Last Monday I was excited and hyper when I created my blog. It felt like a real achievement and the first thought on Tuesday morning was another post so what happened? I'm dammed if I know!! Somehow the week happened and did so in such a way that no other posting developed. This week I am determined that things are going to be different - you may not get a post every day but there are definitely going to be more.
I have been catching up this weekend with an old friend. Although having planned to go walking in our beloved Lake District, we left it too late to book and she came to London instead.' A bit different walking terrain', I can hear you say and you'd be correct but it was still fun. When you are walking in an area of Essex caught between the M25 to the south and the M11 to the west, one could be forgiven for thinking it might be noisy and rather polluted. Well, it was gorgous, helped by the fabulous weather we have and are still experiencing. On Friday we set out to do a 9 mile walk which, without any effort developed to one just short of 12 miles. It took us through country lanes whose hedgerows were heavy with hips, haws, elderberries, blackberries, sloes and no doubt some poisonous ones too. We pigged out on big fat juicy blackberries and wondered why no-one had picked them. We also walked along the side of large open fields, pretty villages and visited St Andrew's church in Greensted which is apparently the oldest wooden church in the world - the oak trunks that form the walls of the Nave have been dated back to 845AD so there you are. Worth a visit and so wonderful that this lovely little church is open to the public and remains in pristine condition - I was very impressed.
On the following day our plans were scuppered initially by engineering work on the Central Line which meant getting to Debden and back from Theydon Bois would be a nightmare journey. Forever resilient though, we headed instead for the part of Epping Forest that comes very close to the house and took a well loved walk through the forest to Butler's Retreat where we enjoyed a wonderful lunch sitting outside and watching riders, mountain bikers other walkers and others who arrived by car to enjoy lunch or coffee.
As we walked we talked - well we hadn't seen each other for months so there was lots to talk about and it was ideal conditions to catch up. Not so, our last walk in April when the weather was so cold and windy that we trudged in single file trying to keep our head out of the stinging hail. Most of the catching up on that occasion was done in the pub.
In 1999, I talked Janet into doing a sponsored walk along parts of the Great Wall of China which was fantastic, such a brilliant experience. Yesterday I was trying again - not a sponsored walk this time, although it could be, this time I want her to accompany me along the along the Inca Trail in Peru. This has long been a dream of mine and I cannot think of anyone I would rather go with. I have talked about it so often that Alan, my husband, keeps saying 'go and do it'. Result - I am going to, probably in May 2007 which may seem a long way away but if I want Janet to come too I have to honour her commitments and in the meantime, I can fit in shorter walks along the North Norfolk Coast Path, the Colderidge Way and many many other places I would love to explore. Is walking a love of yours? If so, where is your favourite walk and where is the ultimate place for you to go and walk? Is it the Inca Trail?
