Grantchester by foot, boat, or bike from Cambridge

If you're looking for a day out of London, why not head to the university town of Cambridge. After only 45 minutes on the train, we were wandering around the streets of historic Cambridge. It took us a while to find the nice bits, as much of the main street was infested by high street shops and unfortunately made it look like any other town in England. But once you head over to the riverside where all the old colleges are, you'll understand the appeal. Amongst the most spectacular colleges that still exist, check out Peterhouse, which was founded in 1284, and Kings College that has an impressive chapel where you can catch a choir concert.



















Getting to the slow travel bit... You can rent bikes at Cambridge station which I would highly recommend as it's a very bike-able city (if the thousands of bikes around the city are anything to go by). It reminded me of a Dutch city. Alternatively you can make your way to the riverside at Mill Lane Boatyard and rent a self-hire punt to go punting along the river. This is THE Cambridge thing to do and seems like a lot of fun, especially if you're in a big group. Then either cycle, punt or walk to Grantchester, a lovely little village 3 miles from Cambridge. Grantchester is a tiny village with thatched cottages, a few good pubs and the highest proportion of Nobel prize winners.

If you're opting for the walking option, I'd recommend walking through Newnham and stopping along Grantchester meadows for a picnic. Then once in Grantchester, treat yourself to a nice pint at the Red Lion pub or traditional tea at the Orchard in the garden.

[Anouk]

The London Loop Walks - part 1

After making the decision to ration our use of flights to one big long-haul adventure every three years we have been a bit stuck for cheap holiday plans... Cheap flights are obviously out, trains can be really expensive, camping is polarising in our house, we can't really afford British hotels... So at the expense of our sanity we haven't done anything in the last two years that might, even vaguely, count as a holiday. So this year, we've decided that we need a mission - something that gets us out of the house and gives us a sense of purpose. Cue the London Loop - one of the Mayor of London's Strategic (!) walks. The London Loop is a series of 24 walks almost encircling outer London - each walk ranging in length from 6 - 14 miles.















We've just completed the first walk... from Erith to Old Bexley (8.4 miles) heading anti-clockwise around London, starting at the Thames. The walk was extremely diverse - taking in everything from salt marsh to woodland - with a huge array of both natural and man-made curiosities along the way. My favourite sight was a glass recycling factory! Doesn't sound very beautiful - except that the ground-down glass powder meant that the whole area had a glittery green sheen.

We’ll keep you informed of our progress.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/walking/localroutes/1164.aspx

[Becky]

Discovering London by foot

London is vast. It covers 1, 700 square kilometres. It's comprised of 32 boroughs with their own sights, parks, squares and character. Living in London could seem hellish to some, but there is a lot of green space in London. There are 8 royal parks covering 5000 acres of land. There are a multitude of other open spaces and parks in London including my favourite, Hampstead Heath, the largest ancient parkland and one of the highest points in London which allows for the most breathtaking views of London from Parliament Hill.















In my opinion London is a great city for walking. When it's decent weather, I walk everywhere. I just start walking from my house without a map and if (when) I get lost I'll just ask for directions. I always get some funny looks when I say "yes I really am walking to Regent's park from Angel". We have 2 legs, why not use them.

TFL and the London Boroughs have teamed up to promote 6 major walking routes in London as part of Walk London. The website gives us details of numerous walks you can do and includes downloadable maps with clear instructions and nice places to explore along the way. They also offer a range of guided walks you can do with groups of people around different themes: nature, culture, heritage, health. One of the walks is the Green Chain Walk which involves walking through dozens of woodlands and open spaces that cover south east london. One of these is from the Thames Barrier to Oxteas Meadows. All the routes are also accessible by public transport so you can walk as little or as much as you want.












Whether you've been living in London for years or you're visiting for the first time, these walks or indeed walking generally, is a great way to discover the wonderful city that is London.

[Anouk]

GR 20 and GR walking routes

"Bon courage!". Those words normally mean it's time for a deep breath. I learned that and a lot more during days on the trail of the famous GR 20 walking route across Corsica. Walkers going in opposite directions wishing each other the best ahead of a steep turn up or down. Last week I was looking ahead to skiing in the mountains, this week I have found myself looking back and while still with thoughts of mountains, its more of walking.

I was looking of pictures taken on a trip for which I joined a friend for the Northern half of the GR 20, which is considered one of the most rewarding walks in Europe. It can take more than two weeks to do the entire length.

My own experience was fantastic. I arrived in Ajaccio and caught a train winding up in to the mountains, to the small town of Vizzavona. I waited beside the track to meet my friend who had walked the week previous from Conca. Conca to Vizzavona is the flatter southern part of the GR20, albeit still some distance and challenge. North from Vizzavona to Calenzana, though, holds greater drama. At its most simple, it's stunning. The kilometres I trod over four days included all from barren stony mountain sides to lush wet forest trails, baking dry sheperds' stone walls to glistening snow. Highlights of the walk are certainly Cirque de la Solitude and views towards Golfe de Porto.

I wasn't dressed for snow in Corsica in August. Indeed the walk meant I also learned there is a lot more to Corsica than sun and a coast line. Things like that sound obvious but we don't always allow ourselves the opportunity to think about them. Rising abruptly from the Mediterranean shores is the back of a island known as the scented because of its rich covering of herbs and flora. The back is broad and full of suprise and contrast. Ski lifts to windswept and set trees. How easy it would be to go to Corsica and see, or smell, none of this. Not to mention the welcoming but hidden mountain refuges.

GR stands for Grande Randonnée in France, or Gran Recorrido in Spain. GR routes stretch across Europe and are easily recognisable by a familiar red and white marking. They do though vary in setting and standard, in terms of surroundings, difficulty and the facilities on routes. Research and planning are, as ever, essential. I walked on the Eastern end of the GR 10 - which stretches the length of the Pyrenees - earlier this year, before turning south on to the GR 11 towards Spain's Cap de Creus. The routes were again hugely scenic but without any of the stopping places (overnight or otherwise) that help make the GR 20 so special.

If GR routes are not enough then think about the longer European long distance paths.

[George]

Walking across England

All this talk at the moment of the credit crunch is forcing us to re-evaluate our current values and consumption overdrive. Some are aspiring and returning to a simpler life. We can see this in the current trend for slow travel, taking the time to enjoy the route and taking pleasure in the little things.

I read an article in the Guardian the other day about Ed, Will and Ginger, two brothers and one of their friends. They have mastered the art of slowmoves. Their mission: to travel across the UK by foot without any money or mobile phones. They sleep in the wild when night falls, forage for food and occasionally count on strangers' hospitality. They also sing folk songs in pubs and villages to entertain and have the occasional hearty meal. It's a wonderful tale of living close to the earth and moving away from modern day dependencies on money and technology.

Photograph by Martin Godwin in Guardian, 2008

In the media we are always hearing about the downfall of society, trust and humanity. If we went by what we see and hear in the media, we could think that the streets aren't safe enough to walk out your front door anymore. Ed, Will and Ginger have been pleasantly surprised by people's openness, hospitality and enthusiasm about their lifestyle.

"Ed, Will and Ginger's itinerant, slow-moving life might just point the way forward, at a time when ecological and financial challenges are forcing us to change the way we live. At present, Britain has the lowest levels of pedestrian travel and bicycle use in Europe. Twice as many trips are made by car as by walking and cycling, and from 1992 to 2004 the number of journeys by foot and bicycle declined by a fifth. All of this despite the fact that the average speed for cars across London remains at 11-13mph, roughly the same as it was at the beginning of the 20th century."

I don't know how many people could (or would) drop everything (job, house, family) and take a year out to walk to Scotland, but hats of to these guys. I love the idea of it and whilst I may not walk all the way to Scotland, I will at least attempt to walk to another city from London one day.

myspace.com/awalkaroundbritain

[Anouk]

The Pilgrimage

I've just finished reading one of Paulo Coelho's first books 'The Pilgrimage', published in 1986. It is a very personal account of his own spiritual journey of walking the Camino de Santiago de Compostela (also known as The St James Way) in Spain, a famous historical pilgrimage that is still popular today.

Accompanied by his guide Petrus, Coelho walks the whole length of the road over a period of several weeks, only pausing to sleep in the various villages dotted along the route. As part of the journey, Coelho has to do a number of meditation exercises (that are defined in each chapter) and is faced with many physical and mental challenges. I liked the slow pace of the book and it got me thinking how liberating it would be to be a pilgrim and walk for weeks on end.

Here are a couple of my favourite quotes:

"Time isn't something that always proceeds at the same pace. It is we who determine how quickly time passes."

"Changing the way you do routine things allows a new person to grow inside you."

The camino de Santiago de Compostella has existed for over 1000 years and was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages in medieval times. Tradition has it that the remains of the apostle St James the Great are buried in Santiago. You can start the journey from anywhere in Europe, but the most common route is the Camino Frances which starts in St Jean Pied de Port and finishes in Santiago de Compostela about 780Km later, after traveling along the north of Spain.

Increasingly, the route is attracting a modern day 'pilgrim' that embarks on the road for the joys of slow travel and the challenge of weeks of walking in a foreign country. Pilgrims can buy a pilgrim's passport to get stamped in each town they visit and which allows them to stay in special pilgrim hostels along the way. Once (if) they reach Santiago, they can get a certificate to say they've accomplished the pilgrimage.

There's something really appealing to walking towards a common goal and it may just be something I'll attempt in my lifetime.

Anouk

Springfield park & marina

Springfield park is officially my new favourite park in London. I still love my 'local' Clissold park of course, but there's something really enchanting about Springfield park. A 10 minute cycle ride from Stoke Newington, the park is in Upper Clapton and sits alongside the river Lea. As you near the park, there's a steep hill with great views of the park on your right and Springfield marina straight ahead. I always feel like I'm on holiday somewhere (for some reason it makes me think of San Francisco?!) as I cycle down this hill.



The park has lots of different levels, tennis courts, weeping willows, great views of the river and surrounding marshes and a great cafe with yummy healthy food (I had a Moroccan salad). As you walk down to the marina, there's another cafe, a rowing club and endless walking routes along the river. If you cross the bridge and take a right, you can walk through Hackney marshes (you would never believe you were in London) until you reach a huge green with the largest collection of football pitches in Europe.



[Anouk]

Great British Walks

As you've probably gathered by now, at slowmoves we are big on walking - the ultimate form of slow travel. So when I heard that the Guardian/Observer were doing a 6 day supplement of 'Great British Walks', I thought other ramblers should be informed.

It starts tomorrow (sat June 6th) with an Art and Literature walk through the places that inspired painters, sculptors, writers and poets.
And then:

Sunday - Film and Music walk to explore famous film and TV sets, and see the places that inspired great musicians.
Monday - War and Politics walk guiding you through the sites of great battles and the places that have shaped politicians.
Tuesday - Engineering and Architecture walk exploring awe-inspiring bridges, earthworks and stunning architecture.
Wednesday - Lost Worlds and Legends walk through giants, hunters' caves and stone circles.
Thursday - Castles and Churches of Britain walk.
Friday - Wildlife and Water walk to get a closer look at our native wildlife.

6-12 June
Free with the Guardian and the Observer
www.guardian.co.uk

[Anouk]

Champex Lac and Tour du Mont Blanc

Without wanting to labour a recent trip... Somewhere I was earlier in the year was Champex Lac. I have known for a little while that I would be going there. I didn't though know Champex Lac was a couple of other things along with being a skiing resort.

I learnt Champex Lac sits as part of two important Alpine routes:
- Haute Route, which I have written about previously: the ski touring route between Zermatt and Chamonix
- Tour du Mont Blanc: the walking route can only really be done in the Summer (May to October time), so to avoid heavy snow. It follows, more or less, the base of Mont Blanc, offering striking scenery all the way around. It's a vintage, heavy weight of long European walks. It's just over 170km and takes up to 10 days to do, depending on your pace. The route is not easy, and includes one 10km ascent, as well as passes through France, Italy and Switzerland, including Champex Lac. Your route will be planned around the numerous refuges there are along the way. Less slowmoves, there is an Ultra Trail Tour that takes place each year on the route, the record time is 20 hours...

[George]

Photos from http://www.champex-immobilier.com/ and Creative Comments: Mt Blanc mtp@mtpa.org.uk Sept 2004