Five full english breakfasts! This must be some sort of record. My blisters are getting bad now. I bought some new boots after the Camino, and despite wearing them quite a bit, I had a big blister on the heel of my right foot. I’ve plastered it up as well as I could but it was still painful to walk on. I do have photos of the horror, but I won’t post them and spoil your breakfast.

It was much busier today, which is probably because it was a Sunday and the Ridgeway passes through some beautiful walking areas. The first main sight (or site!) was crossing under the M40 motorway, and no sooner as we had done that we were treated to a Red Kite air display. They are so prevalent in this area, apparently this is due to first being re-introduced from continental birds and are absolutely thriving. It seems Junction 5 of the M40 is their favourite hang-out and we were crossing just before Junction 6, which explains everything.

We walked the first 15km gradually climbing to a hill with a good view point for lunch. The afternoon was spent with a series of punishing hills which were really killing my feet.

I noticed on the map that we passed close to Princes Risborough which had a railway station. I was seriously considering abandoning the walk, but fate intervened and I found out it is a Historic Steam Railway and wouldn’t take me to Wendover where we were staying. I gritted my teeth and pushed on. Another savior was finding a pub at the bottom of a long descent, a pint gave me the strength to keep going ;). We met some walkers coming up the hill and asked how far was the pub, not far was the reply, and they warned us that there was too much roast beef on the Sunday Lunch!! Sounds like a terrible pub.

We also walked through the grounds of Chequers, the Prime Ministers country residence. We were first alerted by the very robust fencing, made up of upended buried railway tracks and then the mansion came into view. Writing this eight months later, it could have been anyone of three Prime Ministers, which is a real sign of the times, but I think it was Rishi Sunak.

Just as we reached the outskirts of Wendover our way was blocked. The 5,000 year old Ridgeway has been diverted by HS2 (High Speed 2 Railway being built between London and Birmingham). We had to re-trace our steps and follow the road into Wendover. We stayed at the Red Lion a nice looking pub. I got my first single room of the trip (I think the grumpiest person got the room when there was a choice), named Chequers for easy memory after a few beers, and then nursed my blister. I really shouldn’t have walked on it and its pretty nasty now. How to carry on tomorrow?