About halfway through the break in Malvern and we’ve covered some distance and gained height as we have gone. A break is good and the thinking that goes with it, dangerous.

Woke up today to another warm and sunny environment. It’s been quite nice, the lazy start to the day but not setting off till 11/12 o’clock does feel a waste in other ways too. We headed 1st to get some gas and that was pretty much sorted quite early on so we could have a warm cooked meal in the van in the evening.

After getting the gas we drove over to Upton upon Severn to see if they’re any good cycling routes to take. Despite the map showing bridleways, it’s not great for cycling, but walking looks okay – we have one planned for Thursday.

Next it was over to Great Malvern to carry out another bit of exploring. Dan did say there was no way he’d be going up the Malvern Hills but that was about to be proved wrong. We parked up and set off, on foot, up the path. Dan had the OS map in hand and was directing the way. We agreed to try to 5km short route deemed suitable for mountain bikes too – the plan was to repeat the route on bikes in the next few days. Pretty quickly, it was certain we would not be returning with bikes. The walk was great and the scenery stunning, but walking was the way to do it (together). I personally would have a go on my bike but certainly not with Kate or Dan and I certainly would not expected to do it without some pushing the bike at some segments.

Walking in such areas and enjoying the great outdoors, you really do think about what you spend time doing and what is important in life. I love teaching and providing great opportunities for the children I can influence. I also enjoy supporting, developing and enhancing the skills and talents of staff I work with. That however can always be done quite easily. Not quite so easy are the politics and the management of time wasted doing things that aren’t necessary.

After a great walk and precious views, back to the campsite and a chilled evening, planning the next days and watching National Treasure. Great film with Nicolas Cage. Image finding such treasures and appreciating the worth.

Another great day and good thinking time. I saw a tweet today stating a retirement age of 67 and life expectancy of 78. Eleven years to enjoy life if you don’t do so now! Think on that and start making decisions for yourself rather than letting others. Enjoy today and enjoy tomorrow. Don’t wait!