Jo’s Monday walk : A crisp day at Stockton Riverside

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Subtitled, a bevy of swans.  Recovering from a back problem, I needed a gentle, level walk. The Riverside, at nearby Stockton-on-Tees, seemed a likely candidate.  The sun was bright in the sky but the temperature skimming zero, so strolling really wasn’t an option.  Semi-briskly, let’s go!

It’s surprising the variety you can find within a short distance along this river bank.  A replica of ‘The Endeavour’, a glut of bridges and an impressive whiteness of swans. Today, rivaled by the whiteness of frost on decaying timbers.

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As an extra treat, the Teesside Princess comes chugging towards us from her dock on the quayside.  Party time upstream, maybe?

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Aren’t they lovely creatures?  I don’t know when I ever saw so many, even in a nature reserve, and this is anything but.  I did wonder if the local council arranged for them to be fed.  We’re now at the back of Stockton High Street and approaching a retail park, so it’s a good time to cross over the Victoria Bridge to the opposite bank of the Tees.

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The path continues alongside newish flats, and a spattering of call centres.  Not a bad working environment, and there are benches for a lunchtime sandwich.  Even in thick tights, you’d think twice today.  Look out for the glimmer of ice on the water as we follow the man-made canals.

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Passing below the Millenium Bridge, the footpath weaves around the canals in a slightly frustrating manner.  Ahead and around the next bend awaits the showstopper bridge, her graceful arcs skimming the blue.

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Intriguingly there are goalposts suspended above the water.  Evidence of summer excitement!  The university buildings back onto this stretch, and the youngsters will row and kayak with enthusiasm.  More sedately, I’m content just to admire the slender lines before me.

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A grand finale, isn’t she?  Crossing over the Infinity Bridge and I gaze skywards, spellbound as ever by her beauty.

The riverside path leads back to our beginning.  You can pop through to the High Street if you’re needing sustenance, and you might catch Locomotion no 1 in action.  Here’s a little bit of bridge history for those who are interested.

Apologies for taking you back to familiar territory, but I know you love a bright walk and this was such a lovely, albeit nippy, day.  I still have some walks to share from earlier in the year and it’s a perpetual dilemma which to choose. Perhaps I’ll have to let a little cloud in next week.  Grab that cuppa, won’t you, and we’ll settle in for a read.

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Thanks all you lovely people.  I so look forward to your company on Mondays.  I have some of the most fabulous shares again this week.  Feel free to join me anytime.  You’ll always be welcome.  Details are on my Jo’s Monday walk page.  Just click on the logo above.

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Lady Lee has been making me envious again.  Such a nice place to have family!

Singapore

If you’re a fan of ‘dressing up’ you’ll like Jackie’s post, with a nice dollop of history :

Day 7- Williamsburg

Jude takes me back to a place where I have fond memories of duck pate sandwiches, Guinness and rain!

Bury St. Edmunds

While Sherri took me back to the sunshine of my halcyon Lake Garda days :

An Italian Journey : Writing and Healing

A good ramble and a yarn from Tish Farrell always brings a huge smile to my face :

Rambling Yesterday On Wenlock Edge ~ “The Holly and the Power Station” 

A smile and a song!  Those are Drake’s specialities too :

Smile for awhile

Or you can have a little birdsong with your stroll, over at Denzil’s place :

3 walks on Mechelse Heide 

Biti can show you lots of Rome’s splendour :

Rome beautiful churches

And poor Carol has a dilemma on her hands on the rugged south coast of England :

Which Shoes to Choose

They’re brilliant, aren’t they?  I have a crispy pink and white sunrise dawning outside my window.  Soon be time to get walking.  Take good care and I’ll see you all next week!

122 comments

  2. I see you found the water again. 🙂 Infinity Bridge, what a great name for this beautiful creature. Mark and I always make our lunch when we go on day trips, and you are right, in winter, eating the sandwiches outside becomes a little challenging. Luckily, we had a relatively nice and sunny day on Saturday. Still a tad chilly, but doable. It is starting to pay off to come all the way to California. 🙂

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    1. You’ve caught me out, Liesbet! 🙂 I thought to myself ‘another watery post!’ and I do try for variety, but the cloudier one I was going to post was on canals. More water! 🙂 🙂

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  6. Wow! What a gorgeous walk, Jo! I love how the graceful curves of the swans’ necks are echoed in the graceful lines of the Infinity Bridge. Man and nature mimicking one another. What a clear day; I can only imagine the chill of zero degrees! Hope you managed to find some warmth at the end, and kept your back in line. 🙂

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    1. How very poetic of you, Cathy! Yes they do ‘reflect’ one another. 🙂 🙂 I hopped straight back in the car and home, though I was tempted to go to the High St. to see the Locomotion sculpture. It starts to hiss and chuff at midday and I’ve never seen it in action. Another time! The back’s fine again now. We just had a last short walk with our group before we ‘break up’ for Christmas. Coffee and cheese scone afterwards. Very nice 🙂

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  8. On a somewhat cloudy day here it has been lovely to walk with you along the river in the sunshine. A blue sky is always welcome at this time of year. Your fingers must have been frozen though taking all these lovely photos. I want a pair of those fingerless gloves with the little flaps you can pull over! The curvy bridge and the elegant swans – I have seen swans like this on the Thames at Reading. They are a sight to behold. I hope the body is behaving itself now!!

    Another city for you and one you know well I think: https://smallbluegreenwords.wordpress.com/2016/12/05/norwich-part-i-history-and-architecture/
    Have a lovely day Jo. Speak soon 🙂

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    1. I do have some of those wrap around gloves, Jude, but I can’t remember if I had them on that day. Lovely and crisp with beautiful frosty leaves for our short walk this morning. The back’s fine again but I had to keep scooting to catch up. 🙂 For some reason I thought your Garden challenge this month was a ‘free for all’. Oh well- I’ll just have to improvise, for a change 🙂 🙂
      Thanks a lot! I love Norwich 🙂

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      1. It is a free for all on the fountain challenge. I’m still making you all think 😀 but you must have some photos of urban gardens or hanging baskets with all your gallivanting. Actually that would have been a good name for the blog “The Gallivanting Gardener”

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  9. Oh Jo, reading your energising and vibrant post with the blog snow falling makes me want to wrap up and take a walk right now, but there are no crisp blue skies and the sun is hidden behind heavy, grey clouds, so I’ll stay here with you instead 🙂 Your ‘slender lines’ are beautifully captured, what a beautiful bridge. And thanks so much for adding my post…I do enjoy walking with you, not done enough of it this year, but always time for a fresh start isn’t there? I hope your back is feeling much better…gentle hugs to you lovely lady.. 🙂 xxx

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    1. Feeling good at the minute, Sherri, thanks! We did a fairly short walk (lots of pretty frosty leaves though 🙂 )this morning and stopped off for coffee and a cheese scone. There were even reindeer at the coffee shop/garden centre. Something tells me it’s almost Christmas 🙂 🙂

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  12. So much lovely blue, Jo. But you’ve captured the chill along with the brightness too. Fabulous bridge and beautiful swans. Hope the back is feeling improved. And thank you for the very nice link. Smile all round this a.m. 🙂

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    1. Back’s pretty good again, for an old codger, Tish. 🙂 Short, frosty walk with crispy leaves this morning. Cheese scone, and real live reindeer to get me in Christmas mode. I shall be sparkling soon!

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  15. The famous writer George Orwell (who was born in India) lived in this area – there’s so much fascinating atmosphere up there – really worth a walk and in your company an inspiring walk – very well captured, really enjoyed this walk… 🙂

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  16. What a flotilla of swans. But why are they white??? That bridge is indeed a symphony of grace, and so little of it. I hope your back is better, but I too was glad of a level walk. We just skated to preschool on unaccustomed icy footpaths. Take a week’s supply of hugs fro. Somewhat chilly arms. Supposed to go down to -7 this week.

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    1. Awwh! 🙂 Just about to look out my thermals. It’s just a quick walk (our last group one 🙂 ) followed by coffee/cake/whatever this morning but it’s very frosty here. Fleecy hugs! Back much better thanks. Will come visit you this afternoon. 🙂

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  19. Lovely trip in the sunshine Jo. That’s quite some bridge! Is it only for pedestrians and cyclists, or is it wide enough for cars too? It looks quite close to the Milennium Bridge, but I guess the level of traffic deemed another one necessary. I’ve also seen a group of swans referred to as a herd, but I much prefer a bevy. Cows and elephants are in herds, not graceful swans.

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    1. The Infinity and the Millenium are foot and cyclists only, Denzil, but there are any number of road bridges over the Tees. The ‘history’ link gives all the details. Thanks for your company 🙂

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