With 6 days of walking complete and 2 remaining, leaving The Bell Inn this morning was met with ease as we’ve become accustomed to this daily routine. The chance of rain was\u00a0barely even enough to make us hesitate our 9:30 departure and start of the 8 +1 mile trek to Cold Ashton. The aforementioned “+1 mile” comes from the fact that The Bell Inn is deceivingly not on the Cotswold Way, but actually a mile to the west, nearer the town of Chipping Sodbury than Old Sodbury. Nevertheless, we set off!<\/p>\n
After\u00a0a quick stop at Texaco for essentials, the path quickly turned into a soggy muck; much to be expected after the rain the Cotswold\u00a0region received overnight. Very much to my surprise, however, was that the area we passed through shortly after Old Sodbury happens to be\u00a0the estate of James Dyson, founder of the Dyson company. I do love me a Dyson bladeless\u00a0fan, though I am yet to be the proud owner of one. \ud83d\ude1b Not sure if after seeing where he lives I feel more inclined to purchase his products, or less… Stay tuned!<\/p>\n
Also along the trail today we came across a message box that held a notebook full of messages and well-wishes from other walkers of the Way. Of course we didn’t pass up the opportunity to leave our mark on the Cotswold Way, and we penned a nice message to anyone who would come behind us that included a reminder to Keep Calm and Carry On\u00a0\u2655<\/span><\/p>\n We took our time making our way towards Cold Ashton. Knowing that dinner was up in the air with regard to dining options, we decided that we would wait until Pennsylvania and grab some snacks from the filling station there to carry the last half mile to our B&B. A good plan in theory, and once all said and done a good plan over all, but that last half-mile, trudging through a muddy field and carrying a bag full of snacks ranging from Oreos and sandwiches to a 1.75 Liter bottle of Diet Coke, was brutal. Once at the B&B, however, it was all worth it. The family we are staying with has the nicest backyard where we found a quiet place to sit and eat our dinner\/snacks.<\/p>\n