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Where did you walk ( locally ) in 2021?

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Hi there, @SabineP
I will always associate Bruges with love lost and chocolate lobsters...
I was madly in love with someone on the far side of the ocean. One day I took myself off to Bruges for a week's holiday, alone, thinking ANZAC graves, lace and chocolates would get my mind off the distance between us. Searching for gifts I purchased a life-like chocolate lobster and a romantic postcard of a sailor kissing his girl. Somehow this card hit me in the solar plexus. Although the picture was entitled 'The Betrayal' I thought it wouldn't matter. I inked out the title and sent it as a token. Then my friend called. He said he didn't want to marry me, that he had found a girl in his french class who was a good kisser... the fx*@* rotter. So I ate the lobster and was sick...

Ps... and bed bugs, my first encounter was in Bruges.
 
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Looking at Howth, perhaps a possibility if the 5km limit is extended..
The statue at the end point for walking out towards the lighthouse on the North Bull Wall.
A floral tribute, perhaps to a life lost...
I chose not to take photos of the intrepid ladies screaming and enjoying a rather cold swim...
A recurring favourite spot.
Photos taken around 7am, and the final one about 20 mins later, as I took the bike for a spin...
 

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lovingkindness said:
Hi there @kirkie
are these fruit-bearing trees or ornamental? What a beautiful shape they have.
Click to expand...
Ornamental. They are laughing at the roadworks to the left of the photo. I am ready to be corrected but not many trees in public reach are fruit bearing where I live.
 
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Venice Beach.

It’s been years since I have eaten at this restaurant so I treated myself.
 

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I’m slightly jealous of all you forum members enjoying spring-like weather. We’ve gotten a bit warmer, and a few crocuses are peeking out here and there, but nothing like what some of you are enjoying.

Ride to the southeast was not as interesting as other directions I’ve gone, but I always go out into the wind, so that was my route. Quite a few “Lincoln slept here” plaques in the area, because this was the part of Illinois where he practiced law.



 
Out and about this week thanks in part to spring break. First the peaceful dyke path along the protected shores of Boundary Bay in Delta, just south of Vancouver. Then close to home today on some forest trails, always more to explore.
 

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Altus ANDES 400 H30 sleeping bag
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

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Not that I had not detected you to be a smart cookie, your inclination to go against the wind is such a clever intuition!
 
Icacos said:
My dear departed in-laws - on their walks - always went out into the wind, as does @peregrina2000, and returned “with the wind to your back.”
Click to expand...
The only problem is when I outsmart myself and go out into the wind, only to find that the wind has changed direction for my return trip, and I am once again going into a headwind on my way home.
 
Camino Inglés Walking Holiday - UK
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
... I figure that if @SabineP can go to a chocolatier and post photos of her decadence, I can go to 'Coufidou': 5kms down the hill, 5 kms back up then scoffing a box of Les Caprices and a few Pruneaux d'Agen Fourrés which are essentially prune skins inflated with something the consistency of toothepaste.

+

Along the way I saw Jesus + Mary, a pair of Tulipa agenensis and an electricity transformer.

+ , +

* église Sainte-Livrade, Sainte-Livrade-sur-Lot.
 
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Sounds delicious! What a wonderful place the Coufidou!

I googled Sainte Livrade: another one for my list.
 
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Two days ago I walked farther than I have in months. Without Peg. Two 7 km walks, one at 9 am back home from the auto shop and the other at 4 pm to bring the car home. Most of it was along a minor state highway and some on its breakdown lanes. Mostly commercial, some residential and one farm. A good portion had to have been walked often when many times great grandpa was courting many times great grandma. I tried to imagine the highway as the footpath it would have been then but there was just too much distraction from the traffic.

Yesterday Peg and I got back to the fields and woods on our walk we call The Hill. It was warm but overcast. Some of the signs of spring coming back were: I was wearing a tee shirt, we saw and heard our first red winged blackbird, chipmunks are out and the spring peepers were calling for mates. We haven't seen any wildflowers in bloom yet though.
 
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Altus 24 Liters daypack (DENON 24 H30)
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Hi there @Rick of Rick and Peg ,
Spring Peepers, what a pretty sound! I did a Youtube search and found this:
Spring Peepers + Crickets. I could listen for hours...
 
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lovingkindness said:
I could listen for hours...
Click to expand...
I enjoy the sound ... but for hours? When you finally do get tired of the real thing shout out "Campbell's Soup". It should quiet them for awhile. It works for hermit thrushes too.

Today we came upon more peepers and I actually got to see them. Usually in walking to the pond you scare them but I was really quiet today and the pond was almost totally iced over with just a bit unfrozen at the edge so they were concentrated there.
 
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Altus ANDES 400 H30 sleeping bag
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
I have a question: Is everyone using thumbnail?
When I use my iPad, I easily see photos. When I use my MacBook, I despair of seeing them and don't wait. Sorry if this is a nuisance post...
 
I use thumbnail 99% of the time Kirkie. The larger format takes too long to download. You can also insert large but then customise by tapping on the pic and simply reducing it by dragging one corner to the centre.
Rather hard to explain.
Anyway, I just use my iPhone.
No hassles that way.
 
Altus 24 Liters daypack (DENON 24 H30)
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
kirkie said:
I have a question: Is everyone using thumbnail?
When I use my iPad, I easily see photos. When I use my MacBook, I despair of seeing them and don't wait. Sorry if this is a nuisance post...
Click to expand...
Hi @kirkie
I resize my photos ('ideal for MP', 2309x1732), drop them into the box, then drag a corner to reduce to miniature. I haven't been clicking on 'insert' or 'thumbnail' . That way one can see them without having to log in. Is this a problem? When I log in I have to wait just a few seconds to see my photos, too.
 
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You are doing just fine, but I know that sometimes posts have full sized photos. It is something I think that is more connected with my device than with what other people do. As I said, my iPad has no problem showing photos. It is such a small thing, really! The main thing is that we can share our photos, and use the method that does not clog up the programme.
 
Camino Way markers in Bronze
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Walked today with two patients but due to obvious reasons no pics of that. This Covid lockdown is horrid in many ways but for some of our patients it turned out they like to walk and spend time outside. So something positive !
Treated myself to a coffee with whipped cream and a wafle. Gorgeous view over the valley.
 
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Sunshine today! 🌤
- a peek at Vancouver’s skyline from the North Shore
- a cheerful message on the walkway, and
last but not least, tiny little buds on the primulas I tucked into a bit of ground at the end of last season, hoping they would survive the winter (they may not survive the weevils). I wanted them as a reminder of the wild primulas I saw in the hills between Villafranca Montes de Oca and St. Juan de Ortega.
 
...the other day I leapt at a chance to roam the ancient walls and narrow streets of Port-Sainte-Marie, a medieval town where three roman roads converge and the the GR 654E/var. Voie de Vézelay crosses La Garonne on its way south from Bergerac to Montréal du Gers.


Map: Port-Sainte-Marie, historical crossroads (2.3 kms)





*(3) across La Garonne, the village of Saint-Laurent.
*(6) l'église Notre Dame de Port-Sainte-Marie (founded in the 11th or 12th century, rebuilt in the fourteenth century). There is a Templar church also, at the other end of the town.
 
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I took the bus outside the door to the Ferry Port. First walk of today, 4km back to the house. First breakfast, in same albergue as during total lockdown a year ago when we could only March up and down the lane at the back of the house!
I saw the ferry, the Ulysses. I just checked its length compared to the ship stuck in the Suez Canal. The Ulysses is 209 metres in length, the other one is 400 metres.
Belisha Beacons predated modern pedestrian lights, but they are cheerfully alive and well in the port precincts. As I have said before, the walk is ugly, but at the terminal, there is a gateway to the wide wide world... and it is possible to wave happily to truck drivers, car drivers, but never have to dodge a runner or another Walker or a cyclist. Bliss.
 
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Fountainhead Regional Park in Northern Virginia. We did a 7+ mile hike yesterday. This will be our go to hike as we train for our next Camino. Lots of up and down, some rocky parts and plenty of tree roots! It was busy, so we'll be going on a weekday next time.

Fountainhead Regional Park

Explore Fountainhead Regional Park — 1,993 acres of hiking, bridle and mountain bike trails along the Occoquan Reservoir in Fairfax Station, Virginia.
www.novaparks.com
 
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palmah said:
Fountainhead Regional Park in Northern Virginia.
Click to expand...
Ages ago often I visited Prince William Forest Park for hikes and runs. I don't remember any hills but by stringing trails together I could get in some very long runs. Like the rest of Virginia it is gorgeous in the spring. It's run by the National Park Service and next to the Quantico Marine Corp base. Give it a visit.

Hiking - Prince William Forest Park (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

Maps - Prince William Forest Park (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov
 
Culver City, California while waiting for Denny’s takeout order.
 

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Camino Preparation Guide
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Yes, I know it well
 
Short hike last week-end. Longer 30 mile hike coming up next week-end, both in the beautiful finger lakes region of NY State.
 

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Get a Spanish mobil number + data while on the Camino
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Dramatic weather during the 3 hours I was out today! Started out with grey skies and light rain. Wandered through the neighbourhoods near my house to see how some favourite gardens were coming along. The rain stopped and the skies brightened a bit. I found a beautiful little park I'd not encountered before. Caught a silhouetted Anna's Hummingbird sticking her tongue out. Soon after leaving the park, the skies darkened and a sudden, intense wind and rain storm swept through. I ducked into a cafe for tea and within 30 minutes, the storm had passed and I was on my way along the tidal flats trail. Clouds still dramatic but the rain held off. A wonderful Sunday afternoon.
 
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...yesterday I walked for a while along a sandy trail beside the river Baïse then looped my way back through vineyards and woods to where I began in Vianne. Part of the circuit coincided with the GR 6543/Chemin de St Jacques which after Port-Sainte-Marie arrives in Vianne then Lavardac and Barbaste.

Map: Bastides + châteaux d'Albret (21.4 kms). Vianne -Brabaste -Xaintrailles -Vianne.



*(2) église Saint-Christophe de Vianne (12th century -)



*(3-6) along le Chemin de St Jacques/GR 6543 from Vianne to Barbaste



*(7-10) from Barbaste via Châteaux de Xaintrailles then on to Viannes
*(10) Medieval grafitti, église Saint-Christophe de Vianne
 
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Camino Way markers in Bronze
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Today we decided to go somewhere new. We picked a trail through some swamp land in a neighboring town. It was really easy to get to, after the bridge take the second left and after a bit you see the trail on the right. We followed the trail until it met a road and took a right to continue. It was a dead end. Checking two GPS apps with different maps and a photo of a map from a guide book I realized that the portion of the trail at the trailhead was new and not marked on any of the maps. We backtracked and at the trailhead we met a local who told us where our sought trail was. Walking we found the trail we missed driving. It was a two meter wide portion of a home's lawn marked with posts. We went down it for awhile and then returned to the car.

The first portion we didn't mean to do then the lawn entrance to the sought trail. The old boardwalks there were being replaced.

 
Canterbury to Dover - the first section of the Via Francigena. As I have done this section a number of times, I thought I would vary it by going east to Sandwich and south to Dover.

As you can see the gate into the Cathedral is being restored as is the Cathedral itself. What better time to do it than in the quiet of the lockdown. Countryside outside Canterbury is full of lambs and calves, whereas last September it was full off apples ripening in the late summer.

Sandwich is known for its golf course which hosts the British Open (149th this year). Approaching it, there are signs saying "Sandwich is Open" - for business after the lockdown. Regrettably it wasn't as no cafes were open. No sandwich in Sandwich!

Outside Sandwich is the village of Ham, so you get this odd sign that says "Ham Sandwich". Close by there is another local sign, a village for walkers perhaps. The sign makes sense as a "down" is a hill, so Updown is clear enough to the locals.
 

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Camino Preparation Guide
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
@Theatregal

Beautiful pictures. You're using a Sony DSC-HX80 but is it on auto mode or are you changing the settings yourself.

You can see the difference between your pics and those using a phone camera.
 
Camino Preparation Guide
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Recently a neighbour told me about a lovely walking area less than 2 miles from home....just 2 miles away and never walked there!!
We must be right dum dums or else not studying the local maps!

So off we went to the Roding Valley meadows
Walking through some beautiful paths with blossoms on the trees, entered a huge open area with a beautiful lake and paths going in every direction
Walked by the river Roding where young people were splashing about and enjoying the good weather
Back by another forest path where we got a bit lost near the end
A lovely 5 km saunter but will certainly explore more there another time

Before this pandemic I wondered....and not for the first time if we'd become so focused in getting away to other countries that we'd neglected to see or even explore at what is on our doorsteps
 
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Rick of Rick and Peg said:
Looks like siberian squill to me. I have some in my lawn. Lots of crocus too but the big patch I planted last year to be viewed from the kitchen window has been eaten as a pre-bloom salad. I think by a chipmunk.
Click to expand...
I thought you might know, Rick. I wondered if they might be purple snowdrops...at least maybe in the same family?
 
Today this pilgrim set off early. Searching.
It is a special day for a pilgrim, after all.
Camino pilgrims follow James, who followed someone for whom this day was life-changing... I kept asking myself: could it be this person? An early beggar, no eye contact. A harried looking pedestrian. A runner. The people in Myanmar whose faces and postures remind me so much of the infamous photo of the little girl with the number across her front, running from danger.
I don't use earphones, any music is already inside me. The songs belong to the film from 1973, Jesus Christ Superstar. I came across many possibilities. My photos show a story of light, and there is one photo of the blossom-less trees that featured in full bloom less than two weeks ago. That is life, no regrets, each moment paves the way for the next one!

l
 

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Camino Way markers in Bronze
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Once again the wind was coming out of the south. I SO SO SO want to take a trip north! But today I came across the most interesting thing I’ve seen yet. A big stone with “Negro Cemetery 1840-1876”. Out in the middle of nowhere. Back home, I googled and learned that a Kentucky slave owner brought his slaves to Illinois and freed them, and they lived in the area on “Negro Lane.” Only one gravestone remains.

This barn reminds me of Sabine’s church.

Some more pictures from my ride
.
 
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Fascinating. It's wonderful encountering something unexpected - especially something historical!
 
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It was a beach day yesterday but not because of the weather. Both there and back the car's dashboard was warning us that there could be icy roads. Peg was getting her covid vaccine in a coastal town so the beach the walk of the day. The long beach at the federal wildlife refuge was closed because it was nesting season but the state had land there too where nesting was not good.

A couple of the many, many closure signs and what was closed:


It was rocky on the state lands:


Purple sand:


One of the about a half dozen storm destroyed lobster traps deposited onto the beach:


We walked inland too:
 
Sorry if it offends. It's just a good way of getting an idea about the best cameras to buy. Need one for the next trip..
 
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Guides that will let you complete the journey your way.
Yesterday we went to Halen, a place where on Aug 12th 1914 the Battle of the Silver Helmets took place.
Standing in the middle of the battle field after more than 100 years and remembering all those that gave their lives for our freedom... We became very quiet...
All this remembered me on my times in Kosovo and Afghanistan.
Will there ever be Peace?...

 
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St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
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