The set up
It’s another warm Sunday summer afternoon and I’m sitting with my perfect espresso cup listening to the second act of La Bohéme. It’s been a quiet weekend for me after a series of long weeks at work and happily busy weekends that I’ve enjoyed with friends. I’ve recently seen La Bohéme at the Royal Opera House and it has been an unforgettable experience. I’ve been listening to the arias almost every day since I’ve seen it and it’s the perfect company for the theme of my walking experience. As it has been warm all this time and windows are bright open my neighbours might be slightly fed up with it by now but it cannot be helped that I’ve fallen so much in love with the music and cannot live without it.
Sunday’s walk
Today after a very long time I went for a long walk from Hertford to Ware – something that I didn’t expect to happen with my troublesome foot but which nevertheless did happen. When I woke up in the morning I knew that I wanted to do my exercise early before it got unbearably hot, but I didn’t feel like cycling so I decided to give walking a chance. I put on my shorts and walking shoes, chose matching sunglasses, because even when going for a casual walk one has to be in style, and loaded my MP3 with a French album called Café de Paris. Checking that I was perfectly prepared I set off briefly considering what pathway I would be doing.
I chose a familiar pathway which was quite in the shade but still enjoyable. I didn’t expect that I would be going for more than an hour as normally my aching foot starts rebelling in the first 30 minutes so my expectations where quite low. Even though it was quite early those with the young children and dogs where already out and about. So were the activity conscious ones, the canoeists preparing for their dip in the river and the footballers who were warming up for their Sunday match.
I walked on my own but I wasn’t lonely. At the beginning, I was looking at all those around me and played my usual past time hobby of making up stories about their lives using the clues from their appearance. I was feeling carefree and full of energy and my walking pace was a cheerful brusque one which came to me naturally. And all of a sudden, as I was enjoying the scenery and observing a large walking group of senior citizens that was about to set off for their walking adventure too with their guide, I found myself surrounded with a lot of memories from so many different happy moments of my life.
Starting with the most recent one from my evening at the Royal Opera House to see La Boheme with a very good friend of mine and our amusing conversation. A laugh came on my face reminiscing our conversation about the fact that he was sitting only a few tables away from the woman of his dreams but being a true gentleman didn’t go up to her and tell her so. The reason was that she was sitting with another man and although I strongly insisted that all is fair in love and war and he should not miss his chance, he didn’t. My sweet romantic side of me thought of another missed opportunity in our world for two people to be together because of fate not meaning for them to get acquainted.
And then my memories took me to my summer holidays that I’ve spent in Sardinia. The walks in the harbour and the little Tahiti in the morning after breakfast, the long hours spent on the beach sunbathing and relaxing trying to recover from my break with my boyfriend which happened a few weeks before that trip. Time is a wonderful element in life. Yes, it is a cliché that time heals everything, but it is also true. Because time has helped to erase from my memories the sadness that I felt at the time and what is left is only the happy memories of the scenery, the food and my brother’s company.
As I kept walking, my next memory was from last year’s summer holiday in Kalamata – the first holiday that I went on my own. I guess as the summer in England this year is so hot it’s inevitable that I have been going back in time to all my summer trips. And last year’s experience was such a rejuvenating one from many perspectives. It was full of sunshine, luxury, swimming and relaxation. The perfect holiday for one!
Engulfed by the sounds of Edith Piaf and Charles Aznavour I couldn’t help going back in time to my different trips that I’ve had in Paris. One during autumn, two trips in the winter and one at summer time. All in different moods and stages in my life…first time (the autumn one) was when I met my first and only true love, one was at Christmas holidays (the first winter one), one after my university graduation (the summer one) and the last one on a very cold winter. So many walks I’ve done in various places in Paris and my question today was, is Paris the eternal city of love? To me it isn’t but the Eiffel tower has sure captured and will always have my heart.
And with all these memories swimming into my head and heart I reached Ware without realising it and when I reached the familiar bridge at the end of the canal pathway I was happily surprised at how effortlessly and naturally I did it after such a long time of no walking. I took a minute to celebrate my victory and started the journey back.
The memories that walked beside me on the way back were not of trips but of relationships. People that have come in and out of my life for better or for worse in the last few years. Relationships that have made me grow stronger and discover parts of me that I didn’t realise existed or denied to acknowledge that they were there. Relationships that have made me feel alive and create memories to look back on and cherish for ever. Lost in these memories, the French National Anthem played on the MP3 – The Marseillaise and the Café de Paris album ended. My walk was nearly over too as I was closer to home and I felt another victory as it was almost two hours since I’ve left home this morning and I was returning in one piece, with a foot that was tired but not aching and full of energy.
Sunday evening music finale
It’s now almost dusk and having had a perfect dinner while listening to the Proms, I’m sitting by the river bench writing the last lines of my blog. There is someone playing the guitar on a barge that is parked on the river opposite me and I’ve stopped my music to listen to him…
Time for me to make my own music and go and play my keyboard! Je ne regrette rien.
Walks and Smiles 