Day 13th, Leaving Richmond

First, some housekeeping—I apologize for the inconsistency of my numbering system for the days of the hike. Second, a friend let me know that the link for the photos in the Day 10 entry was not working—fixed. Those photos were among my favorites, so if you have the time, check them out. Finally, for those of you who are commenting, I cannot approve your comments with the mobile version of Squarespace, but I am seeing them.

Our rest day in Richmond was not quite as restful as planned. We set out to walk just under a mile each way to the ruined Easby Abby, another victim of Henry the VIiI's dissolution campaigns. The abbey was the largest in England. Therese and I checked the map, and I even used the map app on my phone to check the route along the river before we set out. Despite those careful preparations, we walked the wrong way along the river for probably a mile and a half! So, we probably walked a total of five miles—damn.

While many of the buildings in Richmond are from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century, most of them, especially those in the market square, have storefront signage that ruins the work. Most of today's images are from the abbey, churches and graveyards. I hope to break that pattern, but the guidebooks are not providing much hope in the way of scenery:

This is often considered one of the less exciting stretches of the Coast to Coast adventure as you leave behind the Yorkshire Dales, including bidding a final farewell to the River Swale that has accompanied you for several days and makes a bee-line across open countryside towards the Yorkshire Moors, the third National Park of the trip.

The countdown to the end of the walk has begun. The wear and tear of the daily mileage is beginning to be felt. We did get some rest and relaxation yesterday; we even got some laundry done by our lovely hosts—a good thing; I was beginning to attract flys—just kidding. Theresa's niece and her husband will join us for the last four days. Hopefully, that will provide some new energy and excitement to the walk.

Here is the link to yesterday's images:

https://www.reedpikephotography.com/coast-to-coast-photos/day-13