Travels with Hope

We spent a leisurely day in Chepstow. In the morning it was raining, so we read and waited. Our 3-hour walk was essentially a meander in comparison to our days in the Cotswolds. Chepstow has several self-guided history walks so we grabbed a map and set off. There was a 19th century bridge that connects England and Wales, an 11th century castle, an old city wall, and a Sunday market. We stopped often to admire doors and door knockers, then ended with tea and scones with clotted cream and jam. We're in Wales and all signs are in both Welsh and English. Such an intriguing language with lots of Y's and W's and double letters in unusual places (like an ff at the word's beginning or dd at the end.) And then there was this: someone isn't happy with their town council.

This was a transition day, moving from the Cotswolds to Cheptow, Wales. Our first train was late and we rerouted, adding more transfers, but arriving only slightly later than anticipated. We quickly checked and dropped our luggage, then caught a local bus to Tintern Abbey. I do love efficient and (mostly) reliable public transportation. Tintern Abbey! A ruins set in a beautiful valley along the River Wye. I can see why William Wordsworth came here to write poetry, meditate, and rejuvenate. I felt it, too, just being here briefly. In July 1798, Wordsworth wrote "Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey." In which the heavy and the weary weight / Of all this unintelligible world, / Is lightened ... ... While with an eye made quiet by the power / Of harmony, and the deep power of joy, / We see into the life of things ... _______ Tintern Abby (a Cistercian order) was built in 1131, then destroyed in the 16th century by Henry VIII when he decided it was necessary to get rid ...

With a good night's rest, the soreness (mostly) dissipated and we set out again. Today we only walked 8.6 miles total. The Windrush Path had nimerous steep climbs, but they were relatively short ones. We didn't walk the entire loop, just walked the part I was most interested in, and returned. Then we walked a mile on the path at the other end of the loop walk -- and returned. The part we missed was the part with long climbs upward of 200 feet and more. There were more blackberries along the way and lots of singing birds. We set a more leisurely pace, so I took the time to open my Merlin app to identify some trills. I never actually saw them, but delighted in their accompaniment, a soundtrack to our walk. Merlin identified these bird calls: Long-tailed Tit Eurasian Jackdaw European Robin Eurasian Green Woodpecker  Common Raven Goldcrest Common Chaffinch We started the morning following the River Windrush, a pleasant name for a beautiful river. Walking along this river, I half ex...

What a beautiful day to walk 12 miles from Moreton-in-Marsh to Bourton-on-the Water! Through fields and along streams, serenaded by a myriad of birds (could only name one: a pheasant), in and out of small villages, picking blackberries, enjoying the partly sunny day. The actual walking time (minus the moments spent dawdling, gawking, getting lunch, etc.) was 5.5 hours! There were several steep hills, but manageable. We arrived at our hotel shortly after 3 p.m. Sore feet up, relaxing, and drinking lots of water. Frankly, eight to nine miles would have been ideal, which was the point where fun and play morphed into work, leaving us with joyfully tired feet. But all told, it was amazing. I could dump so many pics, but I'll try to drop only the best. This is us entering the pathway this morning. Monarch's Way - the path we followed most of the day. Not the butterflies (where my mind goes), but the trail followed by King Charles II, pursued by Cromwell in 165...