The Eagle Has Landed!

The Eagle Has Landed! Or, more accurately, crawled to a halt at Sedbury Cliffs. For once, words fail me...well almost. I'll come on to today's 19 mile walk in a moment, but crossing the finish line having walked the length of Wales from sea to sea, 177 official trail miles, although in excess of 180 is more accurate, was a very moving experience, enhanced not only by the welcoming sight of my partners in crime Simon and Richard (Simon waved a Mars bar at me as I made the final ascent to the cliff) but also by two others who jumped out of the hedge as I reached the finishing marker, my wife Dawn and my daughter Lauren!

Lol has been working just outside Paris for a few months now, and the sight of her in particular was more than the emotions could take - it was wonderful to see all four of them and it is a moment I will never forget. After giving my head a good shake and posing for the obligatory photographs, I went to the edge of the cliff and tossed in one of the shells I had collected from Prestatyn beach - there must be quite a pile of them down there, each representing a personal triumph.

Of course, as well as a time of celebration, it was also a moment for personal reflection and to remember why I had undertaken this journey in the first place. Once again I thought about my Dad and of course of the residents of Woodmarket House, who I sincerely hope will benefit from the money we've raised.

I gave my Mum a ring from the top of the cliff and she said my Dad would be up there bragging away right now, telling anyone who'd listen that I'd made it look easy! I'm not sure about that!

Anyway, today's walk to the finishing line was just lovely. I started at about 0700 and climbed up and out of the picturesque town of Monmouth to the top of the hill which overlooks the place and is home to a small white turret shaped building owned by the National Trust - can't remember it's name at the moment, and a Naval Temple topped with a bust of Brittania. The views of Monmouth were stunning.

The rest of the walk today was a mixture of stunning woodland, riverside walking along the bank of the Wye and even more woodland, which culminated in a breathtaking view of Tintern Abbey from above the town of Chepstow.

The five of us left Sedbury Cliffs and Dawn drove us (for me it was like getting into a space ship - it seems so long since I've experienced the luxury of mechanised travel) to the Chepstow Castle - a pub which sits beside it's namesake.

Two large cups of tea later and we're all in the car on the M4 now bound for home. Once I've had an opportunity to get things together, I'll write more about the walk in particular and I'll add lots of photos (I've taken about 400, possibly more, but we've been unable to post them on the blog as we walked) so please keep tuning in.

Another job for the next few weeks is to collect the money from those who have kindly pledged donations. That's all from me for now - I'll add more tomorrow.

Russ.

Location:Church Ln,,United Kingdom