Perambulations

It's ever so slightly embarrassing that, in just over two years of living where I am, I have yet to really explore the area. Back when I lived with my folks, I knew the walking route from their home to three different town centres. Where I am now, I've walked into one a couple of times, but haven't even glanced down the other walking routes I could take.

I've been driven to several nearby locations but, even on the more direct routes, it's often difficult me to connect the dots that would be each stage of the route on foot. I know there's a park down one end of the road, and there's another somewhere nearby in a different direction. That's the direction my feet took me today.

I'd been to the park before (by car, and by a different route) so, when I arrived at the closest entrance, I wasn't completely sure I'd arrived at the same park. Turns out it's quite a sprawl, and very irregularly shaped. What first looks like a fairly small, rectangular park then leads off at an angle to a separate block of grassland which, in turn, leads into a nature reserve (who knew there was one of those nearby?). To be honest, that looked a bit grotty, and the only nature I saw was one couple walking around and one bloke possibly sleeping near what might have been a pond... it was completely opaque and very orange... but definitely liquid.

Turning tail, I intended to walk around the continuation of the first open space in the park, but ended up taking a rather more circuitous route through a lightly wooded area around a litter-strewn stream, in between the second block of grassland and a third, long thin strip which was being used for a kickabout between a group of kids.

This oh-so-nearly picturesque path came out right by the entrance I'd arrived at and, since I'd been walking for about an hour already, I decided to head home rather than complete my circuit of the first block of the park by wandering round to what looks like a Cricket pavillion. Of course, when I got close to home again, I still felt like walking, so I took a short wander down the road to the next nearest station before returning to my flat.

It was quite a pleasant stroll, ending up at nigh on two hours... and I'm not even that tired afterward. Blistered, yes, but not tired. Let's see how it affects my sleep tonight...