Days out can often be the last thing on our mind when struggling with fibromyalgia. Pain and fatigue can play havoc with arrangements. But a change of scenery can be helpful and it’s always good to have something pleasant in the diary to look forward to.
We recently had a weekend away in Warwick. It’s a beautiful town to walk around with plenty of points of interest within a compact area, making it relatively easy to get around.
Our first destination was St Nicholas Park. The trees looked stunning in their autumn splendour. We stopped to watch some ducks and swans on the River Avon and enjoyed a picnic lunch.
We then ambled down Mill Street, admiring the beautiful cottages which are overlooked by the grandeur of Warwick Castle.
Our next stop was the Lord Leycester Hospital, an amazing medieval building which started life as the home of the Guilds of Warwick before becoming a “hospital” for injured soldiers called “the brethren”. And the building is still home to a community of brethren today.
It was fascinating to walk around such an old building and listen to the stories of its inhabitants over the centuries. Dogs aren’t allowed in the hospital buildings but are allowed in the cafe. So we took it in turns to sit with the dogs in the cafe and this gave me a chance to rest a little, drink coffee and eat cake!
We rounded off the day with a visit to Hill Close Gardens, a restored example of Victorian recreational gardens originally established in 1845 for the benefit of town centre dwellers who could rent or buy a plot. The gardens were dog friendly so we were all able to take a wander around together and finished up enjoying yet more coffee and cake in the tea room.
The following day we visited Kenilworth Castle, which is managed by English Heritage. The oldest part of the castle dates from around 1120 and has been added to multiple times since.
We were really impressed by how dog friendly the site is. Dogs were allowed anywhere including in the indoor exhibitions, so that made things much easier for us. I was struggling with pain whilst there, so spent a lot of time sitting wherever there were benches. Eventually, the pain got too much so we weren’t able to look around all of the castle. Nonetheless I still managed to do more than I thought I would over the space of a weekend. I arrived back home feeling tired and achy but having had a very enjoyable weekend in a beautiful location and I felt it was worth the discomfort afterwards.
If you are considering a day out or a trip, then here are some tips that I find useful to follow:
- Research your destination in advance to make sure there are places where you can rest and that your chosen destination is suitable depending on your access requirements.
- Plan adequate rest before and after the trip. I generally try to leave at least free day after arriving home from any trips just to allow my body to get the rest it needs.
- Take your medications with you, and extra (if applicable) if you think your pain might spike due to doing more than you usually would.
- Wear comfy clothes and layer up so you’re prepared for any temperature.
- Plan your agenda to incorporate rest breaks in between each activity.
- Don’t be too ambitious in planning what you’ll do during the day/s.
I’ve also written an earlier blog post on car travel tips for more ideas on making travel a little easier.
How about you? Have you been anywhere interesting lately and if so, how do you plan for days out?
Musings on Life with Fibromyalgia 
🧡
LikeLiked by 2 people