So..... here I am, at the end. Over the last 17 days or so at the start of each stage, I have had a direction, a path to follow. As each day has ended it was forgotten as I prepared, in minimal fashion, for the next day's walking. And so the process repeated itself, stage by stage, mile by mile, step by step. I have a feeling that it will be this step by step forgetting that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

I brought pictures of both parents with me and they were placed on my altar each evening. In their very different ways they made it possible for me to undertake what I have just achieved. I have a husband who unconditionally helps me to be the best that I can be. I have my buddhist practice, which has made this undertaking so much more than a walk from place to place along a coast. I have a teacher who has been walking along side me, and not least, daughters who love their eccentric mum who wanted to do the rather strange thing of travelling on foot for nearly 200 miles!

To all of the above and all beings who made this possible I say a great big THANK YOU!

Nearly there....,?

We have arrived in Lower Fishguard after a very, very breezy day around the Strumble Head lighthouse, passing several coves with seals basking, and no doubt resting, after being at sea in the storm we had last night.

As I get closer to the end of my journey it has sometimes been harder for me to remain in the present. I have found myself thinking about the end. I guess this is quite natural but othe miles still need to be walked and there are still quite a few of them! So thinking like this isn't helpful; it makes for a bit of a trudge. 

It was good to have someone with me who knew what I was going through. Thoughts spoken aloud (and written down) can be just the right action to take.

I have walked a long way

I took this video a couple of days ago and want to both see if it will upload to my blog and also to try out a different system of posting via an email address.

Up The West Coast

Photograph top left shows Porthgain with me in the foreground. We are now just a couple of miles from Trefin which is today's destination. Nigel has joined me for the rest of the walk. Five more stages to go now.

Top right is a Neolithic burial chamber at St. Davids Head and the bottom picture  is of the life boat station at St Justinian's taken yesterday when walking with Eric between Solva and Whitesands.

It's all go!

Technical difficulties abated, for the moment....

Third time lucky in trying to write something today. If anyone can tell me what the glitch might be - I upload a photo, then try to type up text. Tap on the screen, the keypad appears, the curser flashes but no letters appear - any ideas of what mght be wrong?

So.... yesterday started later than usual and while I waited for friends to join, I found time to sit and enjoy the view of Broad Haven beach. The one pictured above is a small cove looking out past cliffs into St Bride's Bay. This was at the end of a long, companiable 12 or so miles with Andy, Eeva and their dog Mollie.

It has been good to walk alone and in silence, and a pleasure, too, to walk in good company. People ask me along the way about where I have come from and where I am going to be in the days to come. It has been embarrassing to be unable to bring this into my mind. I don't think this is because of  a defect in my memory, but more to do with the journey I  am on. The need to be in the present moment with each step I take. I have been asked also about my moods.... and apart from one day when I didn't eat well enough for the miles I was walking, I have not even noticed or given my state of mind names like happy or sad.  Quite a revelation to me.....

This chap caught my eye as I passed through ancient woodland on my way to Dale.

Later, when walking with friends I remarked that I hadn't taken many photos today, that's because you fell in the mud and then you broke a tooth!". Yep, I did both of these things! First of all I miscalculated the tides and had to walk an extra 2.5 miles around the detour. This is when I walked into what I thought was nice, normal, shallow mud. Errr.... it was none of the above. Once I had extracted myself from said mud AND the brambles that wanted to hang on to me arm, I walked on to where I could clean myself up and change footwear. It was when I rewarded myself with a biscuit that I broke my tooth!

Two sleeps later I am in Broad Haven waiting for more friends to join me that I haven't seenin a long time. The tooth? Thankfully causing me no pain and will get dealt with on my return to Nottingham.

My gratitude is to the weather, friends met along the way, to the flowers and the beauty of the landscape that has cheered me on my way.

Today started with a bus ride out of Pembroke over the Cleddau River toll bridge where I started walking again from Neyland. Very soon after starting met Kevin, a fellow Coastal Path-er (yes, that's what we're called!). Introductions

made, and "yes, it's fine to walk at our own paces. see you at Skerry Back Farm". 

So, walking again in a solitary way, but not really alone, the path took us past more industrial productivity. From now on there will be beaches, cliffs and traditional coastal scenery. I will miss the pipes..,,

the shadowy tunnels

the concrete 'sculptures'

Not trying to be beautiful

Yesterday I left Angle Bay, heading towards Pembroke and my first rest day. My guidebook to the coastal path warns readers not to expect too much of this stretch. In the background of my photos of the boats in the bay are the pipes and chimneys of the refinery I will walk past once I cross the Cleddau River. On both sides of the river it is very industrial. I don't mind industrial. In fact dad, whose death inspired me to do this walk, was an enthusiast of those subjects thought of as ugly or ignored in favour of the kind of bling scenery I have written about in my last few posts.

I do actually like the architecture of such productivity; it has been designed for a purpose without regard for any kind of aesthetic and this I appreciate. It is not trying to be beautiful but, somehow, it is. A bit like the Green Bridge of Wales which doesn't try either. Beauty in the eye of the beholder, I think!

At Angle Bay - Final Insallment!

In Part 1 I mentioned feeling fortunate.Getting to Angle from Bosherston in one day required me getting a bus around the closed section of the MOD firing range. As I was about to get on it, already feeling grateful for the sunshine, the place and just the fact of being there, I turned round to see a man walking towards me holding a bank card. My bank card!!! I had to thank him very quickly (and profusely!!!) as the only bus of the day was about to leave and I had to catch it.

Mmmm...... as well as feeling fortunate - think it would be good to be more careful with my stuff as I travel around!

At Angle Bay - part 1

It has been a beautiful day: sunny, blue sky with just the right amount of wind to keep me cool. Apart from the iconic Pembrokshire Coast Path scenery I have walked past, stopped to admire and photograph it has felt like a fortunate day, too. First here are the places I have seen.

St Govin's Chapel, where I lit some incense and offered merit on this altar.....
and

Then across the MOD firing range to Stack Rocks

At Angle Bay - part 2

After Stack Rock, the Green Bridge of Wales.

Then, as my trail guide explains - lots of strenuous ups and downs!!!

To a soothing, gentle amble along to my bed for the night.

steadily heading west........

We arrived in Bosherston in very good time on our third day of walking. After a shower, a cup of tea and a bit of a rest we decided to take advantage of the late afternoon sunshine and go for a walk back to the sea along Stackpole Lily Ponds. This is what we saw....

Mr and Mrs Cormorant and.......

Church Rock at Broad Haven Bay. We didnt get as far as St Govin's Chapel but I will pass it on my way via Stack Rocks on my way to Angle Bay where I don't expect much in the way of internet or mobile signals. 

All is well, no blisters, and looking forward to the next place where I will set up my altar.

Train delays, rerouted journey, taxi not there when we needed it, setting off walking 2 hours later than expected - but we made it! Thanks 

Broni, I couldn't have done it without you!! Will try to upload lovely photos when I am less

tired in the morning. Oh and what a lovely surprise to receive a greetings card at our B&B -thankyou so much.

Stairs wanting to be climbed.....

In the last few days, no hours, before I set off there still seems to be an endless list of stuff to do. I have gradually been working my way through this list and, I must confess, been getting ever more giddy and excited by the moment. Not a very comfortable place to be, really. So I talked things through, ate some food and sat still for a while.

It has taken a lot of commitment to get to this point and, as Rev Mugo writes in Jade Mountains sustained intention is something one has to put wholehearted effort into. The last 7 months of planning has not happened easily or without times when I questioned the wisdom of continuing. But here I am, my feet almost on the starting block ready to walk. As I rather self consciously said in the video interview with Rev Mugo, I have no idea of what will come of this journey and I am content with that. What I also get is the sense that there is something else besides my own will driving things on - the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.  When we take a step forwards, the Universe takes a step towards us. How good is that!

On my walk I shall be meditating each morning at 7:30 am and each evening at 8:00 pm. I will be offering Transfer of Merit for a list of people and situations. It would be lovely if you would be able to join me at those times, as often as you are able. If you would like to know about the Transfer of Merit list or want Merit Transferred for someone then please go to Field of Merit

Oh, and if you would like to get email notification when I post something new then please click on the link top right. 

If my first step is false.......

My travelling Altar

My preparations continue; I walk in the hills of Derbyshire in ever increasing distances, I make sure my waterproofs are waterproof, I gather together my altar-in-miniature, I reduce down my kit to the very basics. As Rev Mugo remarks in her recent post   my venture has brought me to the stripped-down here and now basics of daily living. I am training in all senses of this word. The long distance path challenges me to stay in the present moment. I could allow myself to wish away the miles. I could, and do, say to myself How much further? When can I stop? Or, if my feet hurt or the terrain is tough, When is it going to get easier? I have asked these questions quite a few times on my walks. But I am very aware that if I indulge in these thoughts when in Wales, with many, many miles still to go, I will suffer! So I am training my mind, enjoying the rhythm that develops, walking onwards and forwards..........

I have arrived - I am home - my destination in each step

Thanks to another walker who took this photo, here I am by Eagle Rock on, I think, Baslow Edge. Here to test out my new boots and my ability to blog on the move. And, first of all, I must apologise to my poor feet! The size 5's were the problem, not them. So I am walking without pain and skipping up and down the hills, helped as well by wearing my new single vision glasses.

I am sat in the Grouse Inn, just above Grindleford. and I can recommend the sticky figgy pudding and toffee sauce with ice cream quite highly. Better get going back to the car and walk off the calories!

Showing me the way

Only a couple of weeks to go before I set off.  What do I really need to take? What can I leave behind? Lists have been made, maps poured over, and only time will tell if I have prpeared well enough.

For the most part I am excited and can't wait to get on the road but I quite naturally have fears and anxieties about what I am about to embark on and those that care for me have theirs too. A good friend has bought me a head torch in case I end up walking in the dark (definitely not in my plan but you never know....). Nigel has given me an emergency blanket, and I am currently considering the satellite  SOS system suggested by Rev Mugo.

I also am considering the state of my mind as I prepare to travel. As with my rucksack, I hope to travel light . Tricky to achieve at the best of times, but somehow, over these past 6 months leading up to this trip, I have found myself more able to keep in the moment. This plan of mine to do this walk, for the most part, has been held lightly in my mind. And I have a great role model at the moment. My daughter is pregnant with her first child and I asked her recently about her birth plan. Her response was I have no birth plan! She has done her research, knows as much as she can about her options and has realised that, with the unpredictable nature of childbirth, it would be foolish to cling to a plan. She is an inspiration to me. If she can let go whilst preparing for her big event, then so can I!

Next priority is to get myself a travelling altar ready for meditation en route. Nigel has suggested a three folded card with a Buddha image on it, and I could easily find space for a packet of incense and a lighter. I am sure that the B&B's might be able to lend me a votive candle. Any other suggestions gratefully recieved.  My next post will contain pictures of said altar set up - a thought that is making me smile right now - have altar.... will travel!

Happy feet!

This is by way of testing out how easy (or not) it is to blog from my new smart phone. It is likely that, through both tiredness after a long days walking and the fiddley nature of using a phone keyboard, that my posts will be quite short once I am in Wales. We'll see......

Pictured are the size 6.5 boots I purchased this evening. I have been experiencing toe pain towards the end of a long walk and decided to have my boots checked out. They were a size 5 so no wonder I was struggling!

There is a sense of freedom........

Six short months ago the idea came to me to walk and meditate along a path by the sea in Wales. Three months before that my father had died and I have reflected on this loss on my recent walks; remembering times past as a daughter, recalling  the man he was, the manner of his life and his death.

At his funeral my brother Andrew had spoken during the ceremony of what he felt was our father's legacy. Music was very important in our childhoods. Andrew plays the violin and teaches music because of this. Dad loved photography and I now have some of his huge collection of cameras. In the days, then weeks afterwards the idea of what dad has passed on to me felt hard to grasp. Grief is as complex as our relationship is with the parent that has been lost. So, on holiday in Wales, camping in our Eriba Caravan, walking many of the beautiful coastal paths, I had a chance to slow down and allow thoughts and memories to arise in a more relaxed and helpful way.

Dad was an enthusiastic man; this could be about all sorts of varied ideas and projects. Some of them came to more successful conclusions than others. He gained his Associateship of the Royal Photographic Society and we have a complete photographic record of our family life together. We climbed Snowden as children (only getting the train on the way down). We went cycle camping every weekend in the summer, and once cycled all the way from Newark to West Runton in Norfolk where we camped for two weeks. He wrote poetry and screen plays and tried for many years to get these published.

The most important legacy for me was that he introduced me to Buddhism. He would drive his motorbike to Nottingham from Newark to the group there, probably in the late 1960's, early 70's. He took me once, and someone in the group had just taken some sort of commitment to the order and was self-consciously wearing his robes (black, floor length and I am sure with a leather belt?). Dad talked about the basic premises of Buddhism and there were books in the house that I dipped in to - Zen Flesh, Zen Bones being the only one that I recall now. But the memory remained of meditation, of the sense that there was something worth exploring. This took me many years to follow up but here I am now, and very grateful I am too. Thanks dad.

Some of his less successful enthusiasms were the massive kite he built out of bamboo, wall paper and flour glue. He and I walked down the street with it to the local park were there was a bit of a hill. I would have been about 7 years old and it was nearly as tall as me. It didn't fly......

Another was when he wanted a boat to mess around in on the River Trent which we lived close by to. He had found one to renovate and took me to the neighbouring wood yard where it lay, with grass growing through the rotting holes in the hull. He was excited about how he might patch up these holes with, I kid you not, papiermâché!  Family members and those of you who met dad at the Nottingham group or on his visits to Throssel will perhaps remember his eccentricity.

The enthusiasms that really caught my imagination were the ones that involved travel. We were to walk the length of the Pennine Way, or take a bus through France and Switzerland to the Dolomites and walk in the mountains. He wanted me to become an Arctic explorer and I listened to the Vaughan Williams Antarctica Symphony a lot and worried about how I would pee outside in sub-zero temperatures.

After a while, through adolescence and into adulthood, I began to feel sad and irritated by these wild and somewhat impossible schemes. I guess this is what psychologists would call the process of separation a child makes from its parent. This separation does not always go smoothly and I offer sange now for any harm I caused by being dismissive or annoyed.

Dad was being treated for depression just before his death and I have the sense now that this was very much about him focussing on what he didn't manage to do rather than the many things he did (who of us doesn't think like this some of the time?). There was a sadness that seemed to stem from feelings of inadequacy, a searching for happiness from without rather than trusting that he had everything he needed already.

So dad, as I remember and think on what your legacy is to me, I approach this journey with a sense of freedom. It is both a special thing to do and it is somehow no big deal either. It is something that is, and was always possible. As a family we did walk parts of the Pennine Way and my love of the landscape and of being outdoors I give credit to you (and mum). And now, with my experience of meditation there is the great spiritual benefit I experience I am out on my walks. The walk in Pembroksehire and the steps I am taking towards it, keep showing me how I am released from both the human and the karmic bonds that exisited between us. There is a sense of freedom..........

On a sunny day, with a lighter load than I will have in Wales

Welcome to the place where I will be letting you all know how I, and those walking with me, are progressing on this walk around the coast of Pembrokeshire.
Each day we will be meditating and offering Merit. I hope to add a Merit Page very shortly so that you can let me know of people and situations that you would like us to offer Merit for.
It would be great if those of you who are unable to join us in Wales would meditate at the same time as us. Please let us know who you are so that we can form a Merit Walk community for the three weeks that it will take us. It is likely that the meditation period will be in the morning, before breakfast. I will let y'all know for definate here.

Details of our itinerary can be found here