Monday 6 May 2013

Day 8. Epworth to finish.

I woke up feeling good on the last morning, all I had to do was to bimble on home. When I arrive at a B & B I just want to put my feet up and relax in front of the tele, sort through photo's and write the blog, internet permitting, so I take a shower in the morning before breakfast. Normally I can figure out how a basic shower works, turn the knob and hot water eventually comes tumbling down from the shower head, after you get a drenching with cold water first. But what to do when confronted with this beast? There are jets coming from all directions.
Where is the instruction book for this Tardis? Nowhere to be seen. I see it has a radio, very nice, I can stand in there and dance around to Radio 2 if I feel so inclined, but how do I get the flippin water out, and which bit of me will get blasted first? I twisted and turned the controls, a dribble of water here and there, first cold then scolding hot. Then it cascaded down from the collander like grill in the roof, and I had to squeeze to one side as I was in danger of getting my chesticles poached alive by the red hot deluge. 
After fiddling about with the controls for ten minutes, and managing to wash a bit of me, I gave up and tried to switch it off. It seemed to slow down to a dribble so I made a hasty retreat, escaped into the bathroom which by now felt a bit chilly due to me being boiled, poached, and baked in the Tardis.I finished my wash in the sink, and left the blasted thing hissing, dribbling and gurgling, while I went for breakfast. What a daft contraption it was. 
I left Epworth on a quiet minor road which took me to Beltoft, and over the top of the M180 motorway. Further on I joined the road that runs alongside the River Trent, at Derrythorpe. I came into Althorpe and had a short rest, it was about time I took a pic of Puddytat, who had been perched on the top of the rucksack all the way.    
I came to Althorpe Station and crossed the river over Gunness Bridge. Almost home now. I told myself to keep going, no stopping now, so close. I was back in familiar territory, past the docks, through Flixborough Industrial Estate, and back home along the bottom of the woods. This is the last hill I have to climb out of the woods, up there is my village. Wooohooo, I've done it :o)) 
It was 1.45pm, and the village was very quiet, everyone must have gone out for the day. As I got into my street I saw Barry who was out walking Scruff. Then a neighbour passed by. I had to empty the rucksack at the front door because I forgot to get the house key out in the morning when I packed it up. It was still in the bottom. After a bite to eat, I got in my car and hobbled around Tesco clinging onto a trolley, my fridge was bare and I needed some food, I also needed a can of cider, to celebrate.
Today was 12.82 miles. So how far have I walked in total?

147 miles 

 
I'm chuffed. Flippin good eh!
Toodle pip.

30 comments:

  1. What an achievement,Ilona! You should be proud of yourself!
    Jane x

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Ilona great you are home safely. Just back myself but haven't written the blog up yet. Loved seeing bits of the Chesterfield canal that I've kayaked in the past.
    Brenda in the Boro

    ReplyDelete
  3. My new dentist's office has a machine in the waiting room for making fancy cups of coffee and cocoa. I tried to make myself a cup of cocoa, thinking since there were no instructions posted, it must be pretty simple. Well.
    There was no cocoa for me that day.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Excellent job Ilona. Very well done and thank you so much for your lovely, lovely posts each day. I have been walking with you!! I envy you your resilience and doing this on your own, something I never could, although I have read how you deal with this fact. Now have a lovely restorative rest while some good holiday weather is upon us for once and we all look forward to following your day to day life which you make so very interesting for us all. Ann x

    ReplyDelete
  5. What an inspiration you are girl! I have problems walking 1.47 miles never mind 147 of them! Well done you. I think you have shamed me into getting off my bottom and getting out walking more often.

    I bet you enjoyed that cider!!

    Linda xx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Welcome Home Ilona!

    Enjoyed 'walking' with you.

    Granny G x

    ReplyDelete
  7. I have to say that I have been laughing at your tale of woe with the shower.A fantastic walk I feel for your feet, I know that when I have run around all night my feet just yearn for warm water and epson salts.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Great job - well done you. Thank you for the trip now put your feet up and have a well earned rest.
    Love from Mum
    xx

    ReplyDelete
  9. 147 miles!! - Well done!!
    By the way, what do you mean by the name 'puddytat'??

    ReplyDelete
  10. I've so enjoyed following the walk with you! I'm in a chair these days but it was a pure joy to live the walk through your posts and pics.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Read all your entries. Fab little journey! Good on you for walking this distence. Can`t wait to walk alongside you on your next adventure.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi, Ilona:

    147 miles ... flippin good, indeed! Chesticles ... hilarious!
    Thanks for sharing.

    Sharon in Alabama

    ReplyDelete
  13. Another great achievement, well done! Perhaps after a couple more of these long walks for practise, you could do Land's End to John O'Groats?!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Well done superwoman! I love the story of the shower.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Just another thought - could you do a wee tutorial sometime on OS map reading?


    Linda xx

    ReplyDelete
  16. Flippin' GREAT Ilona. You escapade with the shower gave me a good laugh.

    Sue

    ReplyDelete
  17. Wish i had the bxxxs to do what you do....i love reading about your travels.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Well done Ilona, you are an amazing gal and a great example to us couch potatoes LOL

    ReplyDelete
  19. Well done, Ilona; you should be extremely proud of such an achievement. Your knees, hips and ankles must be very strong & healthy to enable you to walk all those miles. An inspiration to us all.
    I stayed in a very modern hotel a few years back and had to go all the way down to reception to complain that there was no light in my en-suite bathroom. Well, how was I to know that the light was activated when I actually entered the bathroom, not when I stood in the doorway groping for a switch! blush blush

    ReplyDelete
  20. Well done Ilona, what a fantastic achievement - 147 miles - Wow!
    Thanks for taking us along on the journey with you.
    Glad you survived your tangle with the Tardis shower too...lol.



    ReplyDelete
  21. Wow!!! 147 miles, that's terrific. Good job Ilona.
    Glad you're back home safe and sound.
    I'll be waiting patiently for your next walk where I can go along and explore more of your beautiful country with you.
    From now on I'll be referring to my chesticles, if you please!!!...snicker, snicker.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Wonderful! I wish we had such beautiful sights here to walk to; nothing even close. You must have some terrific endurance to do so many miles each day!
    My husband and i had a snorty laugh over the chesticles; i'm stealing the term, by the way..
    Thanks for the trip!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Wow ! Well done Ilona, 147 miles and I enjoyed them all. Its so good that you put so many interesting pictures on. I always learn something new when you go on your travels.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Congratulations on the long walk Ilona. Nowadays I feel a sense of achievement if I walk a couple of miles. Maybe need to get some practice in!

    ReplyDelete
  25. A brilliant achievement, well done.

    As for the shower, they should definitely leave instructions for users, I struggle terribly with unfamiliar normal showers never mind somethng like that!!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Hi Ilona WELL DONE!!! it's been so great following your journey, I feel as if I have stepped every step myself. Regards Jean

    ReplyDelete
  27. Good morning Ilona from House fairy
    Wow, 63 and carrying a big rucksack like that!
    Husband and I have to take turns in carrying just the picnic lunch when out.
    We also have the large golden retriever.

    That shower looked complicated. They should have put instructions on the wall.

    Glad you made it back home.Time to hang your boots up! Well done.

    Just been walking around my home unplugging now people have gone out.I am always trying to cut down on the fuel bill.
    Just think! you will have saved on duel fuel and water, all being on meters at your home and not using them for a week.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Flippin' fantastic! You are blessed by good health, which you nurture by using it! Well done!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Congratulations Ilona. That's a blimmen good distance you achieved. Thanks for taking us along your journey and very much looking forward to the next one.

    ReplyDelete

Some comments will be accepted. I decide which are published.

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.