Today I found my stride - eventually! For a while I thought I'd left it behind at home, along with my walking pole (my mother, who bought mine for me as a gift, will NOT be happy), and my beloved at one stage early on suggested that perhaps I'd packed it in my suitcase along with my sense of humour, but as the morning wore on I found it again. I think perhaps it was just suffering from the effects of too late a night. I don't know about you but I have a tendency, when about to go on holiday, to suddenly decided that it's ESSENTIAL to strip all the beds, vacuum the house from top to bottom, fill the fridge to bursting for those at home in my absence and THEN think about packing. Inevitably therefore it was quite late when I retired on the eve of our adventure but still, as I said, I finally found my stride.
The day can probably be summed up, in the way many things begin, with an A. B. C.
A for Adventure. Not just our own, although we did get chatting about some others we recalled from our youth, but also for MacsAdventure, the company we have charged with the organisation of all the logistics for this trip - and what a sterling job they have done. Pretty much the only thing they haven't done for us is walk the Trail itself (although I suspect most of their staff have done that too, and got the t-shirt). They have booked all our accommodation, organised the transfer of our luggage and even booked some of our evening meals. Now that's what I call service. http://www.macsadventure.com/
By about 11.00am we decided that B was for blessed breeze- crumbs it's been hot today. Last weekend we had lunch with friends. One half of the couple, a more experieinced walker than I, asked which direction we were walking "The Way". 'North to south, naturally' we said, 'given our starting location'. What we didn't expect was the sharp intake of breath a la builder. Well we couldn't leave it there.... "Why?" And he's right. Walking north to south in poor weather would mean you are more than likely to be facing into the prevailing wind: on a sunny day however you are walking INTO the sun all day. Hmmm. Now, I know, and so does my nose..... despite the factor 15. Hence the B for blessed breeze.
The accolade for C goes to charming Cotswolds. On this first stretch we progressed from Chipping Campden, through Broadway and are based this evening in the delightful village of Stanton. Full of fish, frites and fresh air I'll be retiring early but guess what we did after arriving here, 10 miles in, mid-afternoon? We went for a walk! What a delightful place - I can feel a Treasure Trail coming on.
So, it's been a good first day and, in case my mother is reading, I think perhaps the reason I found my stride was that I managed to pick up a new walking pole. Here's to tomorrow...
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