O Lucky Man!

The 1973 Film starring Malcolm McDowell:
"..... shows 1960s Britain retreating from its imperial past, but managing to retain some influence in the world by means of corrupt dealings with foreign dictators."
where the character he plays:
" ......learns the lesson that he must abandon his principles in order to succeed, but he must retain a detached idealism that will allow him to distance himself from the evils of the world."
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Today Mrs May was continuing her 3-day "Global post Brexit" Tour of Africa and getting lots of peoples backs up - especially mine.

Luckily, I was able to get out in the evening and take Luna for a walk around the "Schickling Walk" that I have mentioned dozens of times in the last decade or so. It's been a while as the full walk was just a bit too far for Flash in the last months.

As we drove onto the carpark at Ottobeuren, the drizzle started and I decided we were going to try a "speed walk" using an App I use several times a week to follow my son's MTB rides and "Sofa to 5k" walk/jogs around Worthing and the South Downs. I like to keep track of his calorie usage and thus extrapolate his liquid calorie intake.

While I don't have the appropriate "health/fitness/personal coach" armband, the mobile phone App does record amazingly accurately the location/ track and thus a good speed and average speed statistic.

Armed with a folded umbrella, off we set and 100 metres came across the first dog walker who we didn't know but wanted more than just the passing obligatory Bavarian greeting "Grüss Gott". Quickly untangled us and again got back into top gear for 50 metres when crossing a one-person-wide bridge across a stream and having to wait for two excitable little pugs - always make me laugh and even Luna has to stop her teeth flashing gums while they weave in and around her feet, bobbing up and down and "barking".

Now a straight deserted, full speed stretch for a good 500 metres except Luna had "the urge" after 100 metres and another stop to pick up the results and carefully place the bag alongside the path to collect up on the return leg of the tennis racquet shaped walk (Extra Photo). Finally started the loop section and  300 metres later, around a bend, we spotted a man on a bike and his Border-X approaching us. We had last seen each other 6 days ago during a rain shower while doing the Ottobeuren Bannwald forest walk and we had chatted then for a good 10 minutes!

The sun had now come out and so there followed another 10-minute chat. I asked him about his lovely E-MTB bike which I had not seen him ride before - I would love one. He told me he had found it abandoned in the forest, taken it to the Ottobeuren council's lost-and-found office and when it wasn't claimed after a given time, it became his. A few minor repairs to brakes and lightning, purchase a battery charger for the still good 500W Bosch battery and functioning motor!

"Oh, what a lucky man", I mumbled between clenched teeth as we made our parting waves and off we again started .... for 200 metres and the head of the course in the middle of the Schickling estate buildings where a car was blocking access to the small wooden bridge over the river. The window went down and the words "Grüss Dich" (Hi) came forth from the interior - the "Handy-Man" for the estate who we have known for years simply from constantly seeing him repairing, clearing, cutting, cleaning, building something or other.

Yes, there followed another 5-minute chat, exchanging reports on our same-age aches and pains. Luckily he was in a hurry to get home and with "Greetings to your wife" ringing in my ears, we set off again. And at long last, we could go into overdrive as we descended the slight slope with Ottobeuren Basilica poking out from the trees in the distance, slowing only for Luna to pose with lots of autumn crocuses - Extra photo.

Over another narrow wooden bridge, one quick stick in the river and while Luna had a paddle, I continued but only 100 metres as we got back to the racquet handle and met up a charming young lady, her partner and young Border Collie who we often bump into and Luna now knows well enough not to get worked up about. A short chat though  - the first time I had met the partner and thus my flirting attempts were not appropriate.

And that was it. Arrived back at the car and without our "poo bag" which someone else had kindly disposed off - in return I rescued an abandoned, empty, glass beer bottle.

2.5km, 20m Elevation Gain in 47 minutes and supposedly 220 calories used.
Angie did the same walk the following day in 32 minutes with long swimming breaks. My excuse to her about my performance from the day before being due to high altitude lack of oxygen at 653 metres above sea level, didn't hold water.

I was rewarded by my son seeing my performance and giving me a "thumbs up" kudos click. As I had also posted today's Blip foto on the App, he replied he was taking the plane tomorrow and would like to do some forest "abandoned E-bike" exploration around Ottobeuren!

A bit of fun but perhaps investing in a €30 wristband may add a bit more motivation to get on with it and stop chatting and flirting. Could do with one for Luna too to see how far she goes - despite all the other distractions she rarely needs a lead, today only during the 100 metres or so amongst the  estate buildings where one is asked to keep dogs on a lead.

Oh & my O Lucky Man!/Malcolm McDowell link was caused by me preparing a Back Blip about a visit to the Prince of Wales Theatre in London in 1975 to watch  the incredible James (Jimmy) Stewart perform in the white rabbit "Harvey" play alongside Mona Washbourne who was amongst countless other roles in the O Lucky Man! film and this leads to McDowell who became famous in the earlier "----if" film about the strangest most violent goings on in 1968 public schools just as I entered my senior public school. 

Strange how minds work!