I wrote yesterday about how I am planning on walking the cycle paths, small country lanes, quiet roads, and canal paths that are spelled out in the Richard Barrett book.

And, of course, I’m already figuring on customizing it.

There’s a footpath called the Offa’s Dyke Path National Trail, 177 miles long, which more or less follows the border between England and Wales. (For geographically-challenged North Americans, it’s very roughly between Bristol and Liverpool; you should be able to find those on a map if you can’t spot the border.) At the moment I’m planning on walking Offa’s Dyke once I get to Bristol, and getting back to The Barrett/Cicerone cycle route at the other end. I’m attracted to using this path because it will take me into Wales and out (and in and out … it really does hug the border). Also: Hay-on-Wye, which has more than thirty bookstores. And the immense Hay Festival 22 May-3 June this year (which I need to keep in mind and maybe avoid).

The other change to the published cycle path is just after I would get into Scotland. There’s a shorter 55 mile footpath called “The Annandale Way” between Annan and Moffat. Both ends aren’t that far off my route. And since I went to an “Annandale High School” a few years back, how could I skip that?

And, finally, one of the pleasures of this kind of walk is that I can make more changes on the fly and still be “walking the walk.”