When I have a big year, I really have a BIG year!
As if walking across England with my thirteen year old daughter, without a proper map, wasn't exciting enough, I came home and spent the next five months writing a book. Really, a book.
Confessions of a Catholic School Dropout became available for purchase on Amazon.com last week. Today I started a new blog about that project, which I'll update regularly - much as I did while planning and living the Coast to Coast adventure.
The blog can be found here:
http://confessionsofacatholicschooldropout.blogspot.com/
I hope you'll check it out, it was a different sort of experience from walking across England, but it too had moments of difficulty. More than once, I questioned why the hell I was doing it - much like I asked myself when facing most of the climbs through the Lake District!
If you enjoy irreverent humor and can laugh at things that some people wouldn't find funny, then I promise you'll enjoy my book. Laughter is the best medicine. After British pints, that is.
17 Day Itinerary
Our walk begins in St. Bee's on the West Coast of Great Britain at the Irish Sea. Almost 200 miles later, we will find ourselves at the North Sea in Robin Hood's Bay.
Day 1 - Moor Row, 9 miles The Jasmine House
Day 2 - Ennerdale, 8 miles Low Cock How Farm
Day 3 - Seatoller, 14 miles Seatoller Farm
Day 4 - Grasmere, 10.5 miles Town Head Farm
Day 5 - Patterdale, 7.5 miles Grisdale Lodge
Day 6 - Shap, 16 miles Brookfield House
Day 7 - Orton, 8 miles The Westons
Day 8 - Kirby Stephen, 13.5 miles The Black Bull
Day 9 - Keld, 14 miles Keld Lodge
Day 10 - Richmond, 14 miles The Old Brewery
Day 11 - Danby-Wiske, 14 miles Old School House
Day 12 - Osmotherly, 12 miles 32 South End
Day 13 - Clay Bank Top, 11 miles The Maltkiln House
Day 14 - Blakley Ridge, 8.5 miles The Sevenford House
Day 15 - Grosmont, 14 miles The Station Inn
Day 16 - Robin Hood's Bay, 16 miles The Raven House
Of course, these distances don't account for getting lost and doubling back a few times, avoiding an aggressive herd of heifers or navigating the moors.... or wandering off in search of a pint.