Day One Hundred and Fifty-seven

Feest Isolation Days – 18 August

I have a confession to make. We never did Pilates yesterday. Either together or separately for that matter! Instead, we went for a walk. Yearning to see the sea, we headed to Clevedon to stroll along the prom and look out into the vista. Unfortunately we were not the only people with that desire and the place was packed.  We drove on a bit and eventually came to a place with a sign that told us we were heading for the coastal path.  Perfect! 

The path was a bit slippy, and a trifle muddy, and as the prom was our original destination I was wearing my sparkly blue reeboks rather than rugged walking boots, and certainly didn’t bother with my walking poles! 

The walk was undulating rather than steep and it was magnificent.  We walked for two and a half miles and would have gone a lot further but for the monsoon that hit us as we walked. The path turned to a small stream and we were soaked all the way through to our underwear despite our waterproofs. Gortex didn’t do it for the first time ever. This was torrential.  We only passed one couple before the storm and one young man during it.  He warned us it was muddy and waterlogged ahead and as he was going the way we had just come we told him that was what he would find as well.

The colour of the sea and the sky was fantastic. Muted watercolours literally. Greys and blues and shades of deep dark maroon and bolder intense browns.  The sound of the roaring sea was drowned out by the rain falling on top of us and the occasional roll of thunder.  As we splashed through the muddy water filled track we were like little kids. It wasn’t cold and while we were soaked to the bone by now we weren’t shivering and instead delighted in the experience.  There are few times ever that I have been so wet and not frozen. 

The storm passed and the final few minutes was clear. Or semi clear.  The sea to one side of us and green lush fern and bush to the other. We were all by ourselves and not a soul in sight.  What’s not to love?  It reminded us of New Zealand, our second home.

You never know what life has in store for you!  We have lived in Bristol for twenty-nine years before we discovered this magnificent coastal path!  We are already planning our return and thinking of taking two cars so we can do the entire path next time.    There were a few hardy locals at the beginning of the path, two or three fishermen and a family with kids cavorting in the sea at Ladye  Bay.

The charms of the Gordano! After all this time here I also decided to find out what the Gordano meant. There are so many places around here called that.  In fact it means muddy valley.  As we passed an insurance company called Gordano I was tempted to drop them a note to tell them they were actually called muddy valley insurance.  I bet they didn’t know that either but probably wouldn’t have appreciated my information. 

Like the OAPs that we are, we sat in the car with our flask of coffee and dunked our digestive biscuits in our welcome warm liquid.  Some treats are very special! 

We got home and peeled off our clothes as the journey home in the car did get us a bit chilled.  A warm bath beckoned. 

Terry cooked a duck that had been in the freezer for weeks and we had a fabulous dining room meal.

What a brilliant day! 

Hope you find a few new paths as well! 

Let’s hope the blighter is trounced…..

With love

Kathy x