Offas Dyke Day 10 Buttington to Llanymynech

Day 10 pictures
The poms certainly know how to heat houses for winter, double glazing and all that, but they simply can't get the idea of cooling.
I slept badly with the window open as far as it would go and no covers.
The bed has a doona thicker than R3.0 insulation and no sheet.
Sleep was not constant even though otherwise the bed was quite comfortable.
The blog for yesterday hadn't been uploaded so that was job #1 of the day.

River Severn in the early morning

There was a heavy mist in the valley and it was very still.
Breakfast was broken by the arrival of a cake with a single candle and suitable songs for Eve's birthday.
Her card was to be unveiled later.
We had a simple day of only about 14 kilometres all flat so we should be in just after lunch.
The start of the walk was along the river flats of the River Severn, flowing north.
You may recall we had started at Severn Estuary in Chepstow. Same beast, that does a huge loop through mid Wales than back.

Port Quay locks

We then joined the Montgomery Canal and had a very pleasant stroll along the canal path, past an interesting drawbridge for farmers to access fields across the canal, and then to Pool Quay, the first of the locks we would pass that day,
Of course river flats means grazing country and grazing country means bovines, ruminants of the four footed variety and it was after leaving the canal and rejoining the river we came unstuck.
There at the stile was a ruminant of the bull variety and it wasn't moving for love or money. Further on was a large herd of cows, but the bull wouldn't budge, and we weren't brave enough to challenge his authority.
This mean a back track, and a very long detour to avoid said beast.
Just as we rejoined the path, a couple of German walkers approached. They had just simply walked past, and the bull ignored them, as it did another couple as we watched. Indifferent.
This failed to lower the apprehension levels.
Another couple of herds overcome, whilst in the company of the Germans, we stopped for morning tea, they walked on.
Not long after yet another congregation of cows at our exit gate, so a tentative walk around, resulting in us finding yet another huge bull lying amongst the herd.

A load of bull!

Our bravery did not get much higher, though some other herds we managed to entice to give ground, to let us by.
Eve still needs lost of coaxing.
We arrived at Four Crosses, small village, in need of a strong coffee which we bought from the local pub and were rejoined by the German couple, whom we had passed, and two blokes I had talked to yesterday on Beacon Ring.
It was soon after this that we became geographically embarrassed. They had created a highway bypass and changed the geography, causing me some confusion, as they hadn't updated the maps, or more importantly the signage.
Sorting this out took longer than it should, and we finally got back on track 40 minutes later.
Lunch was enjoyed on the banks of the Montgomery Canal once more, and we were joined for lunch by a pretty black kitten.
This left less than three kilometres to Llanymynech our destination.,All alongside the canal and over three viaducts that took us across Afon Vyrnwy, a river, and a couple of low spots on the river bank.
The canal is in poor repair, however work is being done to slowly restore it.
It has been a hot day 29C and almost a record for UK in September.
Our B and B is the Bradford Arms, and like I said, they have no idea about cooling. The room is hot. The beer however is refreshing even if not icy cold.
It's Eve's birthday dinner, and she almost explodes with mirth at the card.
I eat too much and almost explode.
The room is still too hot and it's 9.00 PM.

Llanymynech Wharf.

Forecast 25C tomorrow and we have 20 kilometres with hills.