Monday 29th March 2021

I like a challenge.

Because of the unexpected week off, I though I should do more walking, so I got Jools to drop me off this morning at the top of the access road, leaving me with the task of walking down through the tunnel and along the track checking for orchids.

After that, back to the tunnel, up the hill and along the cliffs then down into Dover, and the quest would then be to chicken out and catch a bus, or walk the whole hog.

I reached the top of the slope, then walked along beside the A20 before taking the path up the down leading to the edge of Shakespeare Cliff.

A couple with three loud barky dogs spoiled the quiet of the morning, and i hoped that they would go back over the footbridge to Aycliffe, which they did, so the barking faded.

The old path along the cliff edge is now closed off due to cliff falls, so I stayed the safe side of the fence until the path began to drop away towards Dover.

Its a steep path down to the edge of the allotments, taking the fenced paved path overlooking the railway far below and the beach beside it.

Sadly, Network Rail have closed the footbridge over the railway to the beach, a public footpath it is!, so I had to walk beside the A20 into town before crossing the road to the harbour to the promenade.

Dover was quiet enough, not as many out enjoying the sunshine as I thought there would be, but then there was the chill westerly at my back, that had me hot and cold at the same time.

I had already decided to walk all the way home, and not to seek out the number 80 bus, so I walked along to East Cliff, then up the path beside the port, under Jubilee Way.

And always upwards.

The climb up from East Cliff, I have to stop at regular intervals. I pretend to take pictures.

Once at the top, I veer to the right to take the path along the cliff edge, but see no orchid rosettes, sadly.

I take the narrow path down onto the cliff road, and again despite looking hard I see no orchids there either, but do see dozens of wall flowers, just opening and looking wonderful in the sunshine.

Although it was sunny, the breeze was building, and even though I had a tail wind, I was pretty cold. I had taken my coat off for the climb, but would soon have to stop to put it on again.

And on top of that, my legs were asking my brain what the heck it thought I was doing, walking about ten miles, up and down when there was a perfectly good bus we could have caught.

I took the cinder track to the top of Langdon Hole, then along the wartime roads, heading back to South Foreland where the lighthouse beckoned.

Once there, I turn inland, pas the old military base, and across the fields to the village. I felt I was walking so slowly by this point, snails were overtaking me.

Through the village, down Station Road, and after a sit down on the bench halfway up the hill, back into our street.

It was two in the afternoon, I had not eaten or drunk since leaving the house.

Stupid boy.

So, once home I have a pint of squash with soda water and the bag of crisps I had promised myself had I reached home. That felt better.

I got up to make a brew, and found my legs had seized up, and I got cramp in my stomach and feet at the same time. That takes skills.

I try to hydrate through the afternoon, but not quite enough, I get more bouts of cramp.

For dinner, I warm up the soup I made Sunday and make a couple of potato bread rolls, and they are done for when Jools comes home. We should have gone for a walk, but I could barely make it to the cooker from the dining room table.

And it was still cold, but just before dusk the wind died, and tomorrow promised to be much, much warmer.

I go to bed at nine, and sleep long and deeply.