Waking to a clearer and drier day we were even more grateful for having had our rest day yesterday. After a good breakie and getting our left over cheese (from last nights cheese board) and some free bread we headed back out into the trail.
At 14km and 600m it was a shortish one but involved 2hours of ascent straight out of Grasmere. Despite some huffing and puffing along the way, the climb actua Read on...
We woke early (5:30am), as we had an early start. We were leaving for Vientiane at 8am, and it was our last destination in Laos. We headed down to Phetchaleun Hotels large dining area at 7am, where I helped myself to a fresh baguette, omelette, tea, coffee and the ubiquitous orange cordial that our Laotian hosts always offered in the morning.
With we loaded our packs into a minibus and made our w Read on...
We check out at 11am, walk to the bus stop (literally two minutes) and our bus arrives precisely three minutes late. Not bad even so! There are even spare seats although Ian decides to stand in the luggage bay with our cases. The bus does an extra loop (because it is Sunday) so, after almost 10 minutes, we end up a few yards down the road from where we got on. It cant be helpedits the one way syst Read on...
Woke up to a cloudy day for our first half of our travels home. One last morning walk on the beach with Leo. The winds and surf had picked up since yesterday. Not too many out on the beach early. Just a few walkers and another dog getting a morning walk. Storms expected along our route home. We packed up our belongings into the truck to head home. We ate an assortment of leftovers for breakfast. S Read on...
The other day I had a friend ask me about how we decided where to stay when we were traveling internationally. My friend wondered how we found the places and knew the hotels would meet whatever standards we may have for that moment or that experience. I have booked international hotels hundreds of times, but when she asked this question I sort of stumbled over my response. How do I explain somethi Read on...
A few years ago I wrote a blog about my dear old dad. I chose to write about him, and not my mother, because he was a more colourful character. He had a tragic childhood (losing his father at an early age, then being separated from his mother and brought up by a relative) and, as an adult, he was very much his own man – a deep thinker, a skilled craftsman (expert at woodwork, building, electric Read on...
It was a cold and windy day. We didnt push too hard today because I have been feeling overwhelmed with work and travel balance. We skipped some waterfalls and the sculpture park, we opted to go to Presque Isle. We were fortunate enough to see a deer in the early afternoon. We checked out the beach, the small breakwater light, and Black Rocks. Black rocks was amazing the water was bright blue in so Read on...
We had been over to the green museum and the garden and now it was time to see what was going on upstairs . The house as we looked at it was a red brick Renaissance manor house and an attractive one at that . Built in 1490 although excavations have revealed evidence of earlier constructions going back to 1340. We crossed the moat and entered the front door . The nobleman Lave Eskesen Brock who die Read on...
Monday 11 July 2022, Day 7 on the WHW. Tyndrum to Bridge of Orchy, 7.3 miles by Garmin, 489 feet elevation gain, 3 hours 30 minutes walking.
Our rest day around Tyndrum saw bright sunshine and motorcyclists and more people enjoying this beautiful area. Tyndrum, although small, fits the description of a mountain The place is full of bikers, hikers, and folks out just loving the sunshine in Scotlan Read on...
Day 2 started with a 6am wake up call, 6:30am breakfast, and started hiking at 7am. This day was the first climate zone change from rainforest to mooreland (I initially thought it was alpine desert, but I I think I was kind of wrong). this day had all kinds of cool looking flowers as we transitioned out of the rainforest, past tree line, and started walking east towards the mountain. The climb was Read on...