11^th April 2014

Today I woke around 8 am had my breakfast, raspberry and granola delicious! But it was pretty much the last of my water. Only a cup full if I was lucky. I had been told the day before that there was an ancient chapel on the far side, right on the tip of the peninsula and that just passed that was a commune. I was running really low on power and had switched off my gps, data and all unnecessary apps in order to extend the life as much as possible. I had already drained my backup batteries so recharging was out of the question. I had a quick look at the cached satellite images I had downloaded the day before and estimated my position. I reckoned I was only a few miles away and closer than I had thought the night before. So I head off along the wall occasionally stopping to see if I could see the chapel. Eventually it came into view and with a burst of energy I set off. I really needed water as I wasn't sure if I would be staying here for another night, along the way I met a retired couple heading towards me, as they approached I greeted them and we started to chat. As it turns out they were also walking the great British coast and only had about 100 miles left to do. Impressive I thought. They then informed me they had started in 1994 and that it had taken them 20 years to get this far. Well I sincerely hope it doesn't take me that long  they had started off by doing the jurassic path in dorset for a walking holiday and they had done various walks around the coast ever since  we eventually parted company and I headed off in search of the commune.

The chapel was indeed ancient, the door was open so I couldn't resist taking a peek inside. I signed the register and took some photos whilst reading a little about the history. I couldn't see any commune though until I spotted a sign pointing the way and stating that all were welcome  I love quirky places like this so set off in the direction the sign was pointing. The path to the commune was hard to see as it was obscured by bushes, there was a tap though so I filled up not knowing whether anyone would be there and wondering what type of commune it would be. I followed the path and in the glorious sunshine with butterflies fluttering by and bluebells guiding my feet the woods opened up into a lovely grassy area with two lovely modern buildings, a small play area and a couple of people on the porch. I wondered over and introduced myself. I was offered a cup of tea and some biscuits. Othona is a Christian run community built on the remains of a second world war refuge. It was a place where you could simply be and they welcomed everyone no matter what colour, religion or belief. I felt quite comfortable there and was invited to join them for soup, salad and fruit. It was amazing finding out about the community's history and chatting with its current lodgers. One of the buildings was built using straw and mud and they had placed an old boat on the roof. I really felt like stopping for a while and joining in with the residents chores and really getting to know everyone better. They offered me the use of their showers and handed me a towel, shampoo and body wash. It is always nice to climb into a lovely hot shower, wash myself down and have a shave. they were also really helpful with their knowledge of the tids and currents I would be encountering later. Eventually I had to go though and made a dash for the shore where I was advised to cross. Tjis crossing was about 2 miles and the biggest crossing I had experienced to date. I'm always nervous about large open water crossings but felt confident in Hoolley and the weather and water conditions were in my favour. Even the tides were perfect so I made a go for it. It took less than an hour to make the crossing and a beached exactly where I had planned to. Arriving on a strange shore is always exhilarating and this time it was near a small town so I headed off in search of a pub to recharge and get a bowl of chips and pint of orange juice and lemonade. I'll be camping nearby tonight as the last few days have been a real adventure and will be planning the next few days with anticipation