Janet, The Happy Wanderer: Lindisfarne, or Holy Island, and walking the poles.

We stayed in a great little pub in West Mains before crossing to Holy Island. The special package was for dinner, bed, and breakfast. For a change we had a two course dinner, a nice treat and celebration for Greta's birthday. The problem was we couldn't partake of the breakfast because of the tides! Instead we were given a scrumptious packed lunch which we we ate, as our breakfast, after arriving on the island.

Pilgrims "walking the poles" are advised to travel in the middle of the low tide, but that would have meant we would have to leave at 5.00am and cross in the dark, not safe, and not much point as we wouldn't see anything. Instead, we compromised and departed our hotel at 6.15am, in the dark, but arriving on the sands at 7.00 am for the crossing just as it was getting light.

This has to be one of the highlights of my trip thus far, bog in the middle of the crossing included! Walking in the dawn light in still air, watching the sun come up and listening to the hundreds of birds waking was truly a wondrous experience! We even heard the cooing sounds of dozens of seals resting on a sand bank. Because we were walking at the end of the advised time we couldn't dilly dally too much but there was still time to pause and to look, listen, and to take photos, and I will let them tell the tale.

The start of our journey across the sands

Greta takes the lead not only at the start, but for most of the 4 -5 kilometres across the sands.

We were thinking that we would "walk the poles" barefoot, partly to protect our footwear, but at five degrees we decided we would let our footwear protect our feet. I had short gaiters on and even when I sank to the top of them in a patch of bog my feet remained dry.

As the sun rose the scenery across the sands was very special

There are two of these refuges along the sands for pilgrims who get caught by the tide. There is only one for drivers along the causeway - people are rescued, but not cars! Over the past ten years around 60 people have had to be rescued - most of them in cars, only a few walkers - shows they must have caution on their side!

The geese took off in noisy, large flocks above our heads.

We came to the waters edge at 8.00am, and looking back, the poles stretched endlessly.

At noon, returning to the same spot the scene had changed, and the weather was changing!

On the Island there is a delightful small village with the ruins of the Priory on its outer edge. There is also a castle, and much wildlife. We walked just over eight kilometres to get there and a further ten exploring the island.