Friday 18 October 2013
Monday 14 October 2013
Drawing to a close
The walk is over for this time, sounds like they all enjoyed themselves.. I think they are already planning to return next spring.
One more entry from Marks Blog: www.blistersrus.wordpress.com
One more entry from Marks Blog: www.blistersrus.wordpress.com
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by markknowlton
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It was just 5
degrees and quite chilly when set off from Belorada. Bumped into Craig, the
Microsoft Exec from Australia who decided to stop work and start doing what he
really wanted to do for a couple of years, but sadly waking slowly now as he
has tendinitis in both legs...very painful.
Speaking of pain, John is leading the way on the blisters front - the sole of his left foot is now almost completely covered.
Some of the stories you hear from people you meet along the way are quite incredible; we met a German couple from Bremen who have walked 2800km so far - they just sold up everything and went on the Camino... Haven't stop walking for months!
Speaking of pain, John is leading the way on the blisters front - the sole of his left foot is now almost completely covered.
Some of the stories you hear from people you meet along the way are quite incredible; we met a German couple from Bremen who have walked 2800km so far - they just sold up everything and went on the Camino... Haven't stop walking for months!
Today’s walk, about
15miles was not the longest day but one of the hardest, with 3 peaks to climb
including 'Mont Oca' at 1050m.
Walking along tree lined paths, some way from civilisation for much of the day was wonderful... Some great views too.
Stopping at a small village for breakfast we met Ewan who had carved his Staff from a branch he found near Roncevalles in the Pyrenees, it was a real work if art.
Our evening meal at a really authentic local tavern was served by Antonio and his wife ; two hilarious characters -this was one of our best evenings of the week.
With a little goading from the rest of us , Richard tried to negotiate the price of a bottle of Rioja. To say he failed is an understatement his "we are Pilgrims you know " was met with a blank look by Antonio , who then simply snatched the bottle away, placed it back in the cooler ... ignored us completely and carried on talking to his large group of local customers..
Walking along tree lined paths, some way from civilisation for much of the day was wonderful... Some great views too.
Stopping at a small village for breakfast we met Ewan who had carved his Staff from a branch he found near Roncevalles in the Pyrenees, it was a real work if art.
Our evening meal at a really authentic local tavern was served by Antonio and his wife ; two hilarious characters -this was one of our best evenings of the week.
With a little goading from the rest of us , Richard tried to negotiate the price of a bottle of Rioja. To say he failed is an understatement his "we are Pilgrims you know " was met with a blank look by Antonio , who then simply snatched the bottle away, placed it back in the cooler ... ignored us completely and carried on talking to his large group of local customers..
Geoff added to this story on his return... they did get on really well with the owners, she squeezed Geoff & Richards cheeks and gave them a kiss..and who even tooted and waved as they past them the next day.
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| Walking clothes line ! |
Wednesday 9 October 2013
These feet aren't made for walking !
Todays update
Adventures of a newbie trekker
Today almost felt like a ‘rest day’ as we only had 13 miles to cover. Having said that , blisters are developing well now and becoming quite painful much of the time. I have been lucky enough to avoid them so far, the others are all suffering at varying degrees…but putting on a brave face.
We saw a guy today walking the Camino in bare feet and another chap running, so I guess it could be worse.
In the afternoon, Geoff was beside himself when he realised he had dropped his hat somewhere on the trail. An hour later we stopped for a rest and he noticed a German lady wearing one very similar… “excuse me” he said “I think that’s my hat you’re wearing”
With a smile and a wink she gave it back to him and carried on her way.
Stopping off at a small village for lunch we noticed what looked like Chickens Gizzards…not the most appetising Tapas, but one assumes a delicacy here for the locals.
We made good time and arrived early afternoon at Santo Domingo de Caldez, a 14th Century village which is famous for “The miracle of the Roasted Cock’
…a legend far to complex to fully comprehend, having just been woken by the local Cockerel at 5:00am this morning I am not sure we really care.
We saw a guy today walking the Camino in bare feet and another chap running, so I guess it could be worse.
In the afternoon, Geoff was beside himself when he realised he had dropped his hat somewhere on the trail. An hour later we stopped for a rest and he noticed a German lady wearing one very similar… “excuse me” he said “I think that’s my hat you’re wearing”
With a smile and a wink she gave it back to him and carried on her way.
Stopping off at a small village for lunch we noticed what looked like Chickens Gizzards…not the most appetising Tapas, but one assumes a delicacy here for the locals.
We made good time and arrived early afternoon at Santo Domingo de Caldez, a 14th Century village which is famous for “The miracle of the Roasted Cock’
…a legend far to complex to fully comprehend, having just been woken by the local Cockerel at 5:00am this morning I am not sure we really care.
When the going gets tough..
'They' say..
The first day is
not generally too bad, although the weight of a heavier pack is quite
noticeable and it can be tiring if there are a lot of miles to walk, and/or a
lot of ascent.
The next few days
tend to be worse, as aches and pains start to build up and a general level of
fatigue and weariness sets in, making it difficult to raise the enthusiasm to
get going both at the start of the day and after every rest break.
By about day four
or five things start to get easier as muscles build up again and the body gets
used to the increased level of physical exertion of the daily routine. From
then onwards it is generally OK except that there always tend to be good days
when everything feels fine and bad days when things can be a bit of an effort.
Much of this is
tempered by the state of the weather, the level of exertion of the previous
day, and whether any blisters or other discomforts have started to become a
problem. It is possible to regain ones fitness as a walk progresses.
With a strong will,
a positive attitude, and determination, it is possible to get through all sorts
of physical discomforts along the way. You see people hobbling along with
blisters, limping with sprained ankles and all manner of problems, but still
making it to the finish.
(Using hiking poles helps too)
Tuesday 8 October 2013
Meeting Merlin
As before from www.blistersrus.wordpress.com
Adventures of a newbie trekker
We were on the road again today at 7:00am , headed for the ‘Cafe on the lake’ just 6 km outside Logrono…sadly the Cafe was closed so we cracked onto the next village.
Not really sure if the next Cafe owner appreciated Geoff cutting his toenails or Richard drying his clothes on the sun terrace … But we are Pilgrims after all so I guess they have seen it all before.
Daily washing of our socks and pants seems quite straightforward … drying however is a bit more of a challenge.
Draping laundry across the back of our rucksacks to dry during the day seems to be the preferred option. Lets be honest, not the ‘coolest’ look when you see how Richard does this (see photo) but Geoff has this off to a fine art as you would expect. John however is in a league of his own, he is now down to his last pair of undies… the rest dropped of somewhere en route. Buene Camino!
We met a rather interesting chap (a Merlin look a like-see photo) selling Fruit and Figs for a small donation , apparently he is a very well known Pilgrim who has walked the Camino many times with a donkey.
Further on we stumbled upon two chaps harvesting walnuts … One up a tree with a stick and the other on the ground collecting.
Oh yes, that reminds me…Walnuts, Richard has had a bit if a dicky tummy today – he thinks it was a bad walnut that he scrumped the day before – we think it is more likely to be the Rioja grape habit he has developed , we are surrounded by vines bursting with ripe fruit..Richard never could resist a freebie!
We arrived at Najerra and enjoyed the late after noon sun , feeling quite weary, but proud to have covered 31.5 km
Not really sure if the next Cafe owner appreciated Geoff cutting his toenails or Richard drying his clothes on the sun terrace … But we are Pilgrims after all so I guess they have seen it all before.
Daily washing of our socks and pants seems quite straightforward … drying however is a bit more of a challenge.
Draping laundry across the back of our rucksacks to dry during the day seems to be the preferred option. Lets be honest, not the ‘coolest’ look when you see how Richard does this (see photo) but Geoff has this off to a fine art as you would expect. John however is in a league of his own, he is now down to his last pair of undies… the rest dropped of somewhere en route. Buene Camino!
We met a rather interesting chap (a Merlin look a like-see photo) selling Fruit and Figs for a small donation , apparently he is a very well known Pilgrim who has walked the Camino many times with a donkey.
Further on we stumbled upon two chaps harvesting walnuts … One up a tree with a stick and the other on the ground collecting.
Oh yes, that reminds me…Walnuts, Richard has had a bit if a dicky tummy today – he thinks it was a bad walnut that he scrumped the day before – we think it is more likely to be the Rioja grape habit he has developed , we are surrounded by vines bursting with ripe fruit..Richard never could resist a freebie!
We arrived at Najerra and enjoyed the late after noon sun , feeling quite weary, but proud to have covered 31.5 km
The Camino continues
Geoff
is part of this group, here is how he is getting on :
Adventures of a newbie trekker
The
6:00am alarm call came too soon, the previous evenings haricot beans were
starting to take affect …the air became a bit thick and pungent in the communal
bedroom (not good)
We were on the road at 7:00am … It was still dark as we headed towards the small 13th century village of Torres del Rio. We saw the sun rise – fabulous.
Main ‘highlight’ of the day was at breakfast – watching Richard drop chocolate down his shirt and John trying to get it out with shampoo… Very messy. This was followed by John dropping Geoff’s drink on the floor – the cracks are starting to show!
Arrived in Logrono , very tired after our 20 mile walk that took us 8.5 hours including a couple of breaks. The cathedral was beautiful.
No partying tonight…very tired and legs aching…another full on day Tomorrow with 30km to cover.
We have a few blisters developing in the team…John lanced his with a needle and drained the puss with thread, Richard applied Compede to his… We will see which method works best…
We were on the road at 7:00am … It was still dark as we headed towards the small 13th century village of Torres del Rio. We saw the sun rise – fabulous.
Main ‘highlight’ of the day was at breakfast – watching Richard drop chocolate down his shirt and John trying to get it out with shampoo… Very messy. This was followed by John dropping Geoff’s drink on the floor – the cracks are starting to show!
Arrived in Logrono , very tired after our 20 mile walk that took us 8.5 hours including a couple of breaks. The cathedral was beautiful.
No partying tonight…very tired and legs aching…another full on day Tomorrow with 30km to cover.
We have a few blisters developing in the team…John lanced his with a needle and drained the puss with thread, Richard applied Compede to his… We will see which method works best…
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| Richard & Geoff (in the black top) |
Friday 4 October 2013
Camino de Santiago
Geoff left this morning with four of the five from the original group that walked the first stage of The Way through rural Spain, earlier this year. This second stage shown below is approx 110 miles...
For more details on the Camino de Santiago see my other blog
dedicated to this famous Pilgrimage
Here is the (rough) Plan for October 2013
Stage 6 – Saturday 5th – Los Arcos (23Km)
Stage 7 – Sunday 6th – Logrono (30Km)
Stage 8 – Monday 7th – Najera (30km)
Stage 9 – Tuesday 8th – Santo Domingo (23Km)
Stage 10 – Wednesday 9th – Belorado (23Km)
Stage 11 – Thursday 10th – St Juan (24Km)
Stage 12 – Friday 11th – Burgos (25Km)
Rest Day – Saturday 12th
Fly Home – Sunday 13th – Depart Bilbao 13:40
Stage 7 – Sunday 6th – Logrono (30Km)
Stage 8 – Monday 7th – Najera (30km)
Stage 9 – Tuesday 8th – Santo Domingo (23Km)
Stage 10 – Wednesday 9th – Belorado (23Km)
Stage 11 – Thursday 10th – St Juan (24Km)
Stage 12 – Friday 11th – Burgos (25Km)
Rest Day – Saturday 12th
Fly Home – Sunday 13th – Depart Bilbao 13:40
…then just another 22 stages until we reach Santigo
Thursday 3 October 2013
Sunday 29 September 2013
September Sunshine
The weather has been superb this weekend, bright skies and plenty of sunshine, out of the sea breeze still plenty of warmth.
I walked from Cliftonville to Broadstairs on Saturday morning with Linda and Karen, along the cliff top and into town, walked to the top of the town to check out a yoga venue for me to start going to (maybe) then back into town for a spot of lunch at Prezzo. We decided to share a bottle of wine, opting for a rosé as it felt quite summery outside. The breeze did get up and cool down as we returned home. We probably walked about eight miles. It was great to be out in the fresh air. The sea looked superb a grey green colour with lots of white horses and chalky rock pools... Where was my camera when I need it !?!
Sunday Geoff and I decided on a slightly shorter walk, up to Palm Bay along the cliff tops, picking Mark and Linda up en-route, then coming back along the cliff tops towards Margate and looping back into Cliftonville. Fresh on the cliff top but very warm a few hundred yards inland.
We all said it was great to get out in the fresh air even just for those few hours.
The boys are off Friday on the next leg of the Camino de Santiago.
Monday 9 September 2013
Blackberrying ...
This Sunday we set off on the most beautiful clear bright Autumn morning for a walk in the woods and fields around Fordwich & Canterbury. It was warm enough (just) to wear shorts, however not the wisest of choices as Terry and Karen had us walking through the undergrowth with brambles & nettles waiting to catch us, as we passed by.
We stopped to fill our tubs full of wild blackberries eating as many as we could too.. blue stained hands to prove it. We also found trees laden with apples and damsons.
We stopped for our picnic lunch on the edge of a large orchard, the trees weigh down with ripening pears.
Finishing back in Fordwich for a quick drink at the George & Dragon.
To see our 7 mile walk click the link below, although the very straight route can't be quite right.
http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=2308986
We stopped to fill our tubs full of wild blackberries eating as many as we could too.. blue stained hands to prove it. We also found trees laden with apples and damsons.
We stopped for our picnic lunch on the edge of a large orchard, the trees weigh down with ripening pears.
Finishing back in Fordwich for a quick drink at the George & Dragon.
To see our 7 mile walk click the link below, although the very straight route can't be quite right.
http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=2308986
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| Rows of pears, our picnic view |
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| Our walk took us through Howlets Zoo |
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| Tub of wild blackberries & one damson (others eaten !) |
Friday 12 July 2013
Italy ~
Well our holiday finally arrive, nine glorious days in and around Sorrento. The weather was hot and sunny without being stifling.
We set off on our first walk through the hills above Sorrento taking the old paths and steps that were originally used to get about between villages before the roads were built. Generally these paths are in good condition, although there were the odd set of steps that can't have been used for years that were very overgrown and a few paths that I found a bit scary (on the edge, narrow & loose gravel).
We had a guide book to follow, I had read through this walk a few times and thought it was well documented and would be easy to follow... that is of course until you start to follow it !
We set off in the morning catching the shuttle bus from our hotel high on the hill, the Grand Hotel President, lovely place to stay, down to the centre of town to pick up the route, needless to say a few wrong turns were taken and a bit of back tracking, getting lost & finding the only non English speaking Italian to help direct us !
Now, don't laugh, an hour later we end up at the back of our hotel (!) to pick up a path towards Pantano, the first village.... steep paths took us onwards & upwards with the sun beating down, luckily much of the route was shaded through beautiful lemon & olive groves. Past striking plants & rows of vines.
The directions were not as easy as we first thought, as the paths wind and criss-cross through the hills, we arrived on the outskirts of Massa Lubrense, without ever seeing Pantano (!).
We headed down into the village and civilisation once more, having not seen a soul en-route, it was a bit of a shock to see all the cars, tourists and locals... we bought some delicious fruit at a local shop and sat looking out over the sea as we ate our lunch. You may wonder why we didn't stop for a long lazy lunch at a restaurant... over the few days we had eaten so much good food, we just weren't hungry and one piece of fruit was enough !
We also visited the large church, where apparently Nuns live, they join young and never leave the premises and have no contact with the outside world, we were told that you knock on the door hand them food and leave... things have changed a bit now though, the church is open to wander round and you leave the food in there for them to collect once the doors have been closed to the outside world.
After lunch we opened the guide book again to see if we could pick up the return route (the way we should have come in) we also picked up a very vague map from Tourist information (no help at all, it just said a long route ) So after a couple of false turns we managed to pick up the route and stay on it for half the hike back.... we did find Pantano, nothing there, just houses, unless of course the centre of the village was tucked away somewhere and not sign posted, nothing unusual about that in Italy, but that's another story.
Generally the route was really pleasant, a few times you did have to venture along the very busy main roads with blind bends to get to the next set of steps taking you up or down. We even impressed ourselves by finding our way back, to the rear of our Hotel to shortcut the last leg. We arrived back mid-afternoon hot & tired but having had a really nice time.
We only passed one family having lunch at their farmhouse & didn't set eyes on anyone else apart from in the town. We really felt as if we saw a different side to Sorrento & its surroundings.
I suppose getting lost & finding our way is all part of the adventure, rather than following the route someone else has chosen for you.....
We did plan another hike, however there was so much else to do we ran out of time, so we'll have to go back :)
We visited the island of Capri, wandered the back streets, though colourful gardens.
then down a long cliff path round part of the coast, stunning views. The climb back up had tough going, it was a really hot day !
We did stop for a reasonably priced lunch in a small family run restaurant off the main streets, so 'romantic' on the little juilette balcony.
Sorrento itself was a nice place to wander the narrow cobbled streets of shops, bars & restaurants.
We loved it !
We set off on our first walk through the hills above Sorrento taking the old paths and steps that were originally used to get about between villages before the roads were built. Generally these paths are in good condition, although there were the odd set of steps that can't have been used for years that were very overgrown and a few paths that I found a bit scary (on the edge, narrow & loose gravel).
We had a guide book to follow, I had read through this walk a few times and thought it was well documented and would be easy to follow... that is of course until you start to follow it !
We set off in the morning catching the shuttle bus from our hotel high on the hill, the Grand Hotel President, lovely place to stay, down to the centre of town to pick up the route, needless to say a few wrong turns were taken and a bit of back tracking, getting lost & finding the only non English speaking Italian to help direct us !
Now, don't laugh, an hour later we end up at the back of our hotel (!) to pick up a path towards Pantano, the first village.... steep paths took us onwards & upwards with the sun beating down, luckily much of the route was shaded through beautiful lemon & olive groves. Past striking plants & rows of vines.
The directions were not as easy as we first thought, as the paths wind and criss-cross through the hills, we arrived on the outskirts of Massa Lubrense, without ever seeing Pantano (!).
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| Some paths had names in marble |
We also visited the large church, where apparently Nuns live, they join young and never leave the premises and have no contact with the outside world, we were told that you knock on the door hand them food and leave... things have changed a bit now though, the church is open to wander round and you leave the food in there for them to collect once the doors have been closed to the outside world.
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| Flowers outside the church in the village square |
After lunch we opened the guide book again to see if we could pick up the return route (the way we should have come in) we also picked up a very vague map from Tourist information (no help at all, it just said a long route ) So after a couple of false turns we managed to pick up the route and stay on it for half the hike back.... we did find Pantano, nothing there, just houses, unless of course the centre of the village was tucked away somewhere and not sign posted, nothing unusual about that in Italy, but that's another story.
Generally the route was really pleasant, a few times you did have to venture along the very busy main roads with blind bends to get to the next set of steps taking you up or down. We even impressed ourselves by finding our way back, to the rear of our Hotel to shortcut the last leg. We arrived back mid-afternoon hot & tired but having had a really nice time.
We only passed one family having lunch at their farmhouse & didn't set eyes on anyone else apart from in the town. We really felt as if we saw a different side to Sorrento & its surroundings.
I suppose getting lost & finding our way is all part of the adventure, rather than following the route someone else has chosen for you.....
We did plan another hike, however there was so much else to do we ran out of time, so we'll have to go back :)
We visited the island of Capri, wandered the back streets, though colourful gardens.
then down a long cliff path round part of the coast, stunning views. The climb back up had tough going, it was a really hot day !
We did stop for a reasonably priced lunch in a small family run restaurant off the main streets, so 'romantic' on the little juilette balcony.
Sorrento itself was a nice place to wander the narrow cobbled streets of shops, bars & restaurants.
We loved it !
Wednesday 19 June 2013
Minster
Last Sunday we walked in Minster, the main reason we had all been there the evening before and had left a car there to be collected.
Mark Linda Geoff & I set off from Way Hill Minster around 11am, leaving our car with the one to be collected outside our friends house.
The route was through Minster village then along footpaths through various fields, along by the river and backwards and forwards across the railway line. Its too difficult to plot the course as we just took whatever paths came our way & felt in the right direction. (How exciting/ how adventurous were we, Christopher Columbus had nothing on us !)
Some parts were tough going, with deep grass and stinging nettles to push through.
I don't know how many times we crossed unmanned crossings, each one as scary as the next, there was one that was in the middle of a 'close ' blind bend in each direction, how crazy is that ??
I think we did roughly a 8 mile circular walk, stopping for a sandwich in the farmers field among his crops. (Don't panic) We didn't squash his crops, there was a bare patch to put the picnic rug. Most of the time there was light rain, which actually was quite refreshing as the air was warm and muggy.
We also stopped at Minster church Linda and Mark were married in... ahh sweet.
Lots of wild flowers en-route. I have just bought two little books to take with us next time, so we can identify the trees and wild flowers (I know I am an anorak !!) I just like to learn something new, they say it keeps the mind active.
It was good to get out in the fresh air and stretch the legs, although tired at the end, I think its because of the late night the evening before, not that we are not fit enough..yet !
Mark Linda Geoff & I set off from Way Hill Minster around 11am, leaving our car with the one to be collected outside our friends house.
The route was through Minster village then along footpaths through various fields, along by the river and backwards and forwards across the railway line. Its too difficult to plot the course as we just took whatever paths came our way & felt in the right direction. (How exciting/ how adventurous were we, Christopher Columbus had nothing on us !)
Some parts were tough going, with deep grass and stinging nettles to push through.
I don't know how many times we crossed unmanned crossings, each one as scary as the next, there was one that was in the middle of a 'close ' blind bend in each direction, how crazy is that ??
I think we did roughly a 8 mile circular walk, stopping for a sandwich in the farmers field among his crops. (Don't panic) We didn't squash his crops, there was a bare patch to put the picnic rug. Most of the time there was light rain, which actually was quite refreshing as the air was warm and muggy.
I am wearing my new purchase the Trespass VASP Hiking Hip Waist Pack Bum Bag with
water bottle, I didn't want to carry a daypack so I bought this and it worked well, plenty of pockets and easy to reach water bottle at the back.
Lots of wild flowers en-route. I have just bought two little books to take with us next time, so we can identify the trees and wild flowers (I know I am an anorak !!) I just like to learn something new, they say it keeps the mind active.
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| Wild daisy (I think) |
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| Stormy skies |
It was good to get out in the fresh air and stretch the legs, although tired at the end, I think its because of the late night the evening before, not that we are not fit enough..yet !
Tuesday 28 May 2013
May Bank Holiday Weekend
Needless to say the first thing I did was have a little shopping splurge to buy some new lightweight trousers (plus a few other items !) Although not as much as Geoff bought in Covent Garden, we had a great day out, does that count as walking too ?
My Sunday walking outfit:
The fleece wasn't needed and the sun came out after lunch so shorts would have been better.
We meet our friends Karen & Mark in Weddington near Ash and had a lovely stroll through the country lanes through Richborough & into Sandwich, stopping for lunch at The Bell, nice wine but the food wasn't great (sorry).. we were very chilled out on the return stroll, so much so that Karen & I missed the £10 note laying in the field (!) Geoff however, do not... This was roughly an eight mile circular walk.
Monday was a Bank Holiday (yipee) so another walk on the cards this time with Mark & Linda, we decided to continue where we left off last time and walk along the beach & cliffs from Deal to Dover. Not to be caught out a third time with the weather, we wore shorts, but hey, thank goodness we took long sleeve tops, bracing wind on those cliff tops. I also wore my old walking sandals as I knew they would be comfortable (ha!!)
The view from St Margaret's Bay back towards Deal, the camera phone doesn't do it justice.
First event of the day, we met in the car park on the seafront, £7.50 to park for the day !!!
Then we set off along the edge of the pebble beach, various plants growing through the pebbles, people walking dogs, lots of cyclists and generally people out enjoying the weekend. People are very friendly when you walk, everyone says hello to each other.
Then I thought must stop soon my sandal is coming loose, eventually stopping to find my sandals had perished inside the soles and were falling apart, what a nightmare, at this point we were too far from any beach type shops to even buy a pair of flip flops. (There was no hint of this when I put them on earlier)
Geoff got out his first aid kit and taped up the soles, good job he'd been on the first aid course, not sure he thought he would be repairing shoes though.. we walked on although with some difficulty for me, we eventually reached St Margaret's and stopped to rest my feet and have our sandwiches, the sandals had fallen apart even more... the next possible shop was an hour and a half away on foot.. so this time Geoff taped my feet into the sandals.. the lady sitting near us said I looked like a Pilgrim.. it did look funny.
I made the decision not to go on to the shops but to turn around and head back, the sandals felt very secure and comfortable even as the were depositing their insides everywhere.
Its a tough walk anyway, very up and downhill, it feels much longer than the 5.5 miles each way.. luckily no-one we passed laughed at my feet. The last mile was hard knees and legs aching from having to walk slightly differently, however, they got me to the end of the walk, back in Deal Car Park (just), we had to go in the rear of the pub, the others thought I looked like a donut..
Finally home, sandals cut from my feet, my feet and legs were black from all the dust of the track being kicked up, a few blisters, no surprise really. No-one can say that I didn't wear these sandals to death, they have been to a lot of places with me around the world. Now they are in the sandal graveyard.
Its a great walk, we will do it again and get all the way to Dover. If you would like to see the route click the link.
My Sunday walking outfit:
The fleece wasn't needed and the sun came out after lunch so shorts would have been better.
We meet our friends Karen & Mark in Weddington near Ash and had a lovely stroll through the country lanes through Richborough & into Sandwich, stopping for lunch at The Bell, nice wine but the food wasn't great (sorry).. we were very chilled out on the return stroll, so much so that Karen & I missed the £10 note laying in the field (!) Geoff however, do not... This was roughly an eight mile circular walk.
Monday was a Bank Holiday (yipee) so another walk on the cards this time with Mark & Linda, we decided to continue where we left off last time and walk along the beach & cliffs from Deal to Dover. Not to be caught out a third time with the weather, we wore shorts, but hey, thank goodness we took long sleeve tops, bracing wind on those cliff tops. I also wore my old walking sandals as I knew they would be comfortable (ha!!)
The view from St Margaret's Bay back towards Deal, the camera phone doesn't do it justice.
First event of the day, we met in the car park on the seafront, £7.50 to park for the day !!!
Then we set off along the edge of the pebble beach, various plants growing through the pebbles, people walking dogs, lots of cyclists and generally people out enjoying the weekend. People are very friendly when you walk, everyone says hello to each other.
Then I thought must stop soon my sandal is coming loose, eventually stopping to find my sandals had perished inside the soles and were falling apart, what a nightmare, at this point we were too far from any beach type shops to even buy a pair of flip flops. (There was no hint of this when I put them on earlier)
Geoff got out his first aid kit and taped up the soles, good job he'd been on the first aid course, not sure he thought he would be repairing shoes though.. we walked on although with some difficulty for me, we eventually reached St Margaret's and stopped to rest my feet and have our sandwiches, the sandals had fallen apart even more... the next possible shop was an hour and a half away on foot.. so this time Geoff taped my feet into the sandals.. the lady sitting near us said I looked like a Pilgrim.. it did look funny.
I made the decision not to go on to the shops but to turn around and head back, the sandals felt very secure and comfortable even as the were depositing their insides everywhere.
Its a tough walk anyway, very up and downhill, it feels much longer than the 5.5 miles each way.. luckily no-one we passed laughed at my feet. The last mile was hard knees and legs aching from having to walk slightly differently, however, they got me to the end of the walk, back in Deal Car Park (just), we had to go in the rear of the pub, the others thought I looked like a donut..
Finally home, sandals cut from my feet, my feet and legs were black from all the dust of the track being kicked up, a few blisters, no surprise really. No-one can say that I didn't wear these sandals to death, they have been to a lot of places with me around the world. Now they are in the sandal graveyard.
Its a great walk, we will do it again and get all the way to Dover. If you would like to see the route click the link.
http://www.walkjogrun.net/routes/current_route.cfm?rid=EA59BA7E-CC02-E1DD-3303BD79C7008229&success=1
Tuesday 21 May 2013
Chilham Circular
I have always liked to walk but this year Geoff and I plus a couple of friends have upped our game to embrace longer walks at the weekend. Generally 10 miles or more, brought about by the guys starting the first leg of the Camino de Santiago earlier this year. We enjoyed these 'training' walks so much, even though the weather was generally foul, that we decided to keep them up. We don't always go as a four, some walks include other friends and family too, or just the two of us. Our walks nearly always include a stop en-route for food & drink (wine & beer) well you need something to keep you motivated !
We did invest in basic walking kit, however, Linda & I were caught on the hop this time, the forecast wasn't great, so we layered up but also made the mistake of wearing jeans...way to hot when the sun came out, together with the more strenuous stomps uphill, causing us to overheat..big time ! So off to London to buy lightweight walking trousers. Just digressing slightly here, Covent Garden has numerous 'outdoor activity' type shops. Well worth a visit.
So as I said, Sunday turned out to be a wonderful warm sunny day, here and there a slight breeze, which was actually quite welcoming as we hiked up the steeper slopes.
We met in the village square at Chilham:
It has changed hands many times, having been home to a host of colourful and sometimes eccentric families. Held from time to time by Kings of England, it was also once occupied; briefly, by the heir to the French throne on his way to invade London (he wasn't successful).
The house that was built in 1616 on the site of the ancient castle, and bears its name, has since 2002 been the home of Stuart and Tessa Wheeler. I believe that some days the gardens are open to the public but check first.
We left the square behind us and headed off across open fields, through bluebell lined woods, I was slightly un-nerved at the start when told this was probably the time snakes may be on the path basking in the sun ( really ? or just scaring the what'sit out of a novice walker).
I was surprised at how many different woods we passed through, Church Wood, Down Wood past Woodsdale Farm then Coneyearth Wood. Karen was unhappy about the trees that had been felled in some areas, leaving it bare just with the odd oak here & there. Here is a picture of what it used to look like.
The next stage was along the Stour Valley Walk which took us through fields of goats & warnings about bulls, luckily not spotted (!) & up country tracks into the village of Crundale, we headed up a hill to find a spot to picnic with views across the countryside, towards Wye which was to be our next stop. How many shades of green are there ?
Crundale is a village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent in southeast England. The village is located on the North Downs, about halfway between Ashford and Canterbury.
The parish is a small one, and many of its activities are shared with the neighbouring parish of Godmersham. Its population is about 150 persons. No shops or pub (!) just a traditional red BT phone box...please put me right if there is more here than nicely appointed homes.
Terry selected this spot, in the middle of the footpath, Karen said why in the middle of the footpath, what if other walkers wanted to get by.. Terry said the hundreds of walkers that would pass us..were after all.. walkers.. so he was sure they would be able to cope with the deep 6" grass just in front of us... (We'd barely seen a handful of walkers all day & no-one passed us by, let alone tried to step over us) however, we did see in the distance a trail about ten walkers going up the hill the other side, looked like a stream of ants....So they 'could' have come our way.
As a thought when does a walker, become a hiker ???
Refreshed or was it feeling lazy after lunch... we started off along the hillside towards Wye, though weird metal gates (not made for fat people) over stiles, a bit high for those with shorter legs, overhanging branches to catch the taller of us, as we negotiated our way along the route. More woods, Warren Wood, Marriage Wood and Beech Wood, then past Wye College, the graveyard at Wye Church and making a stop to buy ice creams in the village of Wye (plus a toilet stop!)
Leaving Wye behind, retracing our steps back through the graveyard past Home Farm near Bilting, our 'experienced' walker/guide then led us along a narrow very overgrown footpath, at every step I expected Indiana Jones to appear, left to make my own decision I would never have guessed that this 'was' actually the footpath that we were meant to be on... we then ventured up a very steep, exhausting calf screaming (in my case) incline stopping halfway for water and wondering if we'd make the top. All the visits to the gym were of no help ! We pushed on to the top to be greeted with masses of scented bluebells, worth it in the end !
The home stretch along the North Down Way, bluebells filled all the spaces between the trees and Canterbury Cathedral could be seen in the distance from our viewing point.
As we neared Chilham, we walked along Mountain Street and past the Chilham Castle grounds, more people along this section, up until then we'd only passed a handful of other walkers, really felt we were away from it all, not really just outside Canterbury.
Back into the square at Chilham to the busy local pub, live music was playing so we took ourselves off the the seats in the graveyard with our well earned drinks.
Click the link to see our route on the OS website.
It was about a five hour walk, 12.9 miles (20.76km) it felt much further.
All in all an excellent stomp for a Sunday.
PS. No snakes spotted
We did invest in basic walking kit, however, Linda & I were caught on the hop this time, the forecast wasn't great, so we layered up but also made the mistake of wearing jeans...way to hot when the sun came out, together with the more strenuous stomps uphill, causing us to overheat..big time ! So off to London to buy lightweight walking trousers. Just digressing slightly here, Covent Garden has numerous 'outdoor activity' type shops. Well worth a visit.
So as I said, Sunday turned out to be a wonderful warm sunny day, here and there a slight breeze, which was actually quite welcoming as we hiked up the steeper slopes.
We met in the village square at Chilham:
Chilham is a village and parish in the English county of Kent. It has been a
location for a number of films and television dramas. It is quintessentially
English, Tudor style properties, cute tea room, small souvenir shop and
naturally a pub are based around the main square. Chilham Castle overlooks the
square and surrounding countryside.
There has been a castle at
the site of Chilham, on the edge of a wood, in the heart of Kent, for over
eight centuries; perhaps thirteen or more. It has changed hands many times, having been home to a host of colourful and sometimes eccentric families. Held from time to time by Kings of England, it was also once occupied; briefly, by the heir to the French throne on his way to invade London (he wasn't successful).
The house that was built in 1616 on the site of the ancient castle, and bears its name, has since 2002 been the home of Stuart and Tessa Wheeler. I believe that some days the gardens are open to the public but check first.
We left the square behind us and headed off across open fields, through bluebell lined woods, I was slightly un-nerved at the start when told this was probably the time snakes may be on the path basking in the sun ( really ? or just scaring the what'sit out of a novice walker).
I was surprised at how many different woods we passed through, Church Wood, Down Wood past Woodsdale Farm then Coneyearth Wood. Karen was unhappy about the trees that had been felled in some areas, leaving it bare just with the odd oak here & there. Here is a picture of what it used to look like.
The next stage was along the Stour Valley Walk which took us through fields of goats & warnings about bulls, luckily not spotted (!) & up country tracks into the village of Crundale, we headed up a hill to find a spot to picnic with views across the countryside, towards Wye which was to be our next stop. How many shades of green are there ?
Crundale is a village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent in southeast England. The village is located on the North Downs, about halfway between Ashford and Canterbury.
The parish is a small one, and many of its activities are shared with the neighbouring parish of Godmersham. Its population is about 150 persons. No shops or pub (!) just a traditional red BT phone box...please put me right if there is more here than nicely appointed homes.
Terry selected this spot, in the middle of the footpath, Karen said why in the middle of the footpath, what if other walkers wanted to get by.. Terry said the hundreds of walkers that would pass us..were after all.. walkers.. so he was sure they would be able to cope with the deep 6" grass just in front of us... (We'd barely seen a handful of walkers all day & no-one passed us by, let alone tried to step over us) however, we did see in the distance a trail about ten walkers going up the hill the other side, looked like a stream of ants....So they 'could' have come our way.
As a thought when does a walker, become a hiker ???
Is this Cowslip ?
As we neared Chilham, we walked along Mountain Street and past the Chilham Castle grounds, more people along this section, up until then we'd only passed a handful of other walkers, really felt we were away from it all, not really just outside Canterbury.
Back into the square at Chilham to the busy local pub, live music was playing so we took ourselves off the the seats in the graveyard with our well earned drinks.
Click the link to see our route on the OS website.
It was about a five hour walk, 12.9 miles (20.76km) it felt much further.
All in all an excellent stomp for a Sunday.
PS. No snakes spotted
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