Day 2: Caldicot to Goldcliff

Miles: 9.5 (RT: 18.5)
Falafels: 5 (RT: 9)


My legs are a bit stiff and sore from yesterday. Particularly my left leg so I must be lopsided. I am here and ready to begin day two.

The sun is blazing and the sound of the M4 is blaring. She's a fickle mistress as I well know and I'm glad to be on my feet and not behind the wheel.

The first part of today's walk is all about hedgerows. Every now and then I hear a rustle and wonder what's stalking me in the shadows. It makes me think of both the twee but enchanting books about mice and voles and and all their secret goings on that I loved when I was little (Brambly Hedge) and also that opening scene from Dracula when he's driving through the trees on the coach and you know he's heading for something terrible.

And there she is, the Severn Estuary. The tide is out so all I can see is glorious mud. I feel a bit like the only person in the whole world for great stretches today but do meet a few interesting characters. There is a lady with four cute dogs and who had just had a row with the owners of a nearby shooting range who didn't want her crossing their land and a bloke with binoculars who is out to see what he can see. He advised me to do the WCP on a bike instead. I think I'd be even more lethal on a bike than on foot to be honest.

What is this? Is it for bird watching? Apparently no, it's a WW1 lookout to see if German ships were crossing the channel.

I am feeling really good as I reach this point. The aches and pains have subsided and things have loosened up. 
Early glimpses of my new point of reference, Flatholm Island. I say that with all the confidence of someone who was going on about the wrong bridge yesterday so will probably be editing this tomorrow.
Another building that makes my lil romantic heart think of fairytales and simpler times. I bet Hansel and Gretel would be a bit nippy in there in the winter when the wind from the sea whips up over the Sea Wall...
Today though, I'm grateful for the breeze that's coming up over the estuary because other wise I'd be melting like the Wicked Witch of the West.
Beautiful baby resting his heavy head on the grass. I am flagging a bit myselfat this point and I feel like something is biting on my left calf muscle. Second day dread!
Finally, I turn away from the Sea Wall and into some farmland where this lovely sheep took a bit of a fancy and followed me round the field. Can I have a pet sheep?
This friendly face is a sight for sore eyes in Goldcliff Wetlands. He's looking out for rare and beautiful birds and I'm eyeing up the vegan sausage roll he's brought me.

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