26 April 2011: The Heart of England

Please note: I'm finally getting around to posting the blogs from the rest of the vacation.  Patience, Grasshopper.  :-)

The Last 24 Hours

Waking up this morning and realizing that today was my last full day in the Cotswolds meant that I needed to get up and get going!  With less than 24 hours left to enjoy the English countryside, I knew that today was the day for that hike I’d been promising myself (and putting off).  But first I needed a good breakfast!  So I walked into the village and popped into what was now my personal hangout: the village shop/café.  Jenny was in today and we had a lovely chat while I enjoyed a breakfast of pain au chocolat and orange juice.  After that, I set out on my hike on the first overcast day I’ve seen here.

Oh, My Thighs!

Iraq is flat in all directions.  The Cotswolds, by comparison, are not.  Once I located the beginning of the Heart of England Way public footpath and set off, I quickly discovered when one has not climbed a hill in, say for example, seven years, one’s thighs don’t waste any time in complaining.  Thank goodness I had my iPod with me!  I just focused on the music (The Beatles, since you asked so nicely) and kept climbing.  Apparently when I get back to Iraq, I will need to get on the treadmill and increase the incline…a lot!

I Love Ewe

There need to be some written rules for walking in the countryside.  Since apparently no one else has done so to date, let me start with a few:

1. Watch out for cow (or, in this case, sheep) pies.  You won’t like it if you don’t.
2. Take extra care when climbing over fence gates between fields; splinters are inevitable (although admittedly it is better to get one in your hand where you can see it as opposed to your bottom where you cannot!).
3. Public footpaths in the Cotswolds are different than those found in Oregon; in some cases, it may be just where a tractor recently ran across the field.  As long as you can find a round sticker with a yellow arrow pointing the way on the fence gate, you’re good.  If you cannot find the sticker, chase down the tractor and ask the farmer where the heck you need to go.
4. If you’re not used to taking long walks and are all alone, bring an iPod and make sure it has some songs on there that remind you of happy times.  It’s the country, so it’s safe to sing out loud; no one minds except for the sheep and perhaps a couple of cows.  And if they can’t appreciate “I Feel Fine”, well, that’s their loss.
5. Never, EVER, walk between a sheep and her lamb(s).  You will be sorry and your thighs which were previously grumbling will be crying out in agony as you run for your life to avoid getting head-butted by one pissed-off mama sheep.  On the other hand, it’s great cardio and can be an adventure to write home to the folks about later; that’s if, of course, you haven’t been head-butted from behind and can sit down without wincing.

Lost in Translation

Ah, it was a lovely walk (after being chased by the sheep, that is).  The sun came out now and again and filtered down through the trees here and there while a soft, cool flower-scented breeze blew almost continuously.  I walked across fields just outside of Blockley and then through a wood and then out into fields again on my way to Draycott and then back to Blockley.  Well, that was the plan anyway.  At some point, I lost my way and ended up on the Monarch’s Way public footpath (a 615-mile walk which follows the flight of Charles II after his loss at the Battle of Worchester in 1651.  Okay, I know what you’re thinking: so what’s the big deal?  Well, the big deal is that I wasn’t interested in walking 615 miles; my walk seemed like an ambitious enough project to my way of thinking (though I found out later that the Heart of England Way is actually a 100 mile walk).  So after wandering around for about an hour on Monarch’s Way, I finally came across an arboretum and falconry facility near Moreton-in-Marsh and was able to get the right directions back to the Heart of England Way.  I was getting a bit worried because I had reservations at the Great Western Arms pub for dinner and didn’t want to miss out on the regular Tuesday Steak Night.  It was about this time that the batteries in the camera and the camcorder decided to call it a day (my feet and thighs were of the same mind, by the way, but unfortunately I was out of fresh batteries for them so they had to suffer).

Ale Be There for You

I was only ten minutes late for my reservation at the pub (time sure flies when you’re barreling downhill and instead of your thighs grumbling, it’s your knees this time around begging you to slow down and take it easy).  I felt a little like a fish out of the water sitting at a table all alone while surrounded by couples at the other tables.  However, after three pints of the house ale, I truly didn’t care anymore and instead focused on enjoying my extremely delicious sirloin steak.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again here: the English way of cooking is right up my alley!  No spices, no strange (read: weird) ingredients…just simple and straightforward cooking.  I love it.  Of course, there are those English cooks who are trying to replicate French or cosmopolitan cooking; to my way of thinking, that’s like turning your back on a good thing.  Who would ever have a complaint about good, plain English food?!  Not me, that’s for sure.

Packing It In

With the day-long hike and dinner over with, it was time to return to Silk Cottage and get everything packed up for an early departure tomorrow morning.  With each minute that passed, I couldn’t help but feel sad for leaving such a beautiful and peaceful place.  It has been years (way too many years!) since I’ve been able to relax like this and feel at peace with the world and within myself.  And with that said, my friends, goodnight and God bless you.