Everybody down

Got me a mule and her name was Sal
Fifteen miles on the you know the rest

Stupidly I didn't realize there was an actual landmark with a historical background called the Erie Canal until we passed a sign announcing its exit off the highway. Today we spent the day in search of it. I don't know about you but for most of my life I've caught myself singing the Erie Canal song, mostly when I wasn't even aware I was doing it. The least I could do was pay the water feature a visit.

I'm happy to say there are many parts of it that have been preserved, but sadly the Canal seems a little neglected. As we walked a little ways along the tow path of lore I secretly wished Sal would make an appearance. The only wildlife present was a flock of semi hostile geese and a very shy grass chuck.

My phone is behaving strangely and it appears that google has taken the ability to blog away from users, so I will post pics shortly.  You will be relieved to know thay despite my disappointment at the canal's obvious neglect, Albany, one of the main destinations on the infamous route, was really very stunning. The architecture there is over the top in every representative era, really a spectacular looking place in a beautiful setting. They even have a coop, so not all was lost.

Catskills

It's been a few days since we got here and it is an adjustment being in this place that is simultaneously familiar and also very foreign. It's like finally meeting that mystery person everyone keeps saying you look exactly like...you can see the resemblance but it's disconcerting to see yourself in three dimensions. That's what it's like coming back east but to a region where you didn't grow up in. The accents are slightly off, the architecture is a little more daring, the food has different names, even the light is weird, warmer somehow. Anyways, it's been fun easing back into the old country. We have another day before we head south to good old Fluffia, land of hoogees and wooderroyce, Kaiser rolls and crab cakes, TLA and manayunk. Until then, here are a few random pics of places we've gone since we arrived in the Catskills.

This is a view of the Hudson from The Poet's Walk. It was excrutiatiingly hot yesterday. You can see what effect the heat had on us below at a lookout pagoda like structure on this hike:

I'll post more pics and try to keep up with this trip but I'm afraid it may not be as blog worthy as previous trips. 

Tomorrow I hope to finally walk part of the Erie Canal. I've been singing that song since I can remember and come to find out it actually exists or rather did at one point. Who knew? I thought Sal the mule was fiction, along with the namesake water feature, so I'm looking forward to finally seeing the inspiration for those catchy lyrics. Until then I leave you with a couple of 45 mph sunset views from the car:

 

The Green Chain

When we got back to the apartment after the day's outings, either A or I looked up the Capitol Ring and found there was a portion of it that is specific to Southeast London called The Green Chain. Walking here is enthusiastically supported by the city itself and there are formal and informal clubs that meet regularly to go on these city hikes. We passed at least one of these groups yesterday on our search for the Crystal Palace. The guide was instrumental in getting us to our destination. That's one good thing, I'll admit, to not having any internet while out and about. It forces you to talk to people if for nothing else than to ask directions.

This is a cute neglected mural we spied just around the corner from where we are staying. We passed it first thing just as we left the flat on our epic trek to Nunhead.

A view from the bus back to the Crystal Palace station. We decided to begin our walk there for two reasons. First it was the designated start of this section of the Green Ring and second, I had the day before seen a really cute cafe in the station I wanted to try. Oh, I took this pic from the bus to the station because it seemed to be suggesting there was a route to a meditative state (this way to zen).

And below is the cafe, The Little Palace, where we had lunch the day before. I had a shepherds pie, N had a "full English" which included baked beans and A had a "cheese and pickle toastie", which tastes almost exactly as it sounds.

The Crystal Palace Station:

The Green and Brown Cafe is located inside. So much cuter than this pic but you'll just have to trust me on that one. There we met a dog named Cym which is Welsh for Kim. He was the quietest of the three dogs that were lunching with their people that afternoon.

Heading into the walk what you see is just a nondescript opening in the trees behind a nondescript apartment building off a nondescript busy street. A had copied directions off the website so we followed them very closely.

Back out into residential land trying to figure out the directions. People walked past us often. They use these cut throughs to get from point a and beyond. You can see the gate to the next green space across the street. I forgot the name of it but it appeared to be a neighborhood park with a field, a playground and a shady path along the edge which we took toward the next leg of our walk as it had become a pretty warm and sunny day.

A sign post for the Green Chain walk options.

This section, Sydenham Hill Wood, was one of the most forested parts of our walk.  So incredible this is in the middle of the city. 

This path is an old railway site that's now the walking trail.

We peeked in see what was on the other side of the bridge but there was a tent pitched under it so we kept going.

A stag beetle sunning itself was rousted and placed safely on the side of the path.

More sign posts helping navigate the many paths through this wood.

Towards the edge of the wood, we crossed a bridge that Camille Pisarro painted from!

Who knew? The image below is his painting showing what had been visible from the bridge at the time. None of those buildings remain. 

Here's what's visible now from the bridge. You can see the top of that same placard for context.

A map of the wood:

We emerged onto a very well trafficked street. Kind of a culture shock after the wood.

Horniman Park next:

This park seems extremely well manicured and affluent after the tangled wood. I had to use the facilities and this spot seemed like it would yield an immaculate restroom.

On the way to the restrooms, we passed the sunken garden:

Luckily the bathroom was on an upper tier so we were happily surprised to discover this amazing view:

And we're on our way again to Nunhead:

These city cemeteries are included on the way because they are like being in the woods, only there are rows and rows of overgrown long forgotten graves tucked away in the thick foliage. It's really spooky, too spooky to take a picture.

Back out on the street.

This is Nunhead Cemetery. It's pretty impressive and very haunted feeling. It's bigger than Camberwell. If you look closely in the photo below you can see the headstones that face the path and are just the first in long rows that disappear in the dense undergrowth.

This is the view leaving Nunhead that can be seen from the ruined chapel in the second photo. There's the skyline in the distance. 

One of the oldest monuments at an entrance to Nunhead. It's having a bit of renovation work done. 

After that trek, we took a long bus ride back to Streatham. The ride took almost an hour, which made me realize how far we'd walked. We ate an unbelievable dinner at this Polish restaurant A and I had seen earlier in the day. I wish I'd taken a picture of the menu and the platters. Basically I had meatballs in a tomato sauce unlike anything I've ever tasted before. That came with two scoops of mashed potatoes with dill and a beet root salad. A had potato pancakes in a mushroom sauce, beet root salad and N had a chicken cutlet that was breaded and fried in some sort of breaded cheese sauce, the mashed potatoes and a cucumber salad. Everything was so fresh and well prepared and the flavors were balanced perfectly. It was a very memorable meal.

And then to dessert at a local pub, the Bull where we'd eaten our first night in Streatham.

So sad to be leaving. See everyone soon!