Photography

Jo’s Monday walk : Nottingham Castle

Just what you'd expect from the entrance to a castle

Just what you’d expect from the entrance to an ancient castle

We’re not going to do too much walking in Nottingham this week. Up to the castle to check out the view, of course, but after that I might treat you to a half in ‘Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem’. It’s an interesting old place!

I know Nottingham quite well, because it’s my daughter’s home, but it’s years since I’ve been to the castle. As in many parts of the country this year, there was a war-related exhibition- ‘Trent to Trenches’. But first, we must climb up to the castle. It’s not too steep and we can go slowly through the gardens, or even sit on a bench for a while.

Naturally, Robin’s hanging out there!

Semprevirens form a display in the border

With a thrust or two of Cordeline

There’s a lovely summer house, with a bench or two for lingering

And I even spied an owl on guard duty!

Once you reach Castle Rock, there’s a large viewing terrace with patio tables and chairs. Another invitation to linger, with perhaps a pot of coffee and croissants.

The day I was there, we were constantly accosted by a swarm of ladybirds! I have never seen the like. Red and yellow ones, both, were on the tables and thronging the doorway to the museum. I didn’t manage a photo because I was too busy rescuing them and guiding them on a better flight path. I can only surmise the warm weather had brought them out to play.

The view from Castle Rock

The views are expansive

Overlooking ‘Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem’ below.

Time for a little history. Nottingham Castle sits on a natural promontory, known as Castle Rock, with cliffs up to 40 metres high. Back in the Middle Ages it was a major fortress and royal residence. As all good castles are, it was strategically located, near to a crossing of the River Trent. Close to the royal hunting grounds at Tideswell and Sherwood, it once even had its own deer park. Whilst Richard the Lionheart was away on his Third Crusade, it is thought that the castle was left derelict ,and was occupied by the Sheriff of Nottingham. In the legends of Robin Hood, the castle often features in showdowns between the Sheriff and this popular outlaw.

Sadly the castle went into decline, and was largely demolished in 1649. A mansion was built on the site, but this was burnt out by rioters in 1831. The story of this and much of the castle’s intriguing history is told in the Castle Museum, opened in 1878- the first municipal art gallery in the UK outside of London. Just before we step inside, let’s admire the elegant pebble mosaics set into the courtyard.

I don’t intend to linger too long in the museum. We each have our own pace and interests. Let me just give you a small sample of what you might find inside.

Beautiful and original wrought iron gates

From around the county

Exquisite glassware

And extraordinary chess pieces

Regimental silverware

War memorabilia

And uniforms

Several galleries were given over to the exhibition, documenting life in Nottinghamshire during the wars. Even in black and white I found many of the images harrowing, and moved swiftly downstairs to learn of the castle’s history. I won’t spoil it for you by giving away too many details but it is an atmospheric space, and a story well told.

You must be about ready for that half I promised you? We’ll wander down the hill, past the place that was once a thriving Lace Market. ‘Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem‘, dating back to 1189, must be one of the most unusual pubs I’ve ever been in. It is set into the cliff face and is famous for its caves. The rooms are unusual shapes, some with holes in the ceiling. There was once a brewery in the lower caverns and there’s a route from there up into Nottingham Castle. You can actually book a tour of the cellars, which are part of Nottingham’s extensive cave network. Affectionately known as ‘The Trip’, the name derives from a ‘trip’, meaning a stop or resting place on a journey.

The former Lace Market

The cliff face

‘The Trip’

Looking up!

One of the smallest rooms

What a strange ceiling!!

But look! A friendly face. Cheers, Lisa!

As always, I have included links for those who would like more information, or might be near enough to visit. I hope you enjoyed meandering around Nottingham Castle with me. Not too strenuous, was it?

I’m ready to put the kettle on now and enjoy the great contributions I’ve received to Jo’s Monday walk this week. If you have a walk you’d like to share, do please join in. For details, just click on the link or on my logo. Many thanks to all my walkers this week.

Firstly, Noe takes us back to South Sulawesi. The scenery is quite amazing! :

West coast of Gusung Island 2

And for something completely different, how about Glasgow Necropolis, with Violet Sky :

City of the Dead

Amy has saved us some delicious remnants of Autumn foliage :

Lost Maples

While Drake is busy, just being himself, in Liverpool :

Walking Sculptures

And, all the way from Australia, we have Jude joining us again. A bit special! :

A walk in the Blue Mountains

That’s it till next Monday. Have a great week and happy walking to you all!

Six word Saturday

“Reasons to be joyful- one…two…”

My lovely friend Sherri gave me my six words this week. I was still busy thinking along the ‘Joy is‘ lines when she left me this comment- ‘I now have Ian Drury’s famous words ringing through my mind ‘Reasons to be cheerful, one, two, three…’ ‘ Sherri always manages to make you feel good, even when she’s not feeling great herself. And I love the song!

The joy continued as I walked down the road. When did I last see so much colour, still in the trees at the end of November? It really is beautiful. How can it fail to lift the spirits?

Sunshine after the rain

Beautiful, isn’t it?

Even the ones lying in puddles are pretty!

And then you have lovely mopheads of hydrangea

During the week, I provided huge novelty value for a gentleman walking his dog in our local cemetery. I wasn’t visiting a grave, but passing through on my way into town. This old cemetery has a huge swathe of trees and I deemed it a fine opportunity to test out the camera function on my new smartphone. My face must have been a picture as I repeatedly produced ‘selfies’ of me scowling into the phone, totally incapable of switching to landscape mode, or whatever it’s called!

Eventually I ‘cracked it’, but the dog was not amused. He and his master had by then completed several circuits of the cemetery, each time the dog having a little snarl at my heels. I must have looked like a grave robber! I smiled apologetically at his owner, waving the ‘camera’. He then ventured near enough to point out a nice wood sculpture, just in case I’d missed it. When I’ve sorted out processing, I might be able to share some of the photos with you, but that’s definitely for another week! Meantime, let’s enjoy a Festival of leaves. It’s the last week for entries.

A few more damp leaves

Some clinging on!

Some not!

Who knows for how much longer?

But the beech hedges are lovely, aren’t they?

More joy when I bumped into a friend that I haven’t seen for the longest time. Following radical back surgery, he was looking great! One last little treat- I bought myself a bunch of tiny rosebuds for just £2. They’re beaming away at me from the hearth- red, lemon and peach. So- let’s have it! What brings you joy?

In all of this, I have to spare a thought for our American friends, fighting freezing temperatures and snow. In parts of Australia they have the opposite problem, sweltering heat! All in all, it’s not looking too bad to be here in England right now. If you can find time, don’t forget to say hello to Cate at Show My Face. Without her, what would I do with my Six word Saturday?

Joy is… so many things!

High tide!

I’m torn this week! I have several reasons to be joyful. Is that allowed, do you think?

The first one is that I have finally caught up with returning visits to my blog, after a week’s absence. That is pure delight, never mind joy! If I’ve missed anybody, will you give me a gentle nudge, please?

The second? I can, more or less, operate my new phone. Doing a dance for joy right now!

The third is the bit I’m going to share with you today. In a generally gloomy week, we had a little pocket of sunshine in which I popped out to do a few jobs. They just happened to be in the direction of Hartlepool Headland, and it was high tide. Pure, unadulterated joy!

Whoosh goes the sea, against the pier!

And against the sea wall!

This solitary chap was being a bit daring!

But he got away with it!

For me there are few things more joyful than watching the sea demonstrate its might on a sunny afternoon. I crouched beside the sea wall, excited as a child as the pier took hit after hit. Of course, I should have rested the camera on the wall and stayed put till I got that perfect shot. But so delighted was I at the great claps of spray flying around me that I totally forgot to stay still. The results are as you see. But I had such fun!

You have to love it!

It would have been so easy to get wet!

But I somehow avoided it

Gorgeous, isn’t it?

I had another reason to be joyful, but I’d better save that till next week, don’t you think? Can I overdose on joy?

If you’d like to share a little more, please visit Kan. Her Joy is series is just that. A joy!

Jo’s Monday walk : São Brás circular

Fancy living in a windmill?

Enough of nostalgia! I think we’ll do one last Algarve walk before I get stuck into a British winter. This one’s a country walk, led for me by Georgie, a lovely lady who lives in the inland village of São Brás de Alportel. If you’re ever in the Algarve at Easter, this village hosts a beautiful parade through lavender strewn, cobbled streets. It’s a treat for all the senses.

It was a glorious morning when we set out, but I was informed there was a 40% chance of rain! We had driven up above the village to the site of the former pousada, with wonderful, wide-ranging views all around.

Looking out to the surrounding hills

It was soon obvious we were heading for a windmill

It was soon obvious we were heading to a windmill

This tree seems to have a sense of humour!

We had already discussed the fact that on breezy days, the wind whistles around the hilltops. Someone who had once stayed in the pousada recollected that the shutters had banged and rattled ferociously throughout the night. No sign or sound of that today, but weather up in the hills can change frequently.

A windmill conversion should not have been surprising

A windmill conversion, ready to occupy

Starting at so high a point, it was fairly obvious that we would be going down and then, at some future point, back up again. Georgie assured us that, taking your time, it wasn’t especially taxing. The cobbled path gave way to a rough track, and we paused frequently to take notice of our surrounds. Soon we came to a fonte or spring, used for laundry purposes in former times.

The spring of Tareja

Used for laundering

Water storage is often in tanks in the countryside

The trail follows a stream and reed beds before climbing up into the hills. In Spring these would be carpeted with cistus and wild flowers.

Did I mention changeable weather?

The blue is rapidly disappearing from the sky!

A couple of years ago forest fires ravaged the gullies around here, and evidence of the burnt out trees was starkly visible. Nature is quick to regenerate and we were more concerned with the clouds that seemed to have zipped in from nowhere. A few spits and spots of rain were laughed off as we hastened towards our coffee stop.

What a treat this little place was! Tesouros da Serra means ‘treasures of the sierra’. Nobody was arguing! The produce on display looked delicious, but we knew that in a short while we would have a lunch stop. We settled for sharing some alfarroba biscuits, but made a mental note to come back another day.

The array of produce looked wonderful

Stained glass panel in the cafe

More local produce

One of the really delightful things about this cafe, in an out of the way spot at the back of São Brás, was its garden. Not widely accessible to the public, when Georgie asked if we might see the olive tree, claimed to be 2000 years old, we were assured that we could go in.

The farm of treasure

A beautiful carved wooden seat

The olive tree

And from another angle

Another bench

And an amazing plant!

The sun was shining brightly again and we turned right along a path that led us through a forest of cork oaks. Huge gnarled creatures, standing their ground as they had for generations. Cradled beneath them lay extraordinary fungi.

A sign is always useful! ‘Docaria’ is the cafe.

Edible? I have no idea!

Misshapen? Definitely!

Colourful? Absolutely!

Coming out of the woods, we were back on the trail up to the pousada, which didn’t seem anything like as steep as expected. Maybe it was the prospect of lunch! I’ll give you a little peek in our restaurant, shall I? ‘O Marques’ is in Gralheira, on the back road from São Brás to Loule.

Wood beamed ceilings

A handsome chimney breast

Sorry, I forgot to save you some dessert!

I haven’t fully captured the beauty of this area. Georgie assured me that in Spring it is quite magical, and I have no cause to disagree. There are signboards along the way, giving details of the flora and fauna, and if you look at my links you will find more. To find the pousada, take the N2 signed Alportel from the village and head to the top of the hill. The cobbled path is off on your right, just after a bend in the road. The distance covered was around 6 miles and took us 3 hours, including our half hour coffee stop.

I owe huge thanks to Georgie for guiding this walk and for being such good company.

Time to draw breath, put that kettle on, and see where our walkers have got to this week. As always, I’m really thrilled with all the contributions. For details of how to join me, click on the logo above. Many thanks to you all!

First up, Violet Sky treats us to some fascinating family history in a village in Fife :

‘Muchty

Drake has a bit of a theme going on with his Monday walks. Have you noticed?

Do you wanna dance?

Join Amy in a watery green world in Texas. You may be surprised at the scenery. I was!

Cibolo Nature Centre

Rarely, if ever, have I seen anywhere more beautiful than the beaches Noe shares in South Sulawesi :

West Coast of Gusung Island

But just to prove that English beaches can hold their own, Suzanne’s been to St. Ives :

St. Ives, Cornwall- beaches, boats and the Old Green Door

Such a treat I have for you next! A magic carpet ride 🙂 If you don’t know Lisa, you must!

Magic Carpet Airlines Special- for Subscribers only

Stay on the carpet and we’ll fly to the Antipodes to join Meg! :

The River Road 9- grandeur and a river crossing

And Pauline is ‘stamping about’, just down the road! :

Rediscovering my stamping ground

Tobias is here with some lovely Hamburg curves and woods. Say hello, won’t you? :

Downtown strolls

Home Range

And in a last mad scramble, Shan has made it!

New York State Museum

Fantastic times, all round! I hope you enjoy reading these as much as I enjoy the sharing. Happy walking!

Six word Saturday

Could a week be more different?

Halloween, Algarve style

You might wonder what a random bunch of Algarve kids are doing in my Six word Saturday. Lovely Colline in Toronto was kind enough to link a Halloween walk to my Monday walks feature. When I said I’d seen some small ‘trick or treaters’ whilst out walking in the Algarve, Colline, who is a teacher, said that she’d love to see them. I thought that you might too.

The skyline that I love

Truthfully, it’s not been much of a week. I’ve sniffled and snuffled my way through it, looking out of the window hopefully for blue skies, of which there have been few. To be fair, we are clinging on to random bursts of Autumn colour, which I witnessed yesterday at t’ai chi, after a day of miserable rain. The sun burst forth at teatime, just in time to set, and this morning a soupy grey fog is pushing up against the windowsill. Soon I shall determinedly make my way out into it. I’m tired of being cooped up.

I’m missing my empty beaches

And the shells I found everywhere

Neatly folded, one with the other

With that pearly sheen I love so much

Especially on the gritty river bank

And twinkling near the water

So many shapes

And delicate loveliness

Serene in their beauty

But it’s not all doom and gloom. I finally managed to activate my new smartphone last night and am looking forward to playing with Instagram (don’t hold your breath!). Maybe my old friend will be waiting for me on that shoreline, refreshed from it’s swim. Time will tell!

Meanwhile I’ll look forward to next year’s ‘trick or treaters’

Happy weekend to you all! Don’t forget to visit Cate at Show My Face to share your Six word Saturday. I’ll be cosied up watching ‘Strictly’. See you on Monday, for my walk!

A palace in warm sunshine

Restored to glory- the fountains at Estoi Palace

One of my treats to myself on my visit to the Algarve was the Garden Fair, being held at Estoi Palace for the first time this November. When I came here 10 years ago, the palace was a down-at-heel ruin, but with enchanting grounds that cast their own spell. The past was cupped in the chipped and empty fountains, and breathed through the azulejos adorning the walls.

I was half delighted, but half concerned to hear of a proposed restoration that would turn the palace into a pousada, one of Portugal’s elite hotels. The transformation took many long years but, when the hotel finally opened its doors, I was hugely impressed. The grand salon was grace and elegance, with incredible ceilings, and the gardens had been given a modern twist, yet retained the features that had made them so beautiful. The new ‘add on’ for the hotel guest rooms was not so pleasing, but I was simply grateful that this lovely ruin had been given a life.

At this stage there was still much to do, and the ongoing work on the fountains and flights of stairs had placed them ‘out of bounds’. I remembered wistfully when I had been able to wander at will, conjuring with dreams. So it was, with a flutter of excitement, that I returned to Estoi for the Garden Fair.

The side gate to the palace- the lion is genially on guard

I didn’t expect that tiny Estoi would be playing host to so many people that day, but as the sun beamed with unseasonable heat, it became clear that this was to be a popular event. I was glad that I had arrived promptly for the 11am opening. As one of the wardens pointed out to me, this is the Algarve’s only historic garden.

What else to enjoy the sunshine but cacti?

What better to enjoy the sunshine than cacti?

Almost edible in their lushness

Full of flounces!

And delicate blooms

But with a hint of malice in the spikes

A swirl of colour caught my eye

And multi-hued chillis!

No idea what this beauty is!

But this is definitely a grapefruit!

I can never ignore a hot red!

I have to admit that I didn’t linger as long as I might, delightful though it all was. I could not wait to move on from the plant stalls and into the gardens. The former coach house had been transformed into a magnificent exhibition space, with gleaming floors and chandelier embellishments. Air plants nestled amongst the crafts, with potions made from herbs, and exquisite mosaics. I eased myself past temptation and out into the garden.

Dappled shade led to the grand staircase

The azulejos were as beautiful as I remembered

The azulejos as beautiful as I remembered

The details quite beguiling

Looking back at my photos I don’t think I did the palace gardens justice, but you will have a general impression which I hope might tempt you to go there some day. The palace itself is beautiful. Perhaps I might take afternoon tea there one day and show you inside.

The palace and parterres

The fountains are trickling again

Alongside nymphs and ladies

Living a beautiful life!

In graceful harmony

A flight of fantasy!

The mosaics were beautiful too

Complementing the blue and white

The horses galloping with gay abandon

And the maidens hiding in their grottoe

It may not reflect quite the type of warmth that Paula was thinking of, but I think this post might sit nicely on her Thursday’s Special. Come with me and admire.

Six word Saturday

Overwhelmed with wishes! Thank you all!

I seem to've got myself in a hole at the moment!

I seem to’ve got myself in a bit of a hole!

You’ll be able to find out where on next Monday’s walk, but meanwhile I have some serious catching up to do! I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who has left comments on the blog in the past week. I’ll be visiting you as soon as I possibly can.

I had a wonderful birthday, and the smile on my face wasn’t even seriously dented when my mobile phone made a bid for freedom from the bottom of my bag and swam off beneath the ferry! It did, of course, provide much amusement for the other passengers. I hope you’ll excuse me if I simply post a quick gallery of highlights.

Naturally I got a wet bum!

And ‘captured’ some more shells

I smiled a lot, in a windswept way

And drank coffee with this lovely man

There were boats, of course!

For a bit of culture, we went to Corte Real art gallery

And visited the palace gardens at Estoi

Birthday evening was spent in my favourite restaurant

With lovely appetisers

And a lizard or two for company

Rounded off nicely with a stroll by the river

Such delightful memories! Here’s wishing you all a wonderful weekend. I’m off to visit Cate at Show My Face and check out Six Word Saturday. See you soon!

Jo’s Monday walk : Along the shore

Can you guess where?

I wasn’t sure what to post for this week’s walk. I haven’t yet taken you to Nottingham and I know that many of you like castles and history. But when this is published, I will be in the Algarve, and hopefully on my way to a Monday walk. It seemed only right to take you along.

My favourite kind of shell

The river beach on Tavira Island is rich with this type of delicate beauty. It never ceases to amaze me that, no matter how many are taken home, there are always more to discover. Come with me on a simple stroll along the beach and see what we can find.

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When you ride across to the ilha on the ferry, the river beach is where you land. Often enough I loiter here. There’s always a passing boat to wave at or admire. I like to follow the shoreline looking for ‘treasure’. There is a greater variety of shells on this side of the island, which seldom gets dashed by the Atlantic waves.

Looking back at Tavira from the river beach

Meandering

When I tire of looking, I head over the ilha to the main beach. There are a number of sandy trails crossing the island- some easier to follow than others. I sometimes get a little disoriented and wish I’d stayed with the main path, but eventually the sea always appears on the horizon.

Am I nearly there yet?

At last!

Depending how hot the day, I may just choose to collapse here for a little while. Down on the beach, someone has been creative with shells and two fish survey the world, just a little wearily. It is rather a warm spot to be out of the water!

Creative with shells

Keeping an eye on the beach?

Crochet detail

Knots!

An eyelid

Eyelid detail

Fish ‘scales’

Dangling!

Leaving behind the crazy fish, I simply have to kick off my flipflops and dip my toes in the surf. I know I’ve said it before but this beach really does stretch for miles. You have the choice of simply returning to the river beach by following the sea wall, or you can walk along the beach till you’re ready to flop. I’m sure you can guess which I’m inclined to do.

A bit of a splash by the lighthouse?

The beach bar at Barril acts as a powerful incentive. And there’s the beautiful Anchor Graveyard. Because sunset comes earlier at this time of year, this trip I may just manage those sunset images I’ve always coveted. For now, I’ll leave you with a gallery I took last time I was here. I think you can find your own way home? See you there!

I’ll be back in the UK for next week’s walk. Maybe we’ll do Nottingham, but we’ll definitely be walking somewhere. I hope that you’ll join me. If you have a walk that you’d like to share, it would be great if you could link to me, or leave a link to your post in my comments. The details are on my Jo’s Monday walk page.

Time to share this week’s walks. Kettle on and feet up! Many thanks to all my contributors.

Drake has me singing again as I stroll alongside him :

Here, There and Everywhere

High fashion and shoes this week with Violet Sky :

Shows who you are

Enjoy a change of pace and place with Cardinal :

Berlin Street 0741

Sharing comes naturally to Amy. Do join her and her delightful ducks :

Jo’s Monday walk

A very special garden from Jude. Enjoy it because it’s her last before she’s off to Australia!

Garden Portrait : Abbotsbury sub-tropical gardens

Dear Meg takes us to the Australian bush, on a serene walk with nature :

The river road 4

Noe is back this week, playing with the children on their island paradise :

Amazing journey to Rajuni Kiddi Island

Brilliant, aren’t they? I hope you enjoyed them all as much as I did. Happy walking!

Jo’s Monday walk : a Durham footpath

Interesting reflections

Often I walk with company, and that’s very nice, but occasionally I get to do a bit of wandering on my own- just me and the camera. Nobody tapping their toes impatiently while I explore all the angles- ‘what IS she looking at?’ You might know the feeling. My husband travels quite a lot locally, visiting customers, and sometimes I go along ‘for the ride’. Durham is a favourite place.

The River Wear twines itself through the city, towing me along behind it. My sense of direction is abysmal but, with a river to hold on to, I stand a fighting chance. A bright Autumnal day was just the excuse I needed for an unfettered wander. I’ll let you look over my shoulder, shall I?

The river bank is a little overgrown in places

I’m starting off at Shincliffe Bridge, by “The Rose Tree” pub, on the A177 road, on the outskirts of Durham. There’s a path either side of the bridge and I linger for a while, contemplating which direction to take. I cross over the bridge and am lured by a footpath that I don’t know. It follows the river so there’s a good chance I’ll end up in the centre of Durham.

I don’t get very far when I spot some wildflowers by the path. The sun is strong for October so I spend some time trying to get a shot that I like. I catch curious looks from the occasional jogger. Two ladies, strolling, confirm that I can cross over a bridge further along. Subsidence and falling trees has closed some of the footpath off, but I already knew this.

Sycamore wings

This will have to do!

Or maybe this shot?

It has some paler friends too

A broken tree captures my sympathy

And those flowers again, in white

A peaceful stretch of river

And a ‘pop’ of yellow

After a while I come to the bridge which I must cross over. Now I’m on more familiar territory. There’s a large modern sports facility here, used sometimes for football training by Hartlepool FC. (ssh, sensitive subject- no comments please!)

Approaching the bridge

The treads are made of logs

Looking back across the river

Safely over the bridge, the path follows the river on the other bank, through dappled leafy shade. Frequent splashes of oars can be heard as the local rowing teams spin and twirl in the water, to the harsh calls of the cox. The odd, solitary oarsman glides past too.

This strange creature is ‘working out’ by the river

Dappled shade

Heave! Heave!

Solitary struggles

I cross over a path which leads to the boat club (members only), and shortcut across a field strewn with the remnants of Autumn. The wider expanse of river beckons.

Lingering Autumn

The river widens at this point, heading towards Durham centre

The bandstand

I take a seat in the bandstand. I have been carrying with me, since my visit to Nottingham, a postcard destined for Viveka in Sweden. I exchanged addresses with this lovely lady some time ago, and now I receive ‘surprises’ in the post. (one of which was a Paris t-shirt in black and gold! I don’t know anyone more generous than Viveka) I have always loved postcards and having one land on my doormat gladdens my heart. Now it’s my turn to reciprocate. There’s a post office in town and what nicer place to sit and write?

On towards the centre and another bridge

Along the riverbank to yet another bridge!

Durham Castle, beautifully framed

The path follows the river to the bridge with the green railings, shown above. (Baths Bridge) I cross over, approaching the boat hire beneath Elvet Bridge. This is a popular spot and, in Summer, paintings of the castle and many other Durham views adorn the nearby walls. You might want to pause here for something to eat, or a row on the river. There are plenty of places to eat in Durham, catering to all tastes and wallets.

I pause to admire all the boat names

Especially Shirley!

I’m going to continue into the centre, to post my card. Before I go, I’d better give you instructions on how to get back to the start point, hadn’t I?

Climb the steps up onto Elvet Bridge and cross over it. Turn right onto New Elvet, passing the Royal County Hotel, and continue uphill to Hallgarth St. Following Hallgarth will bring you to a roundabout with a junction signed A177. About 15 minute’s walk in this direction will bring you back to Shincliffe Bridge, where I began. I hope you enjoyed our wander.

Next Monday I will be in the Algarve, but I intend to schedule a walk, just so you don’t forget me. I can’t guarantee that I will be able to respond to your comments, as this will necessitate a visit to an internet cafe. Not something I often do, but Anazu does have a connection. Please just link to my post as usual, if you have a walk to share. My Jo’s Monday walk page will give you the details, and I will respond to you as soon as I possibly can. Meantime, let’s put that kettle on and settle in for some more great reads.

I don’t receive many walks from South Sulawesi! Many thanks for this treat, and welcome Noe :

Walking around Tinabo Island

Jerusalem and Cardinal seem to go together. This is very beautiful night photography :

Jerusalem

Combine good company with superb night time shots in Bologna, with Paula :

Music and lights of Bologna

There are lots of things that Drake knows. How to entertain has always been one of them :

Knowing its Autumn

Fall in Canada! Wouldn’t you love to share it with Colline? :

Familiar Streets

Climbing hills and hopping over stiles in Dorset. Can this really be Jude? :

Pilsdon Pen

More beautiful Autumn colour and a little shared knowledge, from Violet Sky :

A tree walk

Close up and personal with Milkweed Bugs? I don’t like bugs much, but I do love Amy’s company

Milkweed Bug walk

And finally, stop off at the market on the way to the beach with Pauline. You may need a sunhat!

A walk along beautiful Burleigh Beach

I hope you enjoy these walks as much as I did. Many thanks to all my lovely contributors. Happy walking! See you soon.

Six word Saturday

At last I found number 13!

Just watching the waves

Back in April I introduced you to the Hartlepool Story Trail. It seems a long time ago and I’ve strolled on the Headland many times since then. This has been an unbelievably mild October! A little wild and windy at times but I really haven’t wanted to be indoors. So, on Tuesday, when the wind was blowing me inside out but the skies were bright, I battled the Headland again.

The sturdy town wall

Finding shelter

Whirling around!

Even the birds are sheltering

And the boats too, of course!

It’s always more sheltered beside the Town Wall and so, after a brisk walk beside the sea, I headed for relative calm. How is it that you can always find something if you’re not looking for it? There, staring me in the face, was the elusive no. 13! How many times must I have walked past it, unknowing? Or has somebody been playing tricks with me and ‘spooked’ it away? It is Halloween soon, you know.

Would you believe I missed it?

It’s not a pretty thing, but it’s titled ‘Lifeboats Gallantry’ and on closer inspection I read that it pays tribute to the many acts of gallantry of our local lifeboat men. I’m so glad I finally found it.

Happy Six Word Saturday! I won’t be taking part next week. With any luck I’ll be at A garden fair at Estoi Palace in the Algarve on Saturday. But I’ll be taking you for another Jo’s Monday walk before I go. Don’t forget to visit Cate at Show My Face, will you? And enjoy your weekend!

restlessjo

Roaming, at home and abroad

Photography

Jo’s Monday walk : Nottingham Castle

Six word Saturday

“Reasons to be joyful- one…two…”

Joy is… so many things!

Jo’s Monday walk : São Brás circular

Six word Saturday

Could a week be more different?

A palace in warm sunshine

Six word Saturday

Overwhelmed with wishes! Thank you all!

Jo’s Monday walk : Along the shore

Jo’s Monday walk : a Durham footpath

Six word Saturday

At last I found number 13!

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“Reasons to be joyful- one…two…”

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Could a week be more different?

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Overwhelmed with wishes! Thank you all!

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At last I found number 13!

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