One step at a time
I took myself off for a stroll on Sunday morning, heading along the lane and around the back of the Castro to the top of the Kataractis. I intend just to do a circular route through the village, down to Campos and back around to home. Not a long walk, but better than nothing. I don’t know why, but I changed my mind and the route along the way. I headed up to the Castro, thinking I’d not been there for a while, and I set off up the steps that lead to the arch (was that a barbican at one point?), and came out by the Byzantine (I think) wall. Here the path meets the one coming up from Hariotomeni church. From there, you take the last slope/steps to the gate and churches within the Castro grounds.
It was there that I had to stop and take a rest. I’d not gone very far, but my legs were killing me, and I realised it’s been a long time since I’ve climbed steps. Neil’s been up and down the Kali Strata a couple of times, but I’ve only done it once this past month, and boy, does it show. I’m usually on the road, taking the slope up at a steady pace, not slow, but also without the need to lift your legs very high. The 1.5-mile walk to the monastery where I like to walk, for example, passes with ease, though you do get your aerobics up to a decent level (or whatever it’s called), so you know you’ve been exercising. But a short stroll to the Castro? I had to spend the rest of the day recovering on the sofa with some trash TV and chocolate.
Actually, I didn’t. I came home and went to work on a story, as usual, only hitting the sofa later in the day, occasionally getting up to walk stiffly to the kitchen and back. So, Monday morning, with calf muscles still aching, and shorts in danger of not fitting, I was off out again, this time to take a stroll on the road as usual.
