I had a decent breakfast at the Ferryman and headed off onto the path. I’d planned a shorter day walking to Eynsham. Again, there was supposed to be rain around noon, so I had an alternative plan involving a bus. I walked down the road until I saw the sign for the Thames Path. At this point, the path veered away from the Thames. It looked like more walking in fields was in store.

There were sheep. Many sheep. Most looked freshly sheared. They didn’t much like me walking through their field and they baa-ed at me and sullenly let me pass. The “path” was basically a semi-mowed line in the field. The grass was wet and squishy. And there was plenty of sheep shit which I was not able to avoid completely.

When I wasn’t dodging sheep-shit, I admired the wild flowers and the river. The sun glinted on the water and it really was beautiful.

Finally the Thames appeared once again and the path became more of…well…a PATH. I was approaching Pinkham Lock. Like the other locks, it was beautifully kept. I sat on a bench and watched several boats go through, including a bunch of canoes! The sun was out and it felt good to put my feet up.

I continued on to the road crossing and, as predicted, the sky was darkening. Plus, I was tired of walking. I walked down the road to the bus stop and took the bus into Eynsham.

My inn, the White Hart, was just down the road. I love the little alleyways and lanes in England. Unlike what might be the case in the states, the lanes have character. And everyone’s backyard (or back garden) was full of flowers.

I found The White Hart, but it wasn’t open yet. The back gate was open and I met Tracey, the owner. She couldn’t have been nicer, despite my extreme early arrival. She brought me tea on a tray and said my room was almost ready. And when I asked her where I could find a laundry, she offered to wash my clothes for me! She even gave me a rack to dry them on!

I had a little rest and then took a walk around the village. Had a couple of pints at a local pub, sat outside and did a bit of knitting. Grabbed some excellent Indian food for dinner. Finished a pretty terrible romance novel. 🙄

Tomorrow I’ll take the bus to Oxford. I’m kinda done with walking for now.