In the Footsteps of Others (Chap 1.5)

I know that I am not the first blogger to have sought out The Giants. When I called up Helen before I arrived at Bowhill, she had a memory of the last man who came past. I feel a little in his shadow: and I just realised that I borrowed one of his pictures for a post.

I have deliberately ignored his blog so far, but Daniel Bergsagel cycled to the Giants - it is a moment of shame when my contacts look at me and realise that I am taking the easy journey. I'll try and claim that walking is just as hardy - and hitching is risky, so I am some sort of tough guy. However, I am looking over his response to Bowhill - and he is far better at the historical context.

I am now worried about reading more of his blogging - he uses  footnotes and clearly remembers more of his geography than I do. It's a fine read, though, and it may bear comparison with my latter musings: there are obvious changes from his visit to mine, including (at Bowhill), the very glade that houses the Giants. He arrives just as the space is being cleared by the tree-felling experts. For me, the felling has grown back in and far from being a detail of wood management, it has made the Giants dominate a perfect stage.

He is also a great photographer. Here's the image I used earlier in my blog - this time, giving credit to the source. In it, he captures much of what I was trying to say in my meditations on Bowhill.

The reflection of the trees in the lake and the light shimmering across the water - the calm and drama in a single moment. Add on the feeling that Bergsagel was far more immersed in the environment, since he was out on the road, finding his path and not letting the bus driver do the work.