I left the house thinking that I would just walk around the lakes, as usual. Then my iPod died. I had checked that it was fully charged before I left the house, and I didn’t get the “low battery” warning before it went silent, so I knew that wasn’t the problem. It was just dead. Walk out to London Drugs and get another one, I thought. And while you’re at it, get a few handkerchiefs at Mark’s Work Warehouse so you can throw out the ones that are at the end of their service life. So that’s what I did.
Through the park, over the Ring Road, and into the eastern big-box suburbs. 11 kilometres out, and 11 kilometres back. There were quite a few walkers by the lake, but by the time I left the park, I was pretty well on my own.
I like that gravel path, which runs along Assiniboine Ave. It reminds me of the sendas in Spain–footpaths running parallel to the highway.
After 13 or 14 kilometres, I ran out of energy. I bought some trail mix at a drug store and ate it sitting on a bench. It didn’t really help, at least not right away, but I kept walking anyway.
In the park north of the lake there are footpaths, which are a lot easier on the feet than the paved paths or concrete sidewalks elsewhere. And I like their informality, and the way they remind me of walking in England.
And then home. I’m lucky to be able to spend five hours wandering around the city. I’ll be walking like a penguin tonight but it was a great way to spend the afternoon.