Energising Monday Morning Walk!

I have another week off work, once again taken during lockdown, beginning on the day children finally went back to school, and we were allowed to meet a single person outside for a walk. Yup that's how bad things had got; all of us supposedly locked down in our homes for the duration of the second wave of the pandemic.

This morning I had another early appointment at the Guildhall Square Test Centre, where I had a third Coronavirus lateral flow test. I have got used to the procedure now and was in and out within five minutes. I will be having a test twice a week, until this pandemic is finally over, mainly to make sure others are safe. The test centre was busier than usual, and it was good to see so many people taking advantage of this facility, at a time when all of us should stay safe.

With the sun out, I took advantage of the great weather, apart from the biting cold that is, and walked down to the sea front, a short distance away.  It was a very quick walk for me today, just five miles; I have been suffering a lot from foot pain, so didn't want to overdo it. Nevertheless, it was long enough to make me feel energised and alive. It is rather sad that I only seem to find time to walk when I am not working these days, but I guess that's the nature of work and I have to make sure I find a more beneficial work/life balance.

I was going to make my way to Portsmouth Cathedral, but with the promenade closed for building work, I took a short walk to Castle Field, where I enjoyed the sea air, surprisingly calm water and dry conditions. For once there was no rain, and it was just nice to get out and go somewhere different. From the Castle, I walked up to the bandstand, where I noticed a memorial to a young lad who had obviously passed away, a story I have yet to discover, but important to those who commemorated his loss. Interestingly, there are many such commemorative sites across Portsmouth, each, lovingly placed to remember the loss of someone close.

I have a busy week ahead, which always happens during holidays. With a new bed being delivered this week, I have a lot of sorting out to do. However, I do want to get out and do some more walking this week, without pushing my bad foot too hard. During the first and second lockdown, I was able to explore Portsmouth in its entirety, so today I can take a more leisurely look at this great city. With all the kids back at school, it was a nice, less fraught trek this morning; there were very few people about, and it is certainly something I need to do more of in the future. I have put on 6 kg since Christmas and have been feeling rather bloated, probably due to IBS as well, so it's time to pick up the exercise bug where I left off, and do something about this fifty-year-old body, that looks every inch its age.