As the photo shows we got some rain today. This morning was the poorest spell of weather so far, raining on and off till lunch time. It was good to have some company though, even if it was jon. Still, tom and hannah were very entertaining. The reason i used this photo is because jon insisted on featuring in this blog. I'd have preferred to have used a great shot i took of another unusual gate latch, but i'm a man of my word. I've also been informed by my brother barry, an occasionally reliable source of information, that the blog sequencing has gone wrong, so i hope it still makes sense. We set off at 10 for the long pull up to beacon ring hill fort. Part way up the aforementioned rain began, though we did get some good views between showers. A gradual descent brought us to the village of forden, where we found a pub with the door locked. A sign said 'offa's dyke walkers ring bell', so we did. And we were let in. I considered having the other three thrown out as frauds, but relented. Jon also insisted that he contribute a quote, so his quote is: "the rock hotel is a good pub". And he's right. Not only was the beer excellent (monty's desert rat, a local brew), but they also let us eat our packed lunches in the bar! Jon has always been a terrible influence on me, and he made me drink far more than i should with 8 miles still to go. Actually on this occasion i felt spurred on rather than ready for a sleep. This was possibly helped by the massive improvement in the weather by the time we came out, and it stayed nice for the rest of the day. With 5 miles to go we parted company as they headed for montgomery and i continued south. It was another afternoon of level walking but without the A483 hanging around it was much more peaceful than yesterday and the surroundings seemed prettier. The dyke was very prominent during the later stages, and more imposing. It looked like it might actually keep out a welshman of greater stature than previously. Someone like, say, Rob Brydon. As i get to know the dyke better i am recognising its versatility. Obviously you can walk on it and throw things at welsh people from it (though this is not recommended for english people nowadays because the national border does not always by any means follow offa's dyke, so you could well hit a fellow english person. This also applies to welsh people throwing in the opposite direction, but then you're not supposed to be standing on it in the first place). You can also plant trees in it, run up one side of it and down the other, sit on it, roll down it or, if you are a four legged mammal, live in it. Shortly before finishing today i reached a pub which was on my map but didn't exist. This was disappointing because i was staying in tonight, meaning that i was having a meal at the B&B instead of going to the pub, so no more booze. Drewin farm is a beauty though. The best room i've had so far. Ceinwen, my landlady, welcomed me with coffee and cakes, then made a great meal which i ate with another couple. Meal rating: 9/10. Homemade lasagne followed by bread and butter pudding. Docked a point because there's no such thing as perfection. Well i'm half way now, in time if not in distance. 6 days done, 6 days to go. 83 miles done, 94 miles to go, so some longer days ahead. I've been thinking today about a couple of the stranger aspects of long distance walking. One is that I often find myself thinking "if i finish early i could eat then go for a walk". Can i really not think of anything to do except what i've been doing all day? Another is that if you are walking alone the sheep seem more attractive as the days go by. Maybe i'd better leave it there! Thank goodness jennie's joining me tomorrow night. Actually the posts will need to be shorter from now on, as i can't imagine jennie is going to want to sit watching me spend ages doing this, is she? (Fliss, you'll know, is she?) Time for an early night, as i've got what is often claimed to be the toughest day tomorrow (and no booze now).
