Day 1. Winchester to Bishops Waltham. March 25, 2025. 19 kms

 

A host of goldens

I ate a very English breakfast this morning at the Wykeham Arms: sausage (probably one of those that the Europeans wanted to meddle with, that, among other things, led to Brexit), bacon, fried eggs, baked beans, toast and marmalade, along with an apology for the absence of the black pud. that was promised on the menu.

The day began promisingly enough, along the Camino Ingles beside a gentle brook. But, alas, this ended in a B road and then another, which eventually led me into Bishops Waltham. It was not the stroll through the English countryside I was hoping for. But there were lots of daffodils, and I could hear the birds singing between the whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh of passing vehicles.

I walked through the village of Lower Upham, and wondered if there was an Upper Upham. I knew a few people who belonged there.

Tramp, tramp, tramp along the highway, probably more road walking than I’ve ever done before. Finally, I arrived at the Crown Hotel in Bishops Waltham

I was curious about the Camino Ingles which I followed for a while. This one led to Southampton, whence the English pilgrims would have sailed to A Coruña to follow the Camino Ingles in Spain. But they would have sailed from other English ports as well: Plymouth, Falmouth, and others. I, however, am heading for Portsmouth, whence pilgrims would have sailed to the medieval port of Barfleur, and then on to le-Mont-Saint-Michel, and perhaps on to Santiago. Like them, I am un miquelot, but I am taking the ferry to Ouistreham, the port of Caen in Normandy.