Day 1: June 22, St. Bees Head to Moor Row, 8 miles

It was rainy and the sea was choppy as our train pulled into the St. Bees station at about 11:30. This meant waiting around in a lifeless town until the pubs opened at noon. It was a cozy village and the weather seemed to have kept most people indoors as we dined in the quiet pub on sandwiches and soup. We set out at about 1:30pm for the 8 mile trek uninspired by exhaustion and the cold, wet weather. The first hill was a stark realization to how difficult the journey ahead was going to be as we huffed and puffed our way to to top of a mere 300 foot climb. But this day’s journey was level for the rest of the way and our dispositions improved considerably when we saw the sheep-filled pastures to our right (east) and we skirted the sea below to our left (west). A few miles in, we dipped down to the Irish sea again at a place called Feswick Bay where we gingerly dropped our toes into the icy water. The rest of the journey was stunningly gorgeous, although disrupted by gale force winds which consistently tested our balance on the treacherous, narrow path along the cliff line. The coastline turned eastward and we began to walk along it as a myriad of wild ferns surrounded our path. We left the coast behind after 5 miles to follow old farm roads, dip under a railroad track, and through a town to Moor Row, where we stayed in the Jasmine House. Lisa didn’t last until dinner time, collapsing on the bed at 7:30 pm while Gordon was taken into town by the property owners for fish and chips. The nights rest was peaceful and needed and as Lisa rose from hibernation we began day number two with a “full english breakfast” of grilled tomatoes and mushrooms, fried eggs, ham, black pudding, sausages, and beans, with toast, cereal, coffee, and tea to start. A proper meal with which to start a 21 mile journey.

**Note: After taking an hour to finish the preamble and first day, Lisa and I realized that perhaps it is best to write individual synopses of days. This would take the inherent frustration out of trying to combine two very different voices with very different writing styles. We are happy with this arrangement and hope you are too—after all, how many times did Truman Capote and Harper Lee work together? Yet they still maintained a fast friendship….enter Lisa: