Cheltenham Racecourse

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June 19, 2008
Cheltenham Racecourse

Ready for our hike, we took the bus to the town center and walked to another bus to go to Winchcomb. After boarding the bus, we were inundated with hikers coming on ... with backpacks and hiking poles, etc. " Who are you folks and where are you going?" we had to ask. When we heard they were "Ramblers"... we felt at home. They explained all about the Ramblers in Britain, and we talked about the Ramblers in Pittsburgh. After all was said and done, we were invited to join their hike. Since we were still not completely sure of our directions, we welcomed the opportunity to talk to fellow hikers and spend the day with them It was an 8+ mile hike and the scenery was super. It is the first time we hiked through sheep and cow pastures, we needed to be careful of our footing. We had a group of 15 and the hike leader John was knowledge and helpful with suggestions.
Well... in England, they have four seasons.. Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter...all in one day; and today was typical.
They were lovely people and we so enjoyed our conversations with each and every one. They were curious about Yanks in Britain and our plans. Their organization is very active. They take trips together to hike in other parts of England and Europe. There are so many foot paths in England and so many people use them! The senior hiker was Bill 78 and doing just fine, thank you.
We now have the opportunity to connect with other Ramblers in other parts of GB!! What a find.
The final stretch included part of the Cotswold Way, with magnificent views of the whole area.

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Comments

[joan H. Roolf]

You are wetting our appetite!
Now that you are in the British Isles, suddenly there seems to be a whole different flavor---beautiful scenery, outdoor adventure with camaraderie, etc. It must help that they speak English? We look forward to our month in Scotland and seeing you.