November 19th
Early in the morning I got ready for this week’s hillwalking adventure. This time the itinerary was to walk along the coast from Bosham to Emsworth. Taking another hour long train ride, we changed trains at the Havant station (?); where one of the members missed the connecting train to Bosham. No worries though because they found their way back to the group eventually.
The weather was absolutely gorgeous with blue skies and surprisingly comfortable temperatures. Beginning our walk, we passed an old church complete with a graveyard, and then went on a road that is only available during low tide. It was so bizarre since there were many cars parked along the road and people walking their dogs. If it wasn’t for the sign, I would think it was like any other street by the beach. According to Josh, the local in the group, every now and then there is a person who forgets to move their car before high tide. What an expensive mistake that would be!
We then followed the road till it was submerged in the water. Seeing all the algae and sea lettuce, I felt more like I was on an oceanography fieldtrip rather than a hillwalking excursion- I loved it! Heading back into town, we stopped at a shop where ultimately a fourth of the group ended up buying homemade ice cream while waiting for everyone to regroup. It was quite strange how nice it was outside where we could still justify buying ice cream even though it is near the end of November (as well was 11am, but how many times this year could you get away with enjoying ice cream in the sun?).
Continuing our walk along the beach and fields, it became warm enough where people were stowing away their jackets. I feel lucky since last I heard a lot of my friends have been talking about expecting snow in Seattle; and here I am in my t-shirt and capris enjoying ice cream and blue skies!
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| lunch break! |
Lunch break was taken on the beach, where I noticed that the stones were way different than the stones you would find on a beach in Seattle. The appearance of the inner layer of the stones looks like opaque beach glass. I believe they are made out of chert, which has a composition made of primarily silica.
Later in our walk, we came by a field that had sheep with LONG TAILS!!! I was pretty stoked, but what absolutely bewildered me was a black and white spotted sheep. Looking it up I guess that sheep is called a Jacob sheep, and if it is, then according to Wikipedia they are pretty rare. I have no idea why I get so excited by the sheep here in the UK, I just do!
Finishing our walk we went to an amazing bakery, where we had tea, hot chocolate, and a variety of baked treats.
On the train ride home, the early sunset once again threw off my judgment of time as I felt sleepy from such a full day. Arriving at the Southampton Central station though, I was back to being alert as I became aware of the chaos outside. The crowds from the football game immediately piled through the train doors before we had a chance to get off. Trying to shove my way out, a hand appeared, and Jenny pulled me out of the train!
Police were standing near, fully dressed with their rounded helmets trying to keep the mayhem at bay. After we all got out in one piece, we parted ways and a group of us piled into a very full bus. The traffic was pretty bad too, but I guess that is expected after a football game- like the traffic after an American football game in Seattle.
November 20th
Started my day heading to the library at 10:30 am to meet up with Emily and Michael to work on a sidescan practical for my Observation and Data Analysis class, who knew the assignment would take so long. Emily and I were there till around 6pm where I headed back to Montefiore in order to make myself some dinner. I was then back to work on the practical from 7pm to 2am. After so many hours of interpreting the bedforms and lithology of a survey area out in the Solent; before going to bed I came up with this poem:
Bed
I want to lie on the seabed
With lineated sheet flows covering my toes
And pillow basalts to lay under my head
And let the current take me where my dreams flow
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