WHY YOU ARE NEVER TOO OLD TO HAVE THOSE ADVENTURES

I ended my last blog by saying that I was glad I pushed myself out of my comfort zone while I was able to physically do so. It was with that in mind that I agreed to go wild river swimming with the farm owners's daughter, Rose. 

She took me to an area of the River Stour she knew well. She had spent many summers growing up swimming in that part of the river and jumping in from a bridge that spanned it. We had such an exhilarating time jumping in from the bridge (having checked and checked again, that it was safe to do so, no strong currents, no debris and it was very deep.) I have to admit to feeling very nervous but I wanted to push myself to overcome my fear and to say yes more and I am so glad that I did. It took me back to my childhood days when we would go to Wales on holiday and swim in the local rivers, even when they were freezing cold. We had hours of fun building dams across those rivers. Now Rose had encouraged me to feel free and to enjoy the moment and I am so thankful that she did.

But then there was the question of getting out of the river. It was not going to be that easy as the banks were very muddy and slippery. I swam up and down looking for the best place to try and gracefully pull myself out of the water. Rose, being a good thirty plus years younger than me, scurried up the banking with what she informed me was her "monkey stance" and she made it look so easy. I on the other hand wedged my toes as far into the slimy mudbank as I could, grabbed clumps of grass and then unceremoniously threw my body weight forward and rolled my torso onto the bank, all the time trying to make it look as graceful as possible. See what you think the result was in the video below!! 

Think I have a long way to go to perfect my 'monkey stance' exit from the river.I was buzzing for days after the river swim and even more determined to do more activities in the future that may push me out of my comfort zone.

I relaxed for my last few days on the farm capturing my last sunsets.

I also had a few goodbye drinks and partied with some of the people who stabled their horses there. Eventually the day came and it was with a heavy heart, and a promise to return, that I headed off in my motorhome from the farm in Dorset to continue my adventures. Knowing that in Jan I had definitely made a friend for life. 

I had been to Glastonbury festival several times in my life and I had always seen the Glastonbury Tor in the distance and I wanted to climb it one day. As I approached the Glastonbury hills I found what I thought was a lovely CL site ('Certified Location' site, affiliated with the motorhome club, which only allows five motorhomes on these types of sites, so they are generally really nice and quiet)  not too far from the Tor.  My initial plan was to get up very early and to walk to there, so that I could climb it and see the sunrise. That plan changed after cycling into Glastonbury town from the site.  It was a lot further than I had anticipated and I knew that there was no way that I would want to walk over three miles, then climb the steep hill to the Tor, at the crack of dawn. I would have to have a rethink, thankfully I was staying on the site for several days.

As I cycled into Glastonbury town It was very different to how I had imagined it would be. I was surprised just how uneasy I felt. I was very hesitant about leaving my bike as I had heard tales of many people having their bikes stolen. There were a lot of unsavoury looking characters just hanging around the main streets, this made me feel that I could not totally relax. I walked up and down and looked at the shops full of various precious stones and gothic looking figures.

I was keen to check out Glastonbury Abbey but when I saw that it was an £11 entrance fee, I just looked at the bits I could see over the wall and the wonderful pictures outside and resorted to reading up about the Abbey's history.  www.glastonburyabbey.com It was founded in the 8th century and by the 14th Century it was one of the richest and most powerful monasteries in England. It's ruins are now a grade one listed building.

I had time on my hands now and I kept seeing signs for the Tor,  I decided to try and find a pathway up to the top with my bike. After passing several houses I was confronted by a gate and steep looking path. At the same time I saw a group of workmen working on the large house by the gate. They had lovely Yorkshire accents and I felt an affinity with them straight away. I asked them if they would mind looking after my bike as I climbed to the top of the Tor. They said it would take me about half an hour to get to the top and they would take good care of it. 

I left my electric bike with them and headed off. It was only once I reached the summit I began to doubt myself and fear they may take the bike. I had not got a clue who they were and I had left the battery on the bike so it was good to go. But then I stopped myself thinking that as I do not want to go around mistrusting everyone and they were so friendly and helpful.  I pushed the thoughts from my mind and enjoyed the magnificent views from the top of the Tor.  I made my way back down and it was with a joyful heart that I got to the bottom and retrieved my bike from the great bunch of workers. It is things like that that restore my faith in human nature.

The next morning I got up at ten to four and drove my motorhome to the bottom of the Tor and climbed up it. 

Sadly it was pretty cloudy so I did not get a glorious sunrise but it was still wonderful to see daybreak over the Glastonbury hills. I also got to meet up with @Glastomichelle who I had been following on social media all the way through the lockdowns She had been posting the most amazing pictures from the Tor. It was lovely to finally meet her and have a chat. She sells amazing calendars of the images she has taken over the year.

My next port of Call in my motorhome was Cheddar Gorge, I had read about the limestone gorge in the Mendip Hills, near the village of Cheddar, in Somerset but never got around to visiting them.

It is an amazing natural phenomena, so I was excited about driving through the jagged rocks and it did not disappoint, it was breathtaking, little goats were wandering around at the roads edge. Unfortunately the cheddar Gorge caves were closed because of Covid restrictions but I am still glad I got to drive up and down the gorge.

Since December I have been taking part in the https://sayyesmore.com coffee morning zoom calls and I have got to know some amazing supportive, adventurous, friendly people. One of those is @littlemissbristol Effy Venn, 

She kindly picked me up from my campsite just outside Bristol and took me for my first ever paddle boarding lesson with @SUPbristol , in Bristol harbour. I loved it and managed to stand up and not to fall in. Although my legs were shaking like mad and I was very wobbly at times. I cannot wait to get back on a paddle board again in the near future.

Effy then very kindly took me on the most amazing tour of Bristol. 

In a previous job she had been a tour guide, before she became a bus driver, so she was able to tell me the interesting facts about so many of the highlights of the City as we walked miles. 

The views from Clifton suspension bridge were fabulous. It is definitely a place that I will be revisiting.

The next morning Effy picked me up again and took me to Clevedon Marine Lake, which is so impressive. 

The saltwater lido is almost a hundred years old and is open all year to everyone for free (or a small donation) I was not prepared for the stunning views and just how beautiful the views were. We walked along the seafront to the beautiful Victorian Pier. Sir John Betjeman called it "the most beautiful Pier in England". 

Opened in 1869 it was named Pier of the year in 2021 by the National Piers Society. It is capped with a Japanese-style pagoda and elegant cast iron lamps on slender legs. We were lucky with the weather and the sun was shinning through as we sat on one of the benches at the end of the pier and shared the flask of coffee I had packed in my rucksack. I was blown away by Effy's generosity of spirit. She had only got to know me on social media but here she was giving up so much of her time and showing me the most amazing places around where she lives. This is exactly why I have hit the road in my motorhome, to meet up with people like her who are just lovely human beings. It is so easy when you are working long hours and stressed with everyday life to get lost in the notion that most people are not nice. I fundamentally believe the opposite but it is taking time to readjust to that mindset now that I have retired. I am also feeling that I am becoming a nicer person to be around. I am able to spend time engaging with interesting people and I am genuinely interested in their lives.

Speaking of interesting people,Jan, who owns the Dorset farm where I helped out for five weeks, met up with me in her converted horse box at a campsite between Bristol and Cheddar Gorge. 

It was the night of the Euro finals. Everyone seemed to be transfixed watching the game. But we went for a walk through the woods, got a big sack of wood and made ourselves an open fire.

I cooked us some food and we had a few drinks and chatted for hours about life, it was great fun and good to see her again. 

I stayed on the site another night on my own and went for a long walk. Sometimes it is just nice to stop. I am gradually learning that it is ok not to be busy. I do not have to justify to anyone why I am doing nothing. At first when I started my retirement adventure I had this inner voice telling me that people would judge me if I was not doing something productive most of the time. Now nearly two years into this lifestyle I realise that rest is an essential part of being who I am too. I am taking the time to absorb my surroundings and to listen to the birdsong and watch the other people on the campsite enjoying themselves, or falling out over who holds what bit of the awning as they struggle to erect it. I now know that rest and taking time for me is an intrinsic and essential part of me being who I am and being able to truly enjoy all the things I am experiencing along the way. 

Before I was rushing around far too much in my life to properly take in the moments and to register the beauty of my surroundings. I am thankful that I am able to age this way and be part of the retirement rebellion. www.shuvonshuvoff.co.uk