Unlike other walks, I begin this walk saying good-by to the family. Our traveling family begins to break-up when Charles and Christina have to return to work. I say good-by. Next, after an additional two days traveling with Dwight to Cambridge in order to us to see where his grandfather and name-sake served in the Eighth Air Force during WW II, I say another good-by to another son. Finally, after almost three-weeks of traveling together with Mary, the last week visiting Norwich, Lincoln, and York, I must say one last good-by. At Tottenham Court Road underground station, I give Mary a hug. She takes the Elizabeth line to Heathrow; I take the Northern line to Euston Station.

So, I’m on my own, figuring out how to get to the starting point of the Coast to Coast Trail. My destination is St. Bees. But first, why the name St. Bees? Apparently, Bees is an alternative spelling to Bega. Bega, an Irish princess fled marriage to a Viking prince. She landed on the northwest coast. A devout woman, she helped local people and, eventually, established a convent. St. Bega became St. Bees. The village certainly dates back to the Middle Ages.

Back to figuring out how to get to St. Bees. Since I love riding trains, the answer is clear. A train to Manchester; spend two nights; and then a train to St. Bees. Compared to buses, I appreciate the greater personal space and the freedom to move around.

Although I don’t have my Nikon, I still want photos of other travelers. It is harder getting photos with an IPhone, but it can be done. I hope that you enjoy some of the photos.