Tag: hiking

Hiking the Cotswolds – Bourton on the Water to Winchcombe

There was one important factor we failed to consider when we booked this trip.  We . . . Are . . . Old!  This became all too apparent on the second day of our hike.  The first day was 10.8 miles, the second day was 12.2 miles.  When you’re old, that is a lot of miles to walk in two days.

Four things you need to bring hiking when you’re old

1. Pain Meds – Advil, Tylenol, Aleve – pick your poison.  It can make the hike more enjoyable.

2. Salves – There is never a shortage of bug bites, chafing (see previous blog), sunburn, or general skin irritation when hiking the countryside.

3. Hiking poles or walking sticks – really, just look at it as practice for a cane.

4. Taxi fare – It’s a sign of wisdom to know your limitations.  I mean, we are on vacation here.

Nevertheless, we began our day in fairly good spirits in hopes of no rain and maybe even a little bit of sun.  We were not disappointed.  We saw plenty of fauna:

Sheep
And more sheep.
Oxford Cattle
Watch out behind you Jimmy
A butterfly shows us the way.

And of course great landscapes – unbelievable really:

We met new friends a long the way and had a great lunch at the pub in Naunton!  And when we finally slogged  into Winchcombe we found our inn (The Lion Inn) and had an awesome dinner.

IMG_1658
Pulled chicken and pancetta with penne in a tarragon cream sauce. So good!

In the end it was a great day!  We had fun and saw awesome things that made us feel like great adventurers.  However, next time we need to remember before we start the hike that we are old!

Hiking the Cotswolds – Moreton in Marsh to Bourton on the Water

When we first booked this vacation, we were really excited.  When we were in England in 2006, we found a book on footpaths and followed a couple of the walks.  We were immediately hooked.  It was like our own little scavenger hunt through the fields of England.  Now comes the real test.  A full day of hiking (10.8 miles) through the English countryside.  It was tough, but we had a great time.

Say good bye to the comfortable Inn.
The start of the walk – only a little rain.
Markers for Monarch’s Way.
Trail goes right through someone’s field.
Stepping gates.

The beginning of the trail was pretty flat.  It was a good way to start out.  The hills were never very big but we did get some great views.

We also met some friends along the way. We were given a bit of a warning that if calves were in the field we shouldn’t try to get close. These ones were friendly but behind a fence.

It was a great day, but toward the end of the hike I was beat.  The aches and pains of 45 years were enhanced by 10 miles of walking.  We decided we were definitely carrying less with us for our next hike.  Back pack was just too heavy.

We hit our next B&B around 6pm and propped up our tired feet.  Then we got our dinner – yum!