Following Mick and Gayle's mantra of never passing a tea shop, my walk was ever so slightly delayed :-)
It was a bit of a tug up the Eildon Hills bealach, but nothing a rufty-tufty Challenger wouldn't take in their stride......but I'm not rufty-tufty. Ho hum.
Bowden Burn was my handrail for a couple of miles, at Newtown St Boswells I picked up the meandering River Tweed.
Light was beginning to fade so I started looking for a suitable camp spot. The ground was covered in wild garlic, the aroma was wonderful but the plants were so tall it made finding a flat bit very difficult.
Eventually I found a lumpy bit of ground on the river bank, on the other side of the river from the ruins of Dryburgh Abbey. If you look carefully, squint a bit, then use your imagination, you may spot it in the last photo.
Tent up, a light meal, then lights out at 10pm....I drifted off to the 10pm news on BBC R4.
Up and away next morning, I treated myself to a delicious cheese & onion pastie in St Boswells.....but then I found this tea shop.
Well it would be rude not to ...
Part 2, the rest, click here.
Look at that weather!!! Glorious!
ReplyDeleteBrilliant. I thought nobody was going backpacking this year. Would that I could!
ReplyDeleteI much enjoyed my own trip through that country on my last long walk: Berwick to Castle Carey.
I've not done much this year - due to some minor surgery and a longer than expected recovery. I now need to get my fitness levels up, the TGO Challenge is on the horizon.
DeleteThe border country is wonderful - and I have to say I found it to be the friendliest LDP I've ever walked - not so much others walking the route, they were few, but the folk I met on the way. I feel another borders backpack beckoning - St Oswalds Way?
Good to see that you're improving, I hope you'll be out for longer walks soo - take care!
Well done JJ. Sadly I was stuck at home this week. Markus is arriving shortly for a lift to Hebden Br in the morning and a couple of weeks on the PW. Enjoy St Cuthbert's and all the tea shops.
ReplyDeleteLooking good John, there are a few more tea shops on the way. Lovely photos, many of which I recognise.
ReplyDeleteHope that river didn't rise too much.
ReplyDeleteThankfully it didn't!
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