Accommodation: YHA Kirkby Stephen
First off, it's pronounced "kirby," without the k. Ah the Brits. Well, this morning we were greeted by a sunny breakfast room with geraniums tapping on the window, little pot of marmalade, good coffee (!), and a lovely (if increasingly repetitive) English breakfast. Lovely mushrooms
and scrambled eggs (not fried) for once (we were given a choice). Fresh squeezed grapefruit and orang juice. Lovely.Off we went. I immediately had trouble with ankles rubbing on boot, and then the blistering on the bottom of the left foot - this was to nag and then haunt me with increasing pain all day.
What can I say about Shap to Kirkby Stephen? Only that I'd rather forget it! Trudge, trudge, trudge through farmland - for 8 hours! Cow crap on shoe, sock, self. Sweat. Pain, pain, pain. My ankle was totally swollen by the end of the day and the blister about 1" x 1/2".
We met up with the Mystery Group again. The guy keeps going ahead of the other 2 and following us closely. He gave us some very wrong directions as we were pausing - again! We think he likes to keep us in sight because D is better at navigating! My theory: the others hired him as a guide, though he's never done this before, and he's crap, so that's why the girl is so pissy looking.
At about hour 4 I said, "Let's do something. I'm bored." So 20 Questions ensued. D's first person for me turned out to be Slobodan Milosevic. I tell you. Later: "I spy with my little eye something that begins with 'P'." "Poop." "Yep." It was all around us. Later D made up a story to amuse me about Mole and Badger going to find the Caverns of the Mole Queen. I think it will come out serial fashion, during the slow bits of this trip.
We ate our yummy sandwiches (from Jean) - apple and sausage and apple and PB. I was despairing towards the end. I was just so tired and, most of all, bored, and in constant pain. 
Trudge, trudge - archaeological sites barely to be seen and we didn't care either way.Finally at 5PM (we started at 9:30 with no real break, even for lunch, which we ate while walking) we closed in on KS. A sheep stampede outside the village and cow-herding by a sheep dog were about the only real excitement of the day.
The YHA is in a converted Methodist chapel, with the dining hall set in the pews. We have our own funky little room, with high ceilings and tiny windows. We had no luck with anything open pre-6PM so we sat around in a pub until we could finally get some burgers and pudding. We saw the Mystery Group again - they were staying at the pub we were eating at. It appears there was some room mix up, but we didn't catch the details.
Mom and Dad called the YHA while we were away - Tom, the receptionist told us and emphasized that it wasn't urgent. "The cats are dead!" I said, when I heard this.
A nice, hot shower and now to bed. D is already asleep with his light on.
YHA Kirkby Stephen
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