Festivals, Toilets and Tom

Our six months off may be over but we can still enjoy ourselves and pretend we do not have any responsibilities! So we took the campervan to the Latitude Festival near Southwold and had a great weekend of singing, dancing, comedy and poetry. Even the weather was good and the toilets we shared with 35000 other people were not so bad.

The Last Instalment .........?

It is hard to believe that our six months are over and that normal service was resumed on 1 July with the return to work. However, we did manage to fit in a trip to Wales during our last few days off. This included a walk up Cadair Idris which we did from the campsite in a farmers field at the foot of the mountain. We also had a couple of hot sunny days by the sea at Oxwich Bay in Gower.

Lots of hazards in Wales - snakes, woman eating plants and unstable furniture (or perhaps that last one was the result of eating a pie everywhere we have visited!).

Who knows what is next - well we will have to do something with all those air miles we collected.

When in Rome ................

What can you say about Rome - pictures are much better at showing the culture of the city. From the Vatican to the Colosseum, the Spanish Steps to Trevi Fountain, Michelangelo and Julius Caesar, pizza and ice cream, shoes and handbags - it has it all!

MacGillicuddy's Reeks

This strangely named range of mountains in the south of Ireland are both impressive and stunning. It is hard to believe this is the first time we have been to the country which is almost on our doorstep. It is a bit like going back in time with small towns and very little traffic on the narrow roads. We stayed in Killarney, Kenmare (a very small town with 42 bars and pubs!) and in a cottage at the foothills of Ireland's tallest mountain Carrauntoohil.

Walking in Ireland is quite different with very few established public paths and those that are (such as the Kerry Way) are mainly on country roads. A complete contrast to the Lakes and Peaks in England.

The Guinness was excellent and the weather was good - what more could you ask for.

What Did the Romans Ever Do For Us?

They built a very nice wall that goes for 84 miles from Wallsend (near Newcastle) to Bowness on Solway (just past Carlisle). I am sure that Hadrian did not realise when he started the job in AD122 that people would be marvelling at the great feat of engineering built by hand that is still visible nearly 2000 years later.

I expected the distance but did not expect the steep up and down section in the middle and did not expect the real bonus that was the human aspect of walking the wall. Over the six days we met many people (and re-met them at other points including the pub at the end) from two ladies over 70 years old who were walking for charity to a group from Holland and a group from Stoke on Trent. The one thing we all had in common was sore feet!

A Return to Norfolk

A second trip to North Norfolk to finish off the coastal path. Good weather again and a walk that included a trudge for 4 miles across shingle and a finish up the steep cliff at Sherringham. We had the added bonus of staying at a campsite right on the path with views across the salt marshes which are a haven for huge colonies of different birds - deafening dawn chorus!

Always Wear a Hat on the Moor

The Yorkshire Moors and Dales were the next stage of our tour. It is hard to believe that we have never visited either before having always been seduced by the Lake and Peak Districts.
Definately worth the visit which included a stay at Masham which is the home of two independant breweries - Theakston and Black Sheep. A visit to Robin Hood's Bay and fish and chips at Whitby (but watch out for the hungry seagulls) should also be obligatory for all visitors.