Day 6 Gloucester to Middleyard (Stroud)

Reveille 7.00. Breakfast 8.00. Depart 8.45.Distance 14 miles. A very interesting day for once saw Ian up first and out the door before breakfast to log on to the internet to sort out work issues. After an all you can eat breakfast for £7.50 (expensive, a builder on the Earls Court Road is only a fiver) we headed into town as someone’s phone wasn't working and my Nero's loyalty card was having withdrawal symptoms (it needed a latte adding to it) and we needed lunch so we paid a visit to Greggs. Ian discovered that you to reset iphone4 if they freeze and no its not orange cutting him off or failing to provide a signal, even by Gloucester’s standards they have mobile phone signals. Gloucester as a place leaves a lot to be desired, lots of shops but nobody around and those that are around are all looking miserable - so not going back-natives not friendly. Getting out of Gloucester went well until we arrived at Robin wood Country Park. We were looking for Wysis Way for which all signs had disappeared and none of the paths did anything useful other than act as home for dog poop. The Gloucester council had invented this walk called Geology Way-what's that all about then? Walking around rocks or else the path disappears under one! We eventually got around it thanks to the compass and contour reading- however it did mean taking a planned deviation across the golf course (we think this is where the path disappeared under a geological boundary stone!. Much to the golfer’s annoyance two people kept shouting four! Then diving behind a bunker and those who watch the Inbetweeners will know what I mean when the words Golf W*****s were heard (except we had to be careful as are in no fit state to run). Finally we picked up the Wysis Way (Links Severn Way with Cotswold Way)this was like doing an assault course with either having to climb over or crawl under fallen trees whilst under fire from the local outdoor rifle range (just another day really!). Eventually we arrived at the Cotswold Way-wow! What a well maintained and signposted pathway. We met a Ramblers Association Cotswold Way Warden who pointed out a few local things. Soon after our encounter we arrived in Painswick a very nice place famous for its Yew trees in the church yard. Time for an ice cream stop-magnum gold-yum. One farmer had painted his style markers with white paint and even the water trough had written on the side in big white letters “style this way”. Almost immediately after the white style came the Lama farm. The farmer was busy mating his Lamas which according to him can take up to 45 minutes each time! Lucky lama is all I can say no wonder the male Lama had a big grin all over his face. As we started the climb down towards Stroud we were treated to spectacular views of the Severn estuary. The Valley Views B&B is very nice and has a bath! Whoopee long soak time. We are in a loft conversion which means I can only stand up in the middle of the room! We had a very nice evening meal of Lasagne followed by lemon sponge pudding and custard. There’s no local pub, so early to bed as we have an early start tomorrow.