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Wednesday 7th July day 13
The day dawned grey and drizzly. Well, we assume it did although no one was up at 4:30 AM or whatever the time the sun rises over here in summer, but it was looking pretty grey when we got up somewhat later.
With a fair bit to look over in Castle Acre, Morgan with her blisters, Kathy with her cold and me thinking that walking fully sucked today, a proposal was put forward that we take our wandering around Castle Acre and, when we feel like it, call a taxi to take us to the next stop. The proposal was met with startling enthusiasm, so we set about doing very little. The employee behind the bar at our hotel was very laid back, when asked what time was check out, she replied “whenever”. We all went back and had a nice long lay down.
After spending a few hours crawling over the ruins of the castle and priory, we were picked up by the taxi and within 30 minutes we were delivered to the doorstep of our next pub. Now, this was more like it! The kids found the internet and TV and I found the beer garden.
We chose to eat at the hotel we were staying at due to there being nowhere else in the village. The meal was sensational, the bill met the meal and doubled it.
Thursday 8th July day 14
After a morning meal of pig fat, we all agreed we had the energy to at least see out the remaining 10 miles of the trail. A small concession was made to Kathy who said she would walk only on the condition that a taxi was found to take her backpack. It seemed a bit of a waste that a taxi would take only 1 pack so it was decided that all our packs would go. To be fair of course.
We staggered into Hunstanton after a brief lunch at the Ancient Mariner and booked into our hotel....which was a few stars less than our previous lodgings. We took our evening meal at the seaside bar across the road imaginatively called “the Seaside Bar” and somehow became involved in a quiz night in which we faired quite poorly. Our protests that the general knowledge questions were actually local knowledge questions fell on deaf ears.
Friday 9th July day 15
Over this mornings rations of pig fat, sausages consisting mainly of bread and pork fat and bum nuts, Kathy casually remarked that the breakfast cook looked like someone who had just been released from prison. As our stifled giggles subsided, I casually glanced around the room at or fellow diners. It immediately became obvious that we were staying in some kind of half way house to gradually ease felons back into society. We had grifters, grafters, fish and chip shop robbers and pros. The room was cheap. We ate our grub and kept to ourselves. I slipped a shiv into my shoe, well, it was acually a bread and butter knife into my croc. It fell out when we went to leave, but at least they knew I could be packing.
Morgan and myself walked a couple of miles to a golf course, eager to play a round only to be told our attire did not meet acceptable standards. This from a country club located within a caravan park! So, we walked the 4 miles to the other golf course, a pitch and putt on the other end of town only to be told last tee off was at 4:30. It was 4:45. Are these people mad? The sun will still be up for another 5 hours! We walked back into town and went to the pub. It was open and was indifferent to the way I dressed.
After dinner we went to the local theatre to see a drama festival of local acts vying for a prize at the end of the productions. After the first act, it became apparent that we were the only people there who were not related to any of the actors. We slipped away and went and saw a local thrash metal punk band who we couldn’t understand and made Kathy’s chest hurt. We then saw a band that had appeared to have forgotten their trousers and were on stage in their underpants. This seemed to attract other trouserless drunken fans. We began to feel uncomfortable. It was time to go back to the big house and go to bed.
The day dawned grey and drizzly. Well, we assume it did although no one was up at 4:30 AM or whatever the time the sun rises over here in summer, but it was looking pretty grey when we got up somewhat later.
With a fair bit to look over in Castle Acre, Morgan with her blisters, Kathy with her cold and me thinking that walking fully sucked today, a proposal was put forward that we take our wandering around Castle Acre and, when we feel like it, call a taxi to take us to the next stop. The proposal was met with startling enthusiasm, so we set about doing very little. The employee behind the bar at our hotel was very laid back, when asked what time was check out, she replied “whenever”. We all went back and had a nice long lay down.
After spending a few hours crawling over the ruins of the castle and priory, we were picked up by the taxi and within 30 minutes we were delivered to the doorstep of our next pub. Now, this was more like it! The kids found the internet and TV and I found the beer garden.
We chose to eat at the hotel we were staying at due to there being nowhere else in the village. The meal was sensational, the bill met the meal and doubled it.
Thursday 8th July day 14
After a morning meal of pig fat, we all agreed we had the energy to at least see out the remaining 10 miles of the trail. A small concession was made to Kathy who said she would walk only on the condition that a taxi was found to take her backpack. It seemed a bit of a waste that a taxi would take only 1 pack so it was decided that all our packs would go. To be fair of course.
We staggered into Hunstanton after a brief lunch at the Ancient Mariner and booked into our hotel....which was a few stars less than our previous lodgings. We took our evening meal at the seaside bar across the road imaginatively called “the Seaside Bar” and somehow became involved in a quiz night in which we faired quite poorly. Our protests that the general knowledge questions were actually local knowledge questions fell on deaf ears.
Friday 9th July day 15
Over this mornings rations of pig fat, sausages consisting mainly of bread and pork fat and bum nuts, Kathy casually remarked that the breakfast cook looked like someone who had just been released from prison. As our stifled giggles subsided, I casually glanced around the room at or fellow diners. It immediately became obvious that we were staying in some kind of half way house to gradually ease felons back into society. We had grifters, grafters, fish and chip shop robbers and pros. The room was cheap. We ate our grub and kept to ourselves. I slipped a shiv into my shoe, well, it was acually a bread and butter knife into my croc. It fell out when we went to leave, but at least they knew I could be packing.
Morgan and myself walked a couple of miles to a golf course, eager to play a round only to be told our attire did not meet acceptable standards. This from a country club located within a caravan park! So, we walked the 4 miles to the other golf course, a pitch and putt on the other end of town only to be told last tee off was at 4:30. It was 4:45. Are these people mad? The sun will still be up for another 5 hours! We walked back into town and went to the pub. It was open and was indifferent to the way I dressed.
After dinner we went to the local theatre to see a drama festival of local acts vying for a prize at the end of the productions. After the first act, it became apparent that we were the only people there who were not related to any of the actors. We slipped away and went and saw a local thrash metal punk band who we couldn’t understand and made Kathy’s chest hurt. We then saw a band that had appeared to have forgotten their trousers and were on stage in their underpants. This seemed to attract other trouserless drunken fans. We began to feel uncomfortable. It was time to go back to the big house and go to bed.
Saturday 10th July day 16
Hunstanton is mad! People arrived around 8 in the morning to sit in the sun for the day. Do they know that there will be sun for the next 15 hours?
We had had enough, we took the local bus to Kings Lynn and then a train to London. We located our hotel with only a small amount of retracing our steps out of Paddington Station. We then made our way across Kensington Gardens where we were met with a remarkable sight. Londoners were out in staggering numbers, sprawled, limbs akimbo, eyes dazed and rolling in their sockets, semi naked in the blazing 29 degC sun. We carefully picked our way through them, careful not to startle them to flight lest the ensuing stampede destroy London. We ate pizza and had beers. I went to sleep happy.
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