Well now my wondering is over, by taking a Super Trackstick with me I have a GPS log of where and when I have been (and where I have mistakenly gone off route got lost). It is not perfect but it allows me to review the route, work out how far I have gone (in what time), and where I stopped. Knowing the location of each stop is particularly useful to work out where photos were taken (though I am sure GPS in compact cameras will become standard one day).
Did they get me? Am I on GoogleEarth?? What are the views like…
While not a traditional ‘cake’ this post could be equally at home in the A nice cup of tea and… series, though I feel further testing is required before I put a seal on the best Kendal Mint Cake and perhaps had a chance to visit the various establishments in Kendal (there are currently three companies that produce mint cake).
Kendal Mint Cake is the best combination of sugar, water and peppermint oil to be found, and can only be bettered when the chocolate coated variety is at hand mouth. Due to its high energy content it makes for a very good emergency ration.
In the past I have tried all sorts: thick socks, two pairs of socks, cushioned sock, but at some point I have always got bad blisters and very sore feet. In the summer they would be very sore and hot, in the winter very sore and cold.
SmartWool socks may look like an ordinary pair of socks from the outside, but it is the inside that counts. Made from the softest Merino sheep wool, the inside is deeply piled – like the most luxuriant deep pile carpet. The fibres wick away moisture, create thousands of little air pockets that regulate the temperature of your feet, and – best of all – resist bacteria! So far I have yet to get any serious blisters from any of the hundreds of miles I have walked while wearing them.
They are so soft and comfortable to wear that I have found a fresh pair are the best way to relax and relieve all foot tension after a long day of walking.
“What gear (clothing/tech) have you settled on? It would be interesting to know what has worked and what was useless.”
Thanks Joel for the idea – here starts a series on kit¹ and caboodle² that I have acquired and used for my travels.
With feet firmly on the ground I wondered if a small webcam could be attached to my old and little used telescope.
Last night I was able to get a couple of reasonable images of the moon, though it was impossible to get anything other than a small blurry blob when focusing at Mars – and those images were quickly discarded.
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I have no particular desire to travel to the moon, I am not particular fan of green cheese and I think a trip to Chedder, Lancashire, Cheshire, Gloucester, Leicester, Emmental, Gouda, or even Edam, might be more fruitful cheeseful.
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Overnight another band of rain had raced through, leaving a trail of heavy showers in its wake. The forecast was not great and the wind was up again. I headed back to Gravesend on the bus and decided to catch a train up to Greenhithe.
I missed out a bit of coast but the map and guide showed it as full of industrial areas and waste ground – not pleasant walking particularly in this weather. From Greenhithe I was able to make it quickly back onto the path and soon the Dartford Bridge was looming above me.
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For some reason there was a big gap in the scheduling of buses, I could wait for more than an hour or I could set off now and probably make it to the next village before the bus would arrive. It meant a lot of road tramping but there was little in Grain to hold my interest.
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After a day off, and a later than normal start, I was keen to get going. I again walked passed the Cathedral and Castle, and then it was over Rochester Bridge to get onto the path on the northern shore of the River Medway.
With time off for a walk around the town.
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The Medway towns of Chatham and Rochester have a long history. Chatham is famous for its historic dockyards, it was once the largest navel base in England (during the time of Charles II) and in 1765 HMS Victory was launched here. Rochester is dominated by its Norman castle and the cathedral – although it has a cathedral Rochester is no longer officially a city due to an administrative oversight in 2002.
