When I retired at 60 it was with the notion that I'd do any darn thing I wanted for a decade, then slow down a bit. It was a solid plan, and has mostly worked out. Of course Covid swiped roughly two of those years, so I'm considering extending the "no limits" phase of my retirement years by a bit. Of course, you need to do the occasional reality check.
I don't drive in the UK. And when I go excavate at Vindolanda the local accommodations are finite. My preferred home base is The Bowes at Bardon Mill. It is down in the valley. The fort of Vindolanda was, logically for a defended place, built on a hill.
The linear distance is 1.5 miles for my morning walk, 2 miles for the evening return. I am in no rush in the afternoon, and prefer to avoid the up and down trek that my shorter, morning walk requires. The total end point elevation difference between start and finish is about 450 feet, but for the AM commute, its up and down a series of hills. I figure it is closer to twice that once you factor in giving back elevation with those down hill stretches. But is is a pleasant walk, and I do arrive on site warmed up and ready to haul barrows for the day. Here's a few highlights of the forty minute trek.
Other than, I suppose, tipping over entirely the biggest risk is right here. There is a very busy motorway that crosses my route, and the only way to avoid it would be an unacceptably long detour that actually would add another 500 feet or so of total elevation to the expedition. So every morning and every evening I dash across it.
The mornings are the tricky crossings. I'm on a time table, and there can be mist and such. So I've added a blaze orange hat to my travel bag. I wear it only for the Commute, once on site I switch to the hat bearing the image of my Spirit Animal, Bucky Badger.
With careful observation I'm always able to make the crossing without drama, but a year or two back an American volunteer on site made the mistake of looking the wrong way and did get injured. He's back on site this season I was pleased to learn....
The next segment of the walk features these guys. Despite the ominous clouds, their dark faces and curly horns, this is no big deal. A simple "scram" gets them out of my way. On the return circuit I walk through a pasture with cows, they can be a bit more difficult.
More critters. About two thirds of the way up there is a single modest stone house. No idea what the folks there do, but they have a new Jaguar parked at the end of a road far more suited to sheep. They had a pesky old dog that has been barking at me for years. This year there is also a young pup barking at me. I bring along a few dog biscuits from the communal stash at The Bowes.Eventually I glimpse Vindolanda off in the distance. Alas, I have to "give back" about 200 feet of elevation as I go downhill and then up again to get to it....The return trip is as mentioned, longer but more leisurely. With a wider swing to the west I can avoid the ups and downs. I usually walk it with my friend Pete who stays over that way. Delightfully, given my nickname of Badger, there are badger dens along the way. Oh, and the promise of a pint at journey's end.Nothing like digging about in stuff nearly two thousand years old to give you a sense of time. Many others have walked these paths before me. Many others will do so after I'm gone. But for now, Old Dogs and Young Pups are still afoot, and there's biscuits for both.....Old dogs on tea and biscuit break.
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