I mentioned in my last blog that the weather forecast for last week was due to be pretty poor, and so it turned out. This week’s blog will be quite short.
Thankfully, my focus was all internal starting to take down all the Christmas decorations. The only disadvantage of putting up so many decorations, is that it takes quite a long time to take them all down again! I dislike taking the decorations down as it always makes the house look quite dull for a few days until we readjust to the new normal.
I have managed to clear our own home and most of Granary but am yet to make a start on Priory (which will take the longest) and have waited until the better weather to remove the exterior lights.
The better weather arrived this morning with a beautiful clear blue sky and bright sunshine which allowed us to have our first weekly walk of the year.
Up to this morning, we have had some wet and very wet days, so we chose a walk where we knew the path would be solid and not too waterlogged and returned to the Nantes Brest canal.
It was a good decision as the canal was fuller and faster flowing than we had ever seen it before, as too the drainage ditches that parallel the canal on the opposite side of the tow path. It was obvious that the path had been underwater recently when the canal had been even fuller but, thankfully, the water had receded so it was passable. I think had we walked through the woods it wood have been decidedly soggy.
As we have walked the canal frequently, we decided to drive further along and start just outside the town. The last time we were at the canal, last October, we didn’t want to walk too far as Garratt seemed to be struggling with his joints but we walked somewhere that we wanted to return to and explore more. And that is what we did today.
Starting at the end of a small lane we walked Easterly past the lock at Gwaker and up to the bridge where the D117 crosses the canal. It is not a part of the canal we have walked before but, as other stretches, it is very beautiful and extremely peaceful. We would recommend it for those who enjoy being outside but prefer a flatter, firmer, path to walk.
Next week is looking like very settled, dry but cold weather, thankfully however, no where near as cold as we have seen in the UK over the last week as we skirt around the freezing mark. My focus will be to continue taking down the decorations and have them all boxed and stowed away by this time next week. Shouldn’t they be quicker to take down than put up?!
À bientôt.