I may have mentioned before that, without doubt, the best way to swim is naked. But the sea and our lake are such large and public things. I suppose it is our cultural upbringing that makes us so self-conscious, embarrassed, even guilty about swimming (or doing anything) naked even when reasonable precautions are taken to ensure privacy. This attitude must be instilled in us from an early age because even children can be very embarrassed about getting changed in a public place. Please understand, I am in not any way advocating indecent exposure.
And so I was interested in a recent experience I had. I will not divulge the place or time as another party was involved, but I was running along the coast and chanced upon a small sandy beach far enough away from any roads and thus the mass of humanity to be relatively private. It was summer so I was in shorts and intending to swim. I noticed a family at the far end of the beach and as I got closer I saw that the father and his two children were running into the sea stark naked. The mother was dressed and sitting on the beach. By the time I reached her they were away swimming so decent enough, so I asked her if she would mind if I also swam naked? I added that I would go to the other end of the small beach and be discrete. She said she didn't mind so that is what I did.
The point I want to make is that, because I had obtained "permission", I felt so much liberty and was quite without reserve as I dispensed with shorts and ran into the warm, rolling sea. And I enjoyed that time of swimming possibly more than at any other time. Strange that "permission" from an unknown person made all the difference to my scruples. Surely my principles ought not to be so easily affected?
20140926
20140921
Song of Albion and Sushi
When I started my Song of Albion series on music I thought I would keep posting on the subject - I have plenty more material - and perhaps I will sometime - but I have kind of run out of steam because, well let me explain the connection with sushi.
The idea of eating cold raw fish has never appealed to me so sushi would not be something I would choose. Any more than jellied eels or cold borscht. Give me fish and chips or cheese on toast or a bacon butty any day. But yesterday my daughter invited me to her home-brew sushi party and kindly assured me she had prepared sushi made with chicken to soften my experience. I had no problem with the seaweed or the special sushi rice - the taste was OK - but everything on my plate was so cold and clammy. And why spend all that time chopping stuff up small and packing it into strange cylindrical shapes? I don't get it. And yet the rest of the party apparently enjoyed their raw fish versions. And other folk across the globe apparently enjoy the sushi experience. So either they are all putting on a show or else I am weird.
And if I am weird (by which I mean having very peculiar tastes) then what is the good of me making any comment whatsoever on a subject like music which is so subjective?
The idea of eating cold raw fish has never appealed to me so sushi would not be something I would choose. Any more than jellied eels or cold borscht. Give me fish and chips or cheese on toast or a bacon butty any day. But yesterday my daughter invited me to her home-brew sushi party and kindly assured me she had prepared sushi made with chicken to soften my experience. I had no problem with the seaweed or the special sushi rice - the taste was OK - but everything on my plate was so cold and clammy. And why spend all that time chopping stuff up small and packing it into strange cylindrical shapes? I don't get it. And yet the rest of the party apparently enjoyed their raw fish versions. And other folk across the globe apparently enjoy the sushi experience. So either they are all putting on a show or else I am weird.
And if I am weird (by which I mean having very peculiar tastes) then what is the good of me making any comment whatsoever on a subject like music which is so subjective?
Silsean again
The first day of autumn turned out to be the last day of summer so, after consulting with the dog who promptly lay down as if to say "no run today thanks" I biked to the forestry access to Silsean and then climbed on foot barefoot (same route as before). I still get muddled up between Silsean and Moanbane but I think it was the former...
They have cut down and decimated the forest area so the mossy glens have disappeared - sad but there will be others to find elsewhere. But the climb to the top and the small lakes when you get there are much the same. There's a great sense of freedom when you are walking on the top of the world.
They have cut down and decimated the forest area so the mossy glens have disappeared - sad but there will be others to find elsewhere. But the climb to the top and the small lakes when you get there are much the same. There's a great sense of freedom when you are walking on the top of the world.
 |
| This lake is about 0.5m deep plus mud |
 |
| On my last visit this was covered with about 0.2m of water |
 |
| The cairn at the summit of Silsean |
 |
| View of home across Blessington reservoir |
 |
| The decimated forestry area, Silsean in distance |
First day of Autumn
 |
| Morning mist over the lake |
 |
| Looking south |
 |
| Looking north |
 |
| The nearer shore beyond the mist |
 |
| Valleymount bridge |
 |
| Autumn fruit |
 |
| Sloes by the roadside |
 |
| Masses of blackberries |
 |
| The noble beech |
20140914
Uffculme run
The occasion: a relative-in-law's surprise 70'th birthday party. I had a spare couple of hours before we needed to set off so ran to Uffculme and back, barefoot of course. Here you can see my track, the total distance being just short of 9 miles. The photos were taken on my smart phone with the scratched camera "lens" so are a bit misty. I left just after 06:00 so enjoyed the sunrise and best part of the day.
 |
| Sunrise over Uffculme Straight |
Turning left in Uffculme I found this delightful path over a field - delightful, that is, to bare feet! The letters in brackets refer to the map above.
 |
| Footpath through meadow (A) |
Doubling back into Uffculme again I chanced upon this strange brick building which was, apparently, built as a brewery, see http://blackdownarchives.org.uk/category/trades/page/14/
 |
| William Furze’s Steam Brewery (B) |
Leaving Uffculme I crossed the river (along which there is a grassy footpath which must therefore be the subject of a future run), and ascended to Gaddon Down.
 |
| River Culm |
 |
| Interesting business venture |
 |
| Uffculme from Gaddon Down (C) |
My route then skirted around Bradfield House and returned across the Culm and through Willand old village.
 |
| Bradfield House grand entrance |
 |
| Bradfield House side view |
 |
| Early morning feeding |
There used to be a railway along the Culm valley which doubtless served the brewery and also a large mill in Uffculme. Regrettably I did not get to see much evidence so that must also be fuel for the next time I am in this neck of the woods.
 |
| Culm valley railway |
20140907
Kippure
 |
| Upper reaches of Shankill River |
At Cloghleagh Bridge I stopped and walked upstream (last time I went downstream to the Liffey) and was suitably impressed by the accessibility and many pools some deep enough to swim in.
 |
| Looking back down the Shankill to Cloghleagh bridge |
 |
| There are many pools like this, some deep enough to swim |
 |
| At this point I turned back. Why do humans destroy what they are given? |
Resuming my journey towards the Sally Gap I stopped again because this part of the Liffey valley is so beautiful.
I turned left at the Sally Gap summit to explore Kippure. There were zillions of notices forbidding close encounter and besides the private road to the top was very steep so I did not quite make it to the top.
That pointy thing to the right is the Sugar Loaf mountain near Bray. Then is was mostly downhill all the way to Larragh.
At Larragh I refuelled and started the ascent, stopping a bit further up than usual for my customary stop to regain breath. The idea was to find some more adits but no joy and motivation for further exploration was ebbing by this stage.
 |
| My favourite part of the Liffey valley |
 |
| Same, looking back, a bit further up |
 |
| That's the river Liffey, now but a stream |
I turned left at the Sally Gap summit to explore Kippure. There were zillions of notices forbidding close encounter and besides the private road to the top was very steep so I did not quite make it to the top.
 |
| The TV mast on Kippure |
 |
| View from same - you can just make out the sea |
That pointy thing to the right is the Sugar Loaf mountain near Bray. Then is was mostly downhill all the way to Larragh.
 |
| Much needed lunch stop on the Military Road |
At Larragh I refuelled and started the ascent, stopping a bit further up than usual for my customary stop to regain breath. The idea was to find some more adits but no joy and motivation for further exploration was ebbing by this stage.
 |
| Clear water near Turlough Hill (there were fish) |
 |
| St Kevin's way crosses here |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)