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The annual canal walk
Jan. 2nd, 2014 09:14 pmA very busy morning, starting with a run before getting home in time to make beetroot soup for H's lunch and our supper. I then jumped into the shower and got myself washed & dressed & in the car with a whole minute to spare before we were due to depart for Lapworth. Inevitably we didn't leave on time due to series of last second glitches, but despite leaving ten minutes behind schedule we arrived exactly on time to meet S&D and S.
( The canal walk... )
Worried about the waterlogged state of some the fields along our usual route we altered things slightly to avoid the fields around Packwood which, we assumed, were likely to be in a completely marsh-like state, and to head along the road to the Grand Union. It was probably just as well we did: even the canal towpaths were in a pretty terrible state, with huge muddy puddles making it a bit of struggle, and I quickly discovered that borrowed wellies weren't nearly as watertight as I'd hoped.
We got to The Boot a couple of minutes late — not that it mattered because they weren't particularly busy. Lunch was as reliably good as ever. I had a goat's cheese tart — which, I'm reliably informed, I have every time we go there — and squash arancini as a main course while the others all went for fish or flesh: a burger; various types of chicken; a steak; and fish & chips.
( A lunchtime snapshot )
After a throughly nice afternoon — it was good to see S again, who I hadn't seen since last year's walk, although pater had seen him a couple of weeks ago in Hong Kong — we went our separate ways.
Having watched the weather forecast and not being greatly motivated to walk down to the station to book a seat, I decided to defer my journey back to Devon until Saturday when the wind and rain situation looks more advantageous. Instead I stayed home and fussed around with a few things before a light supper of bread & soup & salad and an early bed, tired out by all my running and walking.
( The canal walk... )
Worried about the waterlogged state of some the fields along our usual route we altered things slightly to avoid the fields around Packwood which, we assumed, were likely to be in a completely marsh-like state, and to head along the road to the Grand Union. It was probably just as well we did: even the canal towpaths were in a pretty terrible state, with huge muddy puddles making it a bit of struggle, and I quickly discovered that borrowed wellies weren't nearly as watertight as I'd hoped.
We got to The Boot a couple of minutes late — not that it mattered because they weren't particularly busy. Lunch was as reliably good as ever. I had a goat's cheese tart — which, I'm reliably informed, I have every time we go there — and squash arancini as a main course while the others all went for fish or flesh: a burger; various types of chicken; a steak; and fish & chips.
( A lunchtime snapshot )
After a throughly nice afternoon — it was good to see S again, who I hadn't seen since last year's walk, although pater had seen him a couple of weeks ago in Hong Kong — we went our separate ways.
Having watched the weather forecast and not being greatly motivated to walk down to the station to book a seat, I decided to defer my journey back to Devon until Saturday when the wind and rain situation looks more advantageous. Instead I stayed home and fussed around with a few things before a light supper of bread & soup & salad and an early bed, tired out by all my running and walking.
