weekend walks...

Isn't it funny that you can live in or near a place for years without ever really seeing things? I think we spend so much of our time rushing from one place to the next, or in cars or other forms of transport, that our view of the world is skewed by the limited frame we can see it in. 

One of the real pleasures of living where I do now is that it is so much easier for me to get to places without having to get in the car. Not only am I spending an appreciable amount less on petrol (which goes some very small way to offsetting the higher costs of rent, water rates and council tax but hey...) but I get to properly look at what is around me as I walk.

Yesterday I was awake at silly o'clock (as is so often the case...!) so I got up and decided to wander down to the shop for a paper. Only when I got out of the house it was so bright and lovely I thought I'd just keep walking for a bit and set off in the opposite direction to the paper shop.

I walked past what is still known locally as 'the old hospital'...

The Norfolk & Norwich Hospital was a mixture of these rather beautiful grand frontages and a couple of tower blocks and about 12-13 years ago was moved in its entirety to a brand spanking new building on the outskirts of Norwich. It has to be said behind these fancy fronts was an old, not quite fit for purpose and sprawling complex which had enormous problems in terms of maintenance and suitability for the needs of a modern acute hospital. The listed frontages remain but the rest of the site has largely been turned into trendy apartments and town houses but to me the area holds lots of memories (mostly good!). The two buildings that were the nurses home (and where I lived as a very green student nurse!) have been refurbished and converted into flats. I can still see the window of my room in what used to be Alexandra House - I'd love to have a nose inside; I'd like to bet the rather grotty (freezing!) shared bathrooms have gone and been replaced by something much more sophisticated. I wonder if it still retains its slightly institutional feel?!

I headed out towards the east side of the city, in the direction of the football ground and the train station and found myself walking alongside the old medieval city walls...

I have lived within a 15 mile radius of this area for almost my entire life and although I knew there were big chunks of the ruined city walls visible - you can hardly miss them if you drive around the city ring road - I had no idea that this section of the wall is so intact and had never walked down here before.

You can walk beside the wall down a longish stretch almost down to the river (which I suppose formed one of the borders of the city defences)...

There is something very impressive about these structures, built about 700 or so years ago. When you think of the labour that must have gone into transporting the materials and constructing the fortifications at that time... they must have made people feel much more confident on their security. 

My little camera didn't do justice to the views but it was possible to see right across the city, with the major landmarks of the Cathedral and the castle clearly visible.  

I was down by the river by about 9am and it was still early enough on a Sunday morning for there to be very few people about apart from a few earnest looking anglers positioned at strategic intervals along the river walkway with all their kit. The water was still and beautifully reflective...

I kept walking beside the river around the back of the cathedral and past Pulls Ferry, a 15th century watergate that originally led to a canal which was used to transport building materials for the cathedral.

It is a very pretty flint building and a recognisable landmark on the Norwich tourist trail.

From here the striking cathedral spire dominates...

...particularly against the blue sky. There was real warmth in the sunshine, even quite early in the day, and the daffodils by the river have started to open...

I so love these simple bright blooms, they truly lift my spirits!

On through the cathedral grounds...

Just look at that clear blue sky!!!

It was a really lovely start to the day - I walked for almost two hours and I'm sure I could feel my happy hormones kicking in as I went!

Then at the other end of the day, it was still such a gorgeous spring day, so I set out in the opposite direction towards the university - across one of the city parks and the university grounds. The University of East Anglia is renowned for being a bit of a concrete campus (bit like marmite - you either love it or hate it!) but it is set in the loveliest piece of green land with its own broad, which was just beautiful with the sun setting...

Perfect!

Til next time, then...

Sx