I woke slowly, a sudden urge to pack and leave almost too much to resist. All the tennis was over so why wait? Then I remembered just how crabby I'd been yesterday and lay back down. Relaxing into a hike is something I seem quite incapable of. When I get back I'm going to do some walks where I have no destination, or very very small ones to try to force myself into a slower more calm style of hiking. I think its partly fear or failure: when I'm walking I feel competent and in control, but when I rest I feel suddenly unfit and over weight.
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| Dornoch Seaside |
After eating the reduced sandwiches I'd bought yesterday I lay around trying to work out what to do. There is supposed to be rain and I wanted to hang out on the beach for a while. That said I decided to head into town first to buy postcards which I could write up on the beach. Dornoch is a strange town,
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| Dornoch Cathedral |
with signs at every corner which suggests a town considerably bigger in size. The 'Shops' and 'Tourist Attractions' is actually a small corner convenience store and a single historical museum with a large forsaken building site around it. 'Golf Course' might have deserved a sign, although I found the place horribly unfriendly when I popped my head in, 'Tennis Courts' were two run down council looking courts while 'Beaches' sign took you the long way round past council houses.
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| Dornoch Gold Course |
The church was lovely, as was the town itself, if small and limited in attractions. It was bustling with people. I wondering round the Dornoch Cathedral, smiling as I discovered a Tardis hidden behind the mass organ. The old prison turned market place was interesting but specialized with niche items which I could ill afford. Stopping in a cafe I bought myself an ice scream feeling parched by the unexpectedly warm day, dropping a few items into the post office on the way back which would no longer be needed. In the last few days I wanted to be as light as possible.
All jobs done I wondered back to camp, dumping my things headed over the sand dunes to the beach.
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| Dornoch Seaside |
The coast is soft sand, with the sea flat and crystal blue falling into the distance. Not crowded like tourist sites I found a solitary patch and lay down in an attempt to even out my weathered and tanned legs. Five minutes later I was bored. How do people do this for hours? The wind also blew strong enough to pick up the sand and slowly covered me on one side making it impossible to write. My
ipod was soon covered and by the ten minute mark I stood up relieved to be back on my feet. Instead I spent an hour up to my ankles paddling in the sea, the waves crashing up to my ankles and feeling marvelous. I could feel my body rimming with energy and all my stiffness drain out of me. I must have walked nearly three miles today and the exercise was a good amount to warm up my muscles but not enough to tire me.
In the afternoon I sat back and watched the women's tennis finals in the campsite's entertainment room while writing up several
pages of my blog. I was a long way behind now and struggled to motivate myself. Before retiring I completed some needed laundry and chatted on facebook with my brother in America before lying back to watch Buffy. Less than 80 miles left! I'm so excited for it to be over but, unlike yesterday, I am also excited about tomorrows walk. A lovely day off.
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