an elephant is a mouse built to government specifications. (lazarus long)

today’s walk (weather is still excellent, sunny with the ocassional cloud shooting across the sky) is to chale, to the wight mouse inn!

the walk takes us past the old vicarage in shorewell and up to the ridge running east until we reach a fork in the path, the main path continuing on towards berry hill, the other path going down towards sandy way — which, after an extended break to enjoy the fantastic view across the south of the island, we follow…it’s a bit of street walking until we reach kingston manor and are on footpaths again. the path takes us through a swampy but beautiful reed area but then takes a turn through a bit of foul stinking (and looking) bog (luckily nothing as dramatic as faced by lord peter wimsey and bunter in clouds of witness) and then takes us past corve farm which seems to be occupied by hippies-turned-stale and wannabe-hippies — we detour instead of passing through…and, following chale lane to westside farm take the foot path to chale itself and are soon at the wight mouse inn which has much improved since our visit years ago: it now is a nice inn with very good food and interesting beers on offer. it’s large but cleverly designed so that you enjoy the illusion of “privacy” (at least to some extent).

after a late but relaxed lunch (excellent apple crumble!) we make our way back via a bit of coastal path then through little atherfield and past dungewood farm to shorewell and the northcourt.

i always arrive late for work but i make up for it by leaving early (charles lamb)