Eeeeeee! 🥳 Twenty days to go

Only twenty more days and the car comes to my front door and picks me up to take me to Southampton and I'm so excited.

Well, it was going to Southampton but change of plans, its Tilbury again 😊 but who cares, its a nice little port and not far from here.

We come back to Southampton so I get to see a larger, busier one on the way back and will be able to settle back in the car and watch the road go by.

I've booked my excursions and being one of the first to do so, managed to get all the ones I wanted. 

I have one which concerns me, the first one, which requires 3 miles of walking. So far I've managed 3.3 km which is no where near that. I'm hoping with good strapping and plenty of Volterol whilst out and then when back, I should stop it swelling too badly; I think I would be advised to have dinner in my cabin that night ... note to self, book it in the morning before I leave for the trip.

Once, about 7 months ago, three miles would have been a short wander, now look at me, worried I won't make it, how far we fall.

Anyway, the rest of the excursions will be fine as they require little walking by comparison and as we are at sea the next day, I will have plenty of time to recover.

I am determined to have oodles of fun on this cruise!!!

So, 20 days to go and I will take myself into Maidstone for a jumper and cardigan shop and whilst I'm at it, some tracksuit bottoms wouldn't go amiss, these ones are years old and fading away, not withstanding the thinning out over me bottom 😳

Another kind day(written 12/1/22)

The forecast seemed to indicate something much colder and less inviting but rising as dawn broke I looked at a most attractive sky.

Soft pastels reds and oranges filled the horizon and slowly the sun rose adding a brilliant golden haze.

It wasn't hot, nor could one say warm, but it certainly was another mild day.

I decided I would take advantage of this Spring like feel and catch the bus into Tonbridge. 

Although I can depress the clutch without too much pain, catching the bus allows me to be seated and allow someone else to deal with the 20mph speed limit; I don't have to pay to park either.

Its six weeks to my next adventure and I want my legs to be able to carry me forward and enjoy the trip rather than be perpetually reaching for pain killers and Deep Heat max strength.

Walking up the Shipbourne road to the Pinnacles bus stop (named after a long gone pub which stood in the corner) I waited for the bus (1.1 kms)

I walked to the swimming pool to find out how one went swimming now, bought my centre pass so as to reduce the cost of a swim and then wandered back into town past the river walk, the castle and the Canoe Club.

Sounds very posh, but not really, the water treatment plant is on the other side of the road!

I did various bits and pieces, bought the fruit I wanted to get and then caught the bus back to the Pinnacles.

By the time I reached home I'd added a further 2.5 km, so managed 3.6 km in total which is the furthest I've been able to go since the beginning of September. Still a long way short of the distances I used to cover but there's a chance I might get back to those walks again and be pain free.

I tell you what, I won't be taking any of it for granted this time round.