Jill Forgham writes: Bank holiday weekend would usually be Notting Hill carnival for me but this year I broke with tradition and left Neil to enjoy the parade so that I could explore Northumbria with the Polys. It was a decision well made!
The university accommodation bore little resemblance to my time in halls of residence – the size of the fridge! Two sofas! Very comfortable and not at all scary once we got used to crossing the double motorway to get into town. Gillian welcomed us to Newcastle with an excellent city tour and it was a lovely evening, the bridges and Victorian buildings looking so elegant in the northern light.
I chose the Middle walks for the first two days, to ease my body into the trip and then went for the Long walk on Bank Holiday Monday. Tuesday I allowed myself a free afternoon to sketch and paint on Lindisfarne and that regime worked perfectly for me, I managed it all without feeling too tired. It was such a nice balance of options, terrain and sights to see, I was extremely impressed with all the hard work that had gone into crafting our trip to the north. Continue reading AUGUST BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND IN NORTHUMBRIA 2024→
Thursday May 23: Susan writes:
39 Poly Ramblers travelled to Milan Linate where we boarded our coach to Corniglio, unfortunately minus Melida’s suitcase, which had been left in London. We were somewhat disconcerted by the very heavy rain and the sight of the flooded fields for much of the journey. After two and a half hours we arrived at the family run Hotel le Mura in the little Apennine village of Corniglio where most of the group were staying. After unpacking and a quick aperitive at the hotel bar, we all gathered for our four course dinner at le Mura. Throughout our stay the staff couldn’t have done more to make us comfortable, nothing was too much trouble, including arranging for our guide to lend Melida her daughter’s walking boots. It was Jackie’s birthday, so we presented her with a delicious cake. However, we decided to eat it another day as the dinner had proved rather filling! Some of us then retired to the bar for a nightcap.
There were supposed to be 13 Poly Ramblers on the snow walking weekend to Germany but, unfortunately, Danny could not make it because of water supply problems in his brother’s flat. After arriving at Munich airport, we travelled on two trains and one bus to reach Reit im Winkl for the princely sum of €8.95 – a bargain! Two were staying in a guesthouse and the other 10 in two very comfortable apartments. After settling in, we went to the supermarket to buy supplies for breakfast and walked to Zum Eichhof restaurant where we had an excellent dinner. Continue reading SNOW-WALKING WEEKEND REIT IM WINKL – BAVARIAN ALPS – GERMANY 19-23 JANUARY 2024→
Once we had all settled in our rooms in the spacious Conwy YHA or in accommodation in town, we all met up for an informative tour of the ancient extremely attractive town of Conwy following the town trail the castle and town walls. We then found eateries.
Saturday 14th October
Saturday 14th October the Stroller section of the Poly Ramblers crossed the Conwy River by its elegant suspension bridge heading along the estuary and along the wide shoreline to the west shore promenade on the edge of Llandudno. After lunch they took the tramway to the Great Orme Summit which opened in 1902 and is one of only three similar ones in the world.
The hikers met at Conwy Castle to get the bus to Llandudno Palladium. We started the walk by exploring Llandudno pier built in 1877. We then visited Happy Valley Gardens before continuing our walk following the North Wales coastal path walking beneath Limestone cliffs, eventually reaching the Rest and be Thankful Cafe with its range of delicious cakes. We were treated to some extensive views and some wild goats clinging to the steep cliffside. We then descended towards the West Shore passing a village created as a decoy in World War 2. We had lunch at the West Shore completing our walk via the sand dunes and along the estuary before completing our walk back in Conwy.
Sunday 15th October
The Poly Ramblers strollers walked along the top of the town walls to join a nearby footpath leading to Bodlondeb woods, they walked alongside a marina finishing up at the coast. They had lunch at the Mulberry pub, so called because some of the floating harbours used on D Day were made there. In the afternoon they joined the North Wales coastal path to climb up Conwy Mountain to a viewpoint overlooking the estuary.
The hikers started their walk along Conwy Quay before starting the climb over the southern flank of the Conwy Mountain following the North Wales coast path. We stopped to admire the views of the coast before dropping down into a gully to reach the Synchnant Pass. We went through Dwygyfychi village and then had lunch on the beach. We walked on a cycle path, next to the road, going through the mountain tunnel before reaching the dunes to Morfa Conwy. We walked aside a golf course and around Conwy Quays Marina before finishing our walk at Conwy Castle.
Monday 16th October.
The Poly Ramblers headed up the Synchant Pass from the youth Hostel passing the Oakwood Estate built in a Mock Tudor style. We walked across fields passing a number of Llamas following a track past a lake with wonderful views before a short walk along the road and rejoining our route back to the youth Hostel.
After a two-year interruption, we decided to resume the snow-walking weekends. This time, we stayed four nights to be able to do three walks. As the time to leave got nearer, snow was lacking in the mountains. Would it just be a walking weekend? Never mind, we were keen to see the mountains. At Heathrow, one member of the group was missing but we were eventually reunited at the gate (phew!) and eight Poly Ramblers flew to Munich on Friday 13. After travelling on three different trains, we finally arrived in time for dinner at the Hotel Goldene Rose in Reutte, a small Austrian market town located on the river Lech. Continue reading SNOW WALKING WEEKEND – REUTTE, AUSTRIA. JANUARY 2023→
The Polytechnic Rambling Club – Walking with friends
