I cross the road to the docks, where the high tide has a
particularly salty air to it this morning. My usual route
over the lock gates is barred as they're open awaiting the
entrance of seven yachts which are sitting patiently in the
Cumberland Basin before heading out into the Bristol
Channel. I sit and watch reflections in the water as the
road bridge swings open and the yachts glide by, one with
an oddly garish colour scheme of red, yellow and green
standing out amongst the others all sleek and gleaming
white in the sunshine.
I walk down to the smaller bridge noting a particularly fine
weeping birch on the way and am surprised to also notice
that the sycamores are already well laden with winged seeds.
I nod hellos to passers by, dog walkers, sightseers,
mountain bikers heading for the woods and a group of joggers
meeting for their Sunday morning run. Back up the other side
of the Cumberland Basin and I reach the point for the
classic view up the Avon Gorge to Brunel's suspension bridge
with the Georgian terraces of Clifton on the skyline, a view
captured by many an artist and photographer. A hot air
balloon rises above the trees from Ashton Court.
Turning back on myself along the new cut of the Avon I cross
the old bridge which used to carry both the road and the
railway over the river. I'd already crossed it once today,
about 4 hours previously in the early morning light for a
run around Leigh Woods. The river had been much lower then.
This time I turn left instead of right and continue along
the disused railway which nature is gradually reclaiming.
Brambles crowd the sides and the odd hawthorn is sprouting
up between the tracks. No one else is about and rabbits
scatter left and right infront of me. Birdsong is in the air
and a group of long tailed [censored] is flitting amongst the
birches. I stop to watch and listen. I reach the hole in the
fence that marks the end of this section of the walk and
find myself spat back out onto tarmac. Another few minutes
and I reach my destination.... Sainsbury's supermarket.
After filling the empty 45 litre rucksack I have been
carrying the return journey back is much the same. As I
arrive at the end of my road by the docks the kids are still
falling off skateboards, people are still washing cars and I
feel like Mr. Ben must have done coming back out of the
costume shop in the cartoon.
Distance: Dunno Height Gain: 2 flights of stairs