Day 42 No views at all.

There aren’t many photos today. Today started with rain, that had clearly been going on for some hours, then the rain stopped but by then I was in the clouds and stayed there for the next few hours until descending into Hay on Wye.

But I’m skipping ahead. I had decided that I was not going to take a steep path straight up for 500m only to be in the clouds with no view, when I could climb 400m more gently with the same outcome. I set off, fully waterproofed, along a bridle path parallel to the road. The road was a small road, closed by a landslide but that didn’t stop the locals from driving along it. Which, when the diversion takes about an hour, seems a reasonable choice. I dropped down to the road and started the long climb to Gospel Pass (because it’s Good News when you get there?)

I took very few photos today because in the damp the whole zipping/unzipping thing rears it’s ugly head again. Phone in waterproof cover that only just fits in trouser pocket which in turn is accessed through zipped pocket of waterproof trousers… However, mindful of my readership, I did take a photo of St Mary the Virgin Anglican Church at Capell-y-Ffin as it looked so quaint.

As I got higher, the weather got colder, and by the time I reached the pass, visibility was very low. It stayed that way until just above Hay on Wye where I took another photo

There were a couple of plus points. I got to practise walking on a compass bearing when I rejoined the Path. I also walked through a field of orchids. Not quite as many as in a field of bluebells but pretty good.

Again it seemed a short day at 11.5 miles. My feet were reasonably well-behaved until about mile 10, when they started to complain. I blame the road walking, it is hard on the feet.

My B&B is named Rest for the Tired and is above a bookshop. I had a wander round town, bought an ice cream (Lebanese coffee flavour, delicious, but having learnt my lesson in Cornwall, one scoop was enough), then bumped into Damian who was hoping to find somewhere to eat before heading for his B&B which was 3 miles out of town in the wrong direction. We had a coffee together before going our separate ways.

I had dinner in the pub over the road, which I had noted served Indian food. No, I had misread it, it was Italian food. Rather sadly, they were full, but the other occupant of the B&B was there and she suggested I shared her table. We had a really good meal (by the way, my no chips interlude has finished- I managed two weeks).Her name is Blandine, she is French but lives here and she plans to do tomorrow’s 14+ miles before lunch. Gulp.