COCKING TO QUEEN ELIZABETH COUNTRY PARK

The start of today, near Cocking

Jane admiring the cows

We're assured it isn't far to Harting

Still seems a long way up steep hills - Jane waiting for me.    

Our friends Elaine and Rod, me and Mick at lunchtime break

Resting half way up yet another steep one - bench provided!

This view was worth that tedious walk

The end of today at QECP - worn out!

6th May 2011:  Jane, my husband and myself were doing the long walk today. Logistically it worked well. Mick was driving down to Queen Elizabeth Country Park, off the A3, leaving his car there and doing the walk backwards to meet us half way. Jane and I drove to Cocking, and left my car there, and started the walk, up a very steep hill, which I saw yesterday and knew it would be difficult! Not only the steepness, but the length of the upward trend was quite hard to do. Once up that part, we reached a lovely open area, still going up hill, but with beautiful views, which certainly helped.

I had to stop quite a few times going up the steep hills, because the blisters I got yesterday were painful again, and I also had to keep stretching the backs of my legs (mainly the hamstrings) in order to continue, but with Jane's support, we made it. On the way up another steep bit, we stopped for water and a fudge and chocolate snack to keep us going! We saw some cyclists flying down the bit we had spent half an hour climbing, and wished we had bicycles!

Everyone we passed said hello, or goodmorning, where are you going? Quite a community the South Downs walking and cycling traffic.

I had a 'phone call whilst climbing another hill, my friend Elaine, who had been with Rod on a freight cruise, which went on for 5 weeks! (That is what happens on freight cruises - you have to sign up to go where they go, even if it goes beyond your original dates (but the overlap is free). They were supposed to be joining me on the walk, but because Elaine badly gashed her heel on the ship, she could not walk, so it was great that they could meet us today for lunch half way, and we found them waiting in the Harting Down Car Park, along with Mick, who had just turned up as well, having got lost at the start, by following a circular trail! (There are a lot of trails in this QEC park and sometimes not clearly signposted).

We all enjoyed lunch and a nice cool lager in a pub in South Harting, before Jane and I said we must get going, as it was 2 pm, and we still had 6 miles to do. Mick chose to come with us to finish the walk as well. After that stop though, the rest of the walk was more difficult, as we have found any time we have had a pub lunch break - we just stopped too long and became stiff and sore. It took a lot of stretching and walking to get everything moving properly again.

We did not reach the end of the walk until about 5.30 pm, the last bit seemed to go on  forever!  Mick had parked in the very bottom car park nearest the A3, and the hill that we went down to reach the bottom seemed at least two miles long. I wonder where they take the measurement, to and from, this place. It seemed more than 13 miles today anyway.

It was certainly a relief to get into the car, then we had to go to Cocking for my car, and I had to drive to Liss, near Petersfield, where I had a room booked in the Jolly Drovers Inn. A very nice room and I had a nice glass of wine and a meal in the pub, before retiring to look at tomorrow's walk and do my blog. The wireless signal is strong and freely available, but I cannot raise it on my laptop for some reason. I am too tired to bother the landlord again, so will keep this as a draft for now.

Tomorrow, Martin, Liz, Philip and me will walk from QECP to Exton - about 11 miles. I am picking Philip up at Petersfield station at 8.30 am.