Posts tagged Forest

17.11 The New Forest

0200 I have slept really well until now. I’m having trouble getting back to sleep so I read for a bit and take another valerian tablet.

0530 Coffee time. I’m checking trains and discover industrial action planned for today. But I don’t think it will affect me.

I just remembered something from my visit to Stow-in-the-Wold that I didn’t mention. One of the gift stores I visited had the most amazing warm spicy smell of orange and cinnamon. It embraced you as soon as you entered. Very festive.

0630 Breakfast and it’s quiet again. Just how I like it.

0750 I leave for the train station. Today I want to visit part of The New Forest. Em had recommended this and I am keen to check it out. It’s a big area so I can only pick one part. I have decided to walk around a village called Brockenhurst.

0823 Great Western Railway service to Bristol Temple Meads, calling at Portsmouth & Southsea, Fratton, Cosham, Farnham and Southampton Central. There are lots of seats reserved on this train.

0907 I alight at Southampton Central. It’s chilly while I’m not moving and there is light cloud.

0926 The South Western Railway service to Bournemouth calling at Brockenhurst.

0943 I alight at Brockenhurst and immediately start the first of two walks I have chosen.

The first walk takes me through woodlands and forest as well as around a large open area with horses grazing. The amazing thing about The New Forest is that there are horses and deer roaming freely. The towns have gates and cattle grids to contain them and/or keep them out but other than that they are “wild”.

The trees are all golden in colour and the ground is a massive burnt gold carpet of fallen leaves. It’s a very monochromatic experience as you can see from the photos. At parts I am walking through woods totally alone. Towards the last quarter though, there are many of other people having a Saturday morning walk.

1150 I finish my first walk. 9 km. I’m a bit weary but I want to continue to my next walk. I stop for a drink and snack in the village first. The cloud is almost gone.

1200 I start the second walk. This begins in the town and then takes me through completely different landscape. Open fields with heather and more grazing horses. We do enter some woodland with streams.

1340 I finish my second walk. 8.6 km. My feet are killing me.

1343 I arrive back at the train station just as the right train arrives … I think. I get onboard anyway and cross my fingers.

1344 We depart and it’s the right train. Phew! Now to rest my legs.

1357 We arrive back at Southampton Central.

1405 Change trains and depart Southampton Central.

1450 I arrive back at Portsmouth Harbour.

1500 I get back to the hotel and have a long hot shower. Unfortunately, there’s no bath in this hotel and I think that’s going to hamper my recovery. I spend some time looking at photos and resting.

1600 It’s beautiful and clear outside and the sun is beginning to set. I decide to head outside to walk around. I get some nice pictures of the sunset. Although it’s cold, it feels very much like the seaside.

1630 I’m exhausted. Today’s walks have worn me out and my legs are really sore. I’m going to relax in bed with my legs up and doze off in front of the TV.

England 2018Ian Barber18 November 2018New Forest, Brockenhurst, Walking, UK, Forest, Nature Comments

Grin Low Wood

A soft veil of white mist embraces me as I walk through the woods.

Trees brandished with gold and orange.

Gnarled branches, now naked, reach to the whiteness above.

The sound of their fallen leaves crunching and squelching beneath my feet.

The occasional squirrel darts across my path.

One or two birds swoop or flitter away (that feels a bit like a Snow White moment).

I don’t want this experience to end.

England 2018Ian Barber5 November 2018UK, Mist, Nature, Walking, Forest, BuxtonComment

From laughing men to Lost Lagoon

I was in bed early last night; exhausted from my day of walking. And very unlike me, I didn't rise until after 9:00 this morning. The weather was fine but overcast. I figured it could go either way; clouds clearing or clouds getting heavier. I decided it made sense to get out as soon as possible but it was definitely a struggle today.

After breakfast and starting a load of washing I headed out. Like yesterday, I stopped by a little bakery on the way to pick up a pastry for later. While the weather was OK I decided to return to Stanley Park and see more of it. I walked to the end of Davie Street where this sculpture from a previous biennale greeted me.

The other side of the street was the sea and one of the small beaches dotted along the western side of downtown. All of the beaches have logs arranged in lines. I assume it's seating for people who flock here in the summer. The sand is coarse; a mid brown colour.

As I've walked through the streets of downtown it's been quite common to see trees perched atop high rises.

The bay is English Bay. It appears to be a parking lot for ships before or after their journey across the Pacific.

The shore along the seawall varies. Sometimes the sea comes up to the wall. Other times there are small areas of sand and driftwood or forest wood between the sea and the land.

The water here is crystal clear. In most places you can see the sand and the rocks beneath the surface.

And after gazing at the wide expanse of sea to my left I could turn to my right and gaze back into the forest undergrowth and towering trees.

The seawall isn't straight or curved in grand arcs. There are little bays, inlets and coves all along it.

As I rounded one of these coves I reached Siwash rock. A monolith in the sea with significant meaning to the indigenous people.

As you'd expect, the sea is full of birdlife. The gulls are quite happy to bob around close to people.

By now I'd walked much further than I'd originally intended and soon the Lion's Gate bridge was in view; this time from the other side. Over two days I'd virtually circumnavigated the park.

Today, for the first time, the mountains were clear of low cloud.

It was time to turn around. I decided to make my way inland a little and see some more of the forest. Even from the trail you could catch glimpses of the seawall.

At many places along the wall there are hedges of what looks like bramble; rough and untamed.

As I made my way inland I passed this bird. Clearly he hadn't got the function of a seat quite figured out. I wondered what/who the flowers were for. Many of the benches in the park have lovely inscriptions for departed loved ones. Maybe these were left in remembrance of someone special?

The forest floor on this side of the park was slightly different from the trails I walked yesterday.

Around this time I stumbled across what I think was a racoon. I tried to snap it but my camera was still set for landscape pictures and all I could manage was a grey blur that no-one would believe was anything of interest. However, before long I made it to Lost Lagoon where there was a group of them milling around a family. I managed to get a proper shot this time.

Lost Lagoon is a large lake in the bottom of the park surrounded by tall trees on some sides and a small beach on another. Near the viewing point I saw this map and realised exactly how far I had walked over the last couple of days. I've pretty much walked all the way around it and some of the middle. No wonder I have blisters on my feet.

It was only about 2:00 but I was done and the first spits of rain had just hit my glasses. It was time to return to the hotel. On the way I paused for one last photo when I saw these colourful planters. I can imagine how magnificent they must have looked a month or two ago.

Time to rest my feet.

North America 2014Ian Barber14 October 2014Parks, Canada, Vancouver, ForestComment

Stanley Park

Stanley Park is massive and I knew I had no chance of seeing it all today. So my plan was to go directly to the Lion's Gate bridge and then work my way back on the eastern side.

I figured the most reliable way of getting to the bridge was to follow the roadway. The constant traffic passing me on the left didn't diminish the beauty and lure of the increasingly dense forest to my right. Pathways would branch off the main walkway from time to time.

At one stage I came across an intriguing spiral overpass.

I took neither.

Along my journey I'd noticed some rather large slugs. This one was kind enough to let me take his photo.

As you would expect, the woodland was populated with tall trees and dense bushes.

By now the air was fresh. My dragon breath fogged up my glasses on a couple of occasions, but due to my natural tendency to power walk in even the most casual of circumstances I was warm inside. It wasn't long before I reached "the bridge". The following pictures are out of sequence but they probably make more sense this way.

The bridge is spectacular, spanning a massive divide.

As I approached the walkway I passed this sad but hopeful sign.

I walked a little way along the bridge. I'm not a big fan of heights so I had no intention of going very far. There was a viewing area by the first pylon that was enough for me.

It was a long way down.

But turning around I could see Downtown Vancouver peeking above the masses of trees in the park.

And although I was biased towards the bridge of steel and city beyond, I did pause to gaze at the Pacific to the east (that sounds so weird).

The viewpoint for the bridge had an amazing garden of wild flowers. I suspect they were past their prime but they still looked vibrant and beautiful.

After getting my bridge fix I decided to find a trail that would take me down to the walk along the seawall that surrounds the park. The forest was beautiful and for a time I was alone, wandering through this magical space inhabited by giant trees, wooden skeletons and rich green moss. Each path curved to conceal what lay beyond.

My journey took me to Beaver Lake. Although I'm assured there were beavers in residence, none of them were game to make an appearance for me. Beavers must be camera shy.

I made my way along tiny trails down the to seawall, past tall trees and gentle streams until finally I made contact with civilisation.

And that leads me to my next post ...

North America 2014Ian Barber13 October 2014Canada, Parks, Vancouver, ForestComment