Saturday 23 May 2015

FMTSO – Open Theme

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About five minutes’ walk from where I live there is an old cemetery. When I go into town, I either walk along it or across it. Somtimes, though, I just walk around it, and back again.

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Lately I’ve tried a bit of “Nordic walking” with poles.

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If you google Nordic walking, please be aware that my recent hobbling performances (with a bad shoulder on one side, and a bad knee on the other) is alas only, quite literally, a “shadow” of what the supermodels in the instruction videos seem to accomplish…

One day, crossing the street with my poles, I overheard a little child nearby ask: “Mummy, what is she doing?” The mother’s answer blew away with the wind – perhaps just as well…

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There’s also nothing in the instruction videos about how best to handle two walking poles + a camera. With or without poles, the camera is always a good excuse for taking a break, though…

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These iron crosses stand out among all the headstones. A closer look at the inscriptions show that both mark the graves of foundry workers from around the turn of the century 1900 (one of them a master).

Linking to

Open Theme Friday (FMTSO)

Shadow Shot Sunday 2

21 comments:

  1. i have not heard of nordic walking, will look it up. but i would think walking with poles would be for snow not a side walk. now i have to check it out. wish we knew what he mother said.. LOL.

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    1. I think Nordic Walking was first developed as off-season ski-training, Sandra. But it has since become an all-year-round exercise technique "of its own"; activating more muscles in the body than regular walking does. I bought my poles years ago but back then it seemed to make my neck/shoulder problems worse rather than better and I never really got into it. But the recent troubles with a knee made me think of trying again. If I don't set my ambitions too high and find the right technique I'm hoping it might be helpful. I do meet other people walking with poles as well sometimes, so I don't really have to feel all that "odd"... :)

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  2. Lovely pictures, great shadows :)

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  3. Wonderful and gorgeous pictures! What are the beautiful blue flowers? And the first picture, I love the red tree in the center of all the green. What a wonderful graveyard, I love the iron markers. The poles are so long, I would think they would be awkward? I sent you a postcard a few days ago. And I did remember to date it!

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    1. Ginny, I think the blue flowers must be some variety of azalea; and the red tree perhaps copper beech (?) The shadow poles seem longer than the real ones! They're held at about waist/hip height really.

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  4. I have a walking pole but it's more trouble than it's worth. Two dogs on leads, a camera or two and a pole are just a recipe for confusion.
    I like those iron crosses.

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    1. I certainly would not recommend mixing Nordic walking with dog-walking, Adrian...

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  5. Graveyards, especially ones that aren't in use anymore, hold a special appeal for me. Not out of any "morbid" interest or anything spiritual (I am not so inclined, not at all), but because they are a mixture of park and people's history, and I like that very much.
    Nordic walking was VERY popular in Germany for a time. These days, I don't see all that many people out on the fields doing it anymore. It was never my cup of tea: I like keeping my hands free when I walk, and frankly don't see the point in using sticks unless one has an issue such as your bad knee and bad shoulder whiich I think can really benefit from it.

    I wonder whether the master founder did not even make the cross for himself while he was still alive.

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    1. I had the same thought about the cross commemorating the master founder, Meike - especially as it marks a family grave rather than just that of one individual. This graveyard is a good example of an old one still being kept "alive" and functioning as a park. Many old family graves are still cared for, and some are being "recycled". But there are also walkpaths crossing it that just provide convenient shortcuts into town for people living in this neighbourhood; and as for myself I also find it a good place for a short walk close to home.
      I do agree with you about really preferring to keep my hands free when I walk - especially as I like to use the camera. As you seem to have picked up, my attempts with Nordic walking is more about finding a helpful form of exercise without going to a gym...

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  6. Beautiful iron crosses! Love the selfie shadow too!

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  7. I'm a frequent visitor to cemeteries myself. They are very photogenic.

    Shadowy Cacti

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    1. They can be, MMT. And certainly makes one think of "times gone by".

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  8. I got into the habit of walking with a shepherd's crook many years ago while doing lambing beats and still like to use a walking pole such as used for nordic walking, it just feels 'right' and comfortable to me. Your graveyard is beautiful, love the iron crosses.

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    1. I've sometimes in the past used only one of the poles as well, Pauline - especially when feeling in need of extra support sometimes in winter when the streets are icy.

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  9. As a young man I always hiked up hills and mountains with a pole. I can't recall when I stopped but now if I do attempt any walks off a hard surface I have to use a walking pole or two. The tree - which, like you I assumed to be a copper beech - makes a wonderful contrast to the fresh greens.

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    1. My feeling just now is that using the Nordic walking technique with two poles on flat ground differs quite a bit from using just one for a bit of extra support (for example on icy streets, as I have done sometimes in the past). But as I've never been into any serious hiking up hills and mountains, making comparisons to that really goes beyond my experience...

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  10. Wonderful impressions. Your walks result in some great images. Thanks for sharing with Friday My Town Shoot Out.

    Mersad
    Mersad Donko Photography

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  11. Beautiful photos. Those crosses are very special.

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