Last day of 2014 walk

Well folks, it is all over for this year - we are now in Bantham after a tiring 15 miles. Our B&B for last night was with 2 sisters in a very old house (which used to be a Napoleonic moated fortification!). We were up at 6 and having breakfast at 6:30, on our way by 7. This was because we needed to cover the 8 miles to the river Erme by 11 in order to be able to ford it before the tide got too high. The 8 miles proved to be mainly along a cart track which was a wide shelf on the cliff face! Stunning views, bright morning, light breeze - what could be better. A few ups and downs but nothing too taxing. We got to the ford in plenty of time. The water was about mid-calf at its deepest and there were quite a few people enjoying the water in the very wide estuary. We then had 5 miles of roller-coaster hills, very steep. Ankle, knee, muscle killing climbs and descents! Poor Julia, who has been suffering from laryngitis for 3 days, really suffered on the ascents. We made it to Bigbury on Sea JUST in time to wade across to the Island for a drink and a baguette in The Pilchard pub. Wading there got our shorts thoroughly soaked - 5 minutes later and we would not have made it. Our return trip was on the water-taxi (a very tall 6-wheeled tractor which kept all passengers dry above the waves as it trundled along the sand bar). We only had time for one hurried drink on the Island as we had to cover the next 1.5 miles up and down hill to the river Avon where we hailed our next ferry (by standing on high ground and waving our arms!). This one only runs between 3 and 4 pm daily and was a small rowing boat with an outboard motor. No fancy steps to board this one - he ran the bow up onto the sand and we clambered aboard as the tide came racing up the estuary. Nearing the other side we got caught up in a mooring line but it was soon cleared and we scrambled ashore, then up our last hill for this year to the Sloop Inn. We have the family room, which is 2 rooms with a shared bathroom - typical pub rooms, so nothing elegant or stylish. They cannot fit us in for dinner until 8:30 and there is nowhere else to eat in the tiny hamlet! Also they do not serve breakfast until 9 and we have a taxi booked for 8:45 in order for Julia and Kevin to catch their train at 10:40 from Plymouth station, so we will have to make do with a continental breakfast then eat on the train. It has been another great walk, with fantastic weather and breathtaking views. I weighed myself yesterday and appear to have lost half a stone along the way - another bonus! We have all improved our tans, smiled and laughed a lot...... Oh, yes, and grown some huge blisters which look like additional toes! Here's to next year and completing the whole path.