Author: Claire

So much has happened since my last post, I don’t even know where to start! The updates will unlikely cover a couple of posts, so I will start with the my amazing albeit whirlwind trip through the Balkans in August. Travelling through an organised tour (https://www.traveltalktours.com/tour/balkan-discovery-19/), I spent 10 days exploring 7 different countries, all while meeting numerous weird and wonderful people along the way. Like I said, it was a whirlwind, but it was eye opening and gave me the opportunity to get a general feel of where I would like to return as a solo traveller.

Throughout the 10 day tour, we heard a lot about the wars that ripped the area apart, as well as the various takeovers over the years that have affected the communities throughout the Balkans. I may touch upon these, however my knowledge and writing is not up to the levels needed to accurately convey what has happened over the years. However what I can say, is that with former Ottoman rule, Yugoslavian history, and ongoing wars, the area is a melting pot of religion and culture, which lends itself to a vast array of mosques, synagogues, cathedrals, and churches, all beautiful and well kept beside the shelled out buildings and war monuments that inhabit the communities.

The trip started with a late night drive to Stanstead airport, a 3 hour journey, to a hotel before my 3am check-in. Arriving in Sofia, Bulgaria, I was met by some other members of my tour, 2 Aussies and a Brit, all living in London and bound to become my friends for the next 10 days (and hopefully longer). Arriving at the hotel, we met our guide and mentor, Bojan, an amazingly soft hearted yet tough Serbian man, who spent the whole tour regaling us with tales of his lovely wife and two daughters.

Following a wonderful evening’s dinner meeting my new travel buddies, and a great sleep, we embarked on the drive across the border to Belgrade, Serbia. We sat at the border for about two and a half hours, sandwiched between busses full of Bosnia students. I had a pleasant time reading and people watching, not chatting but having some much needed alone time. One of our group was pulled aside for additional passport checks, so we waited in no mans land for quite a while, but soon it was done, and we headed onwards. Starting our tour with the history of the Ottoman Empire and Yugoslavia, Bojan provided us with a great view of his home town, including the Fortress (built in 278 BC), overlooking where the Danube and Sava rivers meet. We then proceeded to eat ice cream and explore the Bohemian Quarter.

Moving onwards the following day, we headed to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. One country, two districts, three distinct peoples (Bosnians, Serbians, and Croats), and three presidents. The city was one of my favourites, full of history and culture, and wonderful food! The second city in the world to have  full-time electric tram network running through the city (after San Fran), Sarajevo is the site of one of the most famous assassinations in the world, that of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which started World War I, as well as the 1984 Winter Olympics. Unfortunately this was quickly followed by the longest siege of the Bosnian conflict in the mid-90s which left a huge physical and mental scar on the city.

Moving on from Sarajevo, we drove towards Mostar, home of the Stari Most bridge, a UNESCO World heritage spot. Again, we were greeted by war-torn buildings, but it seemed to be slowly healing. We climbed the minaret of Koski Mehmed-Pasha Mosque to get the best view of the city, and roamed the beautiful streets selling copper and materials. We then ventured towards Kravice Waterfalls to enjoy the unseasonably cooler weather (high 20’s instead of high 30’s) and unwind. Unfortunately the time of year meant that it was packed with people, but it was still a lovely experience.

The next day we headed towards Croatia, and spent the day in Dubrovnik. It was hot, packed, and touristy, and I’m not sure that I will visit again. Home to Kings Landing from Game of Thrones, the views from the walls were pretty cool, but quickly overshone by an afternoon boat trip and swim on Koločep Island accompanied by black squid risotto and good company. Due to the touristy nature of Croatia, we drove back over the border for the night, and stayed in Trebinje, a lovely town in Bosnia and Herzegovina filled with mosques, churches, adn beautifully colourful buildings.

Next stop, Montenegro! Arriving in Kotor, we were very similar views to that of Dubrovnik, minus the people. After a wonderful tour of the walled city, I chose to climb the Old Fort Trail, only 1350 steps to the top. In 30C heat this felt like 5000 but the views from the top were magnificent, and absolutely worth it to anyone wanting to see something other than city walls. Coming back down, we sought shelter from the sun, and proceeded to down copious amounts of water and electrolytes to get through the rest of the day. We ended the day in Budva, the party capital of of the Adriatic coast. I am not one to complain about accommodation, considering that I usually stay in absolute budget backpackers, however this appeared to be halfway between a University Res, and a Stag parties dream, with topless Europeans sleeping in hallways and an all night rave on the beach outside the rooms. At least I can say it was an experience, and as close to an Ibiza party weekend I ever want to come.

The following day saw us sitting in the bus for many, many hours, delayed by forest fires, a crash, and extended border crossings. After many days of socialising and not much sleep, I spent a lot of time reading, napping, and generally just enjoying not being able to do anything – forced rest was probably quite needed. The plan had been to spend some time in Albania, however the roads dictated that we wouldn’t have much more than an hour to have a tour of Tirana, the capital city, before driving straight on to Ohrid, in North Macedonia. Arriving late at night, we had decided to cancel our dinner plans, and go straight to bed, ready for a big day ahead.

The next day we headed out early to St Naum, a beautiful monastery on Lake Ohrid. Founded in 905, it is still an active religious site, adn is surrounded by springs, peacocks, and an abundance of natural beauty. Out tour guide, a professor from the local University, expressed the Macedonian view that no matter what you believe in, as long as you are a good hearted person, you are on the right track, and this was a heart warming message in a land that has been damaged by so much political and religious warring. He stated that the people of North Macedonia were accepting of everyone, and marriage between religion and ethnicities was accepted and encouraged as it has always been. After a wonderful boat trip along the natural springs, and a walk along the lake, we headed back to Ohrid for a city tour, and the drive to Skopje, the capital city.

Arriving in Skopje, we spent a wonderful night at a cultural dinner, being fed copious amounts of meats, vegetable stews, and delicious breads. After a dance and music, we headed back to the hotel for drinks as our last night as a group.

The next day saw us exploring Skopje and taking in the sites of a city that has changed hands many times over. Taken over early on by the Byzantine Empire, it became Serbian, conquered by the Ottoman Turks, then Bulgarian, Yugoslavian, and most recently Macedonian. Home to Mother Teresa, it has had extensive modernization, and is a wonderful city to spend time in. We explored the bazaar, walked up to the Fortress, and admired the myriad of statues and monuments throughout the city.

Finally we said goodbye to some of our group who were heading south to Greece, before driving back over the border to Sofia. Having not spent much time there before we left nine days prior, we enjoyed a final night and a day learning about the city, exploring the underground remnants of ancient cities, and buying some final souvenirs.

All in all the trip was a great success, despite the rush from city to city, and it provided me with much insight into the history of the Balkans. I will definitely be back to explore the areas in my own time, however I now know what to possibly avoid, and where I want to spend more time. I wish I had been able to take in a bit more of the history, however after a few days of constant information my brain was fried, and all I could do was enjoy the scenery. The people I met along the way were wonderful, and I have made friends for life I hope.

In true “me” fashion, I am sitting here writing months after the fact, so I apologise for any misinformation, lack of detail, or general lacklustre in my writing. I’m procrastinating writing reports at work, so this is my escape for a couple hours before I return more pressing issues at hand. Until next time.

Look at me updating this thing! Perhaps it’s the sheer amount of work pressure, but I constantly find myself looking for other things to do that don’t include writing reports for work, or developing new training materials. Strange isn’t it. Well let’s make the most of it.

In May, I returned from New Zealand, and immediately needed a holiday, taking off with a friend on a semi-impromptu trip to Budapest for a long weekend. Flying straight from Bournemouth, the trip was one of the most painless I’ve experienced, with seamless security checks, and fast immigration processes.

Arriving to a city baking in the sun, it was a hot day of walking around enjoying the sights and sounds of the Pest side of the river. Clocking up 20km on the first day, we stopped past the Hungarian Parliament, Shoes on the Danube, St Stephens Basilica, Dohany Street Synangue, and ended at Mazel Tov Bar for some traditional Jewish sweets. After retreating from the heat of the day, we decided on a late dinner of Mexican food and drink – not quite the Hungarian delicacy we had imagined, but delicious none the less.

Day 2 saw us heading to the Széchenyi Thermal Bath, a beautifully ornate building containing up to 18 different thermal baths and sauna’s. Starting in the outdoor pools, we moved ourselves around the complex, discovering light sauna’s, steam rooms, cooling dip pools, and my absolute favourite, a salt room, where the air felt soft and delectable. We had aimed to spend a few hours at the Baths, but after a break for some deep fried cheese and hot chips for lunch, we found that we were able to entertain ourselves (read: sit and doze in the water) well into the evening. For anyone wanting to explore the baths, it is much cheaper to buy tickets at the complex than be conned by the various websites stating they were helping you cut the lines. If you get in before 10am, the lines are minimal, and the locals are slowly leaving before the tourists arrive in hordes. Again, we ended the day eating anything but Hungarian food, choosing an all-you-can-eat Sushi resturant on the way back to the hotel.

Out last full day in Budapest took us to the Pest side of the city, and up towards the Castle. We explored the Central Market Hall, caffeinated up, and started towards the Gellert Hill, aiming for the Budapest Castle Hill Funicular. Heading up the hill, we were greeted with the changing of the guards, and realised once we returned to the UK, that a new Prime Minister was being sworn in that weekend, meaning that the official residence on the hill was in a state of change over. Again, it was a day of walking and views, and I’ve never been so glad for sturdy sneakers and sunscreen.

And finally, we headed to Margaret Island, a peaceful island in the Danube between Buda and Pest, home to some medieval ruins, lots of sporting facilities, and some friendly bars. By this stage, I was fighting a blister on the bottom of my foot, and was feeling the effects of a few solid days of walking the city, but it was a thoroughly wonderful trip away with great company. There is far too much to see in Budapest for only a few days, especially if you are one for museums and history, but I feel we were able to explore a lot of the city, and get a full feel for the culture.

Following a wonderful month of home cooking and comfort, I somehow managed to navigate the mountain of paperwork and PCR tests to be able to leave NZ again. With multiple linking flights, and 20 hours in Doha, I packed enough clothes for a full weekend of travel, and prepared myself for hell on earth.

After a long transit in Auckland, a short but complicated one in Adelaide (including going back through security again), and some uninspiring salad on the plane (I had opted for a raw vegan meal, hoping that the fruit and veg would make the journey more bearable), I arrived in Doha. A large airport with too many tech stores and not enough lounges, it took a couple hours before I found out how to leave and join a transit tour of the city.

What I wasn’t prepared for, was the fact it was Ramadan. And a Saturday. The city was dead, and wouldn’t come alive until that evening, in 12 hours time. Despite this, the tour was great, with a whole bus for just two of us, and a very knowledgeable tour guide. It was blisteringly desert hot, but the city was gorgeous, looking something like an abandoned theme park with its white buildings, squeaky clean streets, and green, well watered, parks.

Starting at the Dhow Harbour, we marvelled at the Museum of Islamic Art (Which was closed for refurbishment), looked across the water to the Business District, and took a peek at the Dhow boats, used traditionally by pearl gatherers and fisherman. We quickly moved on through the heat into the centre of the city, which until the 1970’s, contained little more than some offices and a post office.

We ended up at Katara Cultural Village, a beautifully built complex, housing an amphitheatre, restaurants, an Opera House, and much more. Unfortunately most things were closed, however we got to peek into a couple of gorgeous mosques, and learn more about the area. There is also an area of the village designed upon European culture, home to beautiful Murano Glass sculptures, and airconditioned walkways.

Finally we reached Souq Waqif, a traditional market. Selling souvenirs, clothing, spice, and Falcons (for the traditional sport of falconry), it was a wonderful visit, and definitely worth further investigation outside of Ramadan, to taste the food, and experience the culture.

Back to the airport, myself and my fellow traveller from the tour made the difficult decision not to continue exploring the city, due to Ramadan, and decided on spending the rest of the day resting before our midnight flights. We explored the airport, grabbed a nap, and finally splashed out on 6 hours in a lounge, enjoying the good food, hot showers, and comfortable chairs.

A word to the wise, if you have more than a few hours in Doha, and don’t want to pay for a lounge, explore the city! Even whilst creepily quiet, it was a beautiful experience, and next time I would splash out on a hotel and do it properly. Despite having company for much of my 20 hours, it was a hard trip, and getting back to the comfort of my flat felt like such a luxury.

Following on from the amazing outdoor adventures that I experienced with my parents while home in New Zealand, I was also lucky enough to spend a large amount of time with my closest friends, eating, drinking, and attending the weekly pub quiz with my old team. I chose to spend my time with children and dogs, swimming, walking, and resting. That month was truly the holiday that I have so needed after the last two years.

I headed down to Wellington for a night, enjoying exploring my old favourite streets and cafes, and catching up with wonderful people. It has been many years since I lived there, but nothing much changes, and it is still as beautiful along the waterfront as always.

Spending my days From the Rosie O’Grady’s Pub Quiz, to dinners at fantastic new and old (read trusty) restaurants, to getting my daily caffeine fix on George Street, Palmerston North remains much the same as it has always been. Comfortable, friendly, and reliable. The characteristics of a place to call home.

I was lucky enough to attend not one, but two friends birthday bash’s, giving me the opportunity to feel reconnected to the people and the place. I had many conversations with friends throughout my visit about the pro’s and con’s of living in NZ, and I kept coming back to family. There is nothing wrong with living within one’s comfort zone, as long as there is adventure to accompany it.

Obviously a lot of time has passed since my last post, but not much that can be written about here. So I am going to skip that chapter, and jump straight into my most recent adventure… home!

The end of March brought with it a month of bliss in New Zealand with parents, coffee, and the great outdoors. Apart from the wonderful walks along the Manawatū River and exploring the He Ara Kotahi walkway, we were lucky enough to have some fabulous days exploring the region, including Beehive Creek Walkway in Pohangina, Rangiwahia Hut Track in the Ruahine Ranges, and Kapiti Island.

Beehive Creek Track, a wonderful little there and back walk that follows the creek through a range of native bush, involves a number of water crossings and scrambles up and down. It is currently cut short due to farm work at the top of the track, however is close to the Pohangina Wetlands, lending itself to a bit more adventure for the day and is the perfect anecdote to an overcast Sunday afternoon, returning home to a gin and tonic and a book.

Our next hike was to Rangiwahia Hut in the Ruahine Ranges, an ex-ski hut with a wonderful view of the region. Having done it a number of times over the years, it was meant to be an “easy” three hour hike, however I swear it has become harder over the years! A gradual zig-zagging track interrupted by a number of sharp ascents and descents over slips, old and new, it was certainly a great day out. Lunch of tomato soup and gingernut biscuits at the Hut was the break we needed, before putting in some pace on the way down, to a welcome beer at the car. We had planned on a visit to the Apiti Tavern on the drive home for its famed burger and beers, however it was sadly closed, so it is on the list for the next trip!

The highlight of the trip was a day trip to Kapiti Island, a predator free nature reserve and sanctuary to a number of native birds. Accessible by boat, it is only open to a select few, with visits monitored by two tour operators. We booked through Kapiti Island Eco Tours, and were pleasantly surprised by the process. We were greeted by a guide and boat on the mainland, and were provided with a short talk once on the island. We decided to walk up to the peak of the Island, Tūteremoana, from which you can clearly see the main Kapiti coast. A slightly strenuous uphill hike, it was glorious weather, and we saw lots of native birds, mainly Saddlebacks and Weka. A full day of walking in the sun saw me dozing off on the boat on the way back to the car, but it was an incredible experience and I can’t believe it has taken us 20 years of being Kiwi’s to finally visit!

That’s about it from me today… there’s still plenty more but I’ll write another post in a day or so. Perhaps.

I hope no one every expects me to keep this thing updated! it appears that that simply isn’t how I operate at this stage in my life.

So…. October half term gave me another opportunity to spread my wings and explore this land that has trapped me for the foreseeable future. It was a magnificent week of city highlights and mountain scenes. I was initially booked onto a week long bus tour, but a week out, they cancelled due to lack of bookings. Instead I showed up to my hostel in Edinburgh on the first night with no plans past that first day.

In retrospect, the hostel I had booked was in the perfect location, if a little loudly and raucous for my delicate sensibilities in my old age. It was right near the Edinburgh Castle, and a stones throw from the Royal Mile, the stretch of road through the heart of the cities Old Town. I started my week with a walk through Greyfriars Kirkyard, the 16th century cemetery made famous by Harry Potter characters, many famous burials, and, of course, Greyfriars Bobby, the most famous dog in Scotland (I’m guessing).

I went on to explore the most cluttered and hectic museum I have even stepped into, learned as much as I could at the Surgeons’ Hall, and joined up with two separate walking tours; an Old Town one which was absolutely incredible (Kenny from City Explorers), and an evening Ghost Tour. Both tours were “Free” tours which mean you pay the guide however much you think they deserve at the end, so they usually put their heart and soul into delivering a truly magical experience. I have had so many good tours throughout Europe, and would recommend them to anyone wanting to learn about a new city before deciding where to spend time and money.

So in true tourist fashion, I devoted most of a day to visiting the awe inspiring Edinburgh Castle, which looks out upon the city – one can understand why it has been a stronghold for various Royals since the 11th century. Currently it is home to military museums, Government offices, and, of course, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo each August. The sounds of the One O’Clock Gun have rung out each day (apart from Sundays , Good Friday, and Christmas) since 1861, and I was lucky enough to see the tradition in action after hearing it each day while I explored the city. In true British fashion, it rained all day, but I spent the day in and out of galleries and exhibitions within the castle, reading about conflicts, the Mons Meg (one of the largest cannons in the world) and, of course, the Scottish Crown Jewels (no photos allowed I’m afraid).

During my stay in Edinburgh, I decided to look into tours out of the city, and stumbled upon the MacBackpackers three day Isle of Skye tour. It ended up as a small group of relative youngsters who wanted nothing more than to drink whiskey and walk up large hills, which I could totally get on board with (the hiking, not the drinking I’m afraid). We explored the Highland Folk Museum, Loch Ness, the Old Man of Storr, the Quiraing, Kilt Rock, Glen Coe, and the famous Doune Castle, home to Monty Python – all of it in the pouring northern rain.

Unprepared for hiking, I walked many muddy trails in jeans and my trusty Doc Martins, and faired better than my counterparts, so I must be a true Brit now. To be honest, the tour was simply a collection of beautiful lakes, moody sky’s, and large rocks (and the occasional Highland cow). But that suits me down to a t. It was a wonderful break from work and life, and I would go back in a heartbeat – what beauty!

So another month (or two) has been and gone, and we are that much closer to the end of another weird year. Covid has had the biggest impact so far on my students, with huge numbers returning to proper schooling after 18 months, displaying previously unseen anxiety, eating disorders, OCD, and self-harm. And I am not surprised! The toll that the pandemic has had on the mental health of the entire population is slowly being seen in its full extent, and we simply don’t know how to react. My workload has increased tenfold, and the respite that was granted over summer is a long distant memory.

But enough moaning – since summer, what have I been up to? I don’t really remember all that much to be honest. But what I do remember is a week travelling to the Isle of Man, a self-governing (British-ish) island in the Irish Sea, to visit a very dear friend. And what a week it as!

Managing to jump successfully through the hoops of modern travel without having to isolate on either end, I found myself in little B&B in the capital, Douglas, close to bus routes and “historic” sites, such as the Manx Electric Railway. Providing direct access to the base of Snaefell, the highest mountain on the Island, the railway links to the mountain railway, which continues the journey up, providing amazing views of the island.

Throughout the week, we took the opportunity to drive around the island, visit monuments and museums, see beautiful sunsets, and eat amazing food. We explored the towns, visited the Laxey Wheel (the largest working waterwheel in the world), explored Castle Rushen, and walked up Bradda Head overlooking Port Erin. Even on grey cloudy days, the island is a beautiful place, and the people are extremely friendly. We chatted to everyone we met, and even met a Kiwi woman selling honey and bees wax wraps at the Isle of Man Food and Drink Festival.

So despite the torrent of work, numerous dentist visits, hundreds of money spent on car repairs, and the overwhelming sense of impending doom (as is natural nowadays I’m certain), I have at least spent some quality time with a great friend before she becomes one of the lucky ones, and returns to Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud. Our adventures have gotten me through much of the last 18 months, and I am forever grateful for that.

Its that time of year again, the summer holidays. Usually this means I hide away in the office (or at home) while the crowds descend upon town, but not this year, not yet anyway. This year has been a classic British summer – grey, windy, and all together meh. Don’t get me wrong, there was nearly a week of “heatwave”, but I was in bed with an ear infection and a temperature, so no swimming or adventures in the sun. Instead I lay on top of my bedding with a wet facecloth on my face and a fan pointed directly at me, taking copious amounts of steroids and painkillers. But I digress… there was some heat, but not enough to be able to call it summer weather.

So here we are, wiling away the hours of quiet, no emails from schools, no urgent assessments, no meetings. Just me and my laptop, writing reports, reading articles, trying to keep busy. It’s a lonely life without an office of colleagues, but I am finding my rhythm. As long as I stick to my routines, I am still semi-productive. Theses routines, however, now appear to include coffee shops and breakfast outings, which is not conductive to saving for travel, but what’s the point anymore. I appear to be stuck here at least for now.

So what is my go-to breakfast you ask? Black coffee, and anything with egg and vegetables – egg and avocado, egg and spinach, egg and mushroom. I’m a creature of habit. Every now and then I notice a delicious sounding pancake stack, or a classic British fry up, but I know what I like, and I know what makes me feel utterly disgusting afterwards. It’s all about moderation after all. Plus I rarely get my 5+ a day without vegetables at breakfast!

Do I get any actual work done during these café work hours? That, my friends, is debatable. I certainly feel like I get something done, but whether it is the work that I need to be focusing on, is another question entirely. But whatever gets me through the day, right?

So todays coffee shop outing is done, my car parking is about to expire, and I need to go to the gym. Maybe tomorrow I will try a new place, somewhere further from home, somewhere with a view, just to feel like I’m on holiday. Or maybe I will actually go on holiday. Or maybe not. Nothing is certain at the moment, and that’s ok!

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Not a lot has happened since I last wrote. England had its “freedom day”, when all restrictions lifted, lost the Euro’s (football), and gained more Covid cases. Par for the course really, considering no one has to wear masks anymore, and people can gather in tiny places by the hundreds, of not thousands.

We have been lucky enough to escape it all, for the most part, venturing out to the Forest of Dean and Snowdon before the summer holidays began and the children ran wild. It’s a strange sight to have the shops full again, most people choosing not to wear masks, and having the holiday makers descend upon the city.

Unfortunately I have been plagued with injury and ear infections, and have spent much of the recent “heat wave” lying on my bed with a fan directed straight at me, but now that the sun has gone away again, I appear to be back to full (ish) health.

We were lucky enough to have a lovely couple weekends away, making the most of the warmth to camp in Wales, and explore the area. We stayed in the Forest of Dean for a weekend, and, in true weakness, we decided against braving the rain, and instead explored Cardiff for a day. It was Euro’s time, and of course that meant that the laptop accompanied out camping trip. This couldn’t be missed.

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The Following week was a lovely one near Caernarfon in Northern Wales, at the base of Mount Snowdon. In true “us” fashion, everyday was cloudy on the mountain, but we bit the bullet and walked anyway. A beautiful scramble and some amazing yet fleeting scenes later, we reached the peak and looked out into the greyness. What an experience! But the campsite was incredible, and mostly quiet until the weekend arrived, and so too did the hordes.

I may have bought a new phone with a super camera – can you tell?

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We were lucky enough to be able to explore a little while we were in Wales, and visited the Beaumaris Castle, the greatest castle never finished. Started about 1300, it was captured and recaptured may times, but never finished. It is a beautiful piece of architecture, and would have been grand in its time, albeit not quite complete. We also popped over to Penmon Lighthouse and looked out over Puffin Island, somewhere that is definitely on the list for later adventures.

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For now we are back home, and although I have lots of leave to take, there appears to be little respite from the workload. Fingers crossed we will get some more travels in before summer is over, and even more so as the world opens.

So my habit of not communicating well seems to have seeped into my blog as well. Oops. What has happened since we last spoke? Well, a few things.

In late March, we were lucky enough to have a weekend in Scotland, that lined up beautifully with my birthday. What a coincidence! It was a lovely weekend in a little Shepard’s Cottage that we found on Airbnb, and it was perfect. We ate, explored, and read, while experiencing sunshine, snow, and hail.

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Then in April, a work trip to London turned into another adventure of eating and walking. We cycled along the Thames, explored markets, and went to a pub for the first time since Christmas. It was a complete relief to be able to feel normal again, to walk around the city, and to just be ourselves. Unfortunately it was spontaneous, and Doc Martins are not the most conducive to walking for many long hours, but the enjoyment of the trip by far made up for the blisters.

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In May, a friend come down to Dorset for an amazing weekend of sun and adventure. We explored Corfe Castle, an 11th century stronghold that held its own for many years due to being wonderfully perched upon a hill overlooking the Dorset countryside. We proceeded to explore the Jurassic Coast, walking from Lulworth Cove to Durdle Door and back, with a lovely fish and chips evening on the beach. It was a truly lovely weekend filled with laughter and sunshine, and much needed connection, as well as the first swim of the season!

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June finally brought wonderful weather, camping, and boating, with lots of socialising and adventuring. We spent a wonderful weekend camping in Dartmoor with nothing more than a tent and a bog loo (composting toilet), and walked up a Tor or two in thick cloud. It’s becoming a habit of ours that every time we explore we are hit by changeable weather – ah England. We spent a lovely weekend enjoying the boat, eating at lovely little pubs, enjoying live music on the cliff overlooking the beach with friends, and tending to sunburnt backs. June has also brought ridiculous amounts of pollen and I feel completely attacked, currently inhaling possibly toxic amounts of hayfever tablets every day.

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The UK social distancing rules were due to be relaxed further in a couple weeks, however tonight brought a change in plans, with another 4 weeks of restrictions in place. Not that it changes much, except clubs and music venues – neither of which appeal to me at the moment. But I’m fully vaccinated, the weather has been splendid (how British am I?), the company even better, and I am looking forward to a summer of swimming, camping, and hiking. And hopefully vanning.