To the hills!

Sunday, August 21st, 2005 08:06 pm
[personal profile] tamaranth
Today I felt a need for fresh air, so I went for a splendid long walk.

There's a bus that runs every 2 hours on a Sunday from the top of the road, through and along the South Downs to Pulborough and back. There were three other people (2 of them children) for part of the outward journey, but I had the bus (and chatty, cheerful, helpful bus driver) to myself on the way back.

Started at Newtimber Hill, a very steep climb through thick woods that brought me out on the brow of the hill, where some vile Young Folk were having a techno dance party. Am all for this in its place, but not on a hilltop (it's National Trust, but there's a fenced-off private bit) on Sunday lunchtime. And loud enough to be audible up to a mile away.

Sulked, and stomped off.

Equilibrium restored about a mile from party. Wandered around a bit, looked at dewponds and attendant sheep, looked at sea, looked at clouds, etc. Wandered down into Pyecombe and back up to Wolstonbury, which may've been an Iron Age fort, or something different. (I summarise about 20 websites.) Lovely, quiet, old. Wandered around looking at tumuli (not actually much more impressive than Greenwich Park's specimens), 19th-century quarrying ('cept I didn't realise how recent they were), earthworks, and a very steep path down to the site of a Roman villa, no longer visible. (There's also a Roman / Saxon cemetery and a Roman crossroads in the area.)

Meandered back to bus stop (complicated by the fact that the A23 was in the way and there's only one crossing-place nearby). Exchanged tales of country life with bus driver. Staggered home.

I am not usually impervious to pain, so I was somewhat surprised (to say the least) to discover my socks stiff with blood and chunks of skin. No major damage, but am amazed that I didn't feel more than very slightly footsore.

Swimming tomorrow ...

Date: Sunday, August 21st, 2005 07:49 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] childeric.livejournal.com
Wow, this sounds so wonderfully bucolic. I am full of envy.

Date: Sunday, August 21st, 2005 08:53 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tamaranth.livejournal.com
it is mere minutes away ... you will have to Visit.

Date: Monday, August 22nd, 2005 10:15 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] childeric.livejournal.com
Definitely! I'd like that!

Date: Monday, August 22nd, 2005 10:34 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] zoo-music-girl.livejournal.com
Sounds good to me! I will bring proper walking boots!

Date: Sunday, August 21st, 2005 08:13 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] asynje.livejournal.com
Sounds wonderful. Apart from the foot-thing. I know the feeling (or rather lack there of) although it has never gotten as bad as when I - in my youth - wandered around in army boots. A bad idea on so many accounts, apart from at concerts where I stood where I stood, if you understand.

Would you be interested in a Tolkien Ensemble greatest hits thing? With added Christopher Lee? We could call it a belated house-warming present :)
From: [identity profile] asynje.livejournal.com
Danish Chamber Ensemble. Their own homepage seems to be down, sadly, so this is the very brief synopsis.

Founded in 95, have made three albums so far (An Evening in Rivendell, Night in Rivendell, and At Dawn in Rivendell) containing most of the songs and poems from LotR. They've got one album to go I think.

It's an eclectic mix of classical musicians, opera singers, musical singers, and folk/jazz musicians and the music ranges from piano pieces, folk-like fiddle songs, to something aspiring and not quite succeeding at sounding like Orft ;)

Date: Monday, August 22nd, 2005 02:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tamaranth.livejournal.com
Army boots are definitely Footwear with Attitude. As a friend of mine put it, "not so much fuck-me shoes [do you have this Anglicism in Scandinavia? You should!] as fuck-you shoes".

Would love a Greatest Hits! Christopher Lee, oooh yes go on. (When are you coming to UK next? Come visit and deliver in person!)

Date: Sunday, August 21st, 2005 10:27 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ladymoonray.livejournal.com
It does sound like a wonderful day, and I'd love to do something similar. Without the climb up Newtimber Hill, which I've looked at many times and thought "Not bloody likely!"

You must show me how to get to Wolstenbury Hill (on foot) sometime. I've never actually managed to climb it, though I've been past a bazillion times.

Date: Sunday, August 21st, 2005 10:44 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tamaranth.livejournal.com
The path up Newtimber is very zig-zag, so doable (not much worse than Chanctonbury Ring) -- and there's an easier approach from the village. The easiest way to get to Wolstonbury is via the 3 Greys! There's a pretty path up from Pyecombe, though.

Remind me to find some of those backless trainers ...

Date: Sunday, August 21st, 2005 10:52 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ladymoonray.livejournal.com
Backless trainers are really useless for walking. They don't support your feet at all, and you'd end up with all sorts of aches and pains.

Is there a reason for not using walking boots?

Date: Sunday, August 21st, 2005 11:15 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tamaranth.livejournal.com
only the same reason that I won't be using these trainers again -- I think my heels are much more sensitive than they used to be, and my walking boots are rather heavy and clompy at the best of times.

I'm unlikely to be doing 4+ hours of solid walking any time soon, though!

Date: Monday, August 22nd, 2005 06:32 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] purpletigron.livejournal.com
Well, if you were going to do any walking again, then walking shoes might be the answer? Something sensible, designed for it, but much lighter than boots - D's parents always used to buy Mephistos.

Date: Monday, August 22nd, 2005 10:35 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] marypcb.livejournal.com
what screws your heels most is shoes that are only slightly loose on the heels. The blood (ick) lubricates the heel so you don't feel it but the shoe rubs up & down on every step. Just fastening them tighter can fix it.

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