Moonwalk training: 17.1 Miles from Huntingdon to St Neots

Today was a tale of two halves. A morning walk around Buckden and Offord Cluny. The walk started in Buckden, passing a field with a sign that dogs will be shot if worrying the sheep! Slightly extreme me thinks. We were joined by a dog that kept bringing me a stick, I should have realised after the first throw that it wouldn't leave me alone. Today was a day of Environment Agency signs, over sluices, locks, weirs... We also had to cross the East Coast mainline! Home for lunch.

After lunch and letting the doggies out, we took the train to Huntingdon and walked home, passing the Environment Agency Central Office where we had to have an obligatory photo. We were following the Ouse Valley Way so we followed the river for most of the journey, broken up at one point by a stubborn swan that was blocking our path and hissing at us.

We passed countless kissing gates, then walked through Paxton Pits which seemed to go on forever. This is where Ali hit the wall and needed a sugar hit. Through Little Paxton and then home sweet home. 17.1 miles...done.

Ali's day of birthday surprises

A day of birthday surprises started with the first surprise that we are celebrating it today, a week before Ali's actual birthday...surprise! Since we are working on Ali's birthday, I brought it forward a week. We got the commuter train to London which was a little weird when we were going as tourist. We arrived at the London Eye and Ali's face dropped, she really thought we were going on the eye. Instead, we went on the London Rib tour, a speedboat along the River Thames.

We were given thick coats, waterproof trousers and a life jacket, then onto the boat with a front row seat and a really informative trip along the river first of all. We were told about the green bridge for the commons, the red bridge for the Lords. You get a pint in Parliament for 84p and it's illegal to advertise along the banks of the river, unless you have permission from the Queen! Which means that EDF for the eye and OXO were taken to court. After tower bridge, the speedy part started as we went from side to side, jumping on the waves created by other boats. It was fantastic, loved it. Ali also had everyone on the boat singing Happy Birthday to her.

Onto the next surprise, with a lunch stopover at Whetherspoons first. Neither of us have visited Madame Tausauds for years. The party room was heaving with people taking pictures of the stars. I still like the Royal family bit the best. Trouble was, Ali is terrible at knowing the names of celebrities...except Jessica Ennis and Tom Daly. The spirit of London ride where you sit in a London cab and go around the ages was as good as I remember. We took the escape route instead of doing the tunnel of terror. I remember it last time, to this day, it petrifies me and there was no way Ali was going through it. The next part was a 4D cinema and a film about super heroes. Ali said the film was good, but I can't see 3D so I didn't have a clue what was happening but the bolts in your back, spray of water and air was quite fun.

We had some time to kill before the next surprise so we went to Kensington Palace to see the memorial playground. Unfortunately, adults without children can't enter! There is a buzzer and gate to get in, so we were refused. We walked to the Diana memorial fountains but they were being repaired. Instead, we sat outside Kensington Palace watching the dogs running around. Starting to get chilled, we decided to walk through Hyde Park, it's longer that it looks on the map. It even has a horse path!

The last surprise was 'confessions of a chocoholic' afternoon tea at the London Hilton Park Lane, a 5* hotel that has a shoe shiner in the foyer and Bentley, Mercedes and Lexus chauffeur driven cars constantly picking people up and dropping them off. Ali was in a panic when we arrived, she was wearing track suit bottoms but I stole some clothes from her wardrobe so we got changed in the toilets. Classy.

The afternoon tea was amazing. First, open sandwiches with egg, smoked salmon, cucumber and cream cheese, prawn cocktail and ham and mustard. Then the scones and pastries. Oh my gosh, AMAZING. The tiny cakes were on top of an edible plate of white chocolate, the macaroon was to die for, the cupcakes.... We couldn't finish it so they gave us a gorgeous handbag doggy bag to take home with us.

Ali loved the day, it was great to surprise her throughout the day but gosh we are shattered.

Moonwalk training - St Neots to Biggleswade

Our longest walk to date, 14.2 miles from home to Biggleswade! Two stops on the train, or hours of walking. It started by walking through the not so picturesque bit of St Neots, past the industrial bit, then onto the fields. It's so dry, the ground was cracked and that means I want to take lots and lots of photo's of the ground! The only people we saw on the walk was two golfers when we crossed Abbotsley golf course, listening out for people saying 'fore'. We walked through a rape seed field across the tractor imprint. This is when I discovered that I dislike mud, but I really dislike mud that is crinkly. On we went, first to Sandy where we relived a bit of last weeks walk, including going through the lamb field again. Unfortunately, one lamb was separated from it's mother, so the mother then decided to follow us in close proximity.

A short stop over at a coffee shop in Sandy (I hope we can do that on the Moonwalk). We even picked up some hen and duck eggs by a farm on the side of the road. Then into Biggleswade after 14.2 miles. That was enough, so we took the 6 minute train home to St Neots, packed with commuters.

Moonwalk training: Greensand Ridge Walk

The second long distance walk, this time 9.6 miles on the Greensand Ridge Walk which started in Sandy. At 22 degrees and sunny, perfect conditions for a wander with an OS map. Ali map read the entire way. Through fields of lambs, very muddy tracks with brambles on the side which tore my legs, Ali trying to read a map in the wind, plenty of daffodils, the Lodge RSPB reserve and the first time I've ever seen a horse rider crossing, complete with extra high button!

Moonwalk training: Grafam water

The start of our Moonwalk training and a 9 mile walk around Grafham Water. The car park was absolutely rammed with people, camper vans, people say on picnic chairs with their thermos, next to their cars. It's the first sunny day of the year and everyone was at Graham. We went counter clock wise and hadn't realised how many inclines the track around Grafham Water had, but we found out. For the whole 3 hours, we had bike after bike after bike. The track was great, but we had to go single file because of the number of people and bikes, which spoilt it a little. At mile 5, I needed a break to fix my blistered feet. Luckily, the walk after the break was completely flat so we definitely went the right way around the lake but gosh our muscles were happy to see the car again. £3 car park fee.

Bedford greyhound walk

Spring is definitely springing. The monthly Bedford greyhound walk was definitely less wet than late, for the last few months our paths have been lakes or rivers.