Day 26 - Dartmouth, Brixham, Goodrington, Paignton, Torquay, Babbacombe

Sunday 11th August
Total: 500+m  / Daily: 23m  / Blue Skies / Hot Concrete

I was dropped off in Dartmouth on the other side of the river at 7am, convenient as the ferry only runs from 9 on Sunday. It was a quiet start and I didn't see a single person for 3 hours. A welcome difference from the rest of the day looking retrospectively. I did meet Ken, who expressed his envy for my walk. Thank you for your donation.

Brixham was busy, it was lunchtime on Sunday so no surprise really. Lunch was a very large meat pasty and sausage roll which I ate on a harbourside bench watching the herring gulls' confidence increase. Later, I watched a man throwing chips to them whilst he and his family were eating and they ended up abandoning their table, the birds were dive bombing the chip container! Foolish man...

There were short countryside sections which did break up the busy concrete promenade which dominated the day. These stretches were also busy with lots of day walkers. I tried saying hello to a few, but got the 'why are you talking to me? Do I know you?' look in return. For a section with so many people, it was rather isolated walking, not including the man out for the day with his three boys with whom I shared a welcome conversation.

The day ended with a steep descent down to a beach and equally steep ascent (I didn't take the Victorian cliffside railway). On the plus side, I was met by a smiling Heather at the top, the rest of the collection party was traveling down and up the cliff on the railway. My cumulative ascent is now over 90,000 ft (23,000m), I have walked 500miles and I will walk 130.3 more (said to the tune of The Proclaimers).

Final time in the luxury of Hope Cove this evening then back to camping for the last week.