Out of the moors.weds17

Waking amidst bluebells, orchids and ferns with trees catching a slight wind after a dry night... Sounds idyllic and other the last bit of sharp ascent from the valley lustleigh was situated in it was! 

It continued through gently rolling hills to our first inland reservoirs Trenchford then Tottiford, the water was undulating slowly and smoothly... Fishermen dipping their rods and birdsong from the surrounding woodland, a calm start 🙂

Small b roads again start to take us down the long descent from the moor tops through more wooded valleys, before we start to enter more agricultural land amidst alpacas chickens donkeys and of course young lambs! busier B roads and

traffic dodging begins again in Ernest! 

Tracey is struggling badly with her foot and decides to leapfrog from Longdown to Exeter and an early rest for that foot!

I push on and down down and under the A30 before I discover that although Exeter is right on the edge of flatter land it's far from flat itself!

And not designed for walkers.... More traffic dodging, another long descent through the suburbs and over the river Exe , round another busy roundabout I enter old Exeter via the remains of the old Exe bridge ruins! Health and safety thankfully hasn't shut these off from the public!.... Continuing the idea of entering the city via the old ways I ascend Stepcote hill a narrow cobbled and worn stepped steep (seriously!) route into the centre. Passing a small church for Saint Olave (a Viking king converted to Christianity) I find tea and another pastie I sit and watch the world scurry around! 

Rucksack out with our hiviz sign visible I receive another donation from a passerby! Wasn't expecting that! Nice! 😊

On through the city I find the cathedral, incredible statury at the entrance! I don't enter as time is pushing on, but in leaving the cathedral surroundings I pass a beautiful ancient door.... Must be medieval!.... Then on through a grand and very wealthy Georgian street now accountants..... What else! 

Heading out through the college zone and more suburbs and finally to the ringroad I

meet Tracey at the Travelodge where she's resting. 

Seems her foot is worse than I expected the wound is deep. 

She's made the toughest choice to pull out of the walk for now and get it seen too!

One of the hardest choices when you're committed to this sort of challenge. 🫡

The trail will continue tomorrow just me now until Tracey chooses to return.