We woke this morning to a truck working outside in the street and looking down from our window saw two trucks removing illegally parked cars. Seems they didn’t have the requisite residents permit. See the photo.

Today was just a transition day. A two hour train trip west on Great Western Railway from Paddington to Taunton, half an hour wait at Taunton for the bus, one and a half hours on the Buses of Somerset to Minehead where we are staying at The Parks Guesthouse. Modern technology is wonderful. Four months ago we booked and paid for the train online and were given a code. This morning at the ticket machine it recognised us and our code and printed out the required tickets.

The train trip was very smooth and uneventful in an almost empty train. Just five stops in two hours and it was pretty fast but not nearly as fast as the TGV train we took from Paris in 2015.

‘Some towns inspire. They have an air of adventure and a sense of urgency. They are mysterious and just a little frightening. You know as soon as you walk into them they are special places. Minehead isn’t one of them’. Mark Wallington, 500 mile Walkies.

This is being a bit harsh on Minehead. It is a charming, unpretentious, sleepy seaside town. Such a contrast to hectic London and the sort of place we much prefer.

It has three claims to fame. At the eastern end of town is the ginormous Butlins Holiday Camp. In the centre of town is the terminus for the restored steam trains of the West Somerset Railway. At the western end of town is the official start of the 1000km South West Coast Path. The later of most importance for us. Minehead doesn’t even have a mine – the origin of the name is from the Celtic word, Mynedd, meaning ‘hill’.

And we are going to experience some of those hills starting tomorrow. We are a little apprehensive as we haven’t done as much preparation as we have done in previous years and we Know there is a lot of climbing and descending in the first three days. Still we can’t wait to get going!