Day 5…The Lower Bell to the Dog and Bear Hotel in Lenham…19 km
A much more pleasant day today…cooler temps, cloudy skies, nice breeze and generally easy walking along a one lane road (Pilgrims Way) and a few paths. People are very kind, with one gentleman making sure we had enough water, another recommending a better route and two Camino angels who helped us through a spot so that we didn’t have to backtrack for several kms – we couldn’t take photos or they would get in trouble.
The Lower Bell. Essentially a pub with 4 rooms. Breakfast at the Shell Station. Liquid Weetabix…not bad.Lucky timing. Crossing the tracks just as the Eurostar went by on its way to the Chunnel. Barely had time to lift my camera it went so fast! Also begs the question as to why we are not on it!?!White Horse Stone. One of several Neolithic megaliths (ie big stones) guarding a burial in this area.When I retire I am going to move to England and become a dog walker. Oh wait…I AM retired! As a note I always ask people if it is okay to take and post a photo.He’s difficult to see but there is a white sheep in this family!At a cenotaph for Detling airbase.What a brilliant re-use of the iconic telephone box…tiny town with no medical services…so they’ve installed a defibrillator. Of course…there is a difficult decision to be made. Save a life or die by spider bite. He was huge!For those unfamiliar, the scallop shell is the symbol for the Camino de Santiago, a 1000 year old pilgrimage where people walked from their homes to Santiago in northern Spain. When you walk the 800 km route you follow yellow arrows and yellow shells. You get pretty quick at finding them (so you don’t get lost)…And 3 years later I still pick them out. Detling, on the current Pilgrims Way. Narrow lane…not too busy but no fun when you have to squeeze into the hedgerow to let a vehicle pass and it is full of stinging nettles.Chalk cliff. The chalk stones are very lightweight.Love these old pubs that have been here for centuries. We’ve decided to call our walk a “pub crawl” as that seems to be more motivating for Ken than “Hey! Let’s walk from London to Rome!”No, Ken, you cannot buy a Bentley!Free range eggs. £1.50 for 6 (about $2.30 Cdn). Ken said he was impressed with my colour coordination…blue pack, blue shoes, blue shirt, blue Camino shell necklace…and big blue bags under my eyes from lack of sleep. He is such a charmer! But hotel rooms have been so hot sleep has been elusive.Bugsnax with snail buddies.The next pub – The Dirty Habit.. Originally the Pilgrim’s Rest from the 1200s onward. The “dirty habit” refers to the robes of the monks who used to work the fields around here. I can’t wrap my head around these timelines. Look how my kebab was served. And Ken’s tartar sauce came in a scallop shell.You guys are too young to drink!So…some people buy really expensive Royal Doulton figurines. Ken takes photos of Royal Doulton urinals. Heavy sigh.Very hilly today. A style for crawling over the fence and a random couple coming down the hill on the trail.Ken finally found someone to talk to.Funny…this the exact same expression Ken has when I stop to take photos. Ie eye rolling. But Ken thinks the monk is just snoozing after a long walk up the hill we just came over.Farmers allow recognized public footpaths across their lands. Look how exacting the seeding was on either side of the path. At then of this short path is our hotel for the night. Yay!
TerryandKenViaFrancigena2022 
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