Out into the Day

Yesterday began with rain and we were not prepared to hike in it. So a morning catching up on things back home and then a hint of sun had us waiting at the bus stop to ride to Stow-in-Wold to begin our day’s adventure. The little pamphlet we had picked up at the Tourist Office gave us a map of sorts to walk the public footpaths to Bournton-on-the-Water (most towns in the Cotswold seem to be hyphenated!) and off we went. The first challenge was finding the beginning of the walk and a combination of asking at the Police Station, looking at our paper map and re-checking on Google maps finally got us to the sought-after Public Footpath sign. Through the turnstile and over the river and through the woods—well, fields— we did go, stopping at an inviting bench to eat our picnic lunch looking out at this landscape.

On we went, past cows, horses, sheep and all was well until there were some footpath choices without any sense of clarity about which one was the right one. But on we walked following our nose, came into a small village that seemed it was close to our destination town, asked directions again and started walking along a little river. That’s when my wife informed me that her phone map was suggesting the opposite direction. We met two people coming towards us and asked directions and they confirmed she was right. So we walked with them for a short while and found out that they were from Turkey.

 

“I always laugh when someone says, ‘Oh, you’re from such and such a place, do you know…?’” I said, “but perhaps you do know my friend Ezo Sunal.”

 

“Yes,” said the man. “I’m her book publisher.”

 

She’s actually kind of famous in Istanbul, as her father was a well-known actor and her brother also and she had a TV show for kids, writes books, paints paintings, so it wasn’t a total shock. But still. Of course, we took a selfie and I sent it off to her, who was as amazed as I was!

 

On we went to Bournton-on-the-Water, a place I would define as the “Carmel of the Cotswolds.” Californians know what I mean— a lovely town, but self-consciously so, playing to tourists. Caught the bus home from there, a delicious Thai dinner out, check our walking distance (7 miles) and took out the maps for tomorrow’s walk. 

 

I love teaching wherever I go, I love my San Francisco routine, but I’m also loving this life of either biking every day or hiking every day or walking around cities every day. I do miss playing piano and cooking my own meals but otherwise, I can keep going like this for a long time. In fact, just two more days of hiking, then teaching a workshop, three more days of wandering about London and then teaching in Austria and Ghana and beyond. It’s all good.

 

The 8:00 am sun (which has been up since around 5:00) is inviting me out to the day after a porridge breakfast and a cup of tea. Onward and upward!