Hawthorn (May trees) in bloom, wild flowers in profusion, Offa’s Dyke as a frequent companion, cool damp woodlands covered with white wild garlic plants, skylarks twittering overhead, country lanes bordered by flowery hedges, ridge walks with wide views, interesting B&Bs with friendly owners --- these are just a few of the images that will stay with us, filling our souls with happiness.

Offa's Dyke is a mound and ditch constructed on the orders of Offa, King of Mercia in the eighth century, to mark his boundary with Wales, from the Bristol Channel to the North Sea.  About 80 miles of it were constructed, much of the rest of the boundary being either a river or an earlier dyke.  The Offa's Dyke Path follows most of the existing dyke, and since Offa's Dyke is still close to the boundary of Wales and England, the path crosses back and forth many times between the countries.  The path is roughly 177 miles long, going through many different types of landscape.  There were high hills, ridge walks, wooded valleys, heather moors, fields with crops, and fields with cows or sheep.  We walked by canals and rivers and on cliff tops.  It rained, of course, and paths got muddy and slippery.  But then the sun would come out, and everything would be gloriously fresh!