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The Plan
A
Blashford Lakes walk
Who Turned Up
Wendy,
Trudy B, Sue, Jackie, Trisha, Tony and Beatrice H
The Walk
The walk
began at the usual car park off North Poulner Road and, as usual, the access
track was potted and bumpy. Along the walk the group saw a pair of ducks with
fifteen tiny ducklings. They also saw grebes, siskins, great tits and
chaffinches. Trudy, who was the first one to reach the bird hide, also saw a
beautiful green woodpecker.
After
lunch the group walked through the forest where they saw some weird fungi. They
also saw numerous trees that had been blown down in this winter’s storms. The
eco-friendly house in Snails Lane was not quite finished but the building
information was interesting. The cladding was made of sawdust and animal glue.
The roof was made of plastic bottles. No copper or lead being used anywhere in
the build.
The Pub
The Alice
Lisle. We’ve always found the food here good but pricey. Nothing has changed.
Next Week
Meet at Upton
House
The Plan
A
Highcliffe walk
Who Turned Up
Trudy B,
Trudy H, Veronica (nice to have you join us), Wendy, Trisha, Ros, David
The Walk
For this
walk, we were joined by Veronica from Switzerland. We hope you enjoyed the day
with us, Veronica. With spring weather now firmly entrenched, we drove to the
Avon Run car park, beyond Christchurch. Parking here is free until the end of
this month. The morning was slightly overcast but it brightened up at
lunchtime. We began the walk along our usual route, following the beach.
However, we continued on past the paths and steps that lead up to Highcliffe
Castle. Instead we walked on and climbed back up to road level closer to the
town centre, coming out close to the pub.
After
lunch we walked along the nature trail to Steamer Point and then back to the
car park. We paused a while to watch the repair work now underway after the
winter storms. New rocky groynes are being built to replace the damaged wooden
ones.
The Pub
The Globe
in Highcliffe. The food was very good, but the prices were confusing. When the
waiter was asked, “What’s the difference between the £8.99 chicken pie and the
£6.99 chicken pie?” he replied, “Nothing at all.” The pie-eater opted for the
cheaper pie.
Next Week
Meet at
David’s at 1030 for a Blashford Lakes walk
The Plan
A
Studland walk
Who Turned Up
Wendy, Jackie,
Sue, Trisha, Trudy B, Beatrice and Tony H, David
The Walk
After
weeks of heavy rain and strong winds, spring is finally with us. The day was
bright and sunny, there was little or no wind, and we actually felt quite warm.
We met at Sandbanks and crossed on the ferry as foot passengers. On the
Studland side, we crossed the road to skirt around Brands Bay before crossing
back onto Studland Heath. Although the weather is now clearly on the mend, we
did meet with the un fortunate residue of those wet weeks. Many of the
footpaths across the heath were still waterlogged. We were able to splash
through some of the water, but at other places we had to make long detours onto
higher ground. Eventually we managed to get onto the beach and finish our walk
on dry sand.
After
lunch, half the group elected to take the bus back to Sandbanks while the other
half walked back along the beach. The bus group discovered that the appropriate
bus stop exists only in virtual form. You need to stand on the opposite side of
the road to a physical bus stop for Swanage buses and hold out your hand. At
least we now know that for future reference.
The Pub
No pub
this week. We ate at the National Trust café by Knoll car park. They did a pie,
but it only scored 6 out of 10. Other meals were better.
The Plan
A walk
around Valkenburg
Who Joined In
Sue,
Trisha, Trudy B, Trudy H, Beatrice and Tony, Wendy and Lew, Fionnuala and David
The Walk
We began
the day with a hearty breakfast at the Walram Hotel. Crispy fried bacon was
obviously intended for the English visitors. The sun was shining in a clear
blue sky when the ten of us set off into the town, only a few yards from the
hotel. We went first to the Valkenburg Castle which sits on a hill overlooking
the town centre. There are caves associated with the castle, but we elected to
stick to the sunshine and open air as we scrambled around the castle ruins. We
then went to the castle cafeteria for tea and coffee.
Suitably
refreshed, we walked back through the town to the chair lift station. This lift
took us to the top of the hill on which stands the Wilhelminatoren Tower. It
looks down on the castle which, you will recall, looks down on the town. So, we
now had ten OAPs at the top of the hill, the highest point in the area. What
should they do next?
Trudy H
led the way to the dry-slope sled run, closely followed by Sue. This was
probably not designed for senior citizens but who was going to let that get in their
way? They must have enjoyed it because they went back for a second go. This
time, Trudy and Sue were followed down the run by David and Fionnuala. An exhilarating
experience, suitably captured on video just to prove that we oldies are up for
anything!
We then
had lunch in the tower restaurant and finished off the day with some shopping
in the town. And the sun was still shining. After dinner in the hotel we had a
pleasant evening in the bar where drinks were free from 6 to 10pm.
Next Week
Meet at Sandbanks
for a Studland walk.
