Walking, walking and more walking

Ripley - River Wey

Walking is something I've done a lot of this year and this week in particular. On Sunday I went to Ripley in Surrey with a small group (two others) from church. It was a lovely sunny day and we did a four mile walk along the back of Wisley Gardens, across a golf course and by a river and a lock. We stopped at a pub (as you do) for a drink and to eat our lunch outside. I'd bought some new walking shoes and this was only the second time I'd worn them (before that it was just to the shops to 'break them in'). They were really comfortable, a bit like slippers really, except that on the side of one heel a blister began to form but I was okay.

Ripley

When I went out on Monday I wore my trainers to rest the walking shoes and my blister! I spent much of the day walking around a well know city in Hampshire (read my other blog for more details) then yesterday hubby and I did another Thames Path walk.....this time from Kingston Bridge to Kew Bridge, approximately eight miles. Again I wore my trainers to be on the safe side, knowing this would be a long walk. This was probably the longest walk I've done in a while but I feel okay today. It was nice to visit sections of the river I didn't know, namely beyond Teddington Lock and sections past Richmond Bridge looking towards Old Isleworth. There is a long tree-lined stretch where you walk between the river Thames and Old Deer Park, which has a much smaller river. It is so peaceful, if you can ignore the planes coming in to land at Heathrow Airport every thirty seconds or so! But I find all that rather exciting.....landing gear down, the heavy drone of engines, descending all the time. Often I stopped just to watch and it reminded me of years ago when my brother and I went to the airport when the roof garden was open (it was shut sometime due to security reasons...IRA!). I remember photographing the planes with my trusty Pentax camera with long telephoto lens (on black & white film) as the planes taxied in or took off, the fumes potent, the atmosphere exhilarating. Ah, those were the days. Now I use a Canon Powershot compact digital with buttons I'm still not sure of! With my Pentax I could twiddle the aperture, compensate with changed shutter speed to get the depth of field I needed without a second thought even....yet the digital.....ah...it drives me mad. I never feel I have absolute control over it. I keep promising myself a short course in how to use it properly. But it does take some nice shots even on automatic and is so handy for downloading to share with others. Even so, I miss my Pentax. It's packed away with all its accessories. I could never sell it.....too many memories...it's about 38 years old and can still take wonderful photos.