We had to go to town hall yesterday morning for ‘a bit of bureaucracy’ (there’s plenty of it for those of us who live in Spain) and, as we drove out of our gates, we spotted a pick-up truck at the corner of the lane, laden with wooden posts. Two workmen were pulling various bits of kit off the back of the wagon, seemingly preparing for some action. Perhaps some work to a neighbour’s gate?
Curious, but fixed on our mission, we headed into town and thought nothing more about it. On our return, we found out what those posts were all about: our valley now seems to be part of an official walking route; the posts have been distributed along the way to guide walkers.
Walk this way…
We’ve occasionally seen hikers in the lanes around us, kitted out with their rucksacks, hiking boots, and walking poles. Cyclists regularly challenge themselves on the steep lanes, heads down and leg muscles bulging with the effort. Once we saw a whole team of speed skaters, clad in brightly hued Lycra, whizzing down the lane past our house; like most of the cyclists who pass through the valley, I doubt that they spotted much of the countryside along the way…
Our valley is picturesque and peaceful and, if we didn’t live here, we’d love to come and walk the lanes too. It’s not surprising that our municipality decided to create an official walking route through such an unspoilt area. But I found it rather ironic that, on our return, we spotted some plastic water bottles discarded into the verge – exactly where we’d seen the workmen unloading their pick-up truck to install one of the posts. Could they not have just slung the empties into the back of their wagon and disposed of them properly in town?
It’s enough to make my blood boil!
Rant over for now; I’m off to make some DIY ‘No litter’ signs…
POSTSCRIPT: A little subsequent research has revealed that the route through our valley is intended for cyclists, rather than walkers, and is part of a round-trip route of more than 40km. I’m not sure I’ll be trying that one on my trusty (or, more accurately, rusty) mountain bike…
©Jan Edwards 2017
I do hope you did make some Do Not Litter signs, Jan! It enrages me that we are littering this planet! Im constantly picking plastic up off the beach where I live, and very rarely ever see anyone doing it.
Yes, it’s awful, isn’t it. We have a great organisation on Mallorca that arranges beach clean-ups (Asociacion Ondine) but it’s a mammoth task. Single-use plastic is the scourge of our planet…
You are right about the plastic. I was on a tiny beach in Portland, Dorset today and the amount of plastic on it was staggering!
Such a beautiful part of England too. Don’t these people think about what they’re doing? Really gets me angry!
Such a lovely part of England too. Do these people not think about the consequences of what they do? Apparently not… really gets me angry.
Makes me angry too. People on the beach sometimes say ‘good for you!’ for picking up the plastic, but they never pick it up themselves! Ive only once seen anyone pick up rubbish from the beach. Argh!!!