Day 42 Part 1- A birthday on the road

It didn't feel much like my birthday at the start of the day, just another day on the road. But messages and birthday wishes soon appeared on emails, through Facebook and Twitter. I was very thankful.

I chatted with Louise, proprietor of Burgage House for a long time after breakfast. Until this walk I've never used bed and breakfast accomodation. The standard has been impressively high and the variety of owners and houses make it interesting.

It was after eleven again before I got out into Worcester. On the bridge over the Severn I had a call from the Leicester Mercury newspaper, who want to run another story.

I hope I made sense. It's not easy to remember all that's happened. And the deeper themes which I'm exploring in relation to pilgrimage, the idea of journey as metaphor, and the solitude aren't easy to express in pithy phrases. All that will have to wait for my book!

I reverted to the Severn Way again and walked on the west bank of the river, opposite Worcester's racecourse. I listened to the radio, which sat in the top pocket of my backpack, to the continued unravelling of the cabinet. Hazel Blears announced her resignation from government and I followed the commentary and Prime Minister's Questions.

The footpath was better than it had been in Gloucestershire. It looked like it was better used, broader and with a more even surface. But, as attractive as the scenery was, it was also unchanging.

I remembered Bill Bryson's tale of his adventures on the Appalachian Trail. Within a hundred miles he was bored with mountains and trees and took more interest in his short visits to towns. I feel the same about the lovely Severn Way - good for a time but a bit same-y.

No doubt this is heresy to many readers but I've discovered how much I like to be around people, or at least evidence of people.

(continues in Part Two)