Bideford Back Home

From the Itinerary:

Take the 21 bus from Bideford to Barnstaple

Take the 12:30 train from Barnstaple to Exetor St. Davids

switch to the SW Train EXD to Woking

Change trains back to Liphook and arrive at 18:03

Walk Home

Another wonderful breakfast at the Corner B and B

My pack was not nearly as heavy as when I arrived, due in large part because I wasn't lugging a bottle of champagne...

It was another bad weather day with heavy rain all night. Mel offered to give me a lift to Barnstaple because she was going there anyway for a hospital appointment. I noticed she has some sort of port in her chest, possibly for chemo? I didn't feel comfortable asking, but gratefully appreciated the ride.

We arrived just as the earlier train - 11:35 - arrived, so ran through the rain and hopped on.

The train was pretty empty and it was an uneventful ride to EXD.

I had a 90 minute layover which I spent in Starbucks where I could get a snack for the long leg. Southwestern Trains don't offer catering in first class. About 20 minutes before the train I looked at the timetable and saw...cancelled! I ran over to the ticket office where, amazingly, no one was at the window. They rebooked me for free on the more expensive Great Western Train (that did cater) AND I got back £20+ refund because my train was cancelled.

so train was cancelled and I got a better service for less money!

and I ended up catching the final leg of my trip which was the train I would have taken out of Woking, but from Guildford, so I arrived in Liphook at the same time I would have anyway - 18:03!

The best part was my neighbor, Jan, kindly offered to pick me up from the station, so I didn't have to walk home in the rain. A win-win day! and a great end to a GREAT week on The Trail.

Stay tuned for the next portion, perhaps sometime Q1 of 2025....