Home & Away

Well, we have two children back at home for a while and one parent has left! The old man left last week to go to work in Jersey for a while, dipping his toe in the self employed Consultant water after his recent retirement. He'll be home twice a month, is home for two weeks at Christmas and we'll both be over there for a week from New Years day, so it's not exactly separation on a big scale. If he thought he was escaping the snow he thought wrong though, as he only just got there before the airport closed due to snow! Will post pictures when I get back. Until then....

HAPPY CHRISTMAS !!

Switzerland to Italy

Monday 4th

From Sion, we went to Brig and over the Simplon Pass. The weather was not kind but, despite the rain, the pass was still dramatic. We marvelled at how the Swiss roads, despite all the weather and altitude extremes that they have to encounter, are much better than those in Gloucestershire!

Once over the pass we came down the Italian side and our first stop was Stresa on Lake Maggiore. Due to the weather, we were denied the sneak previews one gets of the lakes when coming down, but Maggiore eventually appeared.



Stresa seemed full of OAPs from all over the place. We had coffee at somewhere that resembled the Ritz with lots of ladies with very big hair! I wondered if some of the guests would all of a sudden break out into a waltz or something! The little islands on the lake were visible but very misty, so we had to content ourselves with looking at all the invariably very pricey lakeside houses, some with the most beautiful facades and gardens but most hidden from view – understandably!

Given the horrible weather we decided to head South. We aimed for Pisa with a stop to admire the walled city of Lucca. We made good progress, but didn’t get to Lucca until the light was beginning to fade. We walked around the cobbled streets and then found a Ristorante to have supper in. The city (you can hardly call it that really) was very quiet due to the weather but was pretty with the walls all lit up. Not ideal for photography but captured in the mind.

From Lucca

We left Lucca and within maybe 40 minutes we found our campsite at Pisa, somewhat later than we had planned but they were still open! We hooked up the electric and set up for the night. We aimed to be up early the next morning for the Pisa tourist extravaganza!!

Tuesday 5^th

We had chosen our campsite not for its facilities but for its proximity to the city centre. We were up early as planned and walked in to see the sights. We couldn’t quite believe how busy it was in October! There were people everywhere and lord only knows how many people would be there in July and August! We walked and walked and saw just about everything (and everybody!).

From Pisa

Once back at the campsite we packed up and headed further South. We took the coast road down to Porto Stefano and found a great motorhome campsite where we were to stay for 2 nights. The owner was determined to be helpful despite not speaking a word of English!

Wednesday 6^th

From Porto Stefano we explored the Island of Monte Argentario, a relatively undiscovered but beautiful gem. Not an island any more as it’s joined to the mainland by 2 roads across sand dunes but is still an island in my book. One half of the ‘Island’ is covered with very expensive looking villas but the Southern half was more natural. The pretty port of Porto Ercole was practically deserted when we arrived but, after a walk up to the fort, lunchtime neared and people came out of nowhere to fill up the few restaurants that were open. We had lunch on looking out onto the port, admiring the boats.  After walking off our lunch we went to Orbetello to have a look round, grab some food and wine for supper and headed back to camp. We'd had lovely weather whilst on the coast, which had been most welcome.

From Porto Stefano

Thursday 7^th

We headed for Orveito in Umbria, stopping along the way for an hour in the sunshine and a dip in the sulphur spa, a view of the truscan acropolis at Savona and the walled city of Pitigliano. We couldn’t find a campsite near Orveito, so we stayed overnight at a hotel -Oasi dei Discepoli and enjoyed a king sized bed! The hotel was the ugliest building on the exterior that I have seen in a long time and not what I expected to see overlooking the beautiful ancient city of Orveito. However, despite the 60’s concrete façade, the hotel was lined with marble and had lovely views over the landscape. We had picked up some wine before arriving at the hotel, lovely Orvieto wine at under 2 Euros a bottle! We climbed onto the huge bed (huge compared to Valerie) and sipped wine whilst making use of the internet connection to catch up with the outside world.

From Orveito

Friday 8^th

We spent the majority of today in Orvieto, a magnificent walled mediaval city and stopped for lunch of bread and cheese in a park just inside the walls with a lovely view. The hilltop cities and villages of Italy can get a bit 'same-o' after a while, as they are everywhere, but the bigger ones have the most magnificent public buildings and cathedrals. We marvelled at the cathedral in Orvieto, the gold work, the carvings, the metalwork, no-one could recreate the same today.  From Orvieto we headed over the hills towards Siena. We saw many Umbrian/Tuscan towns along the way but stopped en route at Ficulle to admire the spectacular views across Umbria towards Tuscany. We ended up at Montepuilciano, another beautiful walled medaeval city. We had supper in the city in a traditional Trattoria, where I had Tuscan soup, a recipe I will try to emulate at home. We found a campsite on a farm just outside the city which was a little basic but had everything that we needed just for one night.

From Orveito 2

Saturday 9^th

We headed for Siena and the Chianti region. We had picked a campsite about 10 miles outside, whose website gave no indication that it had closed for the season!!  We drove on in the hope that we’d find somewhere and stumbled upon Monteriggioni, a beautiful little hilltop settlement. We found the tourist information lady there very helpful and after a quick telephone call we had secured accommodation not far away just outside San Gimignano, which was on our list of places to visit anyway.  We arrived at the site too early to book in (siesta) so we went for a walk in the sunshine and admired the views across the vineyards and olive groves , interspersed in true Tuscan fashion by tall columnar cypress trees. When we returned to check in, we couldn’t quite believe that a couple from the Netherlands that had been parked next to us at the campsite in Pisa were also waiting to check in here – small world eh?!  Once checked in we did a bit of housekeeping (washing) and went for a beer and a pizza in the ristorante on site

From San Gimignano

Sunday 10^th

We had breakfast earlyish (for a Sunday) and walked into San Gimignano. The 40 minute stroll obviated the need to worry about taking Valerie along the narrow and entry restricted streets or parking her. The place was busy for October (we thought). As we wandered, a White Excelsior open top classic pulled up and out stepped a bride-to-be in a stunning dress that you would only see at an Italian wedding. The city had endless streets and pathways to wander down and around. We mooched in the art galleries and ceramic shops before taking a well earned lunch. The weather was cool today so I had the traditional Tuscan soup made with vegetables and bread to warm me up and it was lovely. I will make this when I get home but I am unsure just how you are supposed to cook it authentically, as no two restaurants will serve it the same. In some it is liquid with bread on the top toasted with cheese (like traditional French onion) in some, all the liquid is absorbed by bread, so you could eat the whole thing with a fork and leave nothing. A meander back to the campsite after a final stroll around the city allowed an hour in the sun as the weather cheered up. After coffee and a tidy up, it was time to open another bottle of wine – well, considering the region, it would be rude not to!

From San Gimignano

From Tuscan Landscape

Monday 11^th

We tried to leave early but seemed to take forever to get going. Once we did get away we headed for Castellina in Chianti. We got to Poggibonsi and it said 11 km to Castellina, all good we thought.  We then followed the signs and about 10 minutes later one said 12.5 km to Castellina. I then took a wrong turning and we ended up back in the same place at the 11km point! Anyways, we got on the right road and went to Castellina. The weather was changeable but remained dry whilst we were there and we meandered around the art shops. We then proceeded towards Radda in Chianti and stopped at a Classico producer along the way for tasting. We bought some Sauvignon and Prosecca (grown by them but made at wineries elsewhere) but we were saving buying any Chianti until we’d tasted a few. Chianti Classico has a premium which, I feel, is less to do with the quality of the wine and is more about the ‘label’. We have already sampled some nice Chianti grown just outside the magic Classico region, which is half the price of the ‘real thing’, so it is hard to work out just what is ‘good’ Chianti Claissico. Anyways, when we reached Radda the heavens opened. We scurried into a restaurant for cover and lunch. A rather pretentious affair to be honest - the Tuscan soup wasn’t very rustic and the staff very ‘distant’.

After Radda we found Baddia A Coltibuono, and toured the Abbey that is now a wine estate. The tour of the cellar was interesting and Simon would have killed for the wine collection there, which dated back to 1926. The cellar tour and the formal gardens of the abbey were just lovely but,  given the welcome we’d had at the Abbey itself, we were surprised at the frosty reception at the shop where wine could be tasted and bought (wine at £20 a bottle needs to be sold to me I’m afraid). On the way back to camp we found a fairly new organic minimalistic chianti producer well off the beaten track, La Porta di Vertine. We stopped for a tasting and a chat with the owners. They had only been producing for 3 years and even their 2008 was a little ‘young’. I certainly think this is one to return to in the future. The owner helpfully gave us some recommendations for other producers and good restaurants.

From Chianti

Tuesday 12^th

Today we decided to walk to fully appreciate the scenery. We woke to lovely sunshine and even though it was a little cold first thing we were soon stripped of our fleeces. We walked about 10 miles all around San Gimignaro, surrounded by vines and olive groves with some of the most beautiful villas overlooking the beautiful Tuscan countryside. We finished up in the city where we had a late lunch after a well deserved beer. Before walking the 2.5 km back to camp we stopped at the Co-Op to get some Tuscan sausages to grill for Simon’s supper and some cheese. By the time we had walked back we were able to snooze in chairs in the sunshine before I cooked some soup for supper whilst Simon played with the outdoor cooker for his sausages. After such a long walk today, we were both ready for bed by 9pm after some local wine - and antihistamines! The mosquitos have been the only bad thing on this holiday and we are both nursing legfuls of itchy bites, despite sprays, creams and tablets. Valerie is going to get a zapper for her Christmas present! It was lovely to get away from Valerie today. We’ll be back to touring in the morning but it’s important to get out, otherwise it’s all a bit claustrophobic.

From San Gimignano

Wednesday 13^th

We headed out to Siena first thing. We got there but the weather was not good and parking was impossible. Siena wasn’t on our list of burning desires so we gave it a miss. It was on the way to the start of our day tour anyway. We went on to Bossi, with a large vinery where we stopped for tasting and bought a couple of bottles. Next stop  was Villa a Sesta, a tiny pretty little place that was deserted. Just a church, maybe a dozen houses and a tiny café which was shut for the winter. There is a big wine estate here but sadly that too was deserted.  Just along from Villa a Sesta was San Gusme, similarly pretty, albeit a little larger but equally deserted. Next up was Castello De Brolio, which appeared to have nothing apart from a winery and a restaurant. We went into the winery but the staff were too busy attending to a group of obviously high spending Americans to be bothered with us so we promptly left. There have been a couple of disappointing stops like this on our tour – for wine starting at over £20 a bottle, I want to know what makes it special (and to feel just a smidgeon valued as a customer!). On to Gaiole in Chianti where we stopped for lunch at a family run Trattoria. Gaiole isn’t that pretty, although it would have been prettier in the sunshine. We made our way back to San Gimignano for a last night, stopping at some more wineries on the way and loading up Valerie with our purchases. The bumpy Italian roads make for a noisy ride with bottles clanging around in the back.

Thursday 14^th

We left San Gimignano today and headed for Firenze (Florence). Our campsite was right under the Piazzale Michelangelo, so the location couldn't have been better. We found a flat spot (not easy with a site on a hill!) and set up before setting off into the city. It was just a 10-15 minute walk down the hill to the Ponte Vecchio bridge. The place, like Pisa, was packed - I would hate to visit these places in high summer! We saw just about everything today and included in our itinerary the 463 steps up to the top of the Cathedral dome to capture the view outside and to get a close up of the painted ceiling inside. After a leisurely supper and another walk, we climbed the steps up to the campsite, with a few more minutes to take in the view from the Piazzale Michelangelo on the way. We checked the weather on the laptop and for weekend forecast was a bit grim where we had intended to go. We decided to sleep on it and decide what to do in the morning.

From Firenze

From Firenze

Friday 15th
We chose today to return to Switzerland for a few days. We had packed a lot in and a few days to relax was in order. Apart from our few days at the coast, the weather hadn't been kind really, and the van gets a bit cramped if you can't get outside. Also, we suffered a bit with mosquito bites, so dared not sit out in the evening, even when it was relatively warm and dry. Anyways, off we set, largely the same route as the way we had come. Unlike the way down, we were treated to Lake Maggiore in late afternoon sunshine and said we'd like to return for a holiday in Northern Italy to take in the lakes and the Dolomites, but earlier in the season for better weather. The mountain pass was very foggy and cloudy, so we didn't improve on the view we'd had on the way down.

From Maggiore

Once we arrived, some Skype conversations with the UK revealed the strikes in France, which kind of scuppers any ideas of visiting Paris for example on the way home!

UK to Switzerland

Wednesday 29th
We left home in Valerie to have a bit of fun in Europe before Simon starts his contract in Jersey. We started with a trip to London to drop off essentials for daughter and to pick up bits that needed transportation to Switzerland. We already had the bear on board, which looked more than a bit dodgy - like a dead body blanketed and tied up in the back!

Thursday 30th
We had headed for Dover and stayed overnight at Keat Farm  It rained heavily all night, which made sleep quite difficult. We were tired in the morning but were treated to cloudless skies, which made things better. Across on the ferry and we started to plod through France. The weather soon turned and was very wet, so we decided to go straight to the chalet rather than stay over in torrential rain. We did half the journey on the Peage and then turned off for a prettier route, but the weather didn't get any better. We stopped at Le Lion D'or, a lovely little Pizzeria that we've been to before, at La Cluse et Mijoux,just before the Swiss Border.

The border check was non existant, which was probably just as well, seeing that we had the bear and lots of other stuff for the chalet in the back - and we didn't want to pay customs duty on what was probably £2k worth of stuff (or have to explain the apparent lifeless and mummified dead body that was the bear in the back!).

Friday 1st
After a long lie in, the first morning at the chalet didn't look that promising weather wise so we went down the mountain into Sion for some provisions and to get some better pillows, as the camping ones I had brought were useless. By lunchtime the sun was shining and it was pleasantly warm. Once back at chalet we walked up to the next ski stage and had a couple of beers at the little bar we always go to, before walking back to cook a fondue - lovely!

Saturday 2nd
Today we went walking in the Mountains and the weather was just beautiful. We tried to get to Mont Rouge (at 3000 metres) from Thyon, but we had to turn back when we were almost there. The combination of the altitude, tiredness and the fact I hadn't done this for a while got the better of me but it was lovely.

From Europe in Valerie

We walked most of the day, so in the evening we did supper and TV. Tomorow we'll re pack Valerie and sort the water leak we seem to have under the sink. If the weather is nice we'll walk and set up a picnic to try out our outdoor cooker. The weather forecast for Italy is not good for Monday/Tuesday, so we'll check it nearer the time to determine where we are going.

We weren't sleeping in Valerie here, but if we were then we'd wake up looking straight to the Matterhorn.

Pick up and go!

Well we picked up the van today, very pleased with the result. The guys at VW Interiors did a great job.

We are off first thing in the morning to France heading for Switzerland to drop this guy off at the chalet:

Then we'll head for the Italian Lakes at the weekend.

Dorset

We braved a poor weather forecast and had a weekend in Dorset. On the way down we visited the Mulberry shop in Shepton Mallet (one just has to!). We stayed at Field House Bed and Breakfast in Henley, which was lovely and quiet with lovely facilities - including a roll top bath with a lovely view of the countryside. We ate at the Gaggle of Geese at Buckland Newton, which I will put on my places to return to.

The real purpose of the trip was to take our T5 to Vanworx just outside Weymouth, to have the crew seat removed and swivels put on the front seats prior to its main transformation into a proper camper. Great to see a bunch of young guys so passionate about what they do. We hope to bump into them again at Vanvest in Malvern in a few weeks.

Whilst Dave and his guys at Vanworx worked on our van, we walked the coastal paths between Weymouth and Bridport. We got a bit wet Monday morning but the day cheered up and it was glorious by lunchtime as we had fish and chips at The Elm Tree Inn in Langton Herring.

From Dorset August 2010

Cumbria

Last weekend we went to Cumbria to stay with friends in Sedbergh. The boys went to Colston's Prep together and most of the weekend was like having a Tom Sharpe novel read out loud to you, as two naughty schoolboys reminisced on a misspent youth!! We had a lovely time, great conversation, great food, lovely scenery and lovely WEATHER!!! They said it always rains in Cumbria, we don't believe them!!

From Sedbergh

From Sedbergh

Art Attack!!

Well, last weekend my daughter Laura and I went away to Devon on a weekend oil painting course to celebrate a) my 50th Birthday and b) her graduating in Art with upper second class honours (hubby and the other graduate were left home to celebrate his achievement in a more 'blokey' kind of way!). Laura now has a BA in Painting and funnily enough, was just as scared as I was!! We went to Brambles Art Retreat near Launceston, where Peter and Janet gave us a lovely weekend and helped me conquer my fear of being completely crap at art!

I realise now that it doesn't really matter if you're crap, so long as you enjoy it - and that you do get better! We worked in the studio the first day on a still life arrangement - including fruit! The second day we ventured outside and worked on a landscape. We didn't have time to finish either piece but that wasn't the object of the exercise - if anyone and everyone could paint a picture in oils in a day then art wouldn't be art now, would it?!

Pictures of the still life scene:

Our (unfinished) take on them!!



I laughed so much that hubby thought Laura's was mine and mine hers!! (can you tell?!).

The landscape scene (N.B. the clouds move fast!!):

Our (very unfinished) take on it!

    

Anyway, in addition to the painting we met some lovely people on the weekend course and had some lovely conversation over dinners. We walked too, admiring the surroundings and the dramatic views with threatening skies that thankfully depleted whilst we had our landscape session outside. Before I lose the newly gained confidence, I am going to continue to sketch and paint over the summer and enrol on a structured course at Hereford Art College in September. Life is a bit hectic at the moment, so I also need to get myself a bit more organised so I have time to enjoy a course rather than just squeezing it in and being too tired to get the most out if it. Brambles Art Retreat take non painting partners, so I will maybe return with hubby and he can walk or cycle.

Days of being parents to students is over!

Well, it felt like a long time but, as is usual, you look back and it feels like the blink of an eye really. Both the younger children have now completed their degrees and had their successes confirmed, with Richie now a BEng (Hons) and Laura a BA (Hons). What with the current climate, their aspirations on the career front may take a little longer than anticipated but they are both gainfully employed, which is something for new graduates thesedays. It's been a stressful few months for them, so lets hope this great summer continues so they can have a bit of fun.

Happy Campers (well almost!)

We have taken the plunge and bought a new VW T5 to convert to a camper! We hunted for ages for the right van, as we want to do quite an unconventional conversion to it.

      

It will go in for its conversion whilst we are in Canada in September and come out looking something like this:

  

In the meantime, we pick it up Monday and will 'rough it' unconverted on any weekend we have free this summer (not many!).I spent my childhood holidays in a VW Dormobile. I recall lots of fighting with my brother for the best bed! I personally wasn't prepared to rough it in a camper with our own children but am happy to with just me and him now the children have all left home.

London June 2010

We visited London to see our daughter Laura's final graduation show. Even Richie came along to make it a family affair. Nick was excused as he was in France. Pictures will never do justice to an artistic piece but here goes!

Light, White Walkthrough

 

It certainly made an impact in the room! I personally loved the precursor to this piece, The White Cuboid.

See Laura's work on her blog  LAURA ELIZABETH. ARTIST

After the show we went to the Taste of London food fair in Regents Park. A good time was had by all and Laura bagged a picture with Gary Rhodes!

She wanted to get closer to Heston Blumenthal but this was not to be. This is as close as we got!

Laura and her father in Regent's Park (she suggested he roll the edges of his jacket up for some reason!).

Switzerland June 2010

We returned to Switzerland at the beginning of June and had a great time with hubby's sister Sue and her hubby Francis. We did alot of what we usually do, including lunching on the waterfront in beautiful Montreux, sightseeing in the beautiful city of Sion, visiting Evolene and walking up from Thyon 2000 to get amongst the snow and admire the panoramic views. We returned to Zermatt to show Sue and Francis, but the weather wasn't particularly kind. It only spotted a bit of rain though, so we took a lovely walk up the Matterhorn Trail and were rewarded with hot chocolate at a tiny chalet restaurant before we enjoyed a picnic lunch on the way down whilst the sun came out (well almost!). We finally got to the Blue Lake, which we've been meaning to do for ages. The walk is well rewarded, as the lake really is blue! and is very pretty. We also did the St Bernard Pass on my 50th birthday - what a lot of snow! After the pass we spent the afternoon in the Italian city of Aosta before returning, this time through the tunnel. I will never tire of Switzerland. Even though we really only ever do a little bit of it.

From Switzerland June 2010

From Switzerland June 2010

Summer came in May!

Well, we've had some amazing weather so far this year. Long may it continue! This weekend has been wall to wall blue skies and nearly 80 degrees. We did a walk of about 10 miles locally today. It was very warm but the scenery just glorious - we live in such a lovely part of the world.

From Tenbury Summer in May!

To enable us to get away walking more often, we've decided to buy a new VW van and convert it to a camper. Hotels and other costs like food etc are quite expensive when you do it nearly every weekend and we'd rather spend that money on something else. Anyway, we're just deciding on the spec etc. so maybe we can get one converted before the end of the summer.

It's been too hot to use it this weekend but I bought a new bike! I had to put a very uncool saddle on it - I am old and need comfort, or I wont get on it very often!

It's now busy busy busy for 10 days before we take an 8 day break in Switzerland. It'll be my 50th birthday whilst we are there, so that will be nice. Simon's sister and husband are coming with us and her birthday is the day before mine, so we have every right to spoil ourselves!

The Peak District

We took a weekend in the Peak District a fortnight ago. We hadn't been to the area for years and when we got there I wondered why - it's beautiful!  We stayed in a lovely B&B River Cottage in Ashford in the Water. We arrived around noon, dumped the car and set off for Monsal Head. It was a gloious day and the views lovely. We stopped for lunch at the Monsal Head Hotel before walking into Bakewell via the Monsal Trail for a look around before walking back the the B&B. We covered 8-10 miles but it didn't feel like it because the weather and the views were so good. We met friends at the B&B a little later and enjoyed drinks sitting alongside the River Wye whilst feeding the trout.

The next day we took a 10 mile circular walk (which probably turned into 12 with detours!) that included Chatsworth House, Beeley, Rowsley and Bakewell. We had lunch enroute at the lovely Old Smithy in Beeley, where we had lovely sandwiches and tea in lovely china teacups and saucers. After some ablutions once back at the B&B (and some Ibruprofen!) we sampled the dinner menu at the Bulls Head in Ashford and we weren't disappointed. All in all a great weekend, assisted by the glorious weather. We'll be back!

From Peak District

Catching up.....

Well, I blinked and like 2 months went by! We've been busy as usual. A couple of weekends ago we had the pleasure of having Simon's niece Erica to stay for a few days, whilst she was over from Vancouver for a vacation. We'll be catching up with her during our September Canadian holiday when we visit her on Vancouver Island. Whilst she was here we showed her some of this part of the world. We went to Much Wenlock in Shropshire one a beautiful day and looked at the Old Priory. We found a property called Bastard Hall on the way, which was funny.....

We also took her to Chester, on another beautiful day. I didn't take my camera either day so I will have to nab some photos from her. She did post this one on Facebook which I found hilarious....

We walked around Chester's famous rows, had lunch and then walked all around the walls in beautiful sunshine.

Next steps

Update: This trip is postponed until 2011

Well, we don't sit still for long. We've been back from Tanzania under a fortnight and already the flights are booked for our next trip. Back to Switzerland on 4th June for 8 days to walk the mountains in the sunshine. Then we'll make the most of the short summer in the UK (we hope there is a summer!) until September when school terms begins, when we go to Canada to see a bit of Alberta, a lot of the mountains of BC, Vancouver Island and Southern Ontario for 3 weeks. We've done Canada a few times before but never explored the mountains of BC so we're really looking forward to that. We'll probably fly into Calgary then and do a one way self drive to Vancouver, taking maybe 7 days to get there. We'd want to see places like Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper, Kamloops and Whistler, so the route would be something like this.

Then we'll cross the water and spend a week on Vancouver Island with family, maybe with an overnighter in Seattle before flying to Toronto to spend the final week with family in Southern Ontario.

Jambo Sana. It's all over!

We arrived back in the UK today, marking the end of our long planned trip. We spent a month in Tanzania and only 7 days climbing Kili, so it wasn't all about the mountain, but it was a big part. Alas, I did not make it right to Uhuru Peak but Simon (other half) did, as did the other members of our trek.

I got to almost 5200 metres (still over 17,000 feet) before the altitude sickness got really bad. This made progress so slow that I also got very cold. So, after trying for a bit longer, I made the sensible decision to call it a day instead of continuing and giving myself further to climb down feeling even worse. I also feared that I would not make it all the way to the top without putting myself at risk (okay, I bottled it!). My daughter's words "Mummy, you wont do anything risky will you? promise?" also rang in my ears. I was very disappointed at the time but I have to remember that not much more than a year ago I couldn't have even dreamed of doing something like climb Kili, a few flights of stairs would have finished me off then! I had gone up 4 times the height of Ben Nevis and 5 times the height of Snowdon. Altitude sickness can affect anyone, young or old, fit or otherwise. I could have taken Diamox, a medication many (if not most thesedays) fellow Kili trekkers take to mask the effects of altitude, giving them a much better chance of reaching the summit. However, Simon and I decided long ago that we wouldn't do this and I am still glad we made that choice, even though I didn't make it to the summit.

I was reminded just how far up we'd been when I took this picture from window of the small aircraft that took us to Zanzibar after our safari. The captain had just announced that we were flying at 19,000 feet and there we were, above the clouds at the same height as he summit of Kili.

We packed a lot into our trip and, apart from me not quite reaching the summit and KLM losing my suitcase on the way back, it all went pretty smoothly. The case has been located and I'll get it back soon I hope. Anyway, I'll write up the whole trip on a seperate blog with all the pictures. Click here to see it or click the picture of the lion on the right at the top.

It did all go in (just!)

Well, the snow came and brought our county to a standstill this morning. It was a tad worrying first thing this morning to look at 2 inches of snow on the ground with it still falling heavily. However, we relied on the weather forecasters (eek!) and sure enough, the rain came later and washed much of it away. It's still white everywhere but the roads are now pretty clear and so long as we get to the airport hotel before it all freezes we should be fine.

So, the long wait is over. Did we do enough prep? I guess we'll find out very soon!! Until we find an internet cafe, its goodbye for a while.

Kwa heri!

Will it all go in?

I look at the trekking kit and clothing for over a month all laid out and wonder how it's all going to fit in the two bags. We can only carry as much luggage as the internal Tanzanian flights operator will allow, so the generous KLM allowance means nothing, as Precision Air's 20kg/1 bag each limit will apply.  Out of respect for our porters we are trying to do minimalist on the trekking clothing. There's no shower/bath for a week so there isn't much point in a full change of clothing every day, as one will stink anyway! However, there must be sufficient layers so that, when all put on together, they will keep us warm on summit night.

There is always the possibility of our luggage going astray during travel. Therefore, we will be wearing/carrying as much of the essential stuff during the flights. We can hire most equipment there if we need to but we wont be letting our expensive walking boots or outer coats out of our sight, so we will be looking very silly and wearing them - only a fool would trek a mountain in a pair of rented boots! If the weather forecast here for Wednesday is correct (heavy snow), we will be dressed appopriately to get to the aiport.

Trek Route

I won't compromise our trek company by giving the secrets of their route away - we chose it because it's away from the other routes!! However, the distances etc go something like this.....

Day one (25th January 2010)

The bumpy 4-5 hour drive on dirt roads to the start means we don't have to walk until around 2pm local time. After the bumpy drive, walking might be a welcome relief for our bottoms!! Then we trek about 7 km, going up by about 630 mtrs to around 2600 mtrs.

Day two

About 12 km today in total, rising by around 1000 mtrs. I am sure headaches will prevail today as the effect of altitude kicks in! We've been to 4000 mtrs before and we knew it!

Day three

A short day today, only about 4 km and rising only a modest amount to aid acclimatisation.

Day four

About 10 km today, rising to about 4600 mtrs but then descending, to aid acclimatisation, finishing at around 3700 mtrs.

Day five

About 10 kms today but turning away from the other Rongai route users (hooray!!) early on. This will take us to about 4700 mtrs.

Day six

Beginning at midnight (after a full days walking on day 5!!) the assault on the summit commences. The distances are:

Day five end point to Stella Point 3.5km (uphill obviously!)

Stella Point to the summit 1.2km (again uphill LOL)

Summit to Gilmans (downwards - yay!!)

Gilmans to Kibo huts 3.4 km

Kibo huts to Horombo 9.6km

Making a total of something like 20kms on the summit day - probably over some 18 hours!!

Day 7

This is a walk in the park at some 20kms downhill to the park gate!!

From here we have to do the (shorter but equally bumpy) ride back to Songota, where hopefully Joice has the hot water flowing (as we wont have bathed for 7 days!!) and food aplenty. After a long sleep, we have to packed and ready for our private safari driver when he picks us up at 2pm the next day!!

Why, oh why?

People recently have kept asking me things like "why (at your age) the hell are you putting yourself.....?"

George Mallory, when asked why he would want to climb Everest said "because it's there". Good answer - if you are prepared to take what, at that time, was an indeterminable risk to achieve something. I am a complete chicken - of an indeterminable magnitude compared to Mallory's (and Irvine's) braveness but opportunities in travel thesedays means that insignificant people like me are able to challenge themselves like never before and step outside their comfort zone. We're all here for a blink of an eye in terms of man's evolution and, when I depart this earth, I want to be be able to say I made the most of it!!! As one gets older, this becomes more of an imperative. We have been fortunate to be able to travel extensively but I need more than the fact that I have 'been somewhere'. I am as scared (facing the risks of Kili) today as I was when I decided it would be a good idea to back pack alone around Sierra Leone and the Ivory Coast when I was 18, but again, nothing would stop me doing it (and look how volatile this region of Africa was at the time!!). However, age teaches you to better mitigate the risks where you can and we have taken the time to prepare.

I found out today that 2 of our trekking party are late forties, both females. I am soooooo pleased that our party doesn't consist of mainly youngens who will race ahead and leave me looking like some geriatric! Hubby will be the senior! I think we'll have a great time, no matter the ages etc..

Final Preparations

Well, its just a couple of weeks until we go to Tanz. All the jabs and tabs are organised - it costs some serious money to avoid malaria, yellow fever etc! The last four days we have made the most of the lovely cloudless skies here (and the sub zero temperatures!) to put in a bit of walking locally to where we live. We've just done 4 days on the trot - 6 miles the first day, then 7, then 8 and just finished with another 8. We have just two more weekends to step it up and then it will be "coming ready or not!". Below is the snow capped Clee from the other side of the valley where we walked. We did the same walk daily but added some time on the end. I wanted to see whether it felt any easier up the same inclines on day 4 than it was day 1!!

We're not the only ones off far and away. Our eldest, as I write this, is waiting at Birmingham airport for a delayed flight to Dubai to take off. I hope he gets the window seat and sees the newly opened Burj. It's just a stopover for him as he will be taking in Japan, China, and Hong Kong in the next fortnight. Younger son flies off to Hong Kong in 10 days time leaving the daughter at home in the cold - bless her! It wont be long until she's off somewhere too.