Day 28: Carnforth to Garstang

Distance: 21.0 miles
Time: 6 hrs 40 mins
Weather: Cloudy, sunny later
Cumulative distance: 484.8 miles

HALF WAY, a pleasant canal walk and some surprise visitors.

Chris cooked a fine breakfast (still no eggs!)  and then dropped me off in Carnforth, while he returned to the lodge to carry out some jobs.

By the time I started walking the early morning rain had abated. It was an easy walk along the towpath - flat and comfortable underfoot. There were good views from the Lune Aqueduct and picture postcard scenes at various places on the canal. There was plenty of wildlife to be observed, including herons, ducklings and cygnet swans. As forecast, the clouds disappeared and a warm sun took control - could this be the start of summer?

Around Lancaster, I officially reached the halfway point of my entire walk. It feels worthy of a small celebration, but there are still many challenging miles ahead.

With about five miles to go to Garstang, a couple of people were waving in my direction from a canal bridge. At first, I thought they were gesturing me to move out of the way of a heron, but on closer inspection I realised that it was Geoff and Christine, the long distance walking couple I'd met on the Caledonian Canal on Day 10. They'd been following my blog and had decided to meet me en route today! My later start today meant that they'd had to wait a while, but it was a lovely surprise to see them and great to catch up as we walked the final few miles in glorious sunshine. By coincidence, they'd parked in the same pub car park from which Chris was due to collect me and, on cue, Chris arrived just as we reached the car park. Geoff and Christine insisted on buying a drink, so I enjoyed a pint of Radical from the Kirkby Lonsdale brewery.

Chris and Alison cooked a tasty coq au vin dinner, then we drove to a pub in Lytham St Annes, where I had a pint of Knobber from the Ramsbury brewery and a pint of Freshly Squeezed from the Blakemore brewery (I assure any doubters that these names are not invented!).

Finally, congratulations to my nephew Callum, who heard today that he's achieved a first class honours degree.