TraceysTrek

Best bits: RNLI visit, lovely spacious lodge and hot shower

Worst bits: feeling depleted

Distance: 21.1 miles

Heather and Janette dropped me off at North Berwick close to the RNLI lifeboat station. The doors were open and Sonja and Becca were there and gave me a cheery greeting. We had a great chat, shared hearts and stories, had hugs and took photographs. The RNLI do an amazing job.

The tide was with me today and I was able to walk straight onto the beach at North Berwick. The last time I was here was with Angela and so today was quite poignant.

We were here one November and stayed in this spa hotel for the weekend. Angela had booked it as a surprise for my birthday.

We spent one afternoon hand-in-hand walking along this beach, but today I was here on my own with just my memories and a little tear in my eye.

The beach is long and flat and great for walking on and I made good progress. A couple were just taking a break and we chatted about things in common as they were from Halifax and formerly Bradford.

As I came round the headland, I got my first proper view of the Firth of Forth as it all opened up in front of me. I could see Arthur’s seat and the three bridges across the river.

I passed through the popular beach at Gullane which was full of families enjoying the water. I took a short break in the shade as it was very hot again today. Apparently Gullane was very busy as the Scottish Open Golf event was taking place here this week.

Aberlady was my next destination for lunch. On the beach I met two ladies who were also heading in that direction.

I continued along the lovely sandy beach with amazing vistas and I could see the heat rising from the sand. Then there was a sign that said beware sinking sands. A roped path lead me around the dunes at the side of the bay. I had clearly overshot the main path and when I got there I was only slightly ahead of the two ladies I left behind much earlier.

I was getting rather peckish and should have been at our lunch rendezvous much earlier. Unfortunately the route makers had other ideas as the path twisted and turned in all directions! Finally there was a fantastic wooden bridge to cross the Peffer Burn.

Heather and Janette were waiting for me in the beer garden of the Aberlady Inn. The bar staff were expecting me and brought me over a lager shandy. We had a delicious and beautifully presented lunch of goats cheese and beetroot salad. I was so ready for it I didn’t get a photograph!!

Most of the day I have been passing these massive concrete blocks. They seem to be everywhere and are anti tank defences from WWII.

My next stop was at Port Seton harbour where Heather and Janette met me for a tea break. All the cafes were closed and the pub couldn’t offer us a cuppa for 20 minutes. Fortunately they had brought a flask and we sat on a bench by the harbour. I was really feeling very depleted due to the heat and long distances over the last few days and yet the sign said 5 miles to Musselburgh. My mind was saying just stop for the day but my heart said I needed to carry on. So I jettisoned all my gear and set off again.

It’s interesting how the architecture changes and here are some very familiar Scottish styles at Port Seton.

This little harbour at Cockenzie was the last one I walked around today.

The landscape became more industrial, both new and old. The new was a series of huge buildings with more development on the way. The old was the coal mines and once this was a centre for salt panning whereby salt is extracted from the seawater in metal pans heated over coal fires.

As I limped my way along the road feeling sorry for myself I occasionally got the feeling of my legs giving way. I made a note to self to be alert to this. I was now limping on both legs, if that is possible! Left foot with usual heel pain and right foot with a painful blister. What a state! I think limping on both legs should cancel each other out and my walking looks normal!

I always really miss Angela when I am tired and have a few tears, today was no exception. I called on Angela to give me some strength to get me to the end.

My end point was supposed to be the racecourse at Musselburgh, which incidentally looked in fabulous condition, but miraculously I arrived much earlier than expected. Heather and Janette were at Tescos so I carried on to meet them there. So all this tiredness is in my head, I can always walk an extra mile! And sometimes I arrive with a smile.

Back at our spacious lodge and after a hot shower and food I stretched out on the sofa, giving my feet a rest and an airing.

It’s strange how sometimes you get flash backs of memories. This morning I was telling Heather and Janette that I was wrestling with my pillow in the night and knocked my water over! As I was saying this I had a flashback to the last time Angela and I went away. She was quite poorly then and I stopped enroute to buy some more soft pillows for her so that she could be more comfortable in the car.