Day 26 Stratford to Coventry

Day 26

I woke up to a beautiful day and a cold room, just 15 C 😱 After breakfast I packed up and walked to the chiropractor. 

The most beautiful chiropractor's office I've ever been to, he was at the top floor of that tower!

After lunch I walked back to Shakespeare's birthplace, I had some time before the bus would leave.

I just had to have a look at the shop again, at the back of my head I knew what I was looking for!

Outside again a woman asked if I wanted a photo of me and Shakespeare, and why not?

See the man behind me? No, he's not checking out my bum, he just saw the PCT patch on my backpack 😂 We talked a little about the PCT, and it was just very funny that he got in the photo!

After a quick lunch I got on the bus to Coventry (no walking after a chiropractor's appointment), where I went to look at the cathedrals.

Over time there have been three cathedrals in Coventry: 

St Mary's Priory (12th–16th Century), the first cathedral, a monastic building, was destroyed in 1539 during Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries.

The Old Cathedral (St Michael's), a medieval church that became a cathedral in 1918. It was destroyed by a German air raid in 1940. The ruins remain a place of remembrance.

New Cathedral (St Michael's,  from 1962.

The Old Cathedral with the new one behind it.

   Bath to Coventry 

I just love a good Shakespeare quote!

Om du vill stötta min insamling utan att ange adress osv, så kan du swisha mig och skriva om du vill vara anonym eller inte, så betalar jag in motsvarande summa i pund.

My fundraiser, Rare Cancers research ❤️

https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/ullas-giving-page-9

Day 25 Willersey to Stratford

Day 25 Willersey to Stratford 

Todays weather:

Rain, cloudy, rain, cloudy, cloudy, cloudy, sun, sun, sun, rain, hail, sleet, snow, sun, rain, hail, sun, cloudy, starlight. Oh, and the wind 😱 and the rainbow!

And that's just what I remember.

Last night wasn't great. I have managed to get an appointment for a chiropractor in Stratford tomorrow morning, so I'm taking the bus again today. What can I say, I'm doing it my way! Fortunately, this gives me more time in Stratford 😀

   Birthplace of William Shakespeare 

   Stratford squirrels

Holy Trinity Church, with records of Shakespeare's birth, children, burial etc.

   He paid for himself and his family to be buried right in front of the altar.

The King James Bible, over 400 years old. It had great influence on the English language, literature, and culture.

The cottage of Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare's wife.

   The rainbow!

Should I have searched the bin for the pot of gold?

In the evening I got tickets for Henry V by the Royal Shakespeare Company. What I managed to see was very good and also quite witty, which was unexpected. Unfortunately I was so tired I had problems staying awake 😴

(No photos were allowed of the actual play).

Day 24 Cheltenham to Willersey

Day 24 Cheltenham to Willersey 

The back has been bothering me tonight, do I decided to take a bus part of the way again. I found a perfect bus route that would pass almost right outside of the hotel at 10 am, so I had an easy morning. My room last night was very nice, but breakfast (not included) wasn't, but I have to eat, so I just payed and decided to be happy about it.

I got to the bus stop at about 9.30. Just before 10 a lady came up to me and told me that the 801 route was temporarily changed because of road construction. There was no way for me to make it to the temporary bus stop before 10, and with the next bus I wouldn't get there until 6.30 pm. What to do? While I was thinking about it I decided to take a bus into Cheltenham. I found another bus route that I could take part of the way, leaving at 13.55. While I was waiting I had a light lunch. On the bus I decided to take it all the way to Willersey, my back really hurts today, so this will be another rest day. 

Once in Willersey I walked to my accomodation, a flat at the back of a private home. Very nice!

Willersey is a small, very pretty village, with lots of old houses built with yellow Cotdwold stone. There are two pubs, one was closed today and one didn't serve food today. So I had two (small) bags of crisps and a pint of Coca-Cola. I'd brought some sandwiches for breakfast and had one of them for dinner. I now know that I can't eat mustard, along with all the other things. The sandwich I saved for breakfast I won't be able to eat 😟 Fortunately there were some milk and cold cereal, do I was ok for breakfast!

Om du vill stötta min insamling utan att ange adress osv, så kan du swisha mig och skriva om du vill vara anonym eller inte, så betalar jag in motsvarande summa i pund.

My fundraiser, Rare Cancers research ❤️

https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/ullas-giving-page-9

Day 23 Ross-on-Wye to Cheltenham

Day 23 Ross-on-Wye to Cheltenham 

Kilometers: 15

   Leavimg Glyn and Sheila's house

Glyn took me to a place where I could access the Cotswold Way. The morning was quite hazy which was just as well, with full sun it would probably have been too warm.

Spring is in the air, the trees are starting to turn green.

The Cotdwolds are so beautiful and the trail was very diverse today.

Never pass by a cafe or a place to sit is my mantra while walking!

   Follow the Yellow Brick Road! Cotswold stone is very yellow and for a while the path was crushed Cotswold stone instead of dirt.

   Almost there!

The back has been difficult today, I think I need to see a chiropractor again. I'll see if I can get an appointment in Coventry. I need to sort this out before I start the Pennine Way!

I think I may come back and do all of the Cotswold Way some time. I've had to leave the trail to find accommodations and have walked the shortest route, to get there, so I have missed a lot of it. It is so very beautiful here and I would like to do it a little later in the year, maybe late April or May. But that's for another time!

Till mina svenska vänner:

Om du vill stötta min insamling utan att ange adress osv, så kan du swisha mig och skriva om du vill vara anonym eller inte, så betalar jag in motsvarande summa i pund.

My fundraiser, Rare Cancers research ❤️

https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/ullas-giving-page-9

Day 22 Dursley to Ross-on-Wye

Day 22 Dursley to Ross-on-Wye

Kilometers: 0, rest day

In 1981 I was participating in a youth exchange program, visiting the Cotdwolds. Ronnie, whom I stayed with last night, had contacted Glyn and Sheila, who organized the youth exchange, and today they came to Dursley. I was absolutely thrilled to meet them again after all these years! The four of us went to the service at the Tabernacle and then had lunch together. 

   Looking at old photos 

   Way back when. Sorry for the bad quality, I took a picture of a photo in an album. Can you spot me?

My back was pretty bad last night, in spite of a very nice bed, and I asked if Glyn and Sheila could take me to where I wanted to stay tonight, it was (almost) on their way. Instead they offered to take me home to their house. I could stay the night with them and Glyn would take me back to the Cotswold Way in the morning. I accepted gladly! We had a very nice afternoon and evening, talking about most everything.

Till mina svenska vänner:

Om du vill stötta min insamling utan att ange adress osv, så kan du swisha mig och skriva om du vill vara anonym eller inte, så betalar jag in motsvarande summa i pund.

My fundraiser, Rare Cancers research ❤️

https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/ullas-giving-page-9

Day 21 Bath to Dursley

Day 21 Old Sodbury to Dursley 

Kilometers: 7 (planned 25)

Today was absolutely amazing! The Cotswold Way runs along an escarpment and the views were wonderful. The weather was perfect for walking, not too warm or to cold, just "lagom" 😁

The Cotswold Way was wide and easy to walk, the path was nice and flat. I also met a lot of people walking their dogs or just out for a walk.

The Tyndale monument. Tyndale was one of the first to translate the New Testament to English, he thought that everyone should be able to tead it in their own language. For this he was persecuted and fled to Germany, where he was put in prison for heresy and eventually chained to a stake and burnt  in 1536.

Return to civilization. My back has been fine all day, for which I am very happy!

Tonight I'm staying with the lovely Ronnie in Dursley, a place I first visited on a youth exchange program in 1981.

Till mina svenska vänner:

Om du vill stötta min insamling utan att ange adress osv, så kan du swisha mig och skriva om du vill vara anonym eller inte, så betalar jag in motsvarande summa i pund.

My fundraiser, Rare Cancers research ❤️

https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/ullas-giving-page-9

Day 20 Bath to Old Sodbury

Day 20 Bath to Old Sodbury 

Kilometers: 15 (planned 27)

I let all my clothes air last night and this morning they smelled fine again. As fine as they can smell after three weeks in a backpack!

The day started out sunny, but a bit chilly and windy, and it was almost difficult to stay warm. Fairly soon I started thinking there was something wrong. I'm not sure what, but walking was difficult today, strenous and tiring. I think I don't have a full range of motion in my lower back, and it affects my walking.

Today I started walking the Cotswold Way. Today's segment was lovely, blue skies and beautiful green fields. I'll be following the CW more or less for a couple of days but instead of going to 

Chipping Campdenon the final day I'll go towards Stratford.

   Getting a little cloudy 

I must admit that I was wondering what "persistent and indecent antisocial behavior" means? It must be fairly bad as walking alone or walking with children is discouraged, and for the path to be re-routed?

   Beautiful stone wall

   Crossing the M4

   Sheep!

   Lovely Primulas

I'm not sure why, but I don't have a photo of where I stayed last night. It was quite inexpensive, the room was a little dated but the bathroom very modern. And despite the location at a crossroads with lots of cars outside my room was very quiet at the back of the inn.

Till mina svenska vänner:

Om du vill stötta min insamling utan att ange adress osv, så kan du swisha mig och skriva om du vill vara anonym eller inte, så betalar jag in motsvarande summa i pund.

My fundraiser, Rare Cancers research ❤️

https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/ullas-giving-page-9