Category: My blog
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The Road to Anywhere- France, Italy and ? Road Trip 2022
Day 1. Home -Saint Quentin, France At last, freedom has more or less returned and it has become possible again to travel from country to country within Europe without enormous hassle. Cue car loaded and ready for action. But where to? Anywhere that’ll have us. First stop France, on our way to Liguria to walk…
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Wainwrights achieved- 2 Whin Rigg and Illgill Head
The weather wasn’t quite as promised – a bit cloudy and much more humid. However, when we arrived at Wasdale Lake, the water was a mirror. Showcasing the surrounding peaks, the scene was similar to a 3D cubist painting – completely stunning and a suitable finale to our last day. Our hike to Whin Rigg…
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Wainwrights achieved- 2. Scafell and Slight Side.Purchased – 1 set of walking poles
Yesterday saw us using our rest day to make an emergency purchase of walking poles to replace those cruelly broken in half the day before. The local road closure in order to repair a bridge has caused us to take some very hairy diversions along single track lanes, but the worst by a country mile…
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4 Wainwrights achieved- Yew Barrow, Red Pike, Steeple, Great Scoat Fell
How does a nine mile walk end up becoming an all day marathon? Mr Wainwright and his eclectic choice of fells has a lot to answer for. The day started cold but bright. We were heading for Wasdale lake where we would start our list of Wainwright bagging with an ascent up Yew Barrow. I…
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2 Wainwrights achieved- Green Crag and Harter Fell
We decided that as today was another beautiful weekend day and the fells were likely to be busy, we would walk directly from the house again and avoid driving round trying to find somewhere to park. I’m enjoying this very much as it means we can be out of the house and walking by nine…
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3 Wainwrights achieved – Dow Crag, Great Carrs and Greyfriar
The agenda today was slightly different to that planned previously due to the orienteering event. Basically it meant adding 2 extra miles to our hike instead of driving and parking. I felt very virtuous, a bit like an elderly Greta Thunberg, as I spurned the climate change travesty that is a car and used my…
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Back on the Wainwrights
Hands up everybody who would would cancel their 2 week holiday in Spain for a week in the Lake District. Yes, I thought as much. Have we gone mad? But the rain in Spain is falling , whereas the Lake District will supposedly experience unusual blue skies and balmy spring temperatures, so our decision is…
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Bilbao
We didn’t get the opportunity to revisit Salamanca as S was not feeling too good. We think he has shingles as he has a rash of blisters on the left side of his back. He had this many years ago and it was not fun. Just as well our long weekend with J and N…
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Caceres and Salamanca
It has just occurred to me that I have been very remiss and not commented on expectations of Islantilla and Alcatraz. Here they are: Islantilla- expectations exceeded mainly due to the amazing beaches. Alcatraz – expectations dashed Last night’s venture into Caceres old town was a tale of two halves. Our usual habit when abroad…
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Making our way home – Cáceres
The storm we expected all day yesterday finally arrived just before dawn. I know this not because of the crashing thunder or the lightning, but because I was already awake and up. The Alcatraz bed is truly terrible. It’s too small, sags in the middle and there’s a spring that pokes out on the edge…
Middle-aged flash packers 