Hiking with dogs!

These guys amazed us! Each had his dog, and each also had a huge pack with gear (for himself, and for his dog).

They seemed to do well --they leashed the dogs whenever sheep were in the fields, but they struggled over each style with the dogs. (In some parts of England --- Cornwall and the Lake District -- there are access ways for dogs through styles, but not in Northumbria along the wall.)

We took pictures for them (with their cameras) at a turret or fort along the way. And their dogs were so cute! The one walking on the wall was a scruffy rescue dog; the other, docile and well trained.

Anyway, these are the guys and dogs we met at the end of the walk, hanging out in the shade on the road outside the pub at Bowness on Sollway. But the dogs could not enter the pub with their possessions. So sad.

We Have Walked Across England

Well, we did it. We walked across England. Today was mostly across pasture land, through a few small villages, a four km detour when our guide got lost, and finally across a salt plain by the Firth of Solloway and into Bowness.

About 4:00 this after noon we arrived at the King’s Arms Pub and got our certificates. Over the last week we have crossing paths with a whole community of hikers many who drifted into the pub shortly before or after we did. There were lots of congratulations all round and lots more beer. In fact I think that this trek is fueled by beer.

Tomorrow we all go our separate ways, one person is staying here in Carlisle for a few days, an couple are off to Portugal and a some are heading home. We are taking the bus to Keswick in the Lake District.

Hadrian Day Two

This will be a short post for now since the library has kindly given me limited free access to the internet.

We saw the wall for the first time since Wallsend, first thing this morning. Then not again for some time. Signs of the wall are revealed slowly to walkers. For a while we mostly saw earthworks then more remnants late of the day.

We ended the day in Wall. Another 23 km walked today.

Tomorrow we will see the wall for most of the walk but it is a tough walk with lots of up and down near the end.