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'