Rain! Lots of rain, very welcoming rain of course, but it does not make walking easier.
But the day started very pleasant. Together with my host in Mortimer and his dog we walked from their home to the ruins of Silchester, of which the amphitheatre remains and the wall around the city. In the route map below you can see a strange loop, that is when we crossed the city area and gone back around the wall.
We also visited the church at Silchester, very nice with still some medieval wall paintings:
After visiting Silchester my host and his dog went home and I carried on to Bramley, Little London, Pamber Priory, Monk Sherborne to Worting.
But even before Bramley the rain started, so on with the rain gear, and I took some time at Bramley church, hence only photos of the inside!
Even more extensive medieval paintings!
The rain eased up, but it was all a bit slow going. Spent some time in Pember Priory garden:
And carried on. After Monk Sherborne there was a path next to a golf course, which was very overgrown:
This is what I had to get through. Fortunately I could walk for a bit on the golf course in parallel, but had to get back to the same overgrown path to get to the road. It was heavy work, very prickly and took a long time.
So it was only at 5pm that I got to Worting St Thomas of Canterbury (!) where my new hosts for this evening picked me up.
But I was very tired and soar at the end of the day!
I like to finish with a picture of Ps 98 in the church at Bramley:
"O sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory. The LORD has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises. Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody. With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD. Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it. Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy at the presence of the LORD, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity."
Even at the end of a more difficult day, there are things that remind us of the glory of God!
