Not quite breakfast on Butser Hill, but my first coffee stop on today's walk 
from Mercury Park above the Meon Valley.  Set of at 7:00am from the car park 
at the Sustainability Centre and followed the South Downs Way around to 
Butser Hill.  Glad the first mile was a woodland track as it started raining 
and the tree canopy provided a good umbrella.  Brighter on exiting and no 
rain, and none throughout the 15 mile walk.  Coffee was good on Butser, then 
made my way across to East Meon via Park Farm and Park Hill.  Continued on 
to Drayton and Hen Down, where I rejoined the South Downs Way and headed up 
to Old Winchester Hill.  (Had my second coffee stop overlooking Whitewood 
Farm before reaching the road at the top.) Great views either side from the 
road close to Old Winchester Hill as I headed along the top, then dropped 
down east to Coombe.  Rejoined the South Downs Way once more at Coombe 
Cross, which left just over a mile uphill back to the car park.

Slideshow from along the route at the address below ................ and the 
last South Downs walk for a couple of week, off to the Alps on Saturday for 
a summit attempt on Mont Blanc.  Should be fun.

-- 
Sandy Saunders @ www.thewalkzone.co.uk
'Mountains or Mole Hills, summiting
still brings the same excitement!'

> Slideshow from along the route at the address below ................ and 
> the last South Downs walk for a couple of week, off to the Alps on 
> Saturday for a summit attempt on Mont Blanc.  Should be fun.

Best of luck, hope I am as active when I retire.

What am I talking about, I am not as active as you now :-)

Rodders

In message <PH5bk.182658$aE7.175806@newsfe16.ams2>, sandy saunders 
 writes
>ot quite breakfast on Butser Hill, but my first coffee stop on today's 
>walk from Mercury Park above the Meon Valley.  Set of at 7:00am from 
>the car park at the Sustainability Centre and followed the South Downs 
>Way around to Butser Hill.  Glad the first mile was a woodland track as 
>started raining and the tree canopy provided a good umbrella.  Brighter 
>on exiting and no rain, and none throughout the 15 mile walk.  Coffee 
>was good on Butser, then made my way across to East Meon via Park Farm 
>and Park Hill.  Continued on to Drayton and Hen Down, where I rejoined 
>the South Downs Way and headed up to Old Winchester Hill.  (Had my 
>second coffee stop overlooking Whitewood Farm before reaching the road 
>at the top.) Great views either side from the road close to Old 
>Winchester Hill as I headed along the top, then dropped down east to 
>Coombe. Rejoined the South Downs Way once more at Coombe Cross, which 
>left just over a mile uphill back to the car park.

Stop it - you're making me jealous :-)
-- 
Bill Grey

> Best of luck, hope I am as active when I retire.

I'm sure you will be, its all part of the mind set.  People said to me I 
would be bored retring early, but that is down to the individual.  I love my 
outdoor lifestyle, walking, biking and photagraphy ..... and when the 
weather is REALLY foul, I shall be at my compuer meddling with maps and 
photos!


-- 
Sandy Saunders @ www.thewalkzone.co.uk
'Mountains or Mole Hills, summiting
still brings the same excitement!'

> Stop it - you're making me jealous :-)

Dear dear Bill ....... sorry! But yesterday I hadn't planned to walk, but 
looking out of the window early morning I thought it would be silly to miss 
a good day's weather.

-- 
Sandy Saunders @ www.thewalkzone.co.uk
'Mountains or Mole Hills, summiting
still brings the same excitement!'

In message <nIkbk.138452$8H5.9124@newsfe10.ams2>, sandy saunders 
 writes
>
>> Stop it - you're making me jealous :-)
>
>Dear dear Bill ....... sorry! But yesterday I hadn't planned to walk, 
>but looking out of the window early morning I thought it would be silly 
>to miss a good day's weather.
>
Well done sandy, I enjoy reading your TRs - and of course the photos.
-- 
Bill Grey

The message <GGkbk.138447$8H5.66819@newsfe10.ams2>
from "sandy saunders"  contains these words:

> > Best of luck, hope I am as active when I retire.

> I'm sure you will be, its all part of the mind set.  People said to me I 
> would be bored retring early, but that is down to the individual.  I
> love my 
> outdoor lifestyle, walking, biking and photagraphy ..... and when the 
> weather is REALLY foul, I shall be at my compuer meddling with maps and 
> photos!

Takes more than a mind set.

There are two very good resons why I don't get out as often as I would
like. Almost anywhere new is at the extreme reach for a day trip and the
petrol costs an arm and a leg besides and these days even when I don't
get out I can suddenly be afflicted with a knee problem.

-- 
Roger Chapman
Nearest Marilyn still to be visited - Great Orme.
89 miles as the crow flies,
considerably more as the walker drives.