Tag: walking

A Walk to Materuni Waterfalls

Joann and Sophie on the trail to
On the way to Materuni waterfall
Materuni Waterfalls
Materuni Waterfalls
Sophie and Treve at the Materuni Waterfalls

We spent our last two days in Tanzania in Moshi, a town on the lower slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. Our primary motivation was to visit Sophie Augustino. Sophie recently graduated from the College of African Wildlife Management and has started a tour company, Matriarch Hill Safari. We became acquainted with Sophie a couple of years ago when my sister Laurie connected with her while doing some non-profit work in Tanzania.

Sophie did an excellent job of showing us around Moshi. Our tour included a walk to the Materuni Waterfalls, a tour of a family run coffee farm, and a walking tour of downtown Moshi. The walk to the waterfalls took us through the lush, green picturesque farmland of the Materuni Village. The waterfall is a spectacular fall with water cascading 300 feet into a pool below.  A worthwhile visit if you have a reason to be in Moshi.

Tilden Park

Tilden Park
Tilden Park
Tilden Park
Tilden Park

While the San Francisco Bay Area is home to over seven million people, there are plenty of of opportunities to step away from the crowds find some peaceful open space. One of our favorite haunts is Tilden Park in Berkeley, which is more or less in our back yard. On Saturday we had family in town and with two dogs we headed to Tilden Park to take advantage of the calm between rain storms. This is a great time of year to take a walk in the park. The hills are green and some of the trails offer spectacular views of the Bay Area. The wildflowers are also starting to bloom. We saw poppies, lupine and a few other flowers. Tilden Park is a great place to walk with dogs, and several of the trails will accommodate dogs off leash as long as your dog is well behaved. The park encompasses over 2000 acres and in addition to trails there is a botanical garden, a steam train, a merry go rounds, a golf course and a number of other activities.

2017: Keep on Walking

Oak Trees on Mount Burdell

Walking, paddling, meditating. What is it you do to maintain a sense of grace and compassion? In the midst of a chaotic world that would have us succumb to fear and anger what do you do to maintain sanity? Nothing seems to renew my sense of grace more than walking. I’m not sure that it’s simply the fact that I’m moving forward, one foot after the other, or that while walking, the problems of the world seem more distant.

I was out walking the dog this morning when I stopped to talk to a neighbor. She expressed concerns about where 2017 might lead us, and I was reminded of a piece I wrote in September “Keep on Walking.”

As part of my “walk” through 2017, I’m going to offer my services one day a month, pro-bono to help support social or environmental causes. With the changes we face in Washington, it’s going to be up to use as individuals to make a difference in how we act as stewards of God’s creation. I’m looking forward to the new year, to the new people I’ll meet on the journey ahead, to new connections I’ll make in the global community and to new opportunities that will arise.

Blessings to all for 2017

 

On to Loubressac

View of the town of Loubressac from our hotel, Le Relais de Castelnau.

Our walk today took us from Carennac to Loubrassec, logging 16 km walking through woods, across meadows and past the hamlets of French farmers. We took an un-planned detour when we got to the tourist location of Gouffree de Padirac. The literature says “the most famous cave in Europe.” The price was right, 12e, and there was no line, so underground we went for a 2 km boat ride on an underground river. A refreshing side-trip from the heat of the afternoon. Then back on the trial. Keep on walking. A dip in the pool at the hotel was a refreshing end to the walk, followed by a five course meal. Exquisite! \

Carennac: Keep on Walking

Rowboat on the Dordogne at Carennac
Town of Carennac
Sculpture by Christophe Cayla
Town of Carennac
Town of Carennac

Woke up feeling a bit stiff and sore, but once I’ve got my boots on and walking, I’m feeling content. The aches and pains and anxieties seem to go away. Today’s walk took us from Beaulieu to Carennac, a distance of 16.4 kilometers. Started the day with a blister on my left foot, but that doesn’t seem to bother me once I’ve gone down the trail about 20 minutes. Keep on walking.  Dinner at the Hotel Fenelon was an extraordinary five course French meal on the patio of the hotel, with a seafood bouillabaisse, goose in Foie Gras sauce, cheese board, and walnut parfait. A delightful walk through the French countryside followed by an exquisite meal.

 

 

 

Meyssac Loop – The Road Less Traveled

tjp_1635_5076

Today marks the first day of our Macs Adventure Walking Tour, an eight mile look from Meyssac, through woods, past farms, and to the village of Collogne-la-Rouge, an ancient town noted for red sandstone buildings. Our adventure had us on a variety of narrow country roads and ancient and well worn foot paths. A warm and sunny day, but we spent the better part of our walk in the woods, we had cool shade and a slight breeze. As we left Meyssac, we passed one farmer standing in front of his house calling his dogs that wanted to let us know who was in charge. Then we followed the postman for a bit up the track as we left town, once out of town though we didn’t see a single person on the trail. Once we arrived at Collogne-la-Rouge we were back among the tourists, although tourist season being over the town seemed more or less deserted, and while the town is very interesting for it’s architecture, the main economy seems to be tourism, and I find looking at tourist trinkets to be rather boring. Much more to share, but the hotel has rather limited bandwidth, so you’ll just have to stay tuned for the next post.

From Paris to Meyssac

My travel blog is not going to be in Chronological order. We left Paris by train this morning and arrived in Meyssac this afternoon. Tomorrow we start a self guided walking tour of the Dordogne region; a tour offered through Macs Adventures. Stay tuned in for more info.