Up early, as usual, I decided there had to be a different way to the start point. So I sat in my room while everyone was doing their hour long morning routines and figured out a new way. I could actually pick three and all went thru campus. It turned out that the way I chose was half the University walk 5K in the afternoon. So I did the second half of that walk to get to the start point, and then followed the directions to get home thereby completing the whole 5K as written. Sneaky.
We arrived at the start point early, as usual. A bagpiper came down the street and started warming up. I thought maybe he was doing a wedding or something at one of the nearby hotels. Another weird thing happened as well. I was too stupid to put 2+2 together. Friday, as groups of 20 arrived they left them go and people were really spread out. People arrived early because of that. And we waited and waited. Nobody left until 9:20. Why?
BAGPIPES!
The entire group of 10K-ers were escorted by a bagpiper. He probably went half a kilometer with them. I was feeling a little jealous. However, he returned to escort the whole group of 5K-ers as well. We also split into smaller groups. It was here that I found some of my LBW friends so I had people to walk with. I also ran into some of my French "friends" from esterday. They stopped to say bonjour. Later, on the walk I saw a few more in the English group. They said since I seemed like I was having fun the prior day they decided to try it. But they at least had working knowledge of English.
There was a lot of nature on this walk. I'd say 60%. We spent a little time in town and then got on the coastal walk and headed north. The wildlife was abundant. We ran into a photographer who pointed out where many things were. Like on the D&L the turtle were sunning themselves. There was some waterfowl but not like at the downtown section of the trail. We past a beautiful building that once was a cotton mill. Like in America, it's been broken into many spaces. The tall tower is now a climbing gym.
For the 5K people, this walk was out and back, more or less. The 10K people did more of a large circle.
I returned to the host hotel to charge my phone and refill my water. Then I went searching for a deli for lunch. By this time the rain clouds moved in big time. It wasn't supposed to rain until 7. I left my raincoat at the dorm.
I didn't do the afternoon walks. Sadly the boat museum I was planning on going to was having it's Christening / opening party. It was mobbed. It's a luxury liner the same vintage as the Titanic, but a little smaller. It actually cruised the great lakes. It's supposed to be just as fancy. I'll try again Sunday. It began to rain and I needed to be somewhere dry. My pass was still good for the trolley so I rode it again rode it again. Different driver. More info. My car mates keep asking me how I know all this stuff. Ask me about the insane asylum with the "help" sign still in the window, or the women's prison which they are converting into a hotel, or maybe skeleton park — not it's real name — built on top of a cemetery.
When I returned it was still raining so I walked into the shopping district and bought an umbrella. A half hour later it was sunny and humid. I should have bought the umbrella sooner.
I met my car mates and other PAWs members for dinner at a pub, and then walked the first half of the afternoon route back to the dorm.
Weather: 15 degrees C, sunny, then rainy, then a little more than humid
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