I haven’t written anything on this blog for a year, since our short trip to France to see the cave paintings.
I live in such a beautiful place that the urge for travelling is not a strident as it used to be but I still continue to dream. I dream of walking through the high mountains whilst my aged knees are still capable.
I decided it was time to make the dream come true.
Before a long journey, especially at my age, I need to acclimatise. I found over the ages that the hardest part of a long journey is getting used to carrying a heavy rucksack. With this in mind I keep my rucksack inside the back door ready packed. Packed with what? Whenever I go out, I put the rucksack on my back. I started late last year carrying one brick. I now carry three!
My training walk yesterday consisted of turning left out of the house
And then up a rough track and onto the open Hillside
In 30 minutes, I can be on top of the South Downs. As you can see from the shape of the tree in the foreground , it can be a very windy place.
Flowers are beginning to appear. This one appropriately is called an early purple orchid.
I have devised a route that goes up and down and up and down and up and down – so that I can maximise the effort on my legs.
The countryside round here is yellow at the moment. That is the sea in the background.
In places the grassland is grazed by Exmoor ponies.
Lower down the fields are cultivated
Within striking distance of my walks is a huge forested area
And it is not far to the Long Man, carved out of the hillside.
That is a training walk. Living here is like being on a permanent holiday with such wonderful countryside all around.
However, the human heart is always restless and summer is coming and I long for the hot blue skies of France, and that wonderful food, and the enchantment of a distant pass and not knowing what I will find on the other side of it.…