Excursion

Tonight I took part in an excursion organized by the women's group here in Jeppo - Jeposmettona. We went to "Purmo", a village about 30 kms away to have a 2-3 hour walk and then have dinner together. When we got there I realized we were supposed to walk 14 kilometers, and started having second thoughts. I haven't had much possibility to exercise since D was born, there simply doesn't seem to be time. But I thought I could manage if we took it easy (there were six of us). Unfortunately the rest were in good shape, used to long walks, so they took off like ... well-trained people (couldn't think of a suitable animal or word: antilopes/cheetas? ...but walking).
Shortly after this, I realized I had to throw in the towel. The others were just speeding away, there was no time for taking photos, having a sip of water, listening to the birds.....I was breaking into a sweat and we hadn't even come halfway yet. So when the path joined a road that seemed to go back, I decided to go back, otherwise the walk would have become an endless struggle, instead of a nice break from responsibilities and tasks. It turned out to be a good decision, when the others trotted away, I tried a small road that lead into a beautiful forest, sat down on a rock, had a banana and just enjoyed the birds singing and the smell of spring. No rushing anywhere, instead catching up with myself.

Ummmm, here I could enjoy the smell of fresh wood...and shortly afterwards there was a field full of feeding swans in the distance.

After this I slowly made my way

back to the restaurant where we had started from. All in all I guess I walked about 6-7 kilometers, which for a "normal" person isn´t very far, but for me at this moment - in the shape I'm in - is a rather long walk. But I recovered while I waited for the others to get back - for an hour I sat engulfed in a gossip magazine, with a glass of wine (a luxury to have an hour of idle time!). Then we had a nice meal together...and I had (I think) my first Irish coffee since D came into my life :). So even if the walk began badly for me, the whole event became a positive one. Tomorrow I need to go get my car from the center of the village ;).

ps. lots of wildlife in the woods between Jeppo and Purmo - on the way there I saw an elk with its small calf on a field and on the way back there were at least three rabbits crossing the road in front of the car and many big birds - but there was no way of telling the species in the semidarkness.