AT HOME

 THREE AGES

"What !  No walk this week ?"     Sorry......  No !

 For a variety of reasons those who plan and lead our walks are unable to do so this week.

With no walk to report on your writer's thoughts turned to pondering the existence of our Meanderthal group which led to rather nostalgic thoughts.

1. ONCE WE WERE YOUNG

Our memories remain young. As schoolboys and young men life was exciting and joyful. Responsibilities were few. We took to our bikes to  explore the country lanes and villages of our area. We climbed the fells to sit and gaze at the world beneath our feet. we wandered through fields and woods discovering the awesome natural world around us. We went camping in wild places waking to the chill of the morning and the sparkle of dew in the grass. We met friends old and new to talk and make sense of the changing world around us. We, almost daily, learned new skills. Life was good and would last forever 

2. THEN WE WERE MIDDLE AGED.

Our mindset is also Middle Aged.  When we had responsibilities, problems and worries but our bodies were fit and we had experience and wisdom (don't laugh) We knew things and could do things. Challenges were to be faced. problems were to be solved. We lived in a world of constant change but we could deal with and master it. We had skills which people needed and were in the main respected in our communities. Our lives were settled. We knew who we were and where we stood.

3. NOW WE HAVE ARRIVED AT OLD AGE

We are OLD. There's no getting away from it. Our memories are fading, Our skills no longer needed, Our opinions outdated and irrelevant.  In our minds however, still linger in our youth and middle age but sadly our bodies don't allow us to relive those memories.  Our walks are much shorter. Hills are to be avoided. We carry "Comfortable" collapsible stools in our rucksacks. We no longer discuss cars, children or mortgages but compare pills and medications for our chronic pains or developing ailments (such fun).

So, in our minds. we still have three ages in one.       BUT  we are STILL walking each week.          Not this week though 😕I hear you say. 

These thoughts are well summed up in a favourite poem by A E Houseman

Into my heart an air that kills

From yon fair country blows

What are those blue remembered hills

What farms what spires are those

That is the land of lost content

I see it shining plain

The happy highways where I went

and cannot come again.

Aye there's the rub, "and cannot come again".  Achingly nostalgic.

I suppose what I am trying to say is that in our minds we are STILL   young or middle aged with all of their attendant  abilities and hopes. Sadly our weekly walks tell us "No fellas. You're OLD  so just enjoy being alive". (The average age of our regular walkers is 78. Most of us are pleasantly surprised to still be alive never mind walking  😃 

Life wasn't all shining sunrises and poetic sunsets of course Sadness and heartaches were there too but just for now lets keep the rose tinted spectacles on.

JW

p.s. Do remember that if you would like  to add to or comment on these blogs you can contact us at   guitar2pluck@yahoo.co.uk

Minorca

 Hola Amigos !

S'ALGAR MINORCA  A few kilometres here and there.

Anthony and John go foreign.

Any guilt about flying ? Well............................. ?

Not exactly a Meanderthal walk but some walking was done.

Some of our Meanderthals join the annual "Sunshine" trip organised by Our Lady and St Edwards church in Fulwood. This year only John and Anthony were free to go. After a two hour plus flight we landed at Mahon and were soon settling in at the Allua Hotel in S'Algar.

The area had a decidedly Spanish Character. As you would expect.

S'Salgar was not a typical Spanish holiday resort as the coast was wild and rocky with non of the usual seaside facilities. No Beach !

Anthony and John set off to explore the coastal footpath.

The footpath however was somewhat difficult to follow . At times disappearing altogether.

It was our intention  to visit the tower seen on the next headland.

 

As we seemed to be getting near, however, a narrow inlet took us to the tiny hamlet of Alcalfar. Here we were beguiled by a delightfully shady cafe . (It was a WARM day)

 

As we sat enjoying our coffees the tower looked to be still some distance away (ahem)
So we decided that as it had taken an hour to get here we would forget the tower and go back to the hotel by a different route. The reader must understand that this was NOT  a walking holiday😉

The area was basically rural with the most attractive , white villages scattered throughout.

We followed the village road for some distance until we came across this small chapel.... It was closed.

A little further up the road and we came to a "Camina" (a footpath)

This would take us back towards the hotel.

Everywhere there were interesting things to discover. Like the ubiquitous olive wood gates which were used by both old and new premises.

Works of art abounded such as this mosaic tree.... but..

....what a strange way to represent the tree's trunk.

The island was rich in archaeological sites and one day we joined a guided tour.

We visited other sites as well.

The area provided other opportunities for walks ,often with other members of the group. In my case with my wife Val.

A shady square in Mahon.

As a musician (oh yeah ?) I was amused by this instrument outside a shop. 

A REAL BABY GRAND !

The city of Mahon, a twenty minute bus ride away,  was well worth exploring.

A random Mermaid. My Spanish was not good enough to translate the explanation on the base.

Mahon's natural harbour possibly the biggest in Europe.

This looks like a lovely sunny, Mediterranean day.  but  the wind at this point was almost strong enough to blow you over and made the day feel decidedly chilly.
The beautiful weather was frequently marred by never ending wind.

More artwork on the steps of the Cathedral.

A very large naked lady........ but who is she ?

There were a lot more people with us on the trip and so much more to see but I must not fall into the trap of showing our reader more of what are in fact Holiday snaps.

ADIOS

JUAN W

p.s. We went to church on Saturday evening and the service ended with the congregation standing up and singing "Glory Glory alleluia" It was like being at a football match, Of course that anthem was originally a prayer so all was quite correct but it did make us smile.

Much Hoole 6 Miles. Hooligans. Anthony, Jim, Vic, Paddy and Danny

 We parked on Brook Lane, Much Hoole for the start of today's walk and set off down Pine Avenue. Despite it's name, it is a cul-de-sac and a narrow lane to-boot

At the end of the lane we came across a locked gate. Whoops! Todays leader had missed seeing the stile on the left. Never mind, we only had to backtrack about 50 yds thankfully.

The narrow path alongside the brook provided unwelcome shade from the early morning sun.

                       It wasn't long before we emerged into open pasture land.

Just in time for the sun to sneak behind a cloud😡. Through one field, into the next, we skirted round the perimeter until we came to a hidden stile.

          Paddy stands nonchalantly by as Anthony cautiously crosses a fenceless bridge.

The next field led us out onto the busy A59 Liverpool Rd, which we had to cross. It's surprising how fast a bunch of old men can move when their lives are at stake. Having survived the perils of the traffic, we continued our walk along the grass verge a short distance and round as it turned left into the now pleasantly quiet Old Liverpool Rd which in the past carried all the Liverpool and Southport traffic through the village of Much Hoole.

About 100 yds down the road we came to The Olde Post Office, now a residential property. We turned down the side of the above, to cross a stile onto a narrow path leading us away from the village.

Another stile led us out onto Town Lane. Oh not another stile complained Vic who was having problems with a painful hip and was extolling the virtues of the metal gates which are becoming more popular these days. Not everyone however is in agreement, galvanised iron gates don't sit kindly in a rural environment, but that's the price we have to pay.

Town Lane, a gravel road changed to tarmac as we reached a more recent development of the expanding village.

               The flag in the distance was the venue earmarked for our morning brew.

                                                    A very pleasant place it was too.

Comfy seats to sit on, (if a little cramped), a warm sun shining down on us, what more could we wish for? A bit of peace and quiet that's what. The gardeners were mowing the lawn and strimming round the edges. Actually it wasn't that bad and they were friendly. one of them even took this photo for us. 

Continuing along Town Lane we passed this quaint little cottage, before turning left along another footpath.

                            This well fed hen was not very happy about our intrusion.

The crossing of more meadowland brought us back to the main part of Much Hoole  village.

Vic had been walking bad all morning, and his hip seemed to be inflicting more and more punishment on him, so when we reached the roundabout on the A59. I suggested that he wait here while I went for the car to pick him up. A suggestion to which he readily agreed.
Anthony, Jim and Paddy, meanwhile would carry on to Longton Brick Croft Nature Reserve where we would meet up with them for dinner. Vic seemed to be walking better already after having a sit down for a while.

We met up again for dinner by the lake, then Vic stayed behind while the rest of us continued with the walk back to Jim's car on Brook Lane.

Funny enough, after leaving Vic, we didn't come across any more stiles. They were all his preferred gates.

                                                                     Back to Brook Lane

A lovely border alongside the lane. Jim gave us a lift back to the Nature Reserve to pick Vic up , and my car.
                                                                          DK