June 15th - Swaledale - and on across Yorkshire

Last night we arrived in Keld after an average 13 mile day (did I really say that?). We walked across the Yorkshire dales and it was the day of BOGS. The heather on the moorland turns into peat over the years and when the peat gets wet it turns into thick pools of black mud. Grass grows on top of this so you can't always see where the bog is until you step and the ground gives way and you sink down. We had our gaiters on and had to pay close attention with every step. Luckily it was not raining as well so we managed to negotiate the trail.
We stayed in a fabulous barn in Keld next to a waterfall in the Swaledale Valley. Its so pretty - hard to believe its real and not a Disney filmset. Here we stayed with a Dutch couple who walk very fast and they helped Vidya tend to her awful blister. They are pro walkers! We also met three delightful Welshman -Brian, Peter and Cyril (the PCB's) walking together and we spent a happy evening over dinner sharing stories and glasses of wine. We were sorry to say goodbye this morning as they set off back to Wales. See our photo!
Today dawned sunny and we happily set off to walk by the river down the Swaledale valley to Reeth. It's hard to describe how beautiful this valley is. The fields are all full of wild flowers and we have seen enough sheep to send us to sleep for a hundred years. We were dive bombed by lapwings and also saw curlews, stoats and a thousand rabbits. We ate our lunch in a field and then stopped again for tea in a village, arriving at The Buck Pub in Reeth for the night. Tired but happy and peaceful and Vidya was a trooper managing 11 miles with a big blister!