Leaving Tranquility Behind
I awoke refreshed with gratitude to be pain and blister-free in Robin Hood's Bay. The one goal for the day was to get from Northern England down to London. There were lots of moving pieces that had to fit together to make it happen.
I wondered if the cab I ordered would arrive in time to get me to the train station in Ruswarp. According to the Rome2Rio app, that was the closest train station to get me started in the right direction.
Like clockwork, my cab arrived at 7:35 a.m. I was dropped off at the Ruswarp train station before 8:00 and my train was not scheduled to arrive for almost another hour. I didn't mind waiting. I would much rather be early than scrambling to catch the train that would get me to all my connections for the day.
According to a gentleman walking his dog, I was in a one-horse town and there was nowhere for me to get anything to eat. I sat out on a bench in the depot and watched as people in the small village went about their daily routine. Children arrived on bicycles and walking as they made their way to the school just 50 yards away.
About 30 minutes later a two-car train came into view heading in the wrong direction. It stopped and one person got on and one person got off. It was going to the end of the line up in Whitby and then turning around to head to Middlesbrough. The trainman casually asked me if I wanted to climb on board and just ride it one stop up, and then come back again. I told him I would wait for the train to come back.
Sure enough, within 10 or 15 minutes the same train came back in my direction. It stopped with the door directly in front of me and I climbed aboard. It was a surprise to see Kathy, the woman from Belgium, sitting in the first seat as I entered the train. It turned out we would be making a couple of the connections together. Ultimately, she would be connecting to a Euro-train that would take her home 12 hours later. The first change would occur in Middlesbrough.
Shortly after we started out, the conductor came through and told us we would probably miss the connection because of track maintenance. He had been on the same route for the past five days and each time this train arrived just as the connection was pulling out of the station.
Without being asked, the same conductor checked in with the six of us passengers and kept giving us updates. He was actually surprised that it looked as if we would make it on time. That was great news. Missing the first connection would push everything back by at least an hour and could complicate the availability of seating down the line.
The conductor was almost gleeful as he informed us that we had beaten the other train to an intersection that would get us to the station first. We would have approximately seven minutes to get off our train and get to the connection. That turned out to be more than enough.
The next train was a newer model and moved along at a faster clip. It was five or six cars in length and definitely more modern. It was also more crowded. The biggest surprise was the sound of beers opening at 10:30 in the morning. It looked as if everyone around me was consuming some type of alcohol. Part of that was explained to me by a gentleman who took a seat beside me. Between swallows from his can of Heineken, he told me that his group had won a contest at work and 18 of them were going down to an event to celebrate. They were simply getting a head start.
At York there was a little more time to make the connection. Everything was looking great. Kathy helped me out by watching my bag as I made a pit stop and grabbed something to eat. We each had assigned seats in different cars on the next train, so as we boarded we said goodbye.
This train was fast and quiet. So quiet that I actually dozed off for a bit, and luckily woke up five minutes before arriving at my next connection at London Kings Cross. This is where I would switch to the London Underground.
Everyone was very helpful. I got instructions from the conductor on how to exit his train, head out of the train terminal, and then make a right turn to head down to the Underground entrance. Two young men sitting across the aisle from me told me they would help me out to make sure I didn't get lost. One of them said he would be moving slowly anyway. The day before he had consumed 20 pints of beer. That is not a typo. Although, it might be a Guinness world record.
I followed their instructions and entered the famous tube. While waiting for my train, I noticed my stop was not listed on the map. The third person I asked explained to me that I would have to switch at the London Bridge Station and cross over to the gray line to get on a train that would take me to Waterloo. As my train was moving down the track I did my best to figure out how to make it happen. I couldn't find the gray line on the map. We moved quickly from one station to the next and I was concerned about missing the spot where I was supposed to get off.
About 30 seconds before arriving at my station. I finally deciphered what someone had told me. It wasn't the gray line at all. It was a silver line, named in celebration of the silver jubilee. Five minutes later I was on the appropriate train moving in the appropriate direction.
There was a sense of satisfaction to making all the connections and finding my way. It wasn't quite the same level of accomplishment as completing the Wainwright Coast to Coast. Still, I was happy to see my hotel off in the distance as I emerged onto the street
Three nights in London are my reward to myself for completing the 200 miles of trail. Friendships established on the trail seem to endure. A woman I met a year ago on the Camino Frances, Charmain, is playing tour guide for me here, and I’m looking forward to seeing the city through her eyes.
There seem to be three stages associated with these walks. The first is the planning, the second is the execution, and the third is the desire to plan the next one. I haven't left London yet and I'm already thinking about where my next hike will be taking place. Right now the top contenders are Ireland, Scotland, and Italy.
As I take these incredible walks and meet incredible people along the way, the recurring theme is always gratitude. With that in mind, I’ll be planning my next adventure.
