Did you know?

A long walk on the rainy moor is actually NOT all that great for banishing a head cold- who knew? Still the views were pretty extraordinary. Got some great photos- which I will post soon, I promise- and a heck of a workout.

The day started out gorgeous- absolutely gorgeous- with bright sun, no clouds, and... Persistent light rain. Where the rain was coming from I've no idea. We loaded into some major coaches (read buses, Yanks...) and drove off to Hounds Tor which is a dramatic and weathered granite outcrop which you can see and reach fairly easily from the road. Great views of the surrounding coombes (sheltered valleys). After a brief visit we loaded back into the coaches for Widdecombe-in-the-Moor which is a very nice little village with all the earmarks of a steady tourist population and a lovely 14th century granite cathedral called, appropriately enough, The Cathedral of the Moors. From here we set off for Postbridge where we parked and unloaded for the bulk of our trip.

The moor is- above all else- squishy. That's the best way to describe it. The ground is squishy, the sand is squishy, the cow pies that look decievingly like the rocks that will assure good footing are squishy. I got very muddy even before the rain started coming down hard. Everywhere are big brackets of fern and heather- still blooming in early October, which suprised me. Attempting to avoid a particularly squichy bit of pathway I swung out along a little ledge, grabbed the stone gatepost, twisted past it, and promptly smacked myself in the forehead with one of those turnstile signs that point out the pathways. I don't think anyone saw me do this, which I find comforting, but then I did just publish my account on the internet didn't I. I pictured the moor a great deal flatter than it truly is, but all the moody dark beauty was there.

I don't have a raincoat- never need them in Montana do you- and so I did get a bit wet. The rain would come down hard for about five minutes, let up for ten, the sun would shine really warm for a minute or two, then it would cloud up and start the cycle again. All the congestion in my head and lungs made the hiking a bit more difficult and the blood blisters I had developed on the long pub crawl they day before did little to help and I started getting very uncomfortable. Just when I was about to lose it, we came over a ridge and saw the Warren House Inn, our final destination! Unfortunately, the hike had taken longer than anticipated and we didn't have time to go in. Instinct, however, tells me that they had a pentagram sketched on the wall in sheep's blood for, you know... Safety's sake. (Anyone creeped out by what I just said really needs to see the movie An American Werewolf in London).

I was really tired and really cold, so when I got home I had a hot bath and a cup of cocoa which was bliss. I'm glad I've done it if only because it was beautiful, and English, and now I don't have to do it again...