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Where did you walk ( locally ) in 2021?

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- or just use smaller pictures... in editing, right click on bottom right corner on said picture until small blue square appears and move cursor on this square upwards to the left, thus skrinking your picture to your own liking.....
I know , you need to post thumbnails.
Thumbnails need les storage space.
 
Ideal pocket guides for during & after your Camino. Each weighs only 1.4 oz (40g)!
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,-
Apologies if this is in the wrong place, I was only made aware of this thread in the recent Forum Digest. It relates to last year but the 2020 thread has been closed and I do want to give a shout out to the London Loop.

My plans for 2020 had included walking La Ruta de Pedra en Sec across Mallorca in May/June and continuing on the Ruta de la Lana (Cuenca to Burgos) in September after a week on a beach with my other half on both occasions. The high rates of infection in Spain and the 14 days quarantine on return to England put us off and we postponed both trips. Some time in August, Portugal was briefly removed from our quarantine list. We seized the window of opportunity to get to the beach for a few days in September. Without planning it, my morning run from Cascais to the ocean took me along part of the Caminho (with an 'h') de Santiago and Caminho de Fatima. I hadn't planned to walk in Portugal but rather to undertake the West Highland Way in Scotland as soon as we got back home. Unfortunately while we were in Cascais Scotland put Portugal on their quarantine list (swiftly followed by England a week later but we were back in Blighty by then). I started to make arrangements for what was now about Plan F - the Coast to Coast from St Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hood Bay in Yorkshire - while we were still in Portugal. Then the Rule Of Six kicked in. This meant that all dorms were closed with the inevitable consequent hike in hotel prices. In the Lake District National Park you had to make a reservation for two nights - never mind the single supplement. I moved on to Plan G.

A few years ago some Aussie friends of ours were returning home to Sydney and gave me their London Loop guidebook. They were very enthusiastic. They'd done the walk over a number of weekends throughout the year. I tried to look interested but cannot help feeling that my eyes must have glazed over and my nodding appear mechanical. I had a hundred and one things that I'd rather do than walk around London. The guidebook made its way to the bottom of the barrel. By September I'd reached the bottom of that barrel and it was either that or paint the kitchen!

In brief the London Loop is 150 miles (240 km) within the M25 motorway along a green corridor. You start in Erith in Kent on the Thames estuary work your way clockwise, south, west, north and back east to Purfleet in Essex. The guidebook breaks the walk up into 15 daily stages but you could do it in less than that. I mostly ran in the mornings and walked in the afternoons after a couple of lunchtime pints and got around in 8 days. The route takes you through countryside, parks, woodlands, marshes, along canal towpaths, rivers and waterways, some residential areas and past a number of historic sites. You get to see how the other half live (Chislehurst and Hadley Green), any number of historic buildings and churches, old gunpowder factories, the oak under which Wilberforce and Pitt The Younger debated the abolition of the slave trade, the deer park at Hampton Court, the Grand Union Canal, the site of the Battle of Barnet, locks, Elizabethan hunting lodges, the concrete barges that towed the Mulberry Harbour over to Arromanches, the occasional view back over the city and many other things besides. Plenty of birds, including pheasants, and aquatic fowl.

My Tube pass covered almost all the Tubes, trains and buses I needed so I was able to return home at the end of each day and go back the following morning to resume where I had left off. The upside of this was that I only needed to carry the smallest of day packs. A sandwich and a piece of fruit for lunch, the guidebook, a camera, as well as a reading book (it took me up to an hour and half to get to and from my daily start and finish points). I was also incredibly lucky with the weather - eight days of Manchegan blue skies, so I didn't even have to carry any waterproof clothing.

The only bleak spots along the way were Hayes in Middlesex and Turkey Street in Enfield - and I commiserate with anybody who has to live in either.

I was rather disappointed to discover that a good number of the pubs listed in my guidebook had closed, been bulldozed or now had flats where they once had stood. My disappointment was exponentially increased when this discovery coincided with lunchtime!

The London Outer Orbital Loop may not be Spain but it was a good Plan G.

There's an inner loop, The Capital Ring, which I plan to do when lockdown is over and the weather gets better.
So glad you enjoyed the London Loop...and in 8 days....weve been walking it since 2013 on and off and as a few loops are within a mile of the house, have walked the same ones a few time
A great walk of 150 miles though
Only 4 Loops left to go out of 15 for us but they will have to wait for the moment
It's hard to believe at times that it's within spitting distance of London as the whole walk, apart from a few places is walked through countryside and parks.
It's so well marked that it's hard to get lost....even for us!
The only place we got totally lost was at Loop 9 "Uxbridge to Moor Park" along the Grand Union Canal
We'd come off the Loop for a cuppa...and then back onto it...

So far, so good ...and then after a while the conversation went something like this
"I recognise this place"
"No" he says "can't be, we've never been here before"
"So how come I've seen this bridge before"
"You've got water on the brain I suppose!"
"No, I've seen those houses before"
"You're demented"
"And what about that barge we passed"
"You're hallucinating now"
"Hah....well my imagination does not stretch to conjure up a pub where we had a coffee outside a few hours ago now does it"!

We'd only missed the bridge crossing after the tea break
Had to go back the same way again until we found the bridge!
A long day and ended up doing about 25km!
Just 4to go now!
 
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,-
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Ideal pocket guides for during & after your Camino. Each weighs only 1.4 oz (40g)!
@lovingkindness : Gorgeous pics! Always so nice to see how the French provide such detailed walkingmaps.

Lacépède Did not know you are so close to Agen.
Yes! There is so much to discover in Agen... and there is a gîte de pélerins!

After the first Covid confinement I decided to explore pilgrim trails close to where I was staying in Le Lot-et-Garonne, two of which pass through Agen (Agen is about 30 kms from a friend's place). Both were solitary, beautiful walks, quite a challenge to find a bed. I also walked from Port Saint Marie to Eauze during this time but that's another story....

*le Chemin de Cluny: Moissac - Agen
*le Voie de Rocamadour: nr Pujols - via Agen + La Romieu - Condom
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
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,-
Today I had a walk in Helsinki, the capital city of Finland. There was a kind of snow storm going on, and much less people around than usually. I walked along the Töölönlahti bay where you can normally see quite a number of walkers and runners and bikers. Now there was a man skiing with a baby wagon stroller.

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Then I continued to Mannerheimintie, the main street of Helsinki. Not much traffic there. Just a tram with Unikko (Poppy) pattern.

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A cafeteria was open on the Market Square.

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A narrow street leads from the Market Square to the Senate Square.

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The Senate Square is dominated by the Helsinki Cathedral.

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In spite of the storm, it was a pieceful walk because there were few people around and not much traffic.
 
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In 10 days the sun will be back after 2 months absence.
 

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Ideal pocket guides for during & after your Camino. Each weighs only 1.4 oz (40g)!
I walked 4.5 miles in the park today with a friend I met last year. It was a very chilly 48° and dreary. I came south for this? Brrr.
My only photo of an armadillo.
View attachment 91119
48° F. That‘s about 8.8° C. and what it is here today. I was out this morning and thought it was lovely and mild. 😄
 
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Part of the trek that I really wanted to do today was closed because of a rock slide, so I had to make a significant diversion. Disappointing, but I did see some areas along the Capilano River that I hadn't seen before. It's hard to think that just a bit over a hundred years ago there were old growth forests near here. What we have left now, still beautiful, is second growth forest. Pics include the upper portion of the Cleveland Dam spillway. If you look closely through the railing to the right of the walkway at the top of the spillway you can see a snow capped mountain. We do get snow here in the winter but it is usually at the higher elevations.

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We was very near you at the time, snowshoeing at Grouse. A small world
 

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The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Wee bit nippy, but sure is pretty....

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This is my reward for walking home from my work in the morning.
There was a storm yesterday, horizontal snow and mucky weather,
today a brilliant morning sun....
 
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Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

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Less than 10 minutes walk from home is Claybury Park, Londons newest park opened in 2010 and 270 acres
I am ashamed to say that I've only walked through this once as a shortcut going somewhere since opening but what a change from the same ole same old walks since the latest lockdown
And what a discovery it's been..2 woods, open spaces and a lake.
Greeted by muddy paths at first, we explored the many wooded paths and then the open tracks in the open.
5 miles was a good walk for us yesterday

HISTORY OF THE PARK AND THE HOSPITAL

The park was once part of Claybury Psychiatric hospital...built in 1883 and known as "a mental asylum for the clinically insane" ...a term outdated now.
A costly private hospital then...it could treat up to 2,500 patients and was one of the country's pioneering mental establishments.
It had vast grounds and a farm where patients were able to work and wander.

However after the NHS was established in 1948 the patient numbers began to dwindle and it was closed in 1997 and "care in the community" for most psychiatric patients became the norm.

I always loved the buildings of this hospital and along with colleagues did many a training course there for our own specialities in the NHS
Even then however, the long halls and corridors always seemed a bit spooky!

The buildings were renovated instead of being bulldozed and now consist of very expensive,luxury homes inside a gated community estate.
The outside character of the buildings has been maintained however, especially the beautiful old church.....I hate to say this church now houses a gym and a swimming pool but this is the way of the world now I suppose!

Reports of spooky goings on have frequently been reported at times though and people who used to work at the hospital before it closed in 1997 are convinced they saw the ghosts of distressed patients still roaming around the buildings!
My neighbour however who lives next door and who worked at the hospital for over 40 years will not tell me the full story!!!
I think I can feel a shiver down my spine!!image.jpegimage.jpegimage.jpegimage.jpegimage.jpegimage.jpegimage.jpegimage.png
 
I haven’t walked much lately. I don’t know why really, weather, Christmas, laziness? Now the weather here is cold, but beautiful. I don’t go for a walk when it is minus 10-17 degrees C. I am not much of a winter person... Now I am longing for the sun to come to my house☀️❄️
 

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A walk on the Stanley Park seawall. Along the way an otter and a large flock of Barrow's Goldeneye ducks. I had meant to walk all the way around but a good portion of it was closed due to clean-up of debris from the high winds and king tides the last few days. Had to detour up into the woods. Found a view of the wall from above that I hadn't seen before. A beautiful day.

sp wall.jpg sp otter.jpg sp wall1.jpg sp barrows.jpg sp path.jpg sp wall4.jpg
 
Ideal pocket guides for during & after your Camino. Each weighs only 1.4 oz (40g)!
Less than 10 minutes walk from home is Claybury Park, Londons newest park opened in 2010 and 270 acres
I am ashamed to say that I've only walked through this once as a shortcut going somewhere since opening but what a change from the same ole same old walks since the latest lockdown
And what a discovery it's been..2 woods, open spaces and a lake.
Greeted by muddy paths at first, we explored the many wooded paths and then the open tracks in the open.
5 miles was a good walk for us yesterday

HISTORY OF THE PARK AND THE HOSPITAL

The park was once part of Claybury Psychiatric hospital...built in 1883 and known as "a mental asylum for the clinically insane" ...a term outdated now.
A costly private hospital then...it could treat up to 2,500 patients and was one of the country's pioneering mental establishments.
It had vast grounds and a farm where patients were able to work and wander.

However after the NHS was established in 1948 the patient numbers began to dwindle and it was closed in 1997 and "care in the community" for most psychiatric patients became the norm.

I always loved the buildings of this hospital and along with colleagues did many a training course there for our own specialities in the NHS
Even then however, the long halls and corridors always seemed a bit spooky!

The buildings were renovated instead of being bulldozed and now consist of very expensive,luxury homes inside a gated community estate.
The outside character of the buildings has been maintained however, especially the beautiful old church.....I hate to say this church now houses a gym and a swimming pool but this is the way of the world now I suppose!

Reports of spooky goings on have frequently been reported at times though and people who used to work at the hospital before it closed in 1997 are convinced they saw the ghosts of distressed patients still roaming around the buildings!
My neighbour however who lives next door and who worked at the hospital for over 40 years will not tell me the full story!!!
I think I can feel a shiver down my spine!!View attachment 91225View attachment 91226View attachment 91227View attachment 91228View attachment 91229View attachment 91230View attachment 91231View attachment 91232
Annette, sounds like a very similar change of purpose for the local asylum next to my hometown. It was declared a model of enlightened treatment in its day. The luxury homes are all new, except for a couple of facades and a clock tower, so I have not heard of spooky sensations. I will check with a brother, he lives there!
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
We've been to the same state park where @Camino Chrissy took her pictures. Those weird buildings are intended for bird watching but they are good for getting out of the sun too.
Sort of the same technique as. the church in @Sabine’s avatar. @chrissy, do you know why “connect” and “feel” are written in large letters on the walls?

We’re getting snow as I write this, so you are lucky to be away from Illinois!
 
Sort of the same technique as. the church in @Sabine’s avatar. @chrissy, do you know why “connect” and “feel” are written in large letters on the walls?

We’re getting snow as I write this, so you are lucky to be away from Illinois!
There are three wood structures in a row. The last one out of sight says "listen" so connect, feel and listen. Inside each one there are a few other interpretive words, benches to sit on and a big square open "window" on the back sides for watching birds and nature...probably mostly geared towards children.
 
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,-
A walk on the Stanley Park seawall. Along the way an otter and a large flock of Barrow's Goldeneye ducks. I had meant to walk all the way around but a good portion of it was closed due to clean-up of debris from the high winds and king tides the last few days. Had to detour up into the woods. Found a view of the wall from above that I hadn't seen before. A beautiful day.

View attachment 91248 View attachment 91246 View attachment 91249 View attachment 91245 View attachment 91247 View attachment 91250
Trust that you are avoiding the aggressive Coyotes in the the park. I guess if they had a Goldeneye duck or 2 they would mellow out.
 
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@Silencio Por Favor "Trust that you are avoiding the aggressive Coyotes in the the park. I guess if they had a Goldeneye duck or 2 they would mellow out."

I stayed clear of the Brockton Oval area where the incidents were happening but did notice a couple of interior trails along my way were closed. Though this could have been due to fallen trees from the high winds.
 
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,-
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Today I walked along an old muddy trail through woodlands and fields where pilgrims occassionally pass, in the hills above Castelmoron-sur-Lot. I followed the GR654 Est (Chemin de St Jacques) for a couple of hours and would have walked much further if there hadn't been a curfew...

Map: Castelmoron sur Lot - Toureille - Castelmoron sur Lot

IMG_1893a.jpg....Château "Solar", Castelmoron-sur-Lot (Hôtel de Ville): Inspired by l'Alhambra in Grenada, the Cordoba mosque and also the Casino Mauresque in Arcachon, France. Built by the widow of Felix Solar (1811-1870), financier and patron of the Press. Sold in 1902 to the municipality of Castelmoron-sur-Lot.

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Castelmoron -sur -Lot
 
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Took a trip to the winterly Harz:

Wernigerode_2021_1.jpg
real snow :)

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winter forest

Wernigerode_2021_3.jpg
The castle of Wernigerode
Wernigerode_2021_4.jpg
View down to the city of Wernigerode, notice the ski-jumps on the upper left corner

Wernigerode_2021_5.jpg
coloured houses
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cafe-terrace of the castle
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detail
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Townhall of Wernigerode
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timbered house from 1583

It was a 3h walk through the forest above Wernigerode, down to the city and back to my car, just 10k.
Few people outside, more than expected (lockdown), all restaurants, cafes, etc. closed.
 
In case anyone is missing the Camino Portugues...it was dark when I went out, best way to stay away from people. I looked down...on my regular circuit.

View attachment 91316
Kirkie,
Am trying to forget your picture as it brings back memories of when, after walking for hours, we arrived in Villafranca del Bierzo and met the dreaded cobble stones!!
First thought was "you must be joking" "you're having a laugh" "I don't believe this" ........walked down the central flat bit but I still remember the pain!

Chrissy...you must have feet of Iron! But for some reason, I can't remember the cobble stones when we walked the CP ...maybe best forgotten!!
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Ideal pocket guides for during & after your Camino. Each weighs only 1.4 oz (40g)!
Lovely! The green calls to me...much of the UK apparently stays green all winter.
Hi Chrissy! The pine trees are "evergreens". But we are lucky in the UK - minimum temperature this winter around minus 2 deg C here in the east of England: currently, as I write, a very unusual +11 deg C.
But I miss Spain so much: I am so glad I kept a diary of all the caminos I walked - they're all on my web site.
Best wishes and buen camino from England....
 
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Last week - Engadina High Valley -
  • walking while snowing, on a frozen lake . UTTER stillness there. Magical
  • the following morning - view through iced window pane
  • afternoon in Solgio - viewing south
  • back in Engadina - view of same lake, peninsula, mountains as in the first image (images 24 hours time gap)
 
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€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
I was one who never minded the cobbles on the Portuguese.
Nor me, Chrissy. They have the great advantage of being able to hear a car coming from half a mile away. Unless, of course, they're like this .... taken in Porto in 2011.
 

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St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Nor me, Chrissy. They have the great advantage of being able to hear a car coming from half a mile away. Unless, of course, they're like this .... taken in Porto in 2011.
So true, Stephen. The rumble of speeding car tires on narrow cobbled roads on the Portuguese was very helpful for safety.
Yes, I had nearly twisted my ankle a couple of times on the broken setts.
 
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La vie en rose....

Map: a circular walk from Ste Colombe de Villeneuve, 5 kms, a village through which the Voie de Rocamadour (GR 652) passes...

...beside les pruneaux d'Agen (prune trees), down a trail strewn with autumn leaves into a world suffused in rose, lilac and pastel grey, where branches backlit in emerald take on twisted form...
 
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The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
I enjoyed seeing mistletoe on my travels in Europe as we do not have it in the US. As Sabine's picture shows, I have read that it prefers it's hosts in trees on open land and not in heavily forested areas.
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Hello everyone and Happy New Year!

Looking forward seeing your pictures and stories behind it.
Sabs, Happy New Year to you also!
My latest walk is a short one with my dog Raider (Australian Cattle Dog) in the Zoar State Forest. For years the forest was not well maintained and the trails reduced drastically in number. The new Ranger is busy reestablishing previous trails and adding new ones. Raider and I often try out the newest, though hardly completed trails, that are rather treacherous due to the rough foot paths and the significant thorn bushes. On many a sojourn I've returned to my car with torn shorts and deeply gashed legs. Raider seems to come out of it without a scratch. Well, I've never been one to do something the easy way.
My last real pilgrimage was in the fall of 2019 when I walked the St Magnus Way in Orkney, Scotland. On that walk, I fell several times on slippery rocks along the sea on the first day, again wearing shorts, was ravaged by Stinging Nettles. Day Two was spent at the Mill recovering from inflammation to the legs, high fever, etc. Back on the Way on Day three now wearing long trousers. No further problems. See, I can learn new tricks.
Arn
 
So... my work's Fitness Coordinator put something in front of us and of course my wife and I eagerly signed up.
It is akin to something other Esteemed Members here spoke about (and even did\doing), namely it's a 'virtual walk'.
We are participating in "Run West Ireland"
run w ire.jpg

only we wont run - we are walking.
Starting from this past Monday we have until 31 May to complete 503 miles between us (it averages about 13.3 miles a week per person... but there is no requirement per se to walk any minimum or maximum)
So... we started on Monday "from Céide Fields Visitor Center" and as of yesterday looks like about 1/2-way through on to Crossmolina
Capture.JPG

Of course if The World opens up and I do get to start my CF as planned - I get 10 days to hoof it up (Plan to leave SJPdP on 22 May) and REALLY blow the "Ireland" distance out of the water since I doubt very much that I'd be averaging 13 miles\week😇
 
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3rd Edition. More content, training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
So... my work's Fitness Coordinator put something in front of us and of course my wife and I eagerly signed up.
It is akin to something other Esteemed Members here spoke about (and even did\doing), namely it's a 'virtual walk'.
We are participating in "Run West Ireland"
View attachment 91619

only we wont run - we are walking.
Starting from this past Monday we have until 31 May to complete 503 miles between us (it averages about 13.3 miles a week per person... but there is no requirement per se to walk any minimum or maximum)
So... we started on Monday "from Céide Fields Visitor Center" and as of yesterday looks like about 1/2-way through on to Crossmolina
View attachment 91621View attachment 91619View attachment 91621

Of course if The World opens up and I do get to start my CF as planned - I get 10 days to hoof it up (Plan to leave SJPdP on 22 May) and REALLY blow the "Ireland" distance out of the water since I doubt very much that I'd be averaging 13 miles\week😇
Fingers crossed for you, my friend! 🤞
 
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,-
Bonjour, @ SabineP...I see mistletoe (le gui) suspended in trees. Does mistletoe feature in Belgian mythology or festive traditions?

Cheers
good morning - this is one link i found in my files (got other articles on MistleToe, but not in english.)
21198220-7EA6-43F3-A23B-AA6DEEEBD3D9.jpeg
on walks here I see them everywhere. As kids we called them 'witches-brooms'. Also very well known/used for medicinal purposes w/ good results/effects. (can attest to that). Quite interesting plants those Mistletoes. Lot's of lore about them too. :)
best wishes - warmly, C
 
Recently, besides my daily walk with Peg, I've been walking alone too on occasion, farther and faster for exercise. After finishing our joint walk it started snowing and I headed out for an exercise walk. I gave Peg a call from the parking lot to say that I would be home later than I told her. I decided to pace myself for the views instead. It did snow the whole time but the big fluffy flakes soon gave way to just a few small ones.

PXL_20210121_183439007-01.jpeg PXL_20210121_184733902-01.jpeg PXL_20210121_184757777-01.jpeg PXL_20210121_190413798-01.jpeg PXL_20210121_190604613-01.jpeg PXL_20210121_192803829-01.jpeg
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Always like it when my footprints (and my vizsla Huba's) are first in the fresh snow. Furthest I've so far managed to walk on my new (23 days old) knee. 30 minutes walk from my front door, all off tarmac. In the cloud is a local hill called Tarnmonath.

IMG_20210121_112605.jpg
 
Finally a day with sun and temperatures up in the 40s. But the wind, oh the wind. And because I was so busy watching the inauguration festivities, I quickly planned my route with google maps, rather than using the detailed regional bike map I have. BIG MISTAKE. Google maps wanted me to ride through unpaved roads, and at one point I had no option but to go two miles on a mud/gravel road. Yuck.

Anyway, it was so good to get out.

A question for the more knowledgeable — why is sunrise on January 21 the exact same as it was on December 21? l thought the days were supposed to be getting longer! I left the house at 6 in the dark, and the sun came up at 7:10, exactly the same time as on my December 21 ride!EC77F30E-96A9-413B-A7F0-E69AAC009DF1.jpeg3A7E998A-B9AF-4A28-8A21-4BDD616D9DBD.jpeg7A6798A4-09A7-483D-839B-3D0263CFF30B.jpegF80AFFCC-4652-4D5E-B777-52A99BC71C2B.jpeg590C0304-4561-4DEB-81F1-5A8125016027.jpegBB4193E4-B8BF-4CCC-A8E4-C4981CE7D189.jpeg
 
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A question for the more knowledgeable — why is sunrise on January 21 the exact same as it was on December 21? l thought the days were supposed to be getting longer! I left the house at 6 in the dark, and the sun came up at 7:10, exactly the same time as on my December 21 ride!
Were you wearing the same watch? 😇
According to this there was a difference:

 
Were you wearing the same watch? 😇
According to this there was a difference:

Oh, there was a 4 minute difference. 😁 I was relying on my phone’s weather app, which said that sunrise was at 7:11 yesterday, but it really was at 7:09!

But still, four minutes difference in one month doesn’t seem like much, though I guess it’s the same at the other end of the day.
 
A question for the more knowledgeable — why is sunrise on January 21 the exact same as it was on December 21? l thought the days were supposed to be getting longer! I left the house at 6 in the dark, and the sun came up at 7:10, exactly the same time as on my December 21 ride!
I hope this helps but figuring out all the angles and motions in astronomy can be pretty confusing.
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
I’m not sure I understood it, but I did see that my instincts were right. Self-confirmation that one is right is always welcome. 😁

While the Sun rises only a little earlier every day at the beginning of the year, it sets noticeably later every evening.
 
I was deceived by the sun just now. It was beaming in the window, enticing me to go out for a second walk today. When I got out, it was bitterly cold and the clouds were rather menacing. I persevered, for a little while...and re the above about the lengthening of days, a learned lady told me when I lived in Edinburgh that the day was longer by three minutes from 21st December till 21st June, and then of course the reverse happens. I go approximately. Precision is not a strong point of mine!

IMG_6684.JPGIMG_6685.JPG
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
An 8 mile walk yesterday but started off later than usual
Mud was the order of the day but we managed to dodge most of it
Through the golf course and onto the little village of Havering Atte Bower built in 1042

At the stables Grace, Leah, Bandit, George and Gabo came to say hello...such beautiful animals

The London loop also passes through the village and our local Hospice is situated here opposite the church which was closed, as was the cafe and the pub
Spotted a few new paths on the way back but too late and too muddy to explore

Met a man with a Goshawk on his arm...nearest we've ever been to a bird of prey
As usual, floundering around through the trees and the golf course or two we found the path back.
What is it with all these paths ...can't be us......can it?image.jpegimage.jpegimage.jpegimage.jpegimage.jpegimage.jpegimage.jpegimage.jpegimage.jpegimage.jpeg
 
Met a man with a Goshawk on his arm...nearest we've ever been to a bird of prey
Do people typically walk around your area with birds of prey perched on their arms?!

Good mud pictures, I’ll bet it brings back a lot of camino memories. I had to push my bike through mud that was nowhere near as bad, but it is impossible (for me anyway) to ride a normal bike when there is even a slight bid of mud.
 
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Good mud pictures, I’ll bet it brings back a lot of camino memories. I had to push my bike through mud that was nowhere near as bad, but it is impossible (for me anyway) to ride a normal bike when there is even a slight bid of mud.

When leaving my house in the rainy season, i.e. 6 months of the year, I have no choice but to push or carry the bike through glutinous mud and floods to reach the road, stopping every 100m to use an old knife to scrape out the mud trapped between the wheels and mudguards - tedious, but effective. Just back from a 15km round trip to the village shop in brutal weather. I have to remind myself regularly not to let the sun go down on my winter gloom!
 
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