Day 8 - Luton to Flitwick

After the 19 miles yesterday, 13 miles seemed like a short day! I think previously doing a trail marathon and ultra marathon have helped me approach long distances, believing it's possible by putting one foot in front of the other, and then you arrive!

I treated myself to a lie-in and after breakfast at 9am put on my boots ready to start walking. However I couldn't leave Luton before visiting the Portuguese cafe that Lyn had spoken about a lot. It was almost on my route and Lyn joined me for a coffee and then we walked together for the first one and a half miles to the edge of a field, said goodbye and I continued towards Flitwick (pronounced Flitick!)

Today was the first day I hadn't felt the need to listen to anything as I walked, I was present with my thoughts, enjoying the sound of the leaves crunching under my feet and feeling the cool air in my face. A lot of the route was very expansive and open and I felt I could breathe easily and well. 

I really wanted a salad for lunch but I stopped in a small place, Barton le Clay, where the Morrisons only had meat sandwiches and the pub only had side salad, so I ordered 2 side salads! 

Towards the end of my walk I had a run-in with a muddy ditch! As I was approaching the end of a field where I needed to get on to the road beyond, I passed a gap in the hedge to my right which lead to a track - I SHOULD HAVE GONE THROUGH IT! But I decided to follow the route and carried on for about 20 metres until I got to the ditch, the long grass and slope meant it was hard to see how wide it was. If I hadn't been carrying a large heavy bag on my back and a small heavy bag on my front I would have probably been able to jump it, however I knew this would be stupid if not impossible with my bags. I briefly considered going back to the gap in the hedge but at this point on my journey, so close to the end, I was tired and didn't want to backtrack as it felt like I'd be doing extra. I decided to take off my small bag and throw it over the ditch and I would then follow. As soon as I threw it I knew what would happen next, it landed and rolled straight down into the mud! I had to climb into the ditch to retrieve it and then pull myself up out the other side and as I did so put my hand on a clump of nettles! I finally made it to the road and learned the lesson that sometimes on these walks going back can be the way forward. I was definitely tired by this point and it can be hard to make the best decisions.

After this I needed to listen to some music to give me that boost to reach Hilary and Martin's house, my overnight stay. I had the line 'another lesson learned' from the song No More Drama by Mary J Blige in my head, so I listened to that followed by some of her other tunes. MJB was one of Ro's favourite artists, particularly her earlier music, I remembered times we'd listened to these songs together. 

Hilary and Martin are friends of my parents and I really enjoyed talking with them, especially hearing about their time walking on the Camino de Santiago. Lavinia and Wren, 2 good friends of mine from Bradford had driven down to walk with me the next day and had kindly offered to collect my big bag so I wouldn't have to walk with it. Hilary and Martin extended their warm hospitality and invited my friends to stay for dinner. We all enjoyed a delicious meal watched over by George the parrot. He was too shy to talk while we were there but I heard him chatting later! 

Parrots remind me of Ro. I was on a train and bored once and messaged Ro to ask for any funny YouTube recommendations, he told me to look up parrots! On the day he died he sent me and some other friends a video of people dancing like parrots to a Backstreet Boys song. I was in my kitchen when I watched it and messaged him straight back to say it made me laugh out loud. He replied with a smiley face emoji. Around 7 hours later he had died from cardiomyopathy. I'm so glad he knew he made me laugh that day, as he had made me laugh on so many days. He had a wonderful sense of humour and enjoyed sharing the funny side of life 😄

Day 7 - Radlett to Luton

Today was a 19 miler in 3 parts! I set off from Anne and Jeremy's just after 8am, it was grey, cold and overcast but I was very grateful to have a 7th day with no rain. The route was well sign posted and I was walking at a good pace until I got to a very boggy field that I had to cross. I decided it was time to put on the waterproof socks that my friend Lorna had given me and embrace the mud! As I was making my way through the mud, the sun started to come out and it became another coat-off walk. 

My plan for the day was coffee in St Albans, lunch in Harpenden and arrive in Luton by 4pm, and everything went to plan! There was no more mud after that early field, and the final stretch to Luton was along an old railway line cycle/walking greenway so I didn't need to look at my phone for navigation which helps me get in a flow which was useful for the last few miles on such a long day.

On the outskirts of St Albans I said hello to a woman walking a couple of dogs and she replied 'hello, you look well' It was a surprising response but nice to hear. I told her what I was doing and I think that surprised her!

The route between St Albans and Harpenden passed through a lovely forest, I felt slightly annoyed that I had to do a little bit extra walking, because at a point where I was working out which was the most direct path to take, a dog ran up to me and I just started moving quickly down a path. The owner saw my face and said 'don't worry he's friendly.' I get this quite a lot and I really don't mind dogs, I like them, it's just when one runs up to me barking, I don't know it's friendly and the owner doesn't know I've been bitten and it can trigger some fear. Sometimes I tell them and sometimes I just move on.

After the forest I was walking on the edge of a field right next to the railway line. I thought about Ro being dead and experienced pain that felt like it was in my soul. I let out a couple of silent screams, let the tears flow and then stopped walking and watched a bird of prey gracefully catching air currents over the field. Then a train passed at high speed and I was aware of the stark contrast either side of me - loud, fast and peaceful, calm. I was thinking about how to reach a place of peace and calm in the noise and chaos. Being outside in nature definitely helps me.

I arrived at a coffee shop in Luton just after 4pm with very solid calves and a sense of achievement. Lyn who I was staying with was there already and jumped up, gave me a hug and bought me a drink. It was after my 3pm coffee cut off so I had a fruit tea! I know Lyn through peace activism, particularly protesting at DSEI the London arms fair. At Lyn and Peter's home I dried my boots, carb loaded with spinach, mushroom and tofu pasta and talked about activism and the peace movement.

I was thinking about the protests and actions I've been involved in and how even though Ro and I shared the same hope for a world of peace, equality and freedom from capitalism, it was a lot easier and safer for me as a white person to act on these hopes in a direct way. Ro's courage and determination as a black man to participate in peace activism through supporting direct action where there was heavy police presence, must be recognised.

This post was delayed as I fell asleep while writing last night!