Accommodation: Walpardo
This morning we had breakfast at the YHA Keld - we ate with an older woman doing the Pennine Way (Keld is where the 2 paths meet). She attempted the C2C some years ago but quit at Reeth - said it was just too difficult and that the Pennine, though much longer, involves less strain. Seems odd to me that one would quit after climbing the fells and two long slogs (Patterdal-Shap, Shap-Kirkby Stephen). We also sat with an older man who said (according to D, I didn't hear this part) he's going around saying goodbye to all his old friends in the countryside. Seems sad. The woman alerted us to the shutting down of UK airports because of a terror plot involving liquid explosives. What a world.
We headed out along the road and soon turned off to the little village of Muker. It was so incredibly picturesque, along the river with its back to the hills. We went to the Post Office for a card for our friend and asked where Swaledale Woolens is. "The woman coming in can tell you," said the postman - as the woman was the shopkeeper. I love small villages. She led us back to her shop, full of yarns, woolen goods (knitted by Swaledale folk), and sundry local items. Apparently, when the lead mining industry shut down the villages put their heads together and decided to start this cottage industry! It's such a famous shop that Prince Charles visited in 2000 - there was a photo of him with the owner up inside the store. We bought some baby booties as gifts and exited to wander the village just a bit more.The village was very small - though bigger than Keld. We got the impression that many of the
people there at the time were holiday makers - there was a Lotus parked in front of a cottage! The shopkeeper, when asked, told us that she estimates the permanent residents to number about 40! I wonder if I would enjoy living in such a place. It certainly was beautiful - reputed to be one of James Herriot's favorite villages.After heading back to the trail, things were pretty uneventful - pretty dale and field and then a tempting walk by a teashop in Gunnerside. We caught up to the lesbian couple at a vague bit on Stedman's map - to go through a field or not? We took one way and they another. Of course, Devin was right, as he usually is with guessing about Stedman, and we struck the right path eventually. When we met up with the women later they told us they wasted time retracing their steps - agonizing when one's feet hurt.
We wound up walking along the moors - dark brown downs with purple heather and tearing cold wind. No wonder Heathcliff was such a grouch. We also saw some grouse (grouses? greese?) running about - and a lot of flattened, dessicated rabbits. No clue why. It was kind of terrible, like a sickness, or, more likely, carniverous cows on the loose, stamping down on poor bunnies and then sucking their flesh dry!
The last few miles to Reeth were a little stressful: not only were we pounding our sore feet on pavement but cars kept whizzing past us where there was no footpath. It was a bit shocking to be where there was so much traffic. Finally in Reeth (well, it was only a short walk, but prolonged in feeling by stress and the expectation that it would be short) . We headed straight for the Reeth Bakery, of which Steddy (as we call him - the 3rd in our traveling menage a trois) sang many praises. It was good - pies of local Swaledale cheeses and a yummy "Victorian sponge sandwich". We bought some rolls (made with local, organic flour) and cows cheese and headed off down the street to our B&B.
Reeth is centered round a village green and it seems everything is within close reach. Our hosts were standing outside the house, gardening, along with their 4-month old kitten, when we got to their doorstep. They were a jolly, chatty set, a couple in their 60s-70s, seeming to enjoy life, which they conveyed as leisurely, full of comedy, and whimsical. So nice. We were given a sunny room and a lovely bathroom with a sloping roop and skylight of the blue, cloud-dotted sky. By the hand-held shower head, about 4 feet up from the ground under the sloping roof, was a sign which read, "This shower is for hair washing. Do not try to stand under it 'As you will not fit.'" Hee.
In our rest time I read to Devin from the Reeth & District Gazzette ("The Local News Magazine for the Two Dales of Swaledale and Arkengarthdale") - a charming newsletter of village doings. I found it such a refreshing whiff of "olden times" that I packed it with my luggage for home.
I went out to look at some gift shops but they were closed (closed W & Th!) and the couple, Ann and Tony, when I got back, were fixing a funny bug character to a 2nd story windowsill: "We like giving people little surprises. Look at our dinosaur." Sure enough, they had placed a plastic dinosaur at the top of a chimney pipe.
"And a squirrel," I added, for they had a squirrel in a shutter box.
"I thought it was a rabbit," said Tony.
"No, it's a squirrel, with a nut," says Ann.
"But it has big ears."
What funny, lovely people.
For dinner we headed to the Buck. A sort of doleful affair as we checked email before and looked up the news re: our friend. The details were gruesome and made the whole world seem a
horror. Especially with the addition of the news coming in about the foiled terror attack, supposedly aimed at CA, NY, and DC. I wonder how our flights will fare next week.But, on a note of hope, on our way out to the Buck from Walpardo, the sun was shining in the misty rain and a huge double rainbow spanned over Reeth. Tony came out (and his cat) to get a picture of it (just Tony, the cat did not have a camera at hand). A reminder of God's covenant with all humankind. We must continue to believe in God's goodness, and learn in this world of such deep violence but also such simple joys. The terror attacks and looking at rainbows with a dear old couple and their cat.
Back in our room we watched a fine specimen of smutty British reality TV: "Fat Beauty Contest." The kitten came to play with us a bit before bed.
Not a great picture of the grouse - but it does capture their absolute silliness
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