So, What Went Wrong? Part 1

As many of you know I didn't actually make it all the way to Lands End, but that doesn't mean that you can't find out what I got up to on the 4 days that I was gone.

Day 1

Day one started at midnight when I found out that I had managed to get into Edinburgh University to take my masters *Takes a bow*. I slept for 4 hours, then it was time to get up and go.

My good friend Alistair "offered" to drive me to Dover. So I let him.

Alistair

We had a pleasant drive, passed the Louie Armstrong pub in Dover and had a McDonald's breakfast.

Alistair and I said our goodbyes and I headed out on my way.

"Bye"

The weather was lovely and walking over the white cliffs of Dover was, apart from my chronic hay fever almost blinding me (never good on a cliff edge), fantastic.

My faithful travelling companion 'The No Ear Rabbit'

At this point, about 2 hours in, I was congratulating myself on giving myself this challenge. It didn't seem too challenging and the views were amazing. Although I was disappointed in myself that I could not bring myself to get right to the edge of the cliffs, as that would have been a nice picture.

The first place I walked through was Capel-Le-Ferne (just one of many places I decided I would retire to on my (breifer than expected) walk)

The next was Folkestone which, my to my (obvious) surprise, was lovely. Although in hindsight I think this view of Folkestone (and just about everywhere else) was helped by the sun. The sun later turned on me.

Genuinely shocked at how nice Folkestone was. About to eat an apple.

Next was Hythe. It was as I was leaving Hythe I hated the walk (to be honest I hated everything), the mid afternoon heat was unbearable and the scenery, compared to earlier at least, was as dull as dish water.

Dymchurch, a children's paradise apparently.

And New Romney.

At this point I had changed my mind again and was loving the walk.

We took a break at New Romney to work out exactly where New Romney was.

Nothing in New Romney apart from a long concrete wall

Shattered, hot and having covered about 30 miles I decided to make camp at Old Romney. About two thirds of the way there I said: "Enough." and set up my (rather ramshackle) tent in a field. 

You try putting up a tent after a 30 mile walk!

Despite my best efforts I was incredibly sun burnt (mainly on my left side) and I hours moving gingerly and applying (then re-applying) after sun.

After sun and a newspaper, bliss.

So Ended my first day. I spent the night drifting in and out of sleep as I wondered if a farmer would come to shout at me and questioned what that odd buzzing sound was (it was a large pylon, no more that 10 feet away from me...)

Coming soon, Day 2!