Day 1: East Kennett to Ogbourne St George

Having planned this for so long, a sense of unreality hung over the first steps.  Tony and I posed for photos at the start point like self-conscious Polar explorers about to embark on the Endeavour:

 both looking slightly camp like two down-at-heel actors off to audition for roles in the Archers..

About the walk itself.....it should be stated that the bit i had done previously, from start point to Barbary  Castle, was the least interesting, and I was very pleasantly surprised by how scenic and varied the Ridgeway was from the Castle onwards.  I think we were too busy chatting  and generally managing ourselves to take much account of the scenery for the first two hours, (which is almost exactly how long it took to reach Barbary Castle) at which point we flopped onto the ramparts and ate lunch.  We seem to be quite in tune in terms of matching degrees of knackeredness (and footsoreness) and were glad to take a decent rest at this point.

The afternoon stretch started on very open land, the Ridgeway being often scarcely discernable across great tracts of land.  We undulated through some spectacular scenery, with some woodland intervals which gave welcome shade for some of the distance.

These rather miserable photos:

are all that future archeology documentary makers will find as evidence of the afternoon's progress.

Rather a dull slog down a straight, hot road into Ogbourne St George ended our exercise, a stretch that we must repeat tomorrow morning to regain the Ridgeway.

About our accommodation:  Gutted on arrival to find that the pub didn't open till 4 (we arrived at 3.35 gasping for cold refreshment and had to sit and wait outside, luckily in the shade on comfortable seats).  However, the waitress/barmaid arrived at 4 and from that point it's been great.  Pints of cider/beer, shower, siesta, (rooms excellent) pre-dinner pints, and a very good meal where Tony and I had three identical courses (shared antipasti, ribeye steak, spotted dick with custard, good bottle of Rioja), a couple of pints (for me, Tony is better than that) and an early night.

Hard to imagine a better start to the trip.  9 miles tomorrow, should be a stroll!