Preparation for Europe...

This poor neglected blog will have a renaissance... I have several months leave coming up in April and am heading to Europe. I'll be visiting quite a few places to do with my family history, and also just enjoying some new sights. But pretty much everywhere I will be walking, so it is time to up my walking game here at home!

Here was today's walk- across our new He Ara Kotahi pedestrian/cycling bridge, along the riverside path, across the road bridge, then a loop back through the Esplanade.

Today I was very thankful for all the trees that gave me shelter from the sun, and the breeze along the river path that kept me cooler. I couldn't help but think of our Aussie cousins faced by such awful catastrophe, with so many trees and homes burned down.

 This was the path along the 'other' side of the Manawatu River, where we never used to be able to walk. I was glad for all the shade they gave at this time of day.

 These beautiful big trees stood in a paddock with crops growing. When I get into my walking groove, I always enjoy watching how things change as the seasons progress, so I'll be watching here.

 Once back across the Fitzherbert Bridge, I was again enfolded by shady trees, deciduous ones in this area that bring joy in autumn and spring, and stand stolid through the winter.

 There are always different plants flowering in the Esplanade, no matter what the time of year. I don't know what this plant is, but it reminded me a little of nikau flowering. I wonder if it is related?

 I headed back under the shade for the bush walk part of the Esplanade.

And finally I enjoyed these hydrangeas before I headed to my car...

More autumn

Another autumn walk, taking in more of the river path this time. There wasn't any sunlight for the photos- but in another week (or two) I am aware the leaves might be mostly gone from some of these trees. The day didn't look all that inviting from my bedroom, but it was actually warm enough, and the rain didn't happen. (Maybe if I hadn't taken my raincoat it would have poured down...

(Strava still doesn't seem quite right at present. My pace in the first km was slower than that, but also I walked further along the river track, then returned, before I headed up stairs to the carpark by the train shed. Not sure why that bit doesn't even show. I am pretty sure I walked more like 3km.)

 The piles are in place for the new cycle/walkway over the river onto a path that will eventually go as far as Linton.

 Soon the cherry trees will be bare until spring time arrives again...

Footnote: After this walk I had a special event to go to- a workshop for World Dance Day- organised by Tania Kopytko with an Indian Dance teacher, and a Nepali dancer. So interesting, and such a lovely group to be part of for two hours. But I was tuckered out in the evening!

Autumn in the Esplanade

Yesterday was very windy, but today has been beautifully sunny and calm- perfect for a Sunday afternoon stroll in the Esplanade with my camera. It was interesting to find out how far I typically walk when I wander there- Strava tells me 1.73km - as I had no idea.

It was autumn photos I took today: the deciduous trees were very colourful.

autumn advances...

Autumn is moving slowly onwards.

autumn tree in the Esplanade, Palmerston North

I feel the need to grab it in both arms- as when I return home in July, we will be in the depths of winter.

autumn leaves, Esplanade

And it still seems almost too strange when I think that next week I will see some beautiful blossom trees... springtime in Paris...

Meandering in the Esplanade

It's a public holiday in the old Wellington provincial area here today- and though I usually think it's a crazy time for such a 'day off' when school holidays are still 'on', it was great to wake up to sunshine, after a weekend of grey skies and rain.

I decided that a relaxed wander in the Esplanade was what the morning called for, and it's a place that always has new pockets of beauty to catch your eye. I first walked next to the bush along the river track, and this was the first piece of the flower gardens I came to, with the hydrangeas in dappled light under trees. 

The gardeners at the Esplanade have every right to be proud of what they do: this is just one of the beautiful colourful gardens dotted around. It was great to see some many people wandering through as families, looking relaxed.

There are a few 'crinkum crankum' trees in the Esplanade, and the branches on this one were reflecting the sunlight in an eye-catching kind of way.

First time for ages, I also took a wander in the rose gardens, and there were lots of 'raindrops on roses' left over from last night- seemed to suit the 'favourite things' kind of morning.

 I can never get quite enough of raindrops on roses....

 ...but they weren't restricted to just the roses....

In summertime they have many varieties of dahlia in the Esplanade, coming in all sorts of colours and shapes. The monarch butterflies seem to especially like the orangey-red ones, but I like all of them...

I finished my walk back along part of the river path... passing many others out walking and relaxing.

Pork Chop Hill and Esplanade

Mostly these days when I head out walking, I am aiming for some up-and-down hills that will get my heart pumping, and mostly it seems like I am not getting much fitter yet, despite all the effort. Today I had a more leisurely walk planned, though it still had one 'big' hill in it, 'Pork Chop Hill'- or Anzac Park. (I had checked this out by car before Christmas, when the police dog handlers were up there putting their dogs through their paces.) Yeehah, I was pretty pleased to find that this morning's climb up here was 'easy'!

This is a view over to Wharite from the top of Pork Chop Hill. The cloud coming down from the east reminded me of cloud you could see in the valleys below as I descended O'Cebreiro in Galicia- happy memories.

 When I realised the walk and climb was just 'short and sweet', I decided I may as well make the rest of the morning's walk a 'dawdling' one, and so took out the camera. Fennel was flowering all down near the river, so I took (quite a few) shots of it- such a dramatic looking plant that reminds me somehow of all the wild places from my childhood.

 An old man  passed by on the track and was surprised to see me taking photos of what he said was 'only a weed'...

 Maybe so, but it does have a beautiful flower...

When I crossed back over the river, I took a short walk in the Esplanade. I had to check out if there were still monarch butterflies near the dahlia patch. 

 And there were- but last year they seemed to be more numerous.

It was a very relaxing morning. I drove home via the Lagoon and fed the ducks- and now it is time to have a shower before heading out to see a friend and her two young children... Holidays- ahhhhh- gotta love them!

363: Esplanade

Only three days to go now to show you photos in my 365- and this might be the last outdoor photo, as rain is forecast to end the year. The blue skies of previous days have already been replaced by grey cloud cover, though it is still warm enough at 24C. This photo was taken at the Esplanade, with bright summer annuals in the foreground, and the avenue of phoenix palms behind. It's a great place to relax and enjoy a short walk anytime of the year, as there are always different things in bloom.

294: ducklings

Love cruising in the hols! At the Esplanade today I saw some ducklings swimming in the pond- ahhh lovely springtime!

268: cherry blossom

Cherry blossoms at the Esplanade- another of Palmy's secret treasures...

225: signs of spring

I took a short walk in the Esplanade again today, and there are more and more signs that spring is about to arrive. There are bulbs, many more lilies, magnolia and azalea flowers galore. In fact I have decided I can't just leave you with one photo- besides the lily buds you also get to see a magnolia flower ready to burst forth.

198: Magnolia

Spring is in the air..... a magnolia flower at the Esplanade today...

124: Autumn advances

After a swim I popped into the Esplanade for a short walk. Autumn is advancing and the deciduous trees are mostly laden with coloured leaves. A few trees though, like this large one near the playground, have already adopted their bare winter look.

119: Autumn Parade

The road down into the Esplanade is lined with these autumn trees at present. In springtime these same trees are covered in a profusion of cherry blossoms.

114: Easter Sunday

It seems like we have been promised rain now for several days, but it hasn't yet arrived. Instead, for Easter Sunday we have a glorious autumn day here today in Balmy Palmy. I have just returned home from cycling in sunshine in t-shirt and sandles, with barely a breeze.... Priceless!

And in the end I couldn't resist making this a two-fer-one post- autumn leaves in the sky, and autumn leaves on the ground, both photos taken in the Esplanade in the day's beautiful sunshine. 

58: A vélo

 

Today's photo is especially for Michèle. My poor vélo was a bit upset that someone could think she was pink! Here, on the closest end, is my very elegant and beautiful blue-grey vélo padlocked to a cycle stand at the Esplanade, where it was the 'Open Day' today. Notice the lovely comfortable seat.... a 'must' in my book!

And this makes a triplet- three cycling posts in three days...