Monday 30 January 2012

A Busman's Holiday

I think it's fair to say I put in a few too many late nights last week! I find I'm at my most creative when the house has gone quiet leaving just me and my laptop to whirr away into the wee small hours, and last week I was putting the finishing touches to That Project, the subject of last October's epic expedition - yes, The Cotswold Way Companion Trail is nearing publication and was keeping me up. That's the good news. The less than welcome outcome, however, of burning the midnight oil was a rather grumpy me by day, drained of meaningful conversation and with amends to make. And then I saw the weather forecast.....

Come Saturday it seemed I was right in my fatigue-induced and recent rather gloomy prediction that we haven't escaped winter at all, merely dodged it temporarily, and that the freeze was on it's way. Well that did it!, that and the fact that I'd been reviewing all the photographs of the Cotswold Way adventure of the hottest Autumn on record, and recalling the peace and exhilaration of the long distance walk. "Let's spend the day together on Sunday, just the two of us, while we can! Let's pack a scarf and a sarnie and just go!"

We decided to head 'out of patch' (which, for the uninitiated means not Gloucestershire) and towards the Malvern Hills. The fog was lingering and the temperature gauge reluctant to rise but undaunted we agreed to a route of around 12 miles or so and set off. You'll perhaps be wondering why this should be considered a Busman's Holiday? That's because, (gosh, it feels like confessing an addition) I couldn't resist the temptation and our walk was in fact .... a Treasure Trail. This time I disguised my thirst for clue solving in an offer to give my fellow Trail Writers from nearby Herefordshire and Worchestershire's best seller a winter once over. We do this, from time to time. The Malvern Hills Driving Trail is approx 12 miles all told but you may have spotted our deliberate mistake - normally it's driven, with a few hops and skips out of the car at strategic points along the way to crack a clue or twenty - but we wanted the walk. Thankfully it works just as well on foot and we had a great time. One of the highlights was meeting a family out and about following the same Treasure Trail. It was great to see Mum, Dad and the two children all engaged together, saying all the things that we Trail Writers love to hear - "such a great idea", "wish we'd found Treasure Trails sooner", "you should get them stocked in all the local hotels". We're working on it...

Yes, there's something very special about walking. People smile and say hello (it's as if a pair of boots makes you part of a new and friendly family), and the calories that accumulate on the pedometer are another bonus (surprising how many you can burn over 12 miles. Chuck in a hill or two and even a bar of chocolate is, for once, an almost sin-free treat). And the post expedition glow? I love the sense of achievement, the twinge of well used muscles and the fresh air induced great night's sleep that follows. So now I'm fully restored and back to my usual self. Maybe I could just sneak in a few hours late tonight being creative...ooops!