Went for another walk this morning. I followed one of the paths I had wandered down shortly after I arrived here and blogged at the time. This time I walked further as I was more confident in where I was going and how to get home again. That was almost 2 months ago so I've learned my way around Oxford quite well in the last couple of months.
I guess I'm amazed at how many people use these paths. This morning, Friday, I must have met 10 people wandering along the path. A number of people had their dogs out for a stroll. As usual, I took heaps of photos.
Here's my friend the swan:
I do like the shadow on the water.
This was the path wandering through two bits of water with the path going down the middle.
Stark trees having lost all their leaves in the last couple of months.
The next photo was in a similar spot, but looking the other direction, taken in October.
As I got past the little island walk, three creatures came to meet me.
They didn't run away; they didn't bother me for food; they just wandered around my feet while I took a number of photographs and then moved on.
A little further on, someone had prepared a spot for me to rest.
They'd even left a drink for me,I thought that was very kind of people to leave a chair for me to rest on, and a drink to revitalise myself.
A bit further on, I met up with some horses. This guy was wanting a drink of water from the river.
And he's got what he wants. Isn't he stunning. He lives in a place called Port Meadow.
At 440 acres, Port Meadow is the largest area of common land in Oxford. Freemen and the Commoners of Wolvercote have grazing rights that are still exercised today.
Port Meadow is bordered on the western edge by the Thames and for a large part of the year parts of the Meadow are flooded, bringing flocks of migratory birds. A burial ground can be found in the centre of the meadow and for these reasons the Meadow is both a SSSI and a scheduled monument.
A classic Oxford activity is to walk up the west side of the Meadow, have a pint at the Perch, and then continue up north for another pint and some roasted chestnuts and mulled wine at the Trout Inn in Wolvercote. It's approximately a 50 minute stroll to the Trout from the southern edge of the Meadow.
Now that sounds like an interesting way to spend an afternoon.
At the end of my walk is this bridge
Straight ahead was nothing but water and turning left over the bridge, who knows. So I decided to turn around and retrace my steps home. I was getting hungry and I figured it had to be getting close to lunch time.
As I was walking, I was fascinated by the way the water flowed around the branches of the trees in the water and took quite a number of photos trying to capture the sense of the water flowing. This was the best photo I got
I took many more, but this was the only one I felt gave the impression I was aiming for.
I also liked these reflections. I took heaps and now I have to decide which ones I like the best.
Back across the bridge checking out the train bridge. A number of trains went past while I was fiddling around, but didn't manage to photograph one.
One last look at the bridge I had just walked across
And in the water below me, a sleeping swan
Oh, yes, and why the title “Cold Hand”? Well it is very difficult to take photographs wearing gloves so almost the whole trip, I had one warm hand and one cold hand.
Madeleine
Friday, 19 December 2008
4 comments:
Bout time we had another post. LOL It's been a bit of a drought. I love the photos that have the reflection in them - they just seem so natural I think. You got some gorgeous shots on this walk. I love the chair too but I think you'd get wet feet sitting there!! I wonder if the water has ever flooded over the path? The burial sight would be fascinating to see as well. Really old graves are really interesting.
Good post Rosymosie!!
That horse is awesome. I say that and horses scare me. But that one in your post is a beauty.
I love the sleeping swan, sound asleep in a water bed, not a care in the world.
Thanks KazzaB. I did enjoy myself and the taking of the photos.
I like horses Kahless, but not riding them. They are too far off the ground. This guy was a beauty, wasn't he/she?
Veedub, I'm amazed that all the ducks and stuff are still around and haven't found themselves a warm place. But hey, just means they are still there for me to photograph.
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