Musings on Walking
Walking Offas dyke
in wales
or
Walking the ridges
in Wales
Hay on Wye
to Monmouth
(Don't try to use this for travel directions.
It won’t work)
The actual directions Don't work either.
Keep in mind too that
I am an old guy. That
skews the difficulty level
I felt.
Monday
In a little suburb of L.A.
13 June 2005
8:11 am
Went to Millies and thrilled the waitress by actually ordering, cause I usually sit with my wife while she eats, I don’t eat, and do a crossword.
Had a Denver Omelete. Big! Told Carrie (everyone knows your name?) I was thinking of actually finishing it and then going into hibernation.
9:36 am
Watered the front yard
Gave the camera battery a re-charge.
Wished getting thru the air port wasn’t the single most stressful event in my life. It is though. I don't know why. There is no fear of flying. Its more a fear of not flying or of getting in the wrong line and flying somewhere “other”. And I despise those endless hours in long lines we are always standing in, winding around the airport and wondering if we are going to miss the flight. I’m also not much for standing with my shoes and belt in my left hand while holding up my pants with my right.
My hired van picked me up and took me to the airport, reducing some of the stress and offering real entertainment as the driver was pretty evangelical and we had a sprightly discussion all the way there. Driver doesn't want to worship a God who can’t do everything. He wants a BIG God. We disagreed in a friendly way. Moderate sized is ok with me as long as there is one. This “My God is bigger than your God” bemuses me. Its like he believes that there are various sized gods and he doesn't want to get caught with a substandard one. Its either that or he believes that God is an abstraction and he wants the philosophically largest one. As I said to him in my humble way, in regard to a statement he made about my faith or in his view, lack there of, “No, in fact its not. And you ought perhaps to accept this. You haven't read anything (on that subject) that I haven't read.” He mulled that a moment and said,” I am inclined to agree with that”.
12:51
Oh my goodness, no line. Expedited straight thru ticketing, and then no line for security. Right thru with belt, shoes and underwear still on. Wow! Neither buzzers nor probes nor magic wands.
Heart back to normal, tingle gone from chest and finger tips. Life is lovely. It just goes to prove my thesis, originating after a tooth ache, that pleasure is the absence of pain.
They just paged a Gabriel Whosis to return to the ticket counter for a message. They’ed have to do better than that to get me back there.
Japan airlines just announced “Immediate boarding” so seriously, insistently and imperiously that I was tempted, almost compelled to board. Its amazing I’m not in Japan right now.
I am here pretty early. I do tend to get places early. I am often so punctual that natives sometimes think I grew up with them.
There have been so many calls for immediate boarding of Japan Air that I will be speaking the language before I get out of here.
There are two people in my boarding area at 1pm. Its a big lonely area of empty seats. I have never seen this before.
Oh. Called Joe. they are still not at the Denver Airport. Of course neither am I but at this rate I will be flying over it before they are in it.
Ah, life is good. I have an aisle seat.
There was no boarding kiosk. Too bad. I had practiced it five times on line.
3:25 pm. Boarded and loaded and ready to go.
4:29 pm
At 590 mph and passing beyond Las Vegas.
And the damn reading light doesn't work. Beyond that the guy in the window seat has pulled down the shade and there is no natural daylight.
On the other hand I am sitting next to newlyweds, heading for a honeymoon and they are both asleep. Shhh.
I have two books but no way to read them. I guess its Tylenol and grin and bear it.
2:04 am (I changed to British time. That is eight hours ahead, so its 6:04 pm at home?)
Had chicken, green beans, rice, salad with balsamic vinegar and a roll. The roll was cold and rather pumice like but everything else was edible. Desert was cheesecake and a bottle of water. This is better than the flight two years ago where the meal just sort of sat there like a bowling ball in my stomach. Sat there for a couple of days I think.
So far this is the easiest flight I have ever taken. I credit the tylenol. I am also spending a lot of time standing up by the bulkhead. I have also gotten over my embarrassment at standing in a line at the bathroom. That eases things.
3:03am
613 mph somewhere over northern Canada. Above Thunder Bay and Lake Superior. (The GPS isn't very specific)
9:19am
In a holding pattern over Heathrow (London really)
10:31 am
Customs consisted of the official asking me a series of questions, “What is the address of you Bed and Breakfast”, etc that I had no answers for. He more or less just said “oh, ok” and asked another one. I never did get one right. There were four people in the line ahead of me.
I’m waiting outside customs with no sign of anyone I’m supposed to meet there.
After an hour or so it dawned on me that we came in on different carriers and might be waiting at different gates. Paged them and it was so. At first the agent at the desk refused to page anyone cause I didn't know which of the other two terminals they had come in on. When I asked if he couldn't just page both terminals he grudgingly admitted that that was possible. With a little further urging he paged both areas; They were there, at both of them. And they came to me. That was the wisest thing. No one had any confidence in my finding them.
1:48 pm
We somehow, and it had nothing to do with me, (I hate the damn tube) rode the tube to Paddington station (with one change) and got on a train toward Newport, changing for Hereford. Paddington is beginning to feel like the hub of my existence.
4:01 pm
Transferred at Newport on way to Hereford.
Took a taxi from Hereford to Hay. 36 Pounds and 4 pound tip. I am comfortable with Taxi’s if not with their prices.
In a B and B.
Walked all over Hay and had Pizza. The town looks like it was designed by Disney. Narrow winding streets, continuous contiguous houses and shops out of the “early modern period” (i.e. late middle ages?) and flowering baskets hanging everywhere, That is, the flowers are hanging in baskets unless they are blooming right out of or on top of the little walls, coming right out between the brick or stone. Shades of “flower in the crannied wall”. The river is beautiful, framed with tall trees and with sun shining off it making it look like liquid silver. They even have a resident Swan picturesquely probing the river.
7:04 am
In Hay on Wye
Been raining. A cool, even a rainy day, is my preference for hiking.
Slept from about 9 pm till 4 am and got up and worked on camera setting and got clothes set out. Back to bed and slept from 5 am to 7am.
Well, my cell phone works. Just need to tap in 00 before a call to the states. I did ask them to set it up International when I bought it but I didn't have much faith in it actually working. I didn't’t use the phone but Michelle was interested in how her two year old was doing with Grandma and Grandpa. Fine. “I play” he told Joe.
(Written at the time) “OH! Hard!”
So steep getting out of Hay to the top of Hay Ridge I can’t believe it. It may be as bad tomorrow. Michelle's shoes rubbed her heels raw. She may have to pull out, tomorrow. She began “running” on her toes to ease her heels. I couldn't have run on my toes to ease anything.
Interesting seeing what looked to be SAS in civilian clothes, military “jeep like” vehicle, and doing what looked like orienteering.
Clear and lovely on top. A view for miles in any direction with fluffy clouds in a blue sky over rolling green valleys. Walking doesn't get any better than this. Eventually we had to drop down off the ridge to find our Bed and Breakfast. I mourned the lost altitude, knowing we had to regain it in the morning. Coming down off the high ridge was very wearing, very steep on a sheep trail not quite as wide as my feet and often nearly straight down, slipping on the wet grass. We could have continued on top and wound down a real trail but it was miles out and then back. The difficult part was in not sliding or running at high speed off the hill. Hard on the toes and knees. But … everyone good natured and fun. Beautiful everywhere. Can stand anywhere, pivot or not pivot and take a beautiful picture. Loved walking along the top of the ridge.
Johnny gets funnier the “tireder” he gets. That's a positive trait. (His mom, Sue, is our unofficial leader)
Breakfast at 8:30. Cold cereal, then scrambled eggs, bacon, mushrooms. Had fried eggs yesterday and more extensive breakfast but today it was just a case of trying to get fuel down. Not hungry. What is it with the beans and toast and stewed tomatoes? Is that like the American sprig of parsley?
Began at 9:35. We took a short cut up through the pasture we had looked out the window at as we ate. That cut off a good half mile walk I think. But it was steep. Then up a steep road to a dirt cross street and missed our turn up the hill by at least a mile. There were no sign posts. Our land lady said there is one but its not on the road, but rather a way up the actual path deep in the bracken where it can’t be seen. So true. At least we never saw it. Eventually we were sloshing down a stream amid the rocks and mud that happened to also be the road. We used my cell phone and got new directions that were every bit as bad as the first ones. Our “landlady” seemed to be giving us directions that would have worked for the next B and B but not hers. She said she might have to walk it again to get the lay of the land. Yes. She had at some time tacked yellow tabs on posts to guide hikers Down off the hill to her B&B. They turned out to be red or yellow and in some cases gray and didnt help a bit, not showing where the trail went up or down, but only where it was, on the flat stretches at the bottom, some time after the actual trail. We backtracked and finally just guessed and guessed right and slogged our way up a steep path to the top. Well, we knew the trail was on the top so it was just a matter of finding a reasonable way up. Trail marking was non existant. There was a wonderful walk along the ridge in billowing mist and a 35 mile an hour wind. Strange to hear the mist hitting my rain hood like bbs. It was cozy inside the hood and jacket even with the wind blowing me off ballance. Absolutly loved it. Couldn’t see fifty feet in some places and then it would part and show us nearby sunny green hills across the deep valleys. There was a picturesque little tree in the mist that looked like it had been placed there for a photo op. They have laid great two foot blocks of shale for the path in some places where it was boggy. That was hard to miss, but the path on the top is well worn and hard to miss anyway.
Finally down the hill, and as usual the down side was hard on the knees. We walked across the valley, guessing and guessing right most of the time. Well, Sue and Joe did the guessing. I am a natural follower. I just questioned their decisions. It seemed the safest way. It always has. There were now sign posts every so often and while we occasionally took a wrong angle across a field we could always find the stile over the fences.
The valley was in bright sunlight. We left the mist on top. Had to retrace steps couple of times. We came off the hill, wandered through fields, across a river and over the railroad. We tried to stop in at a pub but closing time was three minutes before we got there. Rules are rules. We continued on, uphills and through fields, then under bushes and trees, and down a set of stairs, turned right and walked down a hill into someones farm, decided that couldnt be right and went back up to the steps, reevaluated the directions and turned left walking along a road to our bed and breakfasts. From the directions, depending on where you put the imaginary comma you could justify a left or right turn. Beyond that you got a lot of “after the steps, turn right over the fields” only the right turn was sometimes half a mile away.
This time Michelle didnt go with us. Blisters and abraided heels. She went with the baggage to Hunters Moon, where she and Joe are staying, by the Old Rectory where Sue and Johnny and I are located. Very pretty area, but arent they all. Nice historic accommodations, up dated inside. The Hunters Moon bills itself as a 13 th century building. I believe it.
I have my own room and bathroom.
Llangallock? Its not a town, but just a clump of houses with one lane roads connecting things. Sign on a blind curve obscured by old buildings that touch the road: “Caution Slow children”. Tall overhanging trees, flowers and grassy fields, around an old church and graveyard on the top of a hill. They “bat watch” there in the evenings. Blankets on the ground in the graveyard. You take your fun where you find it. I would have thought that if you had seen one bat.… but.…
We are going to eat now. 7:15 pm.
I would also like to talk to the folks who put the arrows on the little posts that occasionally pointed the way. There would be post with an acorn or a picture of Offa (or in Welch, Offar) and an arrow at some angle or other but seldom the angle that actually pointed to the next sign or stile). We did a lot of looking for tell tale little paths slightly beaten into the flowering buttercups and cattle infested meadows we were crossing.
I can see why the English hesitated to invade Wales. First, it would be exhausting, and second there couldnt have been many agricultural settlements to tax and from which to raise revenue so why bother. It would be economically counter productive. Plenty of pasture land though. I also havent seen hide nor hair of the supposed raised Dyke built by Offa and have no idea why he would have needed it as a defensive position. If I had seen troops mustered on the top of those steep hills an extra twenty feet of height wouldnt have detered me. The hills would. As to building the dyke as a boundry line, .…why? If it isnt defended who would care. If there was actually a wooden palisade erected along the top of what remains to me a mythical raised dirt area, that would have detered cattle theives for as long as it took to knock it down. So the idea is a mystry to me and the labor to accomplish what seems unreasonable must have been incredable.
7:22 pm and we are in a pub. The Diet Pepsi is served in something like a shot class, or more precisely a jelly glass. Small!
And … beyond that let me just say that English/Welch plumbing is incredibly odd. You dont just push the lever down, you more like pump it, sometimes several times, till you get that magic combination that actually results in a flush. I got the feeling that if I had been properly instructed I could have operated it correctly the first time. There must be a secret correct way or else how do they sell the things.
9:33 am
Sue and Johnny and I are sitting at an outside table at the Hunters Moon where Joe and Michell stayed. We had our breaksfast at the “Old Rectory”. Both places are absolutly faultless in their 13th century outside, charming gardens and modern inside. You really can’t fault an English/Welch breakfast either. And let me compliment their dogs too. I dont know how they do it but you could get to like dogs. They are beautifully behaved. In the U.S. if I had suddenly startled, almost stumbled over, two dogs of the size we did I would have been expecting eminent attack and a barking, snarling frenzy. They just looked us over in a gentlemanly way and nodded companionably and laid back down, right in front of the gate. Farm dogs occasionally bark, but usually after you have gone by and just as an early alert system and to be compliant to orders. There is none of that unseemly snarling. That would embarass them.
—Waiting to start.
Michelle can’t walk, so will ride into Monmouth traveling with the luggage, I guess.
Today was a very hard walk for me because it was hot, somewhere in the eighties, (Who knew. They are having an unusual heat wave today and apparantly tomorrow ) and… it is muggy. I am sweat drenched. Shirt soaked . Up and down and up steep little hills wading through the various allergy inducing grasses and up long narrow twisting hedged in roads, worrying about cars coming from the wrong direction and no where to go to avoid them. You could easily get brained by a rear view mirror. . No mountains today but lots of long hills. 14 miles of that. Through fields and pastures, over stiles and up and down little one lane country roads. We were so hot, and it was so bad that when we finished today we called off tomorow (the longest day anyway). Manys the day I would have loved to have called off tomorow. This time we did it. Tomorrow was scheduled to be about 17 miles. Still I wouldnt have missed today, tired or not. And of course we had something like ten miles of pretty fresh hiking. The last few miles were the ones that got me. Isn’t that always the way. Even so, those last four or five miles were over ridges and through forest. They were actually logging second growth timber specially planted for that purpose. The smell of new cut timber is sort of refreshing. The shade was pretty welcome too. Too bad they located it all on top of a hill.
We walked in to Monmouth, through the cobbled streets and found our Bed and Breakfast at Bob’s. As we were standing in the street in front of the place and wondering how we were going to find Michelle we heard a voice calling us and turned around to find a smiling Michelle, wearing heel sparing flip-flops, with an arm full of shopping bags and slurping down a chocolate ice cream cone. One can only pity the girl missing a day of hiking.
next day
Splendid day.
We spent the day shopping and doing Museums in Monmouth. There was a choice little Military Museum that let you actually handle an AK 47 and look at a Brown Bess musket of the kind used in the Revolutionary war. There was even an instruction sheet showing one how to load the thing. Enjoyed it immensly. These little towns are great.
Last night was interesting. I was on the second floor front of “Bobs”. (I think I’d go for a better name) The toilet stopped flushing. I spent a long time getting that straightened out. Then went to bed at 10 with both windows wide open because of the heat. I fronted on an alley or mews or at least a narrow, though during the day, busy commercial (cobblestoned) street. About 10:30 drunks began walking by. Near midnight one was singing at the top of his lungs. Surprisingly nice voice. And hour or so later he was back again though not in such good voice this time. Then, just as I was going to sleep a bottle smashed on the cobblestones. (I was about 12 feet directly above it) Drunks shouted, more bottles bounced but didn’t break. People wandered by in the dark little street yelling about “yeah, lets do it” etc. Things slowed down about 1 am.
Then twenty yards away a tour buss pulled in and sat idling for about half an hour. It left in a paraxom of reving engine and exhauxst fumes. Things got eerily quiet for a moment. Suddenly at 2 am water began pouring down from the second story rain drains ten feet away from my bed and almost directly across the street (luckily). Sounded like the output of a fire hose hitting the cobbles and gurgling down the drains . There was no rain and no explanation. It only lasted about 45 minutes. By then my windows were shut and I went to sleep. Somewhere during all this, in a moment of near sleep the toilet flushed itself. Well, more like unplugged and gurgled loudly. What can you do but smile.
Caught bus in Monmouth for Chepstow.
In Chepstow walked around killing time till the propriator of the B and B got back from some unspecified diversion. There was a posted note, ” back in an hour” or something like it. She wasn’t. (Got an Ice Cream cone. Cost a little over a pound!) I think the propritor was actually next door resting. At least she suddenly emerged from the building next door looking surprised and a bit flustered. For a few minutes she thought we were not scheduled till tomorrow. “But no problem, there are plenty of rooms.”
Finally got in and got rooms in The First Hurdle. I’m in room one, right on the street level, exactly on the sidewalk. I could stand in my open window and rub noses with people using the narrow sidewalk on the narrow street. I could also spit across the road and hit the building oppossite me. I did stand in the open window but refrained from the nose and the spit thing. People on that street could not get so far away that I could not touch them if they stayed on the sidewalk. Strange. The billowing curtains look like a painting by Wythe.
Showered, washed sox etc. Finished reading my book. Walked up, I stress up, town and got burgers, Michelle, Sue and I, for every one. Came back and ate in a little enclosed garden in back of the First Hurdle. Tall walls. Cool and shady; grass, flowers and shrubs. Shared with a couple of insouciant, confident, pointy faced cats that looked like it was a good thing they didn't’t weigh forty or fifty pounds.
Some problem sleeping again. Room one must be reserved for saps. Its right on the street, six inches from the ubiquitous drunks of Wales who seem to appear about 10 pm and go home, or somewhere, about one am. I’d have taken their photos except it would have meant putting the camera right in their faces. We were inches away from each other. The picture didn't seem like a good idea. Drunks can be sensitive and one wants to behave correctly.
Got up
Had cold cereal, scrambled eggs and bacon.
Caught a bus from Chepstow to Monmouth and a Taxi from Monmouth to Hereford. Then a train to Abergaveny. From Abergaveny by bus to Newport. Then a train from Newport to London's Paddington station and walked to our room in a Comfort Inn. It was a little disappointing not to have had to take a camel somewhere. The Comfort Inn is the best accommodation I have had in five years in London. Really quite nice. I’I've got to remember that. This time no tile fell from the ceiling while I was showering (that one two years ago and in a nice area of London , in an old mansion like hotel, fell and hit me in the head and sent me reeling out of the shower, stunned, into the WC). (Notice my casual use of the term WC. Proud.)
In about 6:15pm. Walked up the street a few blocks to get something to eat. Rough neighborhood but darn interesting and teeming with people eating and drinking and hanging out on the sidewalk.
About 11:40 pm Josh called. He thought we were already home. Happy Fathers Day.
new day
Last night Mark came in from France where he had been watching the 24 hour Le Mons race. Sue, Mark and Johnny went shopping and sightseeing and to a London show.
Joe, Michelle and I went to the Tate Art Museum,
We thought that the museum was closed but it was close and I thought it would be a shame to miss it if by some miracle it was open so we took the tube and then walked up and then around two sides of it and looked, not very hopefully and hey! It was open! We walked all thru.
(Christianson's work looks like Richard Dadd! More jewel like, more defined and crisp, but Dadd like )
I could have spent all day there but Joe then asked an attendant if the Tate Modern was by any chance open too. Not supposed to be, either of them. Joe had checked on line and they are supposed to be closed Mondays. But… they were both open. That was an unexpected pleasure.
Joe and I walked up to the Tate Modern while Michelle went shopping.( Michelle got a pair of flip flops that don't touch her heels and is mobile again) Joe is a lot more confident than I am. If I had separated from my wife in London I’m sure I would have gone home still wondering where the heck she had gotten to. We have trouble getting back together if we get separated in Mervyns.
Walked a couple of miles I think. Its just interesting walking in London. There was some sort of protest against Blair, Bush and the Iraqi “occupation” and we saw, walked past, armed, Submachine gun carrying, armored vest wearing, policemen. Not a common sight in the London I remember. They seemed as interested in us as we were in them. (!) We probably shouldn't have stopped and asked them for directions.
The Tate Modern is not as interesting to me as the traditional stuff but some good things. Joe understands and appreciates far, far more than I and is good about putting up with my ignorance. I was looking forward to seeing both Tate's and trying not to be too disappointed when Joe said the on-line site said they were closed. It was a real treat to tour both; all the sweeter for being unexpected.
Joe and I got a sandwich and Pepsi in a little eating place in the Modern. It took a little doing . English kids are not as well behaved as their dogs and didn't seem too impressed by our being theoretically first in line. Waited for Michelle but never saw her. We had arranged to meet there. Finally as we were leaving Joe suggested we leave by walking totally around the restaurant, on the sidewalk outside, next to the windows of the restaurant. And suddenly as we were walking by we saw, inside, Michelle leap up from an inside table and run to get our attention. We cut back and went in.
We went shopping for a while and then I hung out at Borders Books while they went shopping some more. Bought a couple of books for the flight home. Surprised to find Fraser is still alive and still writing the Flashman series. Gratified too to find a well written new book on the old Fall of The Roman Empire. There's good reading there. And I think I’m about done for the day.
I have arranged for a Taxi to Heathrow at 9 am tomorrow.
We got back together and are in Garfunkels restaurant which is divided into two sections, smoking and smokey. “Will you have smoking or smokey?” “Very good”. We are in the smokey one.
I just had a desert. Still no real interest in food. Desert was a Strawberry Kiss; Ice cream, whipped cream and strawberries, in some sort of sweet strawberry drizzle. Now that was good. Interest reviving.
Last day
Ready to leave.
The driver got in early, but we took time to have breakfast and then drove to Heathrow, leaving about 8:30 am. instead of 9. Heavy traffic. Took a lot of surface streets to work thru it. Our driver was Nigerian and claimed to have been a spy working for the Department of Defense and thoroughly enjoyed it. . “I can say no more” he said.
He had lived in America and recognized Joes old neighborhood in Houston, recognized it as dangerous, and knew what areas surrounded it.
I tried the Kiosk check in, I know I did it right but… but it rejected me. However there was no line at the check-in desk just an agent who spotted my bemusement as I looked for the long lines that denoted the check in desk and leaned out and said “can I help you?”. And I got right through. I requested an aisle seat and got it. Joe and Michelle saw me through check in and then went to their terminal.
There were two people in front of me going thru security. They moved so fast I found myself chucking stuff in those plastic bins, all alone. I hate those long lines but now there was nothing to hate. Whisked right through. Stunned. I am just sitting here in the lounge sipping a Fanta and waiting for the departure gate to be announced. I’m two hours early and no gate has been decided yet.
11:26 am. We are boarded. I have an aisle seat and the bulkhead. Life is very good. Is that what you get for telling the boarding agent, “I am an old guy and need an aisle seat, preferably near a rest room”? I mentioned the bulkhead thing too but who knew he was listening.
11:54 am. and rolling. Precisely on time.
4:20 pm ( I switched back to LA time) We are down, in L.A. on time and through customs. U.S. customs is much more vigilant and careful. This wasn't just air line agents. There were police.They even had a dog sniffing everyone that came off the flight. (American police look very serious, solid and alert. These are not people to fool with. They looked considerably more dangerous than the submachine gun and bulletproof vested British police) There was a line this time. Probably six people ahead of me and that held me up for over two minutes. I had to go through Agriculture too because I had “walked through pastures”. I had also washed my boots so that was a snap.
Called my Van service and got picked up.
Home.
It was Good to be with the kids again. Good too to have hiked in all that beauty. And its going to be good to rest my legs too.
Posted by oldprof at 06:33 PM | Comments