A rebel without a clue.

Walking back the way I came. Yesterday sun, but today drenched. Just over an hour to recross my steps passed the church, horseshoe weir and giant oak along the towpath then went right along the main road with damp boots. If it breaks I may walk to Chirk... that's unlikely though. Time to catch the bus... On a miserable morning I am on the number 5 towards Chester, to change at Wrexham and head to stand 7 @ 10:45am to Caer/ Chester before the long haul on Northern Rails direct service to Leeds. Last meat related morning. Great breakfast and welcoming tea at the café in Riverbanc after leaving the Sun Inn at 6:30. Hung around until 10 reading the first chapter of Bill Bryson's Neither here nor There ... Back into a book. No traipsing uselessly today. Mentally and physically exhausted! 

Blessings. Sunday and asleep by 1800. Walked back passed The Sun Inn @ Rhewl, the back road route from Carrog, and asked if they could accommodate me a night to which the landlord said 'I'll just ask the wife' and low and behold I've a comfortable double mattress on the floor, two giant Pyrenean Mountain dogs and a snack at nine, when I finally awoke from the snooze ... I was tired I apologised for sleeping ate gratefully, paid £30 and waltzed back up to the best bed so far since Wednesday. But the I was led here. I tried Corwen and the Grouse @ Carrog for accommodation, but Corwen was too expensive and rough around the edges and the sister pub to the Grouse was even more expensive and on the A5 where motorbikes were driving me bonkers. So I'd just about decided to go back to Llangollen and catch a bus, starting the long route back to Leeds already or stay again at the Hand Hotel, but I was wary of pigeons waking me up all through the night - alcohol or no. Sunday I...

Drinking from mountain streams and skipping passed oblivious sheep, fleeing for their lives up wind as I head west with the sun creeping over my left shoulder. With lead in these hills go steady on the water. A little heavy metal killed noone?

End of day two. Llangollen and exhausted. Nowhere to stay - well until the final one! The Hand hotel. Room 45 a single with a bath. Breakfast is at 8 and tomorrow is 'only' 15 miles to Corwen or there is the Offa's Dyke National Path up to the coast. Like yesterday I am not sure where I am or where I am going, but I'll keep on? But my knees are stiff and feet are water damaged/logged - last section I put on the sealskinz, but I tend to sweat in them. Just about ready to dump the terrible Salomon hiking boots: I've been compensated so it means nothing and they get water logged just looking at grass... *** Good morning Llangollen. Live yogurt, prunes, banana and alpen. Two coffees and an orange juice. A hangover. Two pints of Old Rosie, many halves and then good wine... Oh well. In Europe I rarely 'play' when waking, however it was the Coronation and I am not the only male adult human with a dycotomy in my nature? It's sunny and blue. I'll be fine once...

Tall grass and stampeding bullock's. Wet wet wet. Chasing them away. Next stop breakfast. Oh and nettles, but it was fun following the path alongside the left bank of the Dee before I was brought away with privacy signage ... Then it's across three wheat fields with tall wet grass. Soaked from the thighs down. But a full English/Welsh in the community café and bread to sop up the tomato sauce and various oils, fats and unions. No coronation - I am too chicken and the locals are getting on with life as normal: The Little Kitchen in Rhosymedre. Waterproof socks and a second attempt at defecation and then it's the final leg towards Llangollen along the canal, over the viaduct/aqueduct etc and hopefully somewhere cheaper than Bangor was last night. But £8 well spent having breakfast where the locals don't care for pageantry either...

No meat yesterday or Wednesday, but a well filled bap with sausages, bacon, egg and HP Sauce at the Aldford village stores. A pot of tea and off I go again - bit of rain in the skies and again the temperature has plummeted since the nice meander along the Dee by The Meadows to the Iron Bridge of the Duke of Westminster s estate... Knackered at the end. 22 miles and the same old foot pain. £80 for a self catering cottage this evening, but I am polishing off a pasta meal and considering an early night: tomorrow is the Coronation Walk. But where too? I almost went along the Marches Way, but stuck to the Dee Way, which vanished and left me walking through meadows, passed ewes and lambs, bullocks, four very noisy thoroughbreds and knee deep wet grasses mixed with nodding stinging nettles at many styles or gates: I waded through and worried not about that pleasant tingling. *** As I lay down I drifted into sleep and only awoke to the dawn chorus. A good night's sleep. I lingered in The B...

The new market hall. Ravioli and three glasses of wine: Sancerre, Chablis and Rías Baixas, but I must drag myself off to bed. I've some mileage to do tomorrow towards Whitchurch, Wem or Wrexham... All the double yews. The Watling Street... Offa's Dyke. Malvern. Oh the memories? Oh a pizza - yes. I need the calories for the walk? *** But I didn't. And that room is just too warm. Even with both windows open. So it's a new town and I played out. Once again. I am leaving though. Once I am level, not horizontal. Coffee on Northgate @ Café Gate. As Tradeteam start the morning noise rolling barrels into The Coach House Inn. It's not yet 7am. Do I not bother with a heavy breakfast? Porridge would do. Waiting until 7:30, then off at 8am. Over the bridge and away into the wilderness? *** Two coffees, three almonds and one Huel and passing under the Queen's Park Bridge heading towards another me...