The Threads & Breads tour with Walk It Off NI

I met tour guide Nikki at Barnett’s park and we set off on foot, heading over the historic original Shaws Bridge, through beautiful Minnowburn and on to Terrace Hill Garden. We then headed to the Giant’s Ring, our own Neolithic Henge.  I have to say these are all areas that I have spent a lot of time in- cycling in Barnett’s park as a child, canoeing in the Lagan at Shaws Bridge as a teenager and extensive walking as an adult (especially during lockdown) as I live nearby.  I have to say though that Nikki showed me pathways that I have never seen before and I saw the whole area with fresh perspective, which was extremely refreshing!

One thing that Nikki introduced me to was Forest bathing (a completely new experience for me!)  The National Trust NI has created beds to lie on (with your legs higher than your head) to look up and gaze at the trees.  I hopped on one just for a photo, as you do, and found myself completely relaxing and then feeling extremely emotional.  In truth, it did me a lot of good to feel reconnected with nature and I could have stayed there all day.

However, the offer of coffee & cake was enough to spur me on to walk to Edenderry Mill village for a lovely picnic lunch with Big Street Bakes– freshly made soda bread with butter, raspberry & white chocolate scones with butter & jam and lemon drizzle cupcakes.  all washed down with a choice of tea of coffee and served on Nikki’s family- owned linen, which was a lovely connection to the Mill.

Nikki then produced several glass bottles and an array of fresh flowers and we got creative with a bit of flower arranging, which was a lovely thing to do, whilst drinking our coffee and better for my mental health than consistently looking at my phone!

We then returned to Barnett’s park, where I reluctantly got into my car and returned to real life!

Nikki is a fabulous guide- warm, friendly and a passionate advocate of the benefits of connecting with nature.  She knows the area inside out and cleverly adapts the tour to cater for all levels of fitness.

The tour includes elements of land, water courses and extraordinary natural and man-made features and I simply loved the whole experience!

Check out Nikki’s range of tours at walkitoffni.com.  You can see the range of food sustainability events during April at www.nigoodfood.com/experiences