Day 39
East Budleigh to Seaton 15 miles

We woke to a beautiful South Devon morning where the view from our hosts backyard looked like something out of a Constable painting. The early walking proved no different as it was difficult to move forward at times because the scenes laid out before us were so captivating. At one point we sat for the longest time taking in one view where a slight turn of the head provided either an enchanting pastoral view of countryside, or a seascape view demanding complete attention. Someone, of

course, was kind enough to make certain that a lovely bench was so appropriately placed there; a penchant that we find the British have a most exquisite aptitude for.
As we passed out of summer and into autumn this day, we likewise prepare for passing out of Devon and into Dorset tomorrow; the final phase of this remarkable walk where, out of the 630 miles of this longest of UK National Trails, 70% of the path is within Designated Heritage Coasts, Areas of Outstanding National Beauty, or National Parks, with 95 of those miles designated as a World Heritage Site. A remarkable representation of the will of the British people to protect and preserve the land, and a very different approach to living with the land from the USA, where the National Parks and public lands have more of a bent toward wilderness and a human-nature dichotomy.