Monday, July 05, 2010

Cruising the Coast...Well as Much as You Can Cruise by Foot Anyhoo

Apparently it's been the driest 6 months in the country since 1929 and the recent spectacularly consistent hot and sunny summer weather has been the best since 1995...which I can attest to since I took my G.C.S.E's that year and consequently spent more time down the beach than studying!

The cloud cover today may be welcome for some, I however find it most disagreeable even if is is only for the one day.  Though it does provide ample opportunity to catch up with some overdue blogging. On a recent, and earlier blogged, excursion to West Wettering and the sand dune spit of East Head I realised there was actually a fairly decent walk to be had in the area.  So, at the next opportunity...ie when I could procure a lift...Me, my carefully made sarnies and cybershot camera made a beeline for some coastal sights.


Starting at the little village of Itchenor which boast some great views of the South downs to the north and the motley craft moored nearby



The walk is flat and the very dusty path meanders close to the shoreline with some welcome breaks into small patches of woodland




Part of the walk leads into the conservation area wetlands and salt marshes (granted they weren't looking awfully wet as I passed through) a haven for much wildlife.





More of the rather dries up wetland, though it is also partly tidal...the grass surrounding the area is also testament to just how dry it has been around these parts lately as it was more like kindling (parts of our region have had brush fires from discarded ciggies or poorly put out bbq's...grrr arg)








Ah, a bit of British spirit, a welcome addition to a country walk (at the time England were even still in the World Cup, but the less said about that the better...*hangs head and wanders off muttering of rubbish linesmen and even worse footie players*)


I found a particular picturesque little cove for my lunch complete with optional  rope swing...did I have a go? well it'd be rude not too...30 years old my arse!


At this point I may have underestimated the gentle lapping of the sea and got my feet a tad damp taking the following.



Ooo, lookie, I found the 'make it look artie fartie' button on my camera!


One of the things I love the most about these country walks are the wild flowers...not a Scooby as to what any of them are but the look pretty




And at the end of one of those dusty tracks a quintessential proper English cottage, with thatch 'n' everything, wouldn't want to speculate the coast though...somewhere in the region of a mint!


Then I found myself back at East Head where I hung out in the sunshine for a spell before heading off to catch the bus(es) home.



Oh, and near East Head I came across a pool in which you can catch crabs *juvenile snigger*...apparently they're quite the fan of bacon.


1 comment:

Firefly Mom said...

I so love it when you post tons of pix of your walks. It makes me feel like I've actually been somewhere this summer besides my yard and my car :) As for the types of flowers those are, I tend to be rubbish at naming them, but the orange one resembles a poppy and the one right below it looks like a rose (rosa rugosa maybe??)