Photo Link

Getting ready for the hike and trying to sort out how to post photos! As always, google seems to have changed its systems so am now using Google photo app. Link for the google app folder is here:

https://goo.gl/photos/4RHpb7UdxkCdkEjy8

I will also try to post some photos directly on the blog!

Camino Via de la Plata

So the decision is made - I’m going to start another Camino on 20 Apr 16 and I have chosen the Via de la Plata. This route appeals to me as it is supposed to be less busy that many others although it seems the infrastructure has improved from when I first looked a couple of years ago.

I fly to Seville from Gatwick on 19 Apr and will stay in Hotel Zaida on the first night. Plan to pick up a credencial in Seville that evening as I should arrive around 1700. I intend to start the camino the next day.

I am walking by myself this time (although I’m sure I will meet and walk with others on the way) so it will seem a little different. I am both excited and nervous about doing by myself - nervous as there is no one else to share the decisions with but excited by the prospect of making my own choices!

North Downs Way - Summary

Firstly, it was a nice walk. Most of the track was reasonably marked although the north downs way was better than St. Swithuns. We can't control the weather, but fortunately after the first two days we stayed dry which always helps. Disappointingly, accommodation was just as expensive as I feared and even harder to find than I expected. Did not want to prebook as we are never certain how far we want or can walk each day. We therefore tended to look the night before and book something if we found somewhere where we needed it or otherwise wait to the lunch stop to decide the plan. Found we had to use booking.com, hotels.com, mynearestbedandbreakfast.com as well as search google maps using the terms 'bed and breakfast' and 'hotels' to get a good picture of what was available. There must be a better single source of info!  For the route we used Hampshire county council pack for St. Swithuns which was quite good but had a few glaring errors on the map and description. For the north downs way I used a strip most which was very good. Also used a GPX file for each route which proved invaluable. In sum a good route but not the best. Would not want to repeat it as there are better in the UK. However, more significantly it would have been less expensive overall to fly to Spain to hike as accommodation and food is cheaper and of a higher quality.

30kms and got to Canterbury

Done it!  9 days in total. Luckily, we managed to stay dry on the last day despite the forecast telling us it was going to pour! Good meal at the local Thai restaurant last night. Couldn't eat at The Oak as they don't do food on Sundays (and they call themselves a hotel). A poor hotel at that - very average rooms, very tired public areas and virtually no customers! Even had to wait around and knock on the door to get breakfast, which was not ready. Glad to leave and get walking. Very nice track today, possibly the best of the route. Nice mature forests ( complete with Ceps), lots if orchards and a lovely lunch on the tweeist of villages called Chilham. In fact it would be a lovely route to follow for a day walk into Canterbury. The city surprised me as I had never been there before and had no prior knowledge about it. It seems to be a very pretty city with lots to see and plenty of good walks around it, inc one along the river compleat with punts!  Got into the cathedral for free as we were pilgrims. They offered for us to stay till evensong at 1730 and were surprised when we declined. Short walk to the station and now we are on the train to Brighton ( and ultimately fareham for mike) having changed at ashford international. Surprisingly, the fare was the same for both of us. Now looking forward to home in a couple of hours.

Detling to Charing - another 25km. The last night?

Maybe it's just the local way and they don't like strangers?  I say that because the day before, near Ryarsh, a land rover driver tried to mow us down and today a couple of cyclists tried! Still we are both untouched and enjoyed another pleasant stroll. Last nights walk out for dinner was interesting being along a vey busy road.  More disappointing was the quality of the Fayre and Square pub. A strange mixture of inhabitants from the yoofs that swore at every other word, to the man boasting about the woman he hit and the man with a 15 month old child in the bar at 9 o'clock in the evening. The food was cheap in every sense! Maybe we should have realised that our B&Bs owners recommendation was not the best reference. Still, had an excellent breakfast and headed off for a stress less walk knowing we had a room already booked at The Oak in Charing. Nice track with plenty of variety and we got to Charing at about 1430. Virtually no rests on the way except for a quick shandy at 1100 as there was nowhere to stop for lunch. The Oak is a strange place with a rather tired and haphazard feel. Lady showed us to the room which was a lovely double! Explained we liked each other but not that much so she took us back to the bar while the room was sorted. While we waited we had a cheese roll which was very average. Hoping there is something Betty in the village tonight!
Tomorrow is the big question. Should we press on to Canterbury which is probably about 30km, so we would arrive at around 1800, but we may struggle to visit the cathedral? Alternatively, pay for another nights hotel and stroll in in the morning with time to see the sights before we catch a train home?  I think we will start the walk and wait and see.

Wrotham to Detling about 25 kms

Firstly, still no photos as I'm having problems getting them to upload. Secondly, Christa tells me there are lots of typos on the blog. My excuse is that I'm typing on my iPhone and have big fingers!
We charted our own route today as we did not want to follow the north downs strange route that goes up to Rochester and back down the other side. Pretty smile with the bits that show on the strip map of the north downs plus using our old friend google maps. Mostly a pleasant stroll with a little bit of industrial park as we approached Aylesford. Clearly somewhere that was a quaint little village until the motorways were built. Which is true of many if the places we have visited in the last two or so days. In fact Detling where we are staying is just the same. A small village cut in half by the A249 that acts as a link road between the motorways. One section was particularly memorable, besides the scenic detours, was an impressive wood that was almost exclusively Yew trees. Could only find one suitable place to stay tonight which is Windy Bottom B&B (ideal for Mike). Strange how poorly these places are marked. Found this using google maps search as booking.com offered nothing either close or reasonably prices - maybe because it's sat night - but like many places no sign on the way to advertise their place. Still all settled in now with an expectation that we only need to find two more night accom before we go home.

Clacket lane to Wrotham about 25 kms

Simple start with a walk across to the services for breakfast. Must say that the room was surprisingly quiet except for mikes snoring and the couple that had a blazing row in the middle of the night!  Very little road noise!  Breakfast was porridge for £1.50 which was ok and a cup of tea for an extortionate £2.40. Managed to exit the service area safely without needing to climb any fences and headed out for the day. Another pleasant hike over a variety of terrains that was only slightly marred by the 1 hr long down pour. However, it soon stopped and a little later we stopped at Otford for a snack. Ordered a bacon, sausage and two egg  French stick each and realised when it was served that we should have shared one. Still it was yummy and only £4. Moreover, the tea was only 90 p. Whilst at the cafe we found a place to stay using the reliable Booking.com which was the Bull in Wrotham. Thus was about 3.5 hours away which was perfect. Completed the hike at about 1600 just when in started to drizzle. As we had last night's washing tying to dry on the outside of our rucksacks we were glad to get in the dry. Nice pub/ hotel with a pleasant room. Unfortunately, as common the sink is barely big enough to get a finger in let alone wash and the shower is a dribble and no where to dry anything!  Still all settled now and I'm sure we will feel hungry later. At least we can get a beer here as last nights hotel wad dry. Hopefully, as I have wifi tonight I can up load so photo.