So we meet Marianne at her hotel and set off for the start of the walk. The first day we have found the start with no issues or so we thought!! So walking along all we can hear are gun shots and not just one or two but loads and loads. We seemed to be walking towards the gun shots for an hour so we thought that the walk was making us human targets. We decided as there was so many gun shots that it must be a military base. So in our minds we thought at least they would be good shots - anyway just checked 3 shooting grounds in Cheltenham - I never knew Cheltenham was a gun slinging town!
Anyway some fabulous scenery again on the tops of the hills. This was a long walking day today, we needed to cover 9.1/2 miles and that is if we never went wrong - not going to happen so looking at my fitbit we have done 21km (dont ask me to convert please). We get to one part of the walk in the middle of a forest and what do we see a bath - YES a bath -
We are so glad we have done these walks as we would never have seen so many beautiful villages or views. So the guide book says we need to look out for Devils Chimney and guess what we found it with no bother - think we are getting good at directions! So our next destination was Crickley Hill by this time Mike was bursting for a pee and he had spied in the walking guide there were WCs here so he was a happy chappy. Whilst waiting for Mike to use the WC Marianne and myself were looking at the view and resting our feet when Mike shouts over would you like a cup of tea - anyone yes anyone who knows me and my love of tea would know the answer to this question so we all take a break and have a brew. We decide that we should start to walk again and guess what we get lost. How can anyone get lost when they have just left the pass to get a brew - well these 3 amigos can.
So like a good citizen I ask this chap walking towards us how do we get back on the Cotswold Way - well he had no clue and looked at the markers and said well that is the pubic footpath - in my head I am thinking did I really hear this chappie right. So once we left him I turned around and said did he....... and before I could finish the sentence Mike said yes he did say pubic. All I can say is we are three stiff upper lip fellows as not one of us laughed when the chappie said it.
Anyway off we trot again once we found the path and through some forests we go until we see a den made of branches (I am thinking well if we get lost again at least we have somewhere we can stay, ha ha). So we finally get to Birdlip and find the pub/hotel where Marianne is staying and have a bite to eat before leaving her and getting back to our hotel. So we called a cab and after 20 minutes Mike notices he is taking us to Gloucester and not Cheltenham so he says you
do know we are going to Cheltenham? To which the cabbie says Oh No I thought it was London Road Gloucester. We ask do you have the postcode and he says yes and then realises that he should be taking us to Cheltenham - this getting lost malarkey is now rubbing off on cabbies.
We are back in our hotel now and just about to pack as we have the last leg of our walk to do tomorrow before trundling home.
