The week before Easter I was feeling very down and quite penniless to be honest. I couldn't afford to go swimming on either of my usual days nor had I the money or the inclination to go circuit-training. Didn't feel like cycling either. Very unlike me on the whole.
On 3rd April we went to Somerset for a weeks holiday. I had won this at a comping day last year so we were going on a wing and a prayer and hoping we could keep costs down as much as possible. We were staying on a caravan site but weren't sure what sort of accommodation we were going to be in but were pleasantly surprised we had a bungalow that slept six (there were only three of us though). The downside was that it was very old-fashioned, as in outdated rather than cosy cottage type old-fashioned. Everything looked like it had been there since the 70's. Still I wasn't complaining when it hadn't cost us anything. It did have a decent washer/dryer, dishwasher, microwave and fridge so that was good.
The swimming pool on site was about 200 yards from the bungalow. The first time we tried going it was full and they wouldn't let us in. 'Full' was about 20 people I think! We did manage to go every day after that though and at a £1 a time it wasn't bad at all. I didn't do my usual drills or full on length swimming but usually did about 10 lengths to warm up a bit and then we would challenge each other to underwater swimming or running the full length of the pool or side-stepping etc. So we were very active in the water.
I took my bike with me and was intending to do several rides but I got a chest infection and did a lot of coughing. On the Wednesday I did manage to don my cycling gear and found that the bike chain was a bit rusty from getting really rained on during the trip down to Somerset. It was about half a mile of winding tracK from the bungalow to the road and all uphill and mostly very steep so I walked up there. I was looking forward to the first bit as it was along winding road downhill. The bike was so bad that I had to pedal DOWN the hill. Several times I thought of giving up and going back but carried on a 'bit further' and then decided that I would go to the bike shop in Minehead and get some oil for the chain. (A lady in the pool had told me of this bike shop).
I found it a bit hard going as I was coughing all the way. A lot of the roads were quite narrow and quite busy so I was aware that at times I was holding traffic up but I tried not to do too much of that. Eventually at Carhampton there is a proper cycle track. It is shared with pedestrians but they are few and far between so that's okay. I passed about four other cyclists in all, going the other way. The track went past Dunster Castle and widened into what I assume was the original road just before Minehead.
Having acquired oil, and liberally doused the chain in it, I flew out of Minehead heading for Porlock. Somewhere I took a wrong turning as I found myself going up a smaller road than I remembered from a couple of days before. I tried various variations of road and eventually came to a very steep road. Oh well it felt like it was in the right direction so off I went. I had to stop twice up this hill. Little old grannies with zimmers could have passed me going up here!!! When I reached the top I recognised the road so carried on again. Blimey even slight inclines took it out of me but I plodded on. How far was Porlock? Had they moved it further on?
A WATERWAY IN ALLERFORD NOT FAR FROM PORLOCK
Seemingly a lifetime later I reached Porlock and had a think about where to stop, this end of the village or the other. Nowhere jumped out at me as a good place so I carried on a bit and then made the decision to carry on to Porlock Weir about 1.5 miles further on. I had decided that I couldn't face the hills on the return journey so rang Peter and asked him to pick me up. Thankfully he agreed, so I asked him to bring a change of clothes and we could go out for the rest of the day to Lynton and Lynmouth. The weather was glorious and I had a nice sit on the Weir and waited for them to come and find me.
THIS IS PETER IN LYNMOUTH
One of the days we tried to fly a kite but the wind wasn't strong enough so I wandered along the bay for a mile or so and then back again.
PETER AND ISOBEL ON THE BEACH TRYING TO FLY A KITE
I had got talking to another local person in the pool who told me about various walks and where to park etc. Isobel and I walked along the Mineral Line which is an old railway. It isn't much publicised and the main part you can walk along is only about 2-2.5 miles long. Peter dropped us off at Washford and we walked to Watchet.
ISOBEL WITH YANKEE JACK
Then in the evening this lady, Liz, came and picked us up from the bungalow and took Isobel and I for a walk and told us some history. She then drove us to another place to show us the deer and they are usually quite close to where we were walking. Oh deer, this particular evening they were only just visible on a far hillside. Never mind it was very pleasant still.
So although I haven't done anything hard and fast I have been reasonably active all week. Despite quite a few treats (Easter eggs and Somerset cream tea amongst them) I have come back a pound lighter than when I went so that is good.
BEAUTIFUL IRONWORK ON A CHURCH DOOR
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