Winter has arrived!

I have spent the last couple of days on, or near, the wall.  There is not a lot to tell - there have been spectacular views, very heavy frosts, and of course, bits of the wall to see.

The Twice Brewed Inn, my stop for the night, cars covered in frost.

Sycamore Gap.  The 250 year old Sycamore tree was cut down just over a year ago by 2 people who will face court in Dec this year.

At the top of Sewing Shields

A common fungi in the Sewing Shields area

Stiff ascents (and descents)

Observers, while I chatted to a passerby

After a strenuous day negotiating the path and being very careful walking on the frosty grass I left the path for what I thought was the last time, heading to Haydon Bridge for the night.  A hard slog along the road eventually found me reaching the Anchor Hotel, my destination. 

The Anchor Hotel 

Looking back at Haydon Bridge 

The next day I headed along the road to the delightful market town of Hexham.  It was a short day, and I reached it in time to sit and have a coffee and cake before heading to the hotel.

Poppies at Hexham 

The Hexham Abbey 

One panel, of an extraordinary display of 12 at the abbey, depicting the creation.  It took the artist 3 years to make.  As it says on one of the boards "millions of stitches and miles of thread"

I am struck by how kind people are.  The last two days have seen two drivers stop and ask if I was OK, or did I need help?  They were headed the other way, so they would have had to go out of their way had I said yes.  Instead I thanked them and continued on.  But that wasn't all!  I had not washed my clothes for 2 1/2 weeks as I have been unable to find a laundromat,  and I knew there was done in Hexham.   I asked at the hotel if they had a washing machine but no luck - but one of the staff offered to take my washing home, do it and bring it back at 8am when she came back to work.

I thought I had finished on the Wall, but not so.  More next time.