New Valley Hills

After a restful afternoon, with cleaner clothes and cooling weather it’s time to get a wriggle on. Though up at 0550 and departing 2 hours later is hardly fast.

Today is East Weymouth and as much of Portland I can manage.

An amusing anecdote from a 70 year old chap at dishwashing station about his wife leading him on walks he’d need to go get the car halfway round as she was over ambitious. He reiterated the advice I’d read elsewhere about avoiding the miles of pebbled Chesil Beach. And he couldn’t get off for a car to retrieve the wife this time, he told me ruefully. 😀

Today’s smell is elderberries bursting their dark juice as I walk past. Yesterday’s smell was blackberries- I could smell a good crop for snacking on before I saw them.

It’s been seven days (no not like that song, though remembering Sinéad O’Conner) since I touched another living being. No head bumps from our cats Pascal and tail swishes from Florence, nor a hug or cuddle from my wife Lisa. A couple of ticks, wood lice and spiders do not count.

My right heel is continuing to lift and rub each step. After only an hour I stopped to apply more lube. I’m taking out the PF insoles to see if that helps. Their height might mean my foot is being lifted out of the heel cup. We’ll see in an hour.

Though grey and overcast with low cloud obscuring the heights of Portland and White Nothe I’m enjoying it. Cool, breezy and no direct sunlight is a welcome change.

Feeling hungry I stopped for second breakfast at the first cafe on the shingle beach. First second breakfast of the hike! I hope there’s more to come.

In the year I’ve been using WorkOutdoors activity tracker I’ve walked over 2220 Km! I tipped the developer today as it’s been a great app. I recommend it (Apple Watch and iPhone only).

Following in a 500 year old tradition I paid the row ferry boatman to take me across the harbour. A lovely calming yet brief experience. Well worth £2 for the moment.

After seeing a chap giving his cat in his lap a tummy scrumble I felt lonely. A while further along a cat owning a patch of the pavement said hello and had a head scratch from me.

I’ve picked up various bites and stings which are itchy. Passing a chemist I bought anti-histamine pills. These are my go-to for such matters.

Crossing the strip to Portland I paused at the Ferry Bridge marina to listen to the thrushes chirps and calls curiously echoing through the stack of scaffold tubes.

Pausing for a fruit lunch on the marina I was serenaded by two helicopters landing.

The start of Portland wasn’t my cup of tea, though I spied the biggest blackberry patch on the prison hill. My photo didn’t do it justice. I left it somewhat depleted 😋

Once on the undercliff the walking improved. I loved that stretch for the jumbled quarried stone, the lovely stone colour and the coastal light.

The nice person at the mini museum filled my water bottles. I must return – it was full of unusual curios that needed more time to peruse.

Tonight is spent near the Portland southern tip at Sweethill Campsite. A nice reward for my longest day yet – a smidge under 30km.

Taking the insoles out had cured the heel rubbing, though my PF is back. I’ve gotta keep on top of calf stretches before starting, at every break, and at the end.

For the next week I’m on familiar turf, having walked most of it as day hikes already.