A walk well spent brings a week of content...

My dad is a walker. Not a fair-weather stroller, a rambler nor a hiker - a walker. Most weekends, he puts on his walking shoes and disappears for a few hours - generally spending his time traversing the South Downs. Luckily, we live just over an hours drive away from some of the most gorgeous, dare I say it, quintessentially English, countryside. Think rolling green hills leading down to the glittering English Channel. On an early Autumn day, theres few places better to be than being swept backwards with the wind, cheeks rosy and an amazing view to reward you for a steep walk. 

The last time we did this - a walk through Savernake forest or a drizzly September day - seemed far too long ago, so on one of the last days of the summer, my father and I set off to Alfriston for a walk. My dad does this most weekends between May and September, when the whether is fair and bright, not too hot and not too chilly; often being joined by my brothers. And until recently, I genuinely was not fit enough. In the past few years, I've lost a huge amount of weight, and grown immensely fitter in the process - however the kind of fitness you need to be able to walk up a 16% (in places!) incline is a very different one to the one that I've become in the gym.

As I said, my dad doesn't really consider it a 'walk' if its below 5 miles, and there isn't at least one hill to climb. So you have to come prepared, basically. It's really nice to have this time together - this walk was only a few weekends after my Grandmother passed away - and it was quite nice to just spend a few hours doing something that he enjoys. I'm going to make a definite point to do more of it when the weather picks up again, next year.

I also think that Alfriston is the most beautiful little village - the house pictured here is so beautiful - it reminds me of the little villages around Farnham, where I went to Uni that are really sweet, and probably cost two of my house put together. A girl can dream.. It also had the most gorgeous village green where we sat and munched sandwiches and drank cans of Fanta, watching whilst a family ate cream tea and scones with Champagne on deckchairs. How very British... 

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the snow day that never was

Last week (or the week before, time is running into one, apparently) I was off work, and had intended to go for an early morning run - however I opened my curtains and it was snowing. I hung about for a bit, but then the snow wasn't stopping, so decided to drag my mum out for a walk with my camera, instead. By the time we got to the lake, the snow had stopped and all but melted.
We walked around Virginia Water, up to the hill and the heather garden, then back around to the ruins of Leptis Magna, one of my favourite local ruins, haha. It was cold and brisk, and we made friends with a few puppies and some swans that tried to bite me, before having a cheeky hot dog and burger in the new cafe overlooking the water. It was really nice, but I miss how nice this place is in the spring and summer, I need some life in the trees and a bit more greenery about...

the sun through the trees - part two

There are some things that feel a little better though, like when the sun breaks from behind the grey clouds, you manage to catch the setting sun in the woods, there is a pinecone in your pocket and some twigs in your hair and everything feels alright again. Sometimes it's really good to get out and get dirty, to cake your boots in mood and run through the frozen over puddles on the ground, feeling the ice crack beneath your unsuitable trainers. You forget what date it is, when the sun gets in your eyes and you feel hot for the first time all day; and on the walk home, the bulbs your mother and father planted are poking out of the ground in the garden, there is a red kite crying, somewhere above your head; you can take a deep breath and say that you'll get through it, because you always do.

part one

the sun through the trees - part one

I find winter a hard time - despite my adoration for the all the things I dream of in a winter, like crisp frosty mornings and brisk weekend walks in the sunshine, it always turns out differently. The crisp frosty mornings are less beautiful when walking to work in the dark at 8AM or scraping the ice from your car until your fingers are blue. The sunny Saturday strolls are few and far between in January and you spend a lot more time indoors, looking out at the rain falling, with the wind trying to get in through the cracks in the house than I do out walking in the sunshine. At times like these it's hard to push through without the lure of Christmas to cheer you on, your only hope is that the solstice has passed and that the days are getting longer again, the sun is lingering that little bit more and that soon it will be spring.

part two tomorrow...

winter walks

The weekend we found out that my grandmother wasn't going to get any better, I dragged myself out for a brisk walk around the lake. Looking back now, it was probably the last good autumn day we had, right before the quick descent into frosty mornings, dark evenings and wet afternoons. 

I never thought I would be one of those people that looks forward to exercise. What I didn't know as a chubby thirteen-year-old is that just because I didn't enjoy rounders in my PE kit, meant that I would hate all exercise, ever; really, I just hadn't found the thing I did enjoy. After a sad weekend cooped up in a car and feeling useless about things, I just knew I needed to do something. 

Maybe it is something to do with my need for control, but I felt like things were more manageable after getting air in my lungs. Maybe it's that when everything feels out of my hands, I can go and do something that I have decided on. Maybe, it is just that the ache in my limbs means I sleep more soundly, but whatever it is, it works, and I'm okay with that. It's hard to drag myself to a gym, at 5pm after work on a Monday night when it's icy cold, wet and rainy, but I am so much happier when I've been and I need to keep telling myself that. 

end of summer walks

It's probably all psychological - but September definitely makes it feel like the weather is cooler and crisper. Throughout the summer I made good use of the local nature reserve and airfields, I'm always wandering about up there - it's a place I visit year round, and I really love to look at these photos I took in the snow last year to see the comparison. In the summer, there are ponies that graze there, lots of heather, blackberries, apples and everywhere is so, so green. Re-reading that post now is weird - back then, I was stuck in the midst of a hellish third year at university and I went there to get some peace - it is one of those places that always makes me feel a lot happier and calmer. 

the dog in the bluebells

It's a very wet, miserable bank holiday Monday, here, today - I somehow wrangled the day off work last minute (normally I have to work bank holidays) and now I have nothing to do because the weather is awful and I planned nothing. I went to see a local textile exhibition with my mum this morning which had some cool stuff in, but now I'm sat here, listening to a bit of the latest Must Stash podcast, and trying to tackle the pile of laundry in my bedroom, exciting stuff. 

I thought I would give you some slightly nicer photographs than that lovely image, from when me and my friend Amy took her dog to the local bluebell wood last week. I've been to the area so many times, I had two friends that lived a hundred metres from the wood, but never knew it was there until Amy showed me. Her lovely pup, Monty, who I think is just the funniest dog loved it, and we tried to get him to sit and look cute in the grass but he wasn't really having it. The sun came out for a bit, but then it started raining and we hurried home, but it was really lovely finding a hidden little treasure like that.. I think the bluebells are gone, now, but I'll be sure to enjoy them again next year.

(PS - the title of this post reminds me of those Animal Ark books I used to love when I was a kid - did anyone else read them? I was obsessed with them.. haha)

binocular view

Another bunch of sea-based photos for your eyes.. Yesterday we went for a walk around the headland and there were some amazing views out across the sea - I borrowed my dads binoculars and watched the birds floating out on the thermals over the sea and the land. The rocks down there are fearsome, too, it's really good fun to watch the waves crashing - it all feels very prehistoric and cool.

sunny lake days

I had a busy week last week and did a few things here and there, so expect a couple of upcoming posts, and on Thursday last week I went to Virginia Water with my housemate, Alex. It is probably one of my absolute favourite places to go when the sun comes out and when the winter comes, it's perfect year-round. There is a huge lake with small sections of sand and places where you can paddle, a mini-waterfall/cascade, a totem pole, lots of cute dogs, and my favourite of all things, the Roman ruins! They are actual ruins from Leptis Magna that were taken from there back in 1818 and now are what is commonly known as a folly - hint, folly's are some of my favourite things in this world! There's something awesome about fake Roman-temples in Wiltshire countryside and I love it. 

Anyway, we got some frozen-yoghurt, mini-Calippos, grapes and juice and went and sunned ourselves by the water. It's really relaxing there usually, but it was crazy busy when we got there, but  gradually people left and it was getting quieter the later it got. It's part of The Royal Landscape/Windsor Great Park, and the whole area is so lovely. There is a more planted garden, as well as the rest of the Great Park, so it's whatever takes your fancy! 

I threw in a quick snap of my clothes too, but they were completely inappropriate for the weather - I very much underestimated the heat!