Windy walking

We thought we would walk off the Easter calories and combine it with a will we/won't we/still-not-quite-sure rehearsal for the Sarsen Walk. Start at the parking spot on the road to West Ilsley, walk along the Ridgeway parallel to the Rutherford for about a mile, turn left and head down into the valley, round the edge of West Ilsley, across the road and up again, returning to the parking spot from the other direction. Time taken, 1.5 hours; distance covered, approx. 5 miles; weather ... variable.

By which I mean sunshine, hail, snow, rain and a fairly constant, very strong wind. The first mile of the walk was directly into it - freezing, face numbing, eye watering, nose streaming. But then came that turn and suddenly, ah bliss! The wind was behind us.

I remembered that Celtic blessing - may the road rise up to greet you, may the wind be always at your back. On the Ridgeway more often than not the road falls away in front of you, but, "may the wind be always at your back"? That's one of the nicest things you can say to anyone.