Dining – Page 4 – JaksTrips

Wall to wall Hadrian April 2015

Mon 6th April

As part of my job I’ve been taking some online courses called MOOCs (massive open online course). I did a very good one from Newcastle University on Hadrian’s Wall with FutureLearn for free.

You get to translate Roman tablets and identity objects. I’ve also done some very poor courses with FutureLearn but you don’t have to stick with it if you don’t want to.

It got me interested in the path and it looked like a walk with a lot of extra interest and lots of scenery. It’s also a test to see if I really can do 4 long days of walking and therefore will be able to do my Pyrenean trip in August.

The taxi I’d booked didn’t arrive so I drove to the station and parked in sight of a camera. Three trains were all fine. Chatted to a young Austrian woman who was on her way to Hawick to volunteer on a farm for a week and then coming back down to be an equine apprentice in the Midlands.

Walked to Ashleigh House B&B which is near my start of the Hadrian’s Wall Path (HWP). It’s probably 2* and frequented by builders but my room is clean.

Dinner in Pizza Express. I have a Peroni and a light pizza which is where they cut out the middle and fill it with salad. I can’t eat huge pizzas anymore. Also some roasted tomatoes and coleslaw on the side. Finish with fruity tea and a tiny piece of lemon posset crunch. Very nice.

Back to my room to take things in and out of bags.

Tues 7th April

Off to meet some Romans.

Breakfast of poached egg and tomato, and marmalade on toast.

Set off at 9. My first HWP sign directs me over the River Eden across the memorial bridge into Rickerby Park. Lovely park full of dogs and their companions. Rickerby village is des res. Over the M6 into Linstock, along the river to Crosby. A little girl had set up a roadside stall so I bought some juice for 30p. Start to see farm names relating to the wall. The first section of vallum (big ditch) and Bleatarn (Roman quarry) now full of reeds and bulrushes. Various honesty boxes along the way but have plenty of supplies. The path goes along lots of farmland, mainly sheep but some cows (well behaved). Also sections of road all very quiet. At Swainsteads the path crosses a tributary of the river Irthing with a weir.

I had my lunch at Walton sitting on a bench. On the road to cross King Water which also feeds the Irthing. Here there is a temporary road section of the HWP which looks like it’s a very long temporary. Just here is the first real section of wall but I missed it because of the diversion. I met a solo female American and had a chat. Just after Howgill I met 2 Northumberland National Park Rangers in a truck. They asked me about the condition of the path. First real climb up Craggle Hill for good views back west and south. At Hare Hill the first proper bit of wall. Quite high. Into Banks. Nice chat with woman doing her garden. Arrived 3.50 at Quarryside B&B which is lovely. Proper good welcome with tea and cake (skipped this) and biscuits. Nice room. Lovely hot shower. They will drive me to the pub 5 miles away and the pub will drive me back! Love this.

I saw 4 parties of wall walkers. 3 non UK girls with gigantic rucksacks, 2 UK women, 2 women and a man and the American.

Nice drive with David to the Belted Will Inn in Hallbankgate (Belted Will is taken from Walter Scott’s Lay of the Last Minstrel, a reference to William Howard of Naworth Castle which we drove past just after Lanercost Priory). This is the family that built Castle Howard.

Another great welcome in the pub. Sweet potato, chick pea and spinach curry with rice, nan bread and salad. Good grub washed down with Thwaites’ Wainwright beer. I have to wait for Steve the chef to take me back at 9. I had a bit of a headache so the nice bar woman has rung David to come and get me sooner. Her suggestion.

Sheets and blankets!

15 miles, 24km

The acorn, where's the blasted acorn? — The acorn, where’s the blasted acorn?

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Old Carlisle airport opposite the new one

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Weds 8th April

Breakfast of poached eggs and beans while Elizabeth frantically makes toast to counteract a planned electricity outtage. Chat with 2 American women who are the support for a group of 19 walkers. They are all from RAF Lakenheath which I know well.

I set off at 9.25 and quickly reach my first turret. There are quite a few of these and 2 to each milecastle. Stop at Birdoswald for half an hour. Quite a lot of actual wall in this section.

Ghost boy. Strange little boy all on his own who looked like he had cancer holding a gate open. Then moments later another one who looked like him but smaller who then completely disappeared. I even looked to see where he had gone.

Cross the river Irthing which has a steel bridge brought in by helicopter. Through Gilsland crossing the railway line and then again at Greenhead. This morning at breakfast there were 2 men on the HWP. We leapfrogged for a while. I saw them when I stopped for lunch by a stream and one of them had a bad back and had to get his pack transported. I saw them again at Walltown Quarry and then later was waved at by someone being rescued in a Sea King helicopter which came right over my head. Don’t know if it was him.

First real ascent to Walltown Crags after Walltown Quarry. Frogs doing trigamy on path.

Lots of wall in such a difficult place. My back of a fag packet (mental arithmetic because haven’t smoked for nearly 15 years, hooray, best thing I ever did) calculation gets wall construction to 50 metres a day and it was 5m high which I thought could only be possible with vast quantities of slave labour, but apparently this is incorrect and it was auxiliary soldiers who did the work.

Along to Aesica fort which is really just a farm. Chat to woman who lives in Norfok and tells me the hardest bit is to come. Thanks. Today’s walk much tougher as a) muscles tired after yesterday b) much warmer and c) harder terrain with ups and downs. Down to Burnhead where there is a B&B. This would have been a sensible place to stop! It’s next to Cawfield Quarry (all the quarries are Roman and are now ponds), more mating frogs. Along the vallum to Caw Gap. Then some ups and downs to trig point at 345m where I meet my American pals from breakfast. Their party is 2.5 miles behind. I can see both my B&B and the Twice Brewed pub at Once Brewed from here. That last mile I fantasised about frothing tankards admittedly more likely in Bavaria! Val from the B&B rings me. Arrive at pub at 5.55, long hard day.

Twice Brewed beer is good. Eat a big bowl of pasta while drinking the Blonde beer waiting for my lift. It’s ok and I manage to eat it all. The non bad back man turned up at the pub.

Two Belgians with beards tell me Val is here to take me to Gibbs Hill Farm.

Val is 71 and is in a pickup. My first time in one. Gibbs Hill Farm is about a mile from the wall. Boots off outside. My room is large and comfortable. Long hot shower then down for a bottle of Becks. Long chat with David. He is in the middle of lambing. This means a month of 20 hour days. He has 600 sheep. Twins are inside and singles are outside. They own huge swathes of land from the wall to the forest and to the lough but it’s poor land. 32 miles to get round it. Used to be lots of staff and horses but now it’s bikes. He tells me lambs don’t try very hard to live! As well as the farm there is the B&B, the 3 holiday cottages and the bunkhouse. In the summer the wall is solid with hikers so I’m glad I am here now with just a few hikers and a few day trippers. Keep following the acorns (National Trail symbol). The HWP is very well marked and maintained so the Northumbria National Park rangers are doing a good job. Also relatively litter free.

When David gets time off he goes across to the Lakes and has done 70 Wainwrights.

My dad would have been 101 today.

13 miles, 21km

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I've got to get to the far end of that today! — I’ve got to get to the far end of that today!

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I was disturbed by the big hole in the roof and the washing on the line

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Thurs 9th April

Breakfast with the bearded Belgians. I’m not usually mad keen on beards but theirs are quite fun. One has a long but neat beard. I give the shorter bearded Belgian some sun cream.

We all get a lift back to the HWP at Steel Rigg and set off at 9.50. I go for a more relaxed pace although there is a teenage lad running up the hills like a puppy.

Up and down to Housesteads. A couple drop their National Trust card and I run to return it to them, could do with the boy for this. Pretty section through Scotch pines overlooking Broomlee Lough. I get in for nothing at Housesteads with my NT card. There are portaloos which are horrid and I wish I hadn’t bothered. Report the lack of hand cleaner to the staff. Eat choc ice cream. Quick trot round the fort. Came here a long, long time ago on a family holiday. Possibly as much as 50 years ago. I really cannot believe I am even saying that! Still some Ministry of Works labelling in place but a lack of apostrophes even then.

Say hello to the American walking group. They were 19 yesterday but today are only 10.

More ups and downs to Sewingshields Crags. Take the Americans’ photo and forget to ask them to take mine. Chat with an HWP volunteer who is knocking down molehills and picking up litter although he says the path is not too bad and this is so but it is early in the years for hikers.

I have my lunch in a turret.

From this point on it’s down, down and then along the side of the road, not actually on it, some wall in between. This part is a bit dull, about 3 miles.

Across the road to the Temple of Mithras which also rings a very strong bell that I have been there before. I don’t bother with Procolotia fort as it looks to be lots of grassy mounds.

Back across the road and along to Limestone Corner. This is a Roman quarry where stone has been cut but then abandoned.

Down to the road, along a bit and then to Greencarts farm, arrive about 4.25.

Sandra is Val’s pal so I give her Val’s message and we are off to a good start. I have the whole bunkhouse to myself. It’s ok, but the floors are a bit grubby. First have to make my bed which is hard when I feel so tired. Second is to have a shower but I have to use the campsite ones as the bunkhouse one is being repaired so I am very glad I brought my flip flops as it’s all a bit old and grubby but my towels and sheets are all very clean.

Sandra drives me to the pub, the Crown in Humshaugh (said Humshoff). This is the best meal so far. Grilled chicken with couscous done with herbs and broccoli and red cabbage. Washed down with Blaydon Brick beer. Sandra picks me up and back we go. Huge hare in the field next to the farm.

Today’s walk was 10 miles. I’ve decided that as I’ve now walked all the exciting bits of wall and done all the ups and downs that I will have an easy day tomorrow. It’s 19 miles from here to my last stop at Heddon-on-the-Wall although they would be easy miles they look to be a bit dull. I have a plan.

Everything is signposted in miles on the ground and on one of my maps. I find it quite hard to think in miles for walking purposes as all my maps are metric.

10 miles, 16km

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Fri 10th April

It was odd sleeping in a bunk bed without Chris being in the one above!

I had asked for poached eggs for breakfast but got 2 small fried ones with the edges cut off which S was trying to palm off as poached. Sandra friendly etc. but the place was too grubby for me to want to come here again.

Walk to Chesters and happy memories of being in the bathhouse with Carol! Nice English Heritage coffee and shortbread. Sandra suggested that I walk the dismtld rly (my favourite OS abbreviation!) to Hexham so I leave Chesters and go into Chollerford and cross the Tyne over a nice 18th C bridge. Along a permissive path to the Roman bridge abutment for the east side of the river looking across to Chesters. It’s an extensive structure and very clear in the water. I tried the old railway line but it was hard going, overgrown and soggy. Gave up at a private land sign to retrace my steps. Along the road a bit still on the HWP but no acorns or signs at all. Thought about looking at Brunton turret but instead got the bus to Hexham. The bus was 2 minutes late. Hexham is a bit tired and I wanted to leave almost immediately as I just didn’t want to be in a town. Went to tourist info and ran into the bearded Belgians from Ghent again. Their walk to Wark (said as in park) yesterday had been hard.

Back to the bus station. Nice chat with old man who reminded me of dear Dave, I’m a pushover for twinkly eyes! Bus to Corbridge was 10 minutes late. Corbridge is a nice old village. Off to the Roman town which is 15 minutes walk from the centre. It’s our own Pompeii! Ice cream in the sun. Back to the village to wait for bus to Heddon-on-the-Wall. Bus was 7 minutes late. Get off at the Three Tuns. The barman says Houghton North Farm is 500m along the road. Off I trot, it is a bit more than that. Pass a bus stop I could have got off at next to the hostel. Paula is very welcoming and this really is a nice clean hostel. I have a bunk room I can lock all to myself. My bed not a bunk is already made up. The kitchen is next door and a skinny man is cooking several tons of pasta for 9 serious skinny cyclists who are in a race tomorrow. They are Wiggins level apparently.

Paula recommends the Swan. After I’ve sorted myself out and had a nice shower it’s off to the pub. I measure the distance back to the Three Tuns because I am quite obsessive and it is 800m.

The Swan is mainly a carvery. I opt for a pint, a whole pint of Doom Bar, veg lasagne and Eton Mess. It’s all ok but the beer is the best!

Back along and then take the footpath next to the hostel signed Military Road half a mile. I can’t see it at all because crops growing on it.

Back to the hostel. Despite planning not to walk much I’ve knocked up loads of miles which wasn’t the plan at all. My feet are quite good this evening. Am very grateful to Mandy for my birthday arnica salve which has saved my feet.

14 miles, 23 km

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Sat 11th April

Very glad no ailments on this trip – no blisters, no cuts, no bruises, no insect bites. Just slight headache because of not drinking enough which was soon remedied. Very pleased with what I’ve done. It got easier each day. Still slept badly everywhere. But I like waking early and the early mornings are the best part of day for me. Bruce song accompanying me on the trip in my head was Further on up the road. Of course.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0PAZXY3ZEE]

Breakfast was a bit bonkers with the cyclists but pleasantly overlooked by Paula who made sure everyone had what they wanted. Surprise to see the 2 American women again. 12 of the 19 air force men finished the walk. They rushed off.

The Express bus got me into Newcastle. I recognised Eldon Square, decided to spend 20 minutes in the big M&S and had a coffee. Then onto the Metro to Central Station and into my First Class seat to Leeds (£1 extra). My car was still at Sowerby Bridge station much to my relief. Home before 2pm. Always funny to see how much further on the plants are in just a few days. Feels like weeks!

Gear, kit and tips

Planning was done using:

Hadrian’s Wall site

Hadrian’s Wall National Trail site

Maps:

National Trail 1:40K strip map, basic but despite the metric scale also shows exactly how many miles you’ve walked, good for detail of services available.

Harvey’s 1:40K strip map, showed better contour detail. I had the 2 maps on either side of a case so that I could quickly get the different but equally useful bits of information.

At no point did I need a compass. It would have been possible to do the whole walk without a map but you would also lose a lot of the historical detail.

I used a baggage service, Walkers’ Bags, to take my holdall to each destination. This was efficient and cheap, cost £7 per day.

Because the weather was so stunningly good I was able to ditch my waterproof jacket and trousers after the first day. I took:

Medium sized rucksack

Trekking poles (only used on one day)

Bladder for water (essential), I used about 1.5 litres each day, drink lots before you leave your accommodation.

Small first aid and emergency kit, Compeed essential here, I didn’t have to use it but if there’s a hint of a possible blister, you need to be able to deal with it. Sunscreen also essential.

Snacks, I ate a couple of energy bars each day, one mid morning and one as I started to flag near the end of each walk with a big hill looming! I didn’t eat much else but made up for it in the pubs.

Camera

Lightweight summer boots

Summer walking trousers

Short sleeve merino top

A sun hat, mine is a baseball cap with a foreign legion flap, I don’t care how stupid I look and I can always tuck the flap away and look almost normal if the sun isn’t shining on my neck.

Long sleeve merino top (merino lessens the terrible smells which you get with synthetic clothes)

Light weight warm synthetic jacket

Last but not least, a small Mountain Rescue bear, who has his own ruddy Facebook page! You will find him on Facebook by searching for Little Ted.

In the holdall:

Change of clothes

Wash kit

Arnica salve, this kept my feet in one piece, lovely stuff from Neal’s Yard

Books

Supplies of snacks, energy bars etc. I had far too many of these.

Extra layers because I thought it might easily be cold and wet!

I walked the walk I wanted to do, I didn’t stick strictly to the Hadrian’s Wall Path which starts at Bowness on Solway and goes to Wallsend. Once I had got onto the path at Carlisle though I did stick to it rigidly and followed it as far as Chollerford. It all went really well and I have a great sense of achievement plus I think the Pyrenees trip is now possible.

Please support the National Amyloidosis Centre

Lots of people decide to do big things, runs and walks and climbs and raise money for charity. I managed to not spend all the money I took with me so I’ve decided to donate £2 for every mile I covered to the National Amyloidosis Centre. Those of you who know me will understand why I’m doing this and I would urge anyone who has enjoyed this blog post to donate to the NAC. Amyloidosis is a hideous illness and is rare and thus needs more research, please support them and University College London to find out more and so be able to treat patients like my dearest friend.

NAC UCL Just Giving page

Please visit Map and Compass and learn how to interpret a map and use a compass with me and my navigation partner, Cath.

Almost Spring in the Banwy valley

Fri 6th March

Carol did dialysis. Got married (our upgrade backdated to our civil partnership in 2008). Went shopping.

Sat 7th March

Drove to new holiday cottage in Llangadfan. The cottage is part of an old farm now owned by working artists (Shani Rhys James and Stephen West) (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shani_Rhys_James) We are in the calf shed. It’s clean and well equipped and remote enough. Short walk along the lane by the river. Omelette for supper. Watched the last half hour of a really bad movie with Angelina Jolie in it.

Sun 8th March

Lovely lie in and lazy start to day. Drove a few kilometres up the hill to park in the forest. Went along forestry tracks to find the Lookout Tower. I went to highest spot of forest but no lookout tower anywhere in sight. Beef casserole and baked potatoes and Cavolo Nero at home. Watched Gosford Park but both dropped off at different points. Annoying murder mystery that is not clear as to who dun it. Carol says the point is that it isn’t a murder mystery.

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Mon 9th March

Giant rabbit and a robin outside the door. V. Beatrix Potter.

Melverley wooden Jacobean church. Lovely but intensely cold. Welshpool for a small bit of shopping.

Delivered Carol to holiday dialysis. You can’t just turn up. First of all she has to send in blood samples in advance. Then she has to book the sessions. She basically gets the slots the local patients don’t want.

I drove back towards Criggion passing several old MOD buildings http://www.bbc.co.uk/shropshire/content/articles/2005/04/09/20th_century_criggion_masts_feature.shtml to park near the hideous scar of a giant quarry that has torn most of the hillside away. Walked up Breidden Hill 300m to Rodney’s pillar (Admiral). It only rained a bit on the way back down. It was so windy at the top that I couldn’t walk round the pillar and had to wedge myself against the trig point to take a photo.

Picked Carol up. Whilst waiting a fellow renal patient asked me if I was her mother (because we look alike)!

We watched a couple of episodes of the Twilight Zone.

P1030403 — River at Melverley. Terribly cold there.

Tues 10th March

Drove into mountains via Lake Vyrnwy. Nice dry day with some sun. Walked from Llanymawddwy along a good track. Carol managed a bit further and higher than when we were here last year.

Back to cottage and out to Just 3 Drops bistro in Llanfair Caereinion for a large meal. We both ate too much. Peroni on draught, I’d never had that before and it was a proper treat! I had pate selection and toast followed by fettuccine in creamy sauce with chicken, mushrooms and Parmesan. Carol had goats cheese log followed by beef and chorizo cassette with mashed potato, dumpling and petit pois. She also had chocolate ganache and a cup of tea. I had a fruit tea and 2 chocolate truffles. We were so full we couldn’t move. Greedy old gits!

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Weds 11th March

Oswestry for shopping and market. Then to Welshpool for Carol’s dialysis. I went off to climb one of the other of the 3 volcanic peaks. Moel y Golfa. Climbed up through woodland very steeply. A little bit of hands on scrambling to reach the top. Romany monument at top to father and son Romany Chell, not sure if this means a Romany leader or if it is contraction of Romanichal. Down along the spur on the other side nearly to the bottom then contoured back along past several farms. Back up into the wood and round to where I started.

Picked Carol up. Back to cottage and watched Airplane. Very sophisticated holiday viewing schedule!

MOD establishment with strange dead ring around it.

Thurs 12th March

Lazy start to day. Drove to Pont Llogel and walked along the river Vyrnwy to Dolanog and back. This was along the Ann Griffiths Way. We thought we had completed this walk last summer but actually we only did half of it then, so this does now finish it off. River badly polluted by strands of agricultural plastic festooning the trees overhanging the river for the entire length we walked. I’ve reported this to Powys Council and to Keep Wales Tidy. Weather forecast had lied and the rain came on heavily just as we got back to the car.

I bought some non self service diesel and that felt like a treat.

C had fun with the washer and dryer.

Chicken and veg pasta with purple sprouting broccoli.

More Twilight Zone.

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Managed to take photo without a dangling piece of plastic festooning the branch

Fri 13th March

My birthday. Went across to Borth to see Chris in her new flat. Chris and Carol gave me a tarp which I’m hoping to use on my Pyrenean trip later this year. The idea is so that I don’t have to sleep like a sardine with complete strangers. We went out to Ffarmers and had spicy bean burger (me), beef burger (Chris) and fish and chips (Carol). All very yummy. I had almond slice with ice cream and have now forgotten what the others ate. This was my 3rd visit and continues to be a good place to eat. Back to Borth and along to Ynaslas to look at the estuary and the mountains. Drove back via Cadair Idris and a quite exciting long road down to the Brigands’ Inn and back to the cottage.

Sat 14th March

Packed up. Said goodbye to Shani and Steve. Went back via the little lanes to Llanfyllin. Home in good time for Carol to get unpacked and onto dialysis machine. This is where we stayed: http://dolpebyll.co.uk/

Please visit Map and Compass and learn how to interpret a map and use a compass with me and my navigation partner, Cath.

Lakes late August 2014

Thursday

This was a short trip across to the Lakes. Carol went on the machine before we set off. We had planned to wild camp but the weather had been awful and the forecast was poor so instead we had 3 nights at Belle Green Farm Bed and Breakfast which we went to last year. But reckon we needed nice beds after the worrying time we’ve been having anyway. It’s a really nice B&B, highly recommended with wonderful beds! I meant to see what make the mattress was but forgot! And of course the weather didn’t do any of its forecast horrors.

When we arrived we just had a short stroll to Esthwaite Lake which is lovely. You could just sit there for hours and watch the swans and ducks. So peaceful and nobody else around.

We ate our own food in the B&B downstairs.

Friday

We drove to Dunnerdale and stopped in Broughton on Furness on the way. As usual we managed to get talking to an old geezer called Chris East in the Clocktower Gallery. Broughton is a very pretty village with a proper square and some stocks. Chris East does very arresting paintings and I wish I’d bought one, am now in email contact with him so will see what happens. He’s also in a band called Legend which rang a dim bell alongside Mickey Jupp which rang a louder one. They’re all Essex boys who’ve ended up in the Lakes.

We then went on to park for a short walk to Devoke Water so I could show Carol my projected wild camp site and she reckoned it would be ok too. But it is a big wind tunnel so I’m still thinking to look for somewhere else. It scores well as it’s easy to reach from the road and no hills to climb for C.

Back via Torver and a stop at a deli I’d spotted. Some nice grub in there but very expensive. A restaurant on the side called Wilson’s which we’ve earmarked for next time. Also considering Sawrey House Hotel in Near Sawrey.

Back for a rest and then out again to Green’s Bistro in Grasmere. This wasn’t a great success although the food was fine. Just a bit noisy for us.

Back at Belle Green the fire had been lit and I drank whisky by it.

Saturday

Drove to Little Langdale. Decided to hold on Lingmoor Fell for now as quite a steep climb. Instead headed off to walk to Tilberthwaite. We got a good way but decided to return so that we still had time for shopping in Ambleside! Whilst there a fire engine and several ambulances raced through – this was for the terrible accident where 2 people died in a shed at a wedding reception when the fireworks blew up.

Back for another rest and then out to the Tower Bank Arms in the village for dinner. Pleasant restaurant room at the back of the pub.

Sunday

Set off straight after breakfast, home by midday so that C could get onto the machine.

Please visit Map and Compass and learn how to interpret a map and use a compass with me and my navigation partner, Cath.

Llanfechain March 2014

15-20 March

Sat 15th

We arrived in Llanfechain after a visit to Sainsbury in Oswestry. After getting settled in we set off for the circuit from the cottage.

We went to the Lime Kiln in Porth-y-Waen. C had a Swiss burger and I had plaice with a sort of hot salad. It was very nice.

Sun 16th

We parked up just north of Trefonen and walked a chunk of Offa’s Dyke. Fabulous day warm and sunny. C did very well with some quite steep sections. Back for chicken and pasta. Watched half of Skyfall.

A quick bit of whittling as Offa passed by

Mon 17th

We got up early to whizz into Welshpool to the brand new renal unit for C’s holiday dialysis session. As I drove off to whizz up a hill my wing mirror glass fell off and I suddenly became unable to drive my car. I couldn’t even parallel park!! I went to Oswestry and got a replacement glass at Halfords. By the time I’d sorted all this out I didn’t have enough time to do any hill whizzing so instead I went back to Welshpool for coffee and a chocolate brownie. I picked Carol up and we went off to Rhydycroesau. We walked a bit of a Ron’s Ramble which I shortened for C who had not been feeling so good. Watched the rest of Skyfall.

Before I saw this hut from this angle I said "if this was in Finland it would be a compost loo!" — Before I saw this hut from this angle I said “if this was in Finland it would be a compost loo!”

Tues 18th

It was wet so I started off with a run of the circuit from the house. Then to Oswestry for a mooch including coffee and cake in Booka which is a really great independant bookshop. Then back to Rhydycroesau to eat our lunch and to walk around the lanes above Llangedwyn. Back to the cottage and out again to drive to Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog which is across a small mountain on mountain lanes. The Hand has an AA rosette but the food wasn’t that exciting although lots of it. C had beef lasagne and I had veg crumble which came with bread and chips. Then we were overcharged but they apologised for this. Lovely drive back along the lanes in the moonlight with the big orb shining brightly through the trees.

There are quite a lot of memorials where the war went on beyond 11/11/18

I've got a thing about lines of trees on skylines — I’ve got a thing about lines of trees on skylines

Weds 19th

We had a lazy start then drove up to Lake Vrynwy top end wanting to do an anti clockwise circuit but the road was blocked for tree clearing. We’ve seen so many trees blown over. We walked a bit on some forestry tracks but found we couldn’t even get past the tree blocks without a lot of difficulty. There had also been considerable landslip and more downed trees further on if we did pass the first lot. Retraced our steps and went up the road instead practicing some relocation and measuring techniques. Back for Welsh dragon sausages, baked beans, boiled spuds (no masher) and mushroom and tomato mix. Ever so sophisticated dining at home. Watched The Butler DVD kindly provided by our hostess. I got distracted by American pronunciation of Cecil (thought it was seesaw) and the lack of 2 whole presidents (Ford and Carter).

Thurs 20th

We came home but first called in on our landlady Nicky in her new home which is a white cottage near the river. She showed us some of her photos. I can’t help liking that she knew/knows Warhol, Hockney, Patti Smith, Robert Mapplethorpe, Mick Jagger. I’ve been trying to read Patti Smith’s autobio since I saw her playing at Burnley Mechanics last year but it’s very poorly written so I only pick it up (it’s on my phone) when I’m filling time and I’m a bit bored. Nicky says Patti has used some artistic licence about the early days! I need to read the book a bit more but this is something to do with Patti and Robert not being able to afford the Chelsea Hotel. This is an article about Nicky and her friends: http://dulwichonview.org.uk/2012/08/21/how-i-met-andy-nicky-weymouth-and-the-team-of-bohemians/

Please visit Map and Compass and learn how to interpret a map with me and my navigation partner, Cath.

Snow Time in Finland February 2014

The photos in this post are a mixture of mine and Chris’s.

Sat 1st February

Chris picked me up and drove us to Gatwick stopping a couple of times on the way. Nice easy journey. Arrived at Sofitel, (perhaps a new venture for my dear cousin Sophy?!) We were met by a somewhat morose doorman in a long coat and a driver who took Chris’s car away. Mr Grumpy took us to reception in the grand atrium. Our room was fine and looked onto the central courtyard. We put the Prosecco in the fridge and wandered over the indoor walkway to the terminal to look at the shops which were a bit rubbish and to buy our breakfast in M&S.

An aperitif and then prepaid dinner in the hotel. We both had pasta mains, mine with funghi and Chris’s with carbonara, washed down with big glasses of Sauvignon. Nice young man from South Africa served us, very excited as he has not yet seen snow and was hoping it would come.

Back for après drinks. Read a bit and tried to sleep.

Sun 2nd February

She snored and I sneezed and we both had terrible indigestion which I blame on the pasta.

At 3.20 we had to wake up fully to check out so that we could then check in at 4.10. All was fine and for once I didn’t get a good work over at security.

As we took our seats on the plane in a set of 3, I asked the girl on the end if she was with Exodus too and she said yes. She made no further remarks, so I thought she must be shy. I offered her a boiled sweet which she took but still didn’t say anything except thanks. And then another but still nothing. I was starting to think she was a bit lacking and wondering about a whole week in her company. As we landed I gave her another sweet. She thanked me and that was it, off we went. We didn’t land on snow, the runway had been cleared, a minor worry I’d had. Kuusamo is a tiny airport, ours was the only plane there. We were met by Bjorn aka Teddy. 25 of us onto a coach but not my sweet eating companion!

We set off and were immediately driving through forest on snow with no other cars hardly. Some more on the main road but not many. Past the turn into the town, past the ski resort of Ruka which is tiny and has the only big hill in the vicinity. The snow deepened as we went into the national park and the roads narrowed. Before long we got to Basecamp Oulanka (u not pronounced). Lunch of sweet potato soup and black bread. Pancake pudding. Very good. Then we were issued with equipment in a very hot room, we got 3 layers of legs and 3 of tops, boots, rucksack, sit mat, 2 pairs gloves, mittens and a hat. Later a headlamp and a flask. This took a long time. We had been given a double room and not a twin and this was not what we wanted or had paid for. The Basecamp staff sorted us out so that we had a double room each and they did this quickly but it was an Exodus cock up. We had to wait while my new double room was readied. I don’t know how those sharing a double room managed to fit 2 lots of the kit we’d just been given into one cupboard.

Bjorn gave us a long and complicated briefing for the week and we worked out what we wanted to do.

Unpacked, then dinner at 7 pm of salad and elk stew with potato. Choc cake for pud. We shared it.

At 8.30 went to Chris’s cabin for tea (her) and hot choc (me) with rum.

At 9 Carol rang, just coming off the machine so I rang her at 10, really flagging, so tired had lost ability to speak, only 8 pm at home.

Mon 3rd February

Slept for hours and hours. Woke at 8.15. Breakfast of muesli and yoghurt, black bread, ham, cheese and salad. Coffee comes out of kettle on hot plate. Berry juice, water, tea and coffee available all the time in the big room.

Issued with snow shoes and walking poles. Out to the lake where we put them on, much easier design than when I last did this. Game of frisbee to warm up and gain confidence in running with them on. Into the forest. Walk on toes to go up and bounce like a trotting horse to go down (well that was my way of doing it). Also down slope on bum. Hugged a tree to hear the silence and feel the stillness. Went to viewpoint over frozen river, the rapids not frozen. Dipper dipping. To the mill and back to base.

Lunch of salmon and dill soup and black bread.

Some time later Chris and I went out on self guided walk on the Little Bear trail. The bears are currently hibernating. Went across suspended wobbly bridge over rapid river and later another bridge across frozen river, we heard it lapping underneath.

We went to a forest hut with lots of logs complete with hefty axe and saw. Also an outdoor compost loo which I made use of. Then back in the nearly dark. Sunset is at 3.30 but could still see when we got back at 4.45. Likewise I could see before sunrise at 9 this morning.

Change and then to the hot tub. Shower first. Hot tub not hot enough. Bit slippy on getting out onto ice. Eloise went for snow roll from hot tub (how brave) and came back in which possibly lowered the temperature!! Out and quick hot shower then back for shower in room but I picked a bad time as everyone was doing this so the water went off in the middle of hair conditioning but it all came right eventually.

G&T in Chris’s cabin. Dinner of chicken, veg and rice with curry sauce followed by salad. Pud was cake for Jenny’s birthday so she got up to blow out her candle and then Gary got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. She said yes. Not a dry eye in the place!

Back to my cabin for tea and hot choc with rum.

Tues 4th February

Didn’t sleep so well, itching and scratching and still too hot so turned the heating off which didn’t make much difference. Into plush minibus to Riisitunturi park about 45 mins away, stopping to drop off one lot of dog sledders and pick up another lot who have to exchange the 4th layer of clothing which is ski pants and coats. I’m sure they haven’t divided us up size wise so not sure how this works. The park has a small 380 m hill where the snow clumps very heavily on the trees and makes strange shapes out of them. Very like those in Stephen King’s The Shining which I’ve just read or Narnia if you prefer less scary.

Norra led us along with Tessa, a Finn and Lisa, a volunteer (I think) from the UK. Norra says she does feel Scandinavian which I asked because of an online conversation I’d had with one of my relations. Great walk although misty so no views but mysterious and quite magical despite having to join in the games for Exodus’ 40th birthday. We have a slightly disappointing packed lunch of fruit juice, energy bar, raisins, sandwich made by us and a heavy sweet bun.

Back at Basecamp we start to make a Sami drum out of reindeer skin. It is intricate and absorbing work and a bit like being back at school although Bjorn is a kind teacher.

We then go off for dinner in the dark in a shelter with a big fire pit. We have elk with mashed potato, pickled gherkins and lingonberry jam. Also juice. Then we make pancakes. By this time I feel I’m coming down with a cold. We go back and finish the actual drum making. Back to Chris’s cabin for hot choc and rum.

Weds 5th February

Woke up in the night feeling gruesome but on waking this morning I have a cold but feel OK.

We drive off with Anneka back to Riisintunturi wearing even more clothes to meet Lauri at the husky farm, he is a gentle giant Laplander. I have the first team behind him, Chris behind me and then the other 4 plus Lauri’s handsome but silent colleague. I have a team of 4, Chris has 6. We set off after instruction at quite a lick. The dogs crap on the go so it’s important to brake for this, brake for downhill slopes, brake when the one in front stops. My dogs were quite good and I would have liked them to go a bit faster, they went quite slowly on the flat stretches and then fast down hills. Cornering was fab. We went up through the snow covered trees into the park. Very exhilarating for 10 km. Lauri has 60 dogs and knows them all, they all know their names. They got a gravy drink at the end and eat in the evening. 500 g mix of meat and biscuit.

Back to Basecamp. Fish soup for lunch which I quite liked despite not being big on fish. Spicy bun for pud.

Bjorn gave us kick sleighs to play with which got us used to falling over and not having any control over direction.

Issue of shoes and skis.

On the lake we first practised moving around on skis, then scootering on one leg then the other leg then bringing it together. Bjorn is very long and thin and showed us the desired movements in slow motion which was a most amazing sight with the length of his legs!

We tried a few goes but when Bjorn suggested the round the lake trip Chris decided to go home. We went over to a settlement and then Bjorn brought us back across a short slice of lake rather than the whole enormous thing. We did about 3 km and I only fell off right at the finish line. It was nearly dark so we went into the wood with our headlamps on. We walked up a little slope and tried to go down it. Pippa was very good at all of it. Jonathan succeeded with some minor wobbles and I veered off to the left and had to fall over to avoid the trees!

Dinner of veg lasagna and salad and apple cake with vanilla sauce.

Finished off our drums. Rang home a bit late.

Rum in my cabin.

Thurs 6th February

Set off just after 10.30 and snow shoed by ourselves to the frozen waterfall and could see Castle Rock. Very glad we hadn’t paid an extra charge to walk this in a group. It was a lovely walk but perfectly manageable on our own. We ate some nuts and choc but the Picnic bar for Chris was rock hard and my water bottle froze. Got back to Basecamp for a clothing change and then onto the minibus taxi with Eileen and Jack to go to Ruka which is small tacky looking ski resort to pick up those who had been doing snowmobiling and skiing there. As we waited I looked out the window and the skiers appeared as if they were in mid air.

Then to the reindeer farm, which was quite high and much, much colder, I put on all my layers (5) which was only just enough.

Mika took us to see 2 reindeer and the sleigh. Chris and I got in and our reindeer was hooked in and off we went on a very small circuit at a very gracious pace, more stop than go and the complete opposite of the huskies. Everyone had a twirl round doing this.

Then we went into the female reindeer pen to feed them moss which looked more like lichen. They liked this alright. Mika showed us to a little barn with a blazing fire. We took our boots off and put our feet on reindeer skins. It was very dark in the shed and smoky. First Mika gave us reindeer sausages already cooked to warm on the fire. Delicious and good with mustard. Then a cup of kettle coffee and a pastry made by his partner Satu’s mother. Needed spices or at least sugar. He told us the work of the reindeer farmer’s year which is hard and how reindeer farming operates in a commune type system. Then he sold us some crafts and the bus came to take us back to Ruka. We picked up the rest who had waited nearly half an hour in the cold for us. Back to Basecamp. Dinner of rainbow trout, mixed roast veg. Salad. Ice cream and berry sauce.

We sat around with the rest of the group in the evening for a change.

Back to Chris’s cabin for rum.

Fri 7th February

Terrible night with nose dripping all night meaning I had to blow it about every 15 mins. Finally managed about 3 hours unbroken sleep. Chris also hadn’t slept well.

We decided not to build a quinsee and joined the snow shoe group plus 2 other couples who had opted out. Norra led us on the whole of the Little Bear trail. Fabulous walk through the forests and across frozen lakes. 10 km in 5.5 hours total which is not bad on snow shoes with lots of stops for drinks and photos. We stopped at a woodshed for lunch. Chris and I had made a small sandwich from the black bread and I had an egg which we added to our copious supplies of sweet things. We didn’t pay for a packed lunch as we didn’t feel it was worth the price. Norra quickly lit a fire using firelighters and matches she had brought and wood from the shed which the government provides for free. Some toasted their sandwiches. On the return section we went up 252 steps which was hard work as they were mostly snow covered but some had been reduced to ice so the bear claw part of the snow shoe was very necessary.

Back for hot choc and a doughnut. Then we went to the hot tub for C and sauna for me. So hot I couldn’t put my feet down.

I have had 4 showers today!

Dinner of elk stew with rice and barley, salad and quark pud with fruit basically a creamy fruity dish and v good.

To my shed for rum and hot drink and early to bed to sleep more and get better.

Sat 8th February

Dog day.

Early start but our taxi was late. Drove for quite a while to Jaksamontie where Lauri, Marika and the 60 dogs live. First we togged up in their home which was quite old fashioned Scandi bling and reminded me of the B&B in Koenigstein. I got to model an all in one snowmobile padded boiler suit suitable for Everest. We met some husky puppies. Then to our sleds. The solo sledders set off first with another quiet handsome man then Lauri, then us, me in the sled with Chris driving then 3 more doubles behind us. I was wrapped up with a duvet and a reindeer skin on top. We set off at the usual cracking pace through the forest and on up into Riisitunturi park. I was glad for all my 5 layers top and 3 bottom. Chris was a good driver. She had to push the 8 dogs up a hill and pulled a muscle in her groin doing this. At halfway to lunch we stopped for a drink and swopped over. Our dogs were pretty good although one seemed constipated and we had frequent stops to deal with his poo non events.

A complete stop for lunch at a forest shelter. The soloists had arrived some 20 mins before and helped to carry the pots and pans and light the fire. We sat on our reindeer skins, used the compost loo and warmed up. Lunch was a long, slow drawn out affair. First elk stew with lots of cheese in it. Then bread with cheese on it. Then hot berry desert with cheese sounds bad but it was very, very good. Then coffee mixed with a splash of water in the dessert cup. Back into the sleds, this time with a thicker longer reindeer skin over me, sorry to whoever got my little one instead. I took some videos as we went along on our 8 dog open sleigh. At one stop John and Eileen’s 2 front dogs came up alongside me. The nearest sniffed and licked my reindeer and then ripped a huge chunk out of it. I tried to stop him and Lauri said doggo mustn’t eat anything but he started growling at me so I gave up on this thankless task.

We swopped over again putting the headlamps on and skated back to Lauri’s dog farm. Very magical whizzing through the snow by torchlight all spread out.

Back to Basecamp for shower, return all the kit, dinner of salmon and fried potatoes, salad, sort of Bakewell tart pudding. Paid our bills. Bjorn gave us a slide show of what it’s like there in the summer and a film of our week which he will send us.

To Chris’s room for a last hot rum, then packing then sleep.

Coming to get you... — Coming to get you…

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Oh To Be In Finland from Jak Radice on Vimeo.

Sun 9th February

Checked out, last breakfast and Bjorn took us to the mill to convene with silence, stillness and nature.

Bus arrived and Bjorn said we had arrived as guests and left as friends which felt very true despite the cynics!

Lisa with her broken arm said goodbye as not allowed to fly. Any excuse to stay longer.

To tiny airport, one tiny other plane there. Smooth procedures, no nagging about weight allowances, my case now lighter. Chris’s heavier. Eloise had 2 v small bags, I must look into lighter packing and holdalls.

Some small shopping and a coffee and onto plane.

I loved Finland, the food, the plumbing, the peace, the quiet, the wilderness, the people. And for Carol I did not see one single piece of litter all week.

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wilderness group from björn lindell on Vimeo.

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