It should feel weird being back in Norfolk in the middle of our walk, but at first this seems like a standard rest day. We sleep well, have breakfast and then attend to the fixes as usual.
I replenish my toiletries, cut my nails and my new base layers arrive. It was only after we started that we realised our tops were disintegrating from overuse. I order some for Rich on express delivery and hope that they will be delivered in time for our departure on Thursday. Things then diverge from our usual sightseeing.
Rich starts some domestic chores, including all our washing, and I get ready to go to King's Lynn for meetings and interview prep. As I drive along the A47, I cross the Peddars Way, contemplating our recent use of the path's continuation further south. I then cross the path of our original HoCWalk practice walk and ultimately follow part of the actual compromise route we took through Ashwicken because of the heatwave.
When I arrive, I walk across the car park at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, only to find two muntjacs on the zebra crossing at the main entrance!
The Queen Elizabeth is quite a haven for wildlife, as it has wooded grounds that back onto open countryside leading down to the River Gaywood which flows into the Great Ouse. Apart from the muntjacs, there are often grey wagtails, goldfinches and even grass snakes and adders in the grounds. Sparrow hawks use the enclosed green spaces in the middle of the hospital as hunting areas, perching on the flat roofs before pouncing on unsuspecting blackbirds corralled below.
I do my groundwork and have my meetings and before I know it, it's time to go home. I arrive back at The Old Rectory in time to see moorhens settling down on the pond for the night.
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