Thursday, August 30, 2012

Local Ambles


The next two weeks are spent exploring and inserting ourselves into life here.
Fil has begun work and at least three weeks stretch before me with the kids before they begin school. It’s a bit scary as it’s almost a month since we left Sydney and probably high time the boys were hanging around people their own age.
 I decide to haul them away from their electrical distractions and drag them by foot around Winchester .
We walk Alex’s route to college. It’s quite long at about 35 minutes, although pleasant enough. I research bus routes and safe cycle routes as well as we promised everyone a bike. I am a bit alarmed to see no one wears a helmet here and many of the roads are busy and/or narrow.

Everything is more or less downhill from our house which is charming to start out on a walk and a bit of a bloody trial on the return. Suffice to say none of us are really used to hours of walking and could be termed unfit (except Alex who was born fit). Perhaps one day I shall jog home whilst whistling Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush, but that time is not now.

I love the varied architecture of Winchester and am constantly pointing things out in excitement. Flynn I’m sure has Gazers Whiplash and Alexander can walk while typing on an ipad, but I’m hoping somehow some of it’s sinking in with them. I find a lot of pubs I shall try to visit at some time or another. I appreciate my constant excitement over pubs paints me as an alcoholic but in truth I just adore the ambiance of the pubs and the old buildings. Sure you do girlie.

On one day we climb St Giles hill which nearly kills me after nearly two hours of walking. The steps are printed with a chocolate-square type of pattern and I struggle up the steps lying to myself with promises of the candy mountain surely at the top. There is no candy, but there is a fine distracting view over Winchester’s high street and beyond. The hill we have climbed once held a medieval* trade market with sellers coming from all over Europe. I survey the sunny hill, imagining the stalls and wares and tents. I imagine it must have looked amazing, though I am a little surprised to see Aslan.  The boys and I eat a picnic lunch here before the long walk home which is aided by ice-creams from the icecream man. And thus pain fades.

 Other days we head in different directions. There are always quaint cottages, flowers gardens, hidden shops or ancient churches. I have a lot of favourite spots already, many along parts of the river, but a favourite for us all is St Catherine’s Hill.

 This was once the location of an iron age fort and has a copse of beech trees like a crown at it’s summit. I find the tiny wood spooky and had a bit of a scare when Flynn disappeared Picnic-at-Hanging-Rock style on one of our visits, but he had just popped out the far side and become disorientated. I threw a wobbly that should have been visible for miles. Perhaps is on Google maps.

 But the hill is absolutely covered in wildflowers and has a really grand view. Sitting on the grass looking out is amazing- "Yes, what is it now, Minion??"
 "Pass the salt Mum."
There is a Miz-maze, of which I am no expert but it’s a very low living maze-like thing, constructed originally they guess as some sort of penitential device to crawl through. Those wacky monks.
 Sadly its sort of disappearing as they have trouble getting people to take care of it. I told Fil I had put his name down for a shift. It was really fun for the few seconds he believed me.

 On the south side of the hill is a grassy valley called the Plague Pits where an awful lot of bodies were laid during the times of the Black Plague. Facinating but sad. Probably safe from ever being a housing estate at least.

 I will regale you with fascinating place names some other time perhaps.

During our travels we find places that appeal to each of us. For me, finding the art store, book stores and 2nd hand stores gives a kind of happy familiarity mixed with exciting and new. I love the charity shops because they are full of Englishy things no-one really seems to want- from crockery to prints to furniture. Some of these things come to live at our house which is taking on a feeling of being home. I am getting used to mail delivered through my door, recycling glass at the supermarket, carrying an umbrella most days and extra long phone numbers and post codes.

I still get excited about everything. Even the lawn weeds are lovely and I am frustrated that I can only name buttercups and dandelion. I ask a bemused neighbour what some are called. She tells me they’re weeds. Eventually I buy a little book on wildflowers and bore everyone with my newfound flower names. Many have medicinal uses which I also find exciting.

To balance out my nature discovery mania, I find local places that the kids might make friends- a local drop in centre, a gym, the library. Of course when school begins everything will be different again and I am surprised to find that is coming up much sooner than I thought.
 
*Note: It may not have been medieval, I may have made that up, but I'm confidant it wasn't last week. Nevertheless if you are going on Who wants to Be a Millionaire, probably best not quote me.

3 comments:

  1. Hello Natalie, Fil, Alex and Flynn

    Sounds like everyone is settling in, loving hearing your tales and so glad it's all working out for you!!

    Is it Summer or Autumn now?? I'm so envious of you all!! As I read your Blog it reminds me that we too wanted to do this, but a bit late in life now I think!!

    Anyway very happy for you all and keep up the good blogging Natalie, loving it!!

    June oxox

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for reading my Blog June. Is it really too late?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Natalie

    I'm not sure, but what I do know is that as you get older things do get harder to do!!! Packing up the House and putting it all in Storage, just sounds too hard now!!!

    We'll see, can't do it for a couple of years at least, health comes into it at this stage, providing we are still relatively healthy, maybe!!!

    When's your Mum coming for a Visit??

    Keep up the Blogging, loving it!!!

    June oxox

    ReplyDelete