Walking in Wales

In the U.S., we say we’re going for a walk and we come back 15 minutes later. Or we might go for a long walk, but it’s through the paved streets of our subdivision. In the UK, you go for a walk and before you know it, you’ve been gone five hours and you’ve climbed fences, picked blackberries, pet horses and seen miles of farmland or coastline.

The British have an incredible network of public rights of way, and citizens and visitors to Britain have the “right to roam.” It’s one of my absolute favorite things about the UK, and the Brits exercise their right to roam to the fullest. Dave and I have been in the UK for seven days now, and six out of those seven days we have been on at least an hour-long walk (the day we didn’t walk was our second day here, and we were recovering from the strenuous hike we took our first day). One day it was Brecon Beacons National Park, another day it was the Wales Coast Path, and other days have been public footpaths or in cities. Whatever the format, you find a way to walk in Britain.

For me, walking is the perfect activity: not only do you see a vast amount of incredible scenery and get your exercise, but I am also able to take plenty of photographs while walking. Anyone close to me knows I have a hard time thoroughly enjoying myself if I’m not photographing the enjoyment.

Here are some images I have taken of the gorgeous Welsh countryside:

trailhead

Sgwd Isaf Clun-gwyn waterfall in Brecon Beacons National Par

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walking behind Sgwd yr Eira in Brecon Beacons National Park. We got soaked!

Hiking at Brecon Beacons about 18 hours after we land in the UK.

This is my kind of walk.

Wales Coast Path, a path that goes around the entire Welsh coastline

Wales Coast Path

west of Porthcawl, Wales

Would you ever get tired of this view?

Solo rambling

Porthcawl

We scared some geese during a dusk walk at Kenfig Pool

This guy and his buddies came running up to us as our walk on the footpath around Kenfig Pool took us into their field.