Huesca is a lovely little Spanish city that is worth a day or two. I stopped here because I thought it was at the end of the train line, but it apparently continues to near the French border. Regardless, it was a perfect point into the Pyrenees.
I needed trekking poles since TSA considers them to be more dangerous than a sharpened pencil. But it just so happened to be a Saturday when most stores Read on...
After a flight, we left the minus temperature and snow in Calgary behind to arrive in La Paz with a temperature of C. A departure delay and then arrival delays, resulted in us arriving in La Paz just in time for dinner so provisioning Rukba, a 41 Beneteau, had to wait until the morning. The crew went into town to buy provisions while I had the chart briefing and boat orientation. As soon as the Read on...
Heading down to UCLA for a basketball game is normally a big deal. The Bruins play in Pauley Pavilion, and have won eleven NCAA National Championships, mostly under legendary Coach John Wooden. It was dedicated in 1965, named for UC Regent Edwin Pauley, who matched alumni contributions. It was renovated in Attending a game there, despite the teams modest success of late, is still quite magical. I Read on...
Short km day planned for 3 main reasons7km of beach walking - not a huge deal but sometimes the sand is sinky and the gradient steep which makes it more laborious, andTorbay Inlet possibly impassable and requiring an approximately 18 km detour walk aroundI really want to have lunch at the coffee shop at Cosy Corner which is a short diversion from the track (didnt make it last time as it was at the Read on...
Three groups of four walkers each set off at intervals to make up our city walk this week. In Griffith Woods, autumn surrounded us: dried grass, bare trees, traces of old snow, hidden animals. Only tiny Wood Violets twinkled spring colour.
The excellent path, groomed but natural, cherished our feet for most of the way west along multiple strands of the Elbow River. The still water shone with refl Read on...
I need to get up early to try to repack my entire belongings into 1 manageable pack from which to work from for this next chapter of the trip- it takes an hour to create order from the explosion of my stuff from yesterday. Head down the stairs for an early breakfast- it is too early for Marians so sit in the garden for a bit until the kitchen guy is organised. Eggs, coffee, yoghurt, muselei, chees Read on...
We wake to more bad COVID news from back home; another cases yesterday, and theres now talk of the lockdown being extended for at least the next two weeks. The prospect of going home and being locked up in the cold and gloom is not feeling all that attractive, so we start to discuss the possibility of extending our stay up here in the warm sunny north west of our vast land. Our credit cards are Read on...
Our first visit to Cambridge. We travelled by train from Peterborough, collected a map when we arrived and settled down at Cafe. Euro for a delicious coffee while we planned what to do. We decided on a Hop on Hop off tour which would help us get an overview of the city. £13.50 each and we were on our way. We travelled about half way passing the Fitzwilliam Museum, Jesus College, the Cambridge Uni Read on...
Today we drive to Arles 56 minutes by car from Avignon. Arles was once a Roman city and the old town has narrow streets and is know as a place Vincent Van Gogh lived and worked. We park near a large outdoor market. Mark buys a hat and I buy some handmade soap. We buy a museum pass and visit the Les Arenes (colosseum). The colosseum holds 12,000 spectators. We are not able to enter the colosseum be Read on...
(Day 112 on the road) The area south of Medellin is coffee country. My flight from Cartagena put me right in the thick of it, in the city of Pereira. And thus I spent the next few weeks exploring the region, starting with some beautiful hot springs near the village of Santa Rosa de Cabal, before moving on to the hot springs near Manizales. Now, Manizales is one of those Colombias cities which mos Read on...