Day 4 of 8 Thames Path West - Cricklade to Lechlade

Carl stayed behind and rode with the fellow bringing our baggage to Lechlade. He's coming down with a cold too.
I headed out. (Below, I looked back to see Carl heading back into the inn.)
It rained last night so the grass was wet. I didn't mind in that the wet grass removed the mud on my boots. Walking in mud and lush grass is not easy. You will see several photos of wet paths.
When they say Thames Path, they mean it!  It rained a couple of times during this 10 mile walk, but neither of them lasted long.
I had the good fortune to meet another walker, Jan, in the morning. We walked together for about an hour. I suggested she go on ahead, which she did. When I got to Castle Eaton, I found Jan and her husband again. She is an accomplished walker.
I had a few wildlife sightings. A large deer stepped out about 150' ahead of me. I immediately froze, as did the deer. We stared at each other for several seconds, and then he jumped back into the safety of the woods.
There was a lovely swan plying the river, near our next hotel, The New Inn in Lechlade.
The best encounter was with the cows crowding my gate into one of the many pastures. 
As I opened the gate, two cows scrambled to get up and move. I slowly passed through the gate. I sweet-talked the cows as I carefully walked past them. "It's okay, I won't hurt you.", I told them. Some of them huffed their breath as I went by. I don't know if that was a warning or a complaint. Once I passed by them, I took a photo looking back.
It was an unusual experience.
There are no benches along the Thames Path. Some community paths that joined the Thames Path had benches, but they were few and far between. When it was time for lunch, I sat on the end of a bridge resting my legs while I ate most of my bag lunch by that I ordered the previous evening.
The muddy conditions and occasional swampy places slowed my progress immensely. I took two fifteen minute breaks, one in Castle Eaton, and one while eating my lunch. It took 7 hours to complete 10 miles. I was exhausted. My Fitbit said it was 29,043 steps. No wonder I was tired!
I think these photos showed you that this part of the Thames Path is truly a walking path. There were very few hard surfaces.

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