. So we went from laughing at the bottom of our ribs to not speaking, beyond auto response, in 24 hours. Having never walked with anyone for more than a day on The Way I've no experience of the conflicts we humans conjurer up. But we did have a bit of fun along the Pilgrim's Way and we did reach Winchester in one piece. That road and them cars were loud, but what can be done about it right there right then? And we all have our own perc...