Back again...3 years since last post!!!

So, how has our life been since November 2020? 

Well, we survived a pandemic !!! 

I'm going to direct anybody who reads this to my Facebook  page to catch up on most of our life, the walking, the holidays, the Veg Nest, family et al...it's all there.

I wrote this in me last post...

"So, as this second lockdown comes to an end, a vaccine is in sight, what of our future?  

Me...going to walk from Westminster to Tower Hill eating and drinking it all back in again...Pepys, Boswell & Johnson, Shardlake...🚂🍺🍱

Suzie, dancing. Lots and lots and lots of dancing!!💃💃💃

Mother, tea, sandwiches and bingo with her friends, before its too late.  She's 93 next month"

Did we?

Yes, and, no...our life has changed, we've grown older. Mother hit 96 at Christmas !!

No more Bingo, she stopped going to the coffee mornings ( can't be bothered!). She heads off to Bucks Blind Club with Nigel. They lost Pat from their trio in the Autumn :(

Suzie dances, lots of dances and is thoroughly enjoying herself xxxx 

I walked...and walked...then lost the urge. I enjoy the wandering I do - its focused, public transport led, mainly, but the urge to just walk anywhere, any time,  disappeared  - had a period of depression, then poof, gone! But, I enjoyed it whilst it was there...Wandered from Charing Cross to Liverpool St on Saturday, nice pint (#beeroclock) in The Punch Tavern on the way...

 I will share on here future wanders. 

The Veg Nest!

is going okay...and it's probably the reason I am going to write on here more again. Been sharing on Facebook, but time to stop. 

But, I do LIKE sharing, or chatting into the ether as such. So, one will bore anyone who can be bothered to find me here with my mutterings and musings 😇

Cheers...

Walking #2...Wild Hill

Another breathtakingly clear day in Hertfordshire!!

In keeping with me new 'resolution', off I went to complete the second short walk on The Hertfordshire Walker list...Camfield Place Loop

Camfield Place was/is the home of Barbara Cartland and her sons.   As much as I like reading, never read, or even felt the need to, any of her stuff.  Obviously had a market and well done to her.

I/we have walked this before, a while ago now, but it has had a bit added, and a bit more for me 'cos I missed a gate and wandered around a field for a while!!

Wore my new boots for the first time 'proper'...very supportive and felt comfortable.  Will have no problems rambling along with these on.  Ankle felt okay, if anything a tad more relaxed.  Went swimming yesterday, and carried on with the PT ( tiptoes on the one ankle..), seems slightly better reach; still hurts and I can't do with my BA the range with my 'good' one.

 Top of Woodman carpark...heading off over style...

 Hot horses...

 Scorchio...☀️☀️

 and dry...

 Walked past here...so walked back!

 How to confuse this old man...!!

 and back...hope there's some ale inside!!

 So...how is IT?

 Quite good...new boots doing their work...

Beer was cool and tasty, had a chat with an old boy and his dog...walks from Brookmans Park and gets community bus back after a beer or two...love it. 

And talking of Brookmans Park, thats where walk #3 starts...:)

Walking...Hertfordshire Walks #1...North Mymms Loop

So, decided to record them here as well as on my Facebook page...

Added two links to the blog....Facebook and an interactive map of all the Hertfordshire Walks...

Walk #1 North Mymms Loop

Stunningly bright day ( again!).  We have walked this little loop a few times, 

 And I ws ALL excited about the prospect of actually being away from life for a bit.

 Sigh..only walked half a mile and it wasn't ankle moaning, it was me back...

 Absolutely love going up little tracks...it was one like this ( and I'm going to have to go back to Christmas Common to finish the walk...) that I did The Deed  on in January!!  

 Hills of Hertfordshire...

 Then I looked down...penguin walking!!

Past the A1M, then acrosss the burnt field - in me new glasses...

 And, how was IT?

 Fine...just needed cooling down!

Wasn't a long walk, will try to do over 3 miles next time..

Reaction, ankle was fine, my toe joints hurt more!!  Heel feels hollow and numb...

Onwards and upwards...

Woooo

Well, 5 months since The BA!

How's it going...true answer is good days, bad days.  Its totally unforgiving.  Just been on holiday ( if you wish to be bored silly, pics here ), drove to San Mamete on Lago Lugano, didn't elevate ankle for 3 days, didn't do any stretches, couldn't walk by day 3:((

It WAS good though...

Been to Physiotherapy twice now, target right now is to do this...

could take a while!!

Anyway, pre break, I did a lot of walking, using a few different resources as guides...

books :-

1) AA 50 Walks in Hertfordshire

2) Hertfordshire Chain Walks

and various on line resource...

1) The Chiltern Society Walking Leaflets

2) TFL Walking London 

3) The New River

3) The Lea Valley

4) Brookmans Park Walks...( more on this later)

When I retired I started on The AA book, and have managed over half of them.  Some I decide were too short to 'Bother with' - that has now changed!!

Found the chain walks in the Oxfam shop and decided to walk them in order..especially as a lot of them I could by train from Hertford North!  Up to number 8..

Most of them are recorded on Facebook :- 

Chain Walks

Chiltern Society Walks

Walks Autumn 16

Walks Jan 17, Walks February 17, Walks March 17, April17, 

Late Spring Early Summer17, July to Sept 17, Oct 17,

Lea Vally Dec17, and December 17

Lastly!!  For January 18 see Chiltern above...

Anyway...

Now I need to get going again, BUT slowly slowly...so, one has a plan!!

#4 above has morphed into its own little universe, and very good it is too!  Lots of love and commitment to sharing the lush Hertfordshire countryside ( and pubs 🍻🥂) has gone into this by the two owners...and one can only profusely thank them!  

Right, plan, to start on Number 1 (North Mimms Loop) and work through them.  Using Train when possible...This was in fact the first we ever did!!

One will keep you informed.

Autumn Update...Part Five!!!

And there's more...

Wanderings...Off To Europe We Go...With a (nearly) TEENAGER!!!

Well, we made a mistake, and I'll be the first to put up my hand and admit it...we should have asked a friend to come as well.  Sorry Alisha...but you were fairly patient with us/me...probably more patient than me!!

Anyway, we went off on an adventure, to Luxembourge...(somewhere diffrent, we thought!!).

To Camp Kengert..

Plan was to make it as much of an adventure as we could ( being a couple of fairly non-exciting people!)  Go on an overnight ferry, to experience a reasonable trip and a cabin, not to long a drive through Holland & Belgium to Luxembourg. Alisha had her own tent, we had electricity for the first time camping  (gone soft ...)

Anyway...here's another of those lovely Google Photo's Story thingies... you'll pick up on a theme...ice creams, plus the artistic pics taken by the young lady. :)

Our 'Oliday

However....

Think we more than made up for that error by taking her bestie shopping on her birthday :)