Sun 20th May - Maidenhead to Marlow

Last night Ed came to see us with some bags of 'just in case' clothing we had pre-packed before we left. In the event, we didn't need most of it and in fact we sent him back with some additional stuff we didn't feel like carrying around with us any longer. Now it may be our imagination or perhaps we are getting used to this 'walking with large packs' lark, but the rucksacks definitely felt lighter today. Anyway, what a difference a day makes. After yesterday's fun and games and having to back track several miles of the Thames Path I had been feeling a little deflated. Today's walk was much better and the surroundings were much more what you might expect from a riverside walk.  The first few hundred yards of the walk was alongside a road but that soon disappeared into the distance and we were back to a quiet riverside path. We passed Boulter Lock and Boulter Island soon after - the latter was where Richard Dimbleby lived and apparently used to shout at boats passing by too fast. We caught glimpses of Cliveden in the distance (the setting for the Profumo affair in the 60's) but by the time we reached that part of the walk it was hidden by trees. The path headed inland to Cookham where we had our usual morning coffee stop. The path continued through a churchyard where Stanley Spencer is buried and onwards towards the river.  The scenery changed here - from wooded banks to open meadows where the birdlife was very evident .. Buzzards, swifts, swallows, terns, mallard, Canada geese, coots .. and we stopped at a handily placed bench for lunch. Here the ducks were even more curious and on the lookout for a free handout. Unluckily for them they were out of luck so they waddled off to try their luck with some other people sat nearby. It was back to reality soon after as the path passed beneath the Marlow bypass and all too soon we were on the outskirts of town. There was a brief view of Marlow weir, suspension bridge and church before they disappeared behind houses. We followed the aptly-named '7 corner alley' and found ourselves on the road leading to Marlow Bridge. So, the end of walking for another day and I found myself thinking later this evening that normal life is 'on hold' and when walking a long-distance path like this, the day revolves around how far; where do we stop for coffee; where shall we have lunch; are we there yet? The only other thing to think about is recharging phones and rinsing out socks and shirts ready for another day. We're feeling pleased with ourselves at the moment and whether or not the rucksacks are actually any lighter, they don't seem to be such a burden as they did over the first few days. I've not had any problems with blisters myself and Margaret's seem to have stabilised. Sue's knee is giving her some problems but she is pleased to have defied her doctor's prediction that she wouldn't last a week. It feels like we have got a second wind and the only thing we are slightly concerned about is the fact the temperatures are set to rise over the next few days - we hope that doesn't make the walking any more difficult as the daily mileages crank up again this week with 11 miles on Wednesday.