Miles walked: 6.75

Elevation gain: 1,021 ft.

Accomodations: South Downs Way B&B

What a difference one day can make. It was a beautiful day again today, but no wind! While our itinerary said seven miles to Poynings, it was even less. (That’s a first!) And best of all, David managed it so very much better than yesterday. He still took it easy and carefully watched where he placed his feet, but the shorter day was just what he needed. As well as the rest of us! We arrived at our B&B at 2:25 and our host kindly checked us in instead of making us wait until 4 PM.

We started our day together at breakfast where Nancy had us do a “body check-in,” and we each reported how we were feeling. For a group of 75-ish olds, we didn’t have too many complaints other than tiredness! (Good thing she didn’t ask us that yesterday evening!) When we headed out, we first had to stop and get our lunches. The paths to the neighborhood store led us by a park, a school, and a community garden. Then it was a steep climb up to Beeding Hill and the South Downs Way. It was a beautiful morning with no wind like yesterday!

The path today was better, too, and some parts where it was rocky had grass we could walk on. Of course, it was still up and down, up and down. We stopped at Truleigh Hill Youth Hostel for a break and again at Devil’s Dyke for lunch. There is a car park, a pub, an ice cream truck, and a bus stop up at Devil’s Dyke, so the place was very busy. We sat at the tables outside the pub and took a nice long lunch break. Nancy and John took time to consult maps to find a less steep route down than what Mickledore suggested so that it wouldn’t be so hard on David. They finally settled on one that was longer but a gentler descent. John found it and led us down. (There are a multitude of paths up there going every which way. Some of them are extremely steep.) We came into Poynings on the path and our B&B was right there.

It was so nice to have a quiet afternoon and dinner at the Royal Oak Pub next door. It is hard to believe, but we have only three days left on this trip. The last three days are listed as 11 miles each, but of course, we will still have the undulations. Rain is also predicted for the next three days. Fingers-crossed that it gets pushed back each day as it has been so far. Well, we did have rain for a little while on our rest day, but other than that the weather has been great. But, if it does rain, we have our rain gear!

The Downs…too much for one pair of eyes, enough to float a whole population in happiness, if only they would look. — Virginia Woolf

• To Moreton-in-Marsh, April 29
• To Chipping Camden, April 28
• To Stanton, April 27
• To Winchcombe, April 26
• To Guiting Power, April 25
• To Bourton-on-the-Water, April 24
• To Stow-on-the-Wold, April 23
• A Rest Day and a Train Trip to Remember, April 21-22
• To Eastbourne, April 20
• To Alfriston, April 19
• To Kingston/Lewes, April 18
• To Poynings, April 17
• To Bramber/Upper Beeding, April 16
• Rest Day in Amberley
• To Amberley, April 14
• To Cocking, April 13
• To Buriton, April 12
• To Meonstoke, April 11
• Winchester, April 10
• Winchester, April 9
• To Winchester, April 7-8