passport, ticket, money

Check !

Seven Sisters Walk

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“Passport, tickets, money ” is our mantra when we have packed our bags, paid the bills, sorted what needs to be sorted urgently, key’s in hand closing the door and the holiday starts. The logic being that as long as you have your passport, tickets and money anything else you have forgotten can be sorted. Forgot to pack your toothbrush, don’t worry about it you can buy one, didn’t pack enough socks don’t worry you can wash them, forgot to bring a notebook – that’s an excuse to buy a new one. Most things can be resolved; lack of money, a ticket and passport and we wouldn’t get very far.

Although if we are travelling in the car the mantra should include driving license and if heading to France needs to include a Hi-Vi, a red triangle and now an alcohol testing kit. But that makes the mantra rather clumsy and long doesn’t it?

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This is my way of saying a bientot mes amis. A last minute decision sees the promenade morphing into a travelogue….again….. A wee winter holiday in France, minus the breaks this time.

I’m planning on a lot of skiing – to make up for my lack of it last year, but I’m sure there will be walks too, evenings in cooking and reading, snoozing and generally being in full on holiday mode.

Gardening in January is tough work – the ground is literally saturated, as I walk on the grass paths at the allotment the ground is squelching underneath my feet, the dampness rising above my boots and up my trousers. To dig leeks, I have to lay a plank of wood on the soil and stand on that.  It’s too wet to do much at all, yes I know I haven’t started pruning/cutting back the hedge that runs along the fence let alone any number of other jobs, but you know what they will be done when they are done. No sooner and no later.

Returning early February means that it’s seed sowing time, so we can dust off the green-fingers and get busy again!

Today’s photos were taken on a walk, a wintery walk in November along the Seven Sisters, part of the newest National Park – The South Downs. It’s a favourite walk along the chalk cliffs huffing and puffing our way up them, gently tripping down, on a bright-blue-sky day lingering over the views and then turning inland along the Cuckmere River/Estuary, standing to pause and admire the geographical phenomenon of Oxbow Lakes, then  crossing into woodland to find peace and calm away from coastal breezes, kicking up the fallen leaves, walking through tiny Sussex villages nestled in sheltered valleys, clambering over styles to finish back near the coast.

A circular walk.

Time is spent enjoying the views, finding a bench to sit and sup the tea brought in a flask, maybe there will be some fruit or a snack, or even a packet of wine gums. Walking gives us a real kick, an opportunity to get out and about, move around, breathe in the fresh sea air, empty our heads, look around us and take in those big vistas, ponder on the imponderables and more. Walking is akin to meditation to me, it quientens my mind, revives me physically and then if we’ve remembered to bring a camera and use it, there are some photos to remind us of how beautiful it is.

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Passport, ticket, money

Check !

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