What's going on.

My car was iced up this morning and my 400+ mile journey today was mostly in freezing fog, I am not amused. Besides the change in weather conditions the contrast in accommodation was something as well, I left a four star apartment in Gran Canaria and stayed in a tiny room in Pamploma University student accommodation last night which is affiliated to the youth hostel association of which I am now a member, better late than never.
Last night I was stuck in the middle of the university campus so I settled for a machine meal that cost less than two euros (seriously subsidised, it would have been ten times that at the airport) I am spoiled for choice now being surrounded by restaurants so it looks like it is steak tonight.

Maspalomas to Gwytherin

According to google maps I was 2600 miles from home this morning now in Pamplona I only have a little less than 1100 miles to go. I am going to miss Lidl which was just around the corner, for their croissants and  their Perlenbacher beer at 70p a litre and of course the advantage of being able to swan around in shorts and T shirt in December.

Tomorrow I leave Spain for an unhurried drive through France stopping at Tours and Calais and the plan then is to catch an early ferry to Dover on Tuesday 20th so that will give me plenty of time to get home that afternoon.

This trip has given me lots of time to think and also to refer back to my comments over the past three years. I agree with what I said after my last Iberian journey (why didn't I listen) solo extended touring is not all it is cracked up to be and no I will definitely not be buying a property abroad unless something outrageously cheap becomes available in Cyprus. I was thinking of doing a round the world trip to take in the British Lions tour to New Zealand next summer but it was getting silly if I had included everything that came to mind I would have been away for four months and I know I would not have enjoyed that at all. So if I do go to see the boys play it will probably be for only four to five weeks and I will call in to see Gill (my sister) and visit the parts of Australia still on my bucket list. The other parts of the RTW trip can become separate holidays or mini tours and if Saga can do them cheaply enough then that would be a bonus.

Well that's it I will be home for nearly five weeks so that should give me time to lose the paunch and get fit again, then maybe I can put a few walks on in February and March.

Lidl- Canaries

Jan and I came here in 1997 and although Playa Del Ingles was a bit Costaish the rest of Gran Canaria was a sleepy but developing location, I knew that it was being built up but until today I did not realise how much. My journey down the coast road to Puerto Mogan was an eye-opener, there are now package resorts all along the coast, it is not pleasant. I appreciate that the resort/marina at Puerto Mogan was built at as tourist destination but then it was one hotel and the cute traditionally styled port by the marina, now it is overbuilt and swarming with overweight pink people. I am glad I said yesterday that I would not be returning here. The Canarian people have got it right most of the population live in the northeast of the island so they don't have to see the abomination that is happening in the south.

I sound like I am turning into a grumpy old man. Too late I was there already.

Now definitely looking forward to getting home.

People.

I think I am beginning to agree with my girls, I don't like people. Don't get me wrong friends are a different thing, they can be in mobs and noisy as they like. I know I have become city adverse over the past few years and I thought that I disliked airports because of the baffling security measures but Saturday morning's check in took 20 minutes from arriving at the airport to looking for breakfast the other side of security but I was still unhappy and then it came to me it was the hordes of strangers with bad personal hygiene getting in my way, invading my personal space, talking too loud and generally making me feel claustrophobic. OK that cleared the air now the good and bad news.
I booked airport parking and my hire car with TRIB at Ryanair, the parking was good but the price I paid for the hire car which looked fine at the time turned out to be a deposit only and the final cost was over double including the mandatory full cover insurance. I thought I was worldly wise to these scams but obviously not. All I can say is beware of any deals Ryanair offer and steer clear of CarTrawler.
The good news happened today. The reason for the jaunt to Gran Canaria was to offload my timeshare, I had been quoted fees of up to £6,000 by timeshare resolution companies but after half an hour of straight talking we have agreed that my contract will be put forward for resolution and in the meantime my week will be rented out to cover my maintenance fees  and believe it or not there will be a small cash some due after Spanish taxes, this is a far better rsult than i had ever hoped for.
Coming back to Gran Canaria without Jan has been very strange, especially as i am staying in our timeshare apartment where we spent our last Christmas together but it is other things like our favourite locals restaurant where they still remembered us or the cafe on the beach in Playa del Ingles where she bollocked the waiter for being rude or Puerto Mogan where we had strawberries and ice cream overlooking the marina. The memories are wonderful and more meaningful because I will probably not return here again.
The best thing about the Canaries is the weather, i have been enjoying temperatures in the mid twenties which is just right for me so it is shorts, T shirt and flipflops all day, which is a lovely change after all the rain.
There has been a big change in the four years since we were last here, then the Brits were in the majority followed by the Germans now it is all three of the Scandanavian countries followed by us Brits and Germans in joint fourth place, you only have to look at the restaurant menus to see this in fact in some places the menus are only in Norwegian, Swedish and Danish. From my memories of the sixties, Swedish and Scandanavian girls always had the reputation of being beautiful but from what I have seen here British girls beat them hands down I can't wait to get home.

Back to Spain.

I took the direct route from Lagos yesterday up towards Badajoz, I only let the satnav have her head when she indicated a road that was not on the map, it turned out to be a good choice the road was deserted except when we neared the village of Santa Susana which was lovely, in the middle of nowhere and mostly the sturdy traditional houses, it also knocked 10 miles of the journey. I arrived in Badajoz with plenty of time to visit the castle (Alcazaba) and walk the town walls, I was surprised how big the old town was and overawed to think that the castle was stormed and taken by soldiers using ladders in the face of sustained musket fire but it was at the site of the breaches in the wall that I felt close to Sharpe. Even with the outer wall down there was still a steep slope to climb and this was mined and obstructed as well as being seriously defended by massed soldiers no wonder there were so many casualties.
Last night's hotel in a golf resort was a huge bargain, less than £34 for a big room double bed marble bathroom with a bath to soak my aching body and pig cheeks dinner with beer and wine for the cost of a Big Mac and fries, it was a shame I had to leave early to get up to the British Consulate in Madrid. I got lost in Madrid's underground road system, there are only signs advising you of destinations outside the city and of course my Coleen doesn't work underground but I did get there by 9:45 and everything went well. My case was dealt with by a competent young lady who did not treat me like the idiot I am and after filling out the forms I am now in possession of an emergency passport which will allow me to travel to Gran Canaria and back and then drive home. The whole passport laundry episode is going to cost a minimum of a couple of hundred pounds by the time I get a proper replacement passport and probably another hundred if they catch up with my parking infringement.
Some adventures cost more than others.

Dissappearing

OK, if you are going to do your laundry when you travel always make sure you check the pockets. I prophesied a few weeks ago that things were going too well. Last night I did my laundry and found my passport still in its secure map pocket of my walking trousers, I thought nothing of it and put it out to dry, imagine my consternation when I checked the passport and I had faded from sight, all that remained was a ghost of my photograph. In the old pre-electronic days my passport used to get sodden on journeys across Germany on my motorcycle with no problems but now a little drop of water and I have been washed away.

I raced down to the nearest British Consulate in Portimao and after skidding across the pavement on an offering left by one of the local dogs I found that they had closed 10 minutes ago and tomorrow is a saints day (public holiday) so I am now banking on the consulate in Madrid but Hey! this is what makes travelling fun, anyway to keep you amused her are a few messages from the locals.

Yahoo, the sky is blue.

Well that front moving in on Saturday brought thunderstorms that wrote Sunday off completely but yesterday and today the sun was out. I hit the road yesterday to have a look at Sines up on the West coast, it is a oil and gas port so nothing there but Vila Nova de Milfontes was a different story, I had a wander around but I think it could be worth a few days or even a week if I am ever this way again, it would be good to explore on a pushbike and maybe a dinghy on the river.

Looking upriver to the town

Today I went for another cliff walk this time the path was not so obvious and I got lost a few times even in a huge complex that called itself a 'Wellness and Fitness Resort' but the only thing I noticed was a boot camp complex.

These are actually photos I took of last weeks walk, I forgot the camera today in the excitement of being able to get outside again.
I am chuffed because ever since I updated to Windows 10 I have not been able to add photos to the blog but I have now found a solution by copying and pasting into my old Windows 7 pictures file.

Dodging the rain.

I don't understand it, here am I in the Algarve hiding from thunderstorms while in Gwytherin the sun is shining and it is lovely walking weather. Yesterday I headed inland to Silves to visit the castle and the town. I was here three years ago to visit the huge weekly market but now half of the market site is now a motor-home campground that sit there with their dishes pointing at the nearest satellite.
When I got back to the coast we had a cold front moving in from the south west with winds force 4 gusting 6 so I took the opportunity to do some reading. Diana by R F Delderfield is the closest I have so far managed to a romantic novel and at times I did get impatient with the characters but the last 10 or so pages had me crying my leg off and this was written by a man. I have asked for recommendations for female authors but none have so far been forthcoming. I have enjoyed a number of so called children's authors such as Rosemary Sutcliff and the authors of Divergent and The Hunger Games, please feel free to give me some hints but definitely no detective dramas, thank you.
Today my cloud dodging took me into Lagos town where I identified the restaurants recommended by JB and also found the barber for next weeks haircut but I had forgotten about the Autumn Internationals and only managed to catch the second half of England's annihilation of the Wallabies in a pub called Fools and Horses, a great year so far. Eddie Jones may have a Welsh name but I don't think he is pleasing too many of my neighbours or my sister Gill's in Australia for that matter.
I am having serious misgivings about this form of travelling but I will save my conclusions until the end or tour wash up.
New note to Kay, Perlenbecher is back to the original spelling in Portugal but still twist off.
So back to my book now, I have found a historical novel by Sharon Penman and so far she is ticking all the boxes.

Where does the time go?

I had a wonderful weekend with Ian and Monique, my Andalusian cave dwelling friends, it is over two years since I saw them last but you know how true friendship is when it seems like only yesterday. They took me around to a dinner party on Saturday night at Linda and Barry's and there were also two other ex squaddies there so I am sure we bored everyone rigid with our war stories.

From there I stopped off in Tavira just over the Spanish border into Portugal, I struck lucky again with a traditional welcoming local hotel with a huge breakfast choice at half the cost of a Premier Inn room only.

After meandering along the Algarve coast I finally arrived in Lagos to check in to my apartment for the next 9 days, The apartment has been renovated and is in immaculate order, I have in the past had to wash all the cutlery and crockery before cooking but this place is clinically clean, thanks to Anna the doll like Ukranian owner who doesn't look a day over 25 but knowing my previous form she is probably at least 35.

I have done recces of the town and today I went on a cliff top walk suggested by Johnnie Boy, considering we were supposed to be having thunderstorms and heavy rain today I had a blissful 5 mile stroll along the cliffs to  Praia de Luz and back in the sunshine and spent the rest of the day chilling out on the balcony with an R F Delderfield novel.

Nothing too strenuous planned for the next week so it might be quiet on this blog for a while but I did see a sign advertising a motor-home waste emptying site and lower down the sign it advertised organic strawberries for sale, mmmm tasty.

Gaudi to Cervantes

Gaudi's supposed masterpiece la Sagrada Familia was to me repulsive in the literal sense of the word, I could not get away from there fast enough. I don't know what it was but to me it was like a 60s fantasy film set of Conan mixed up with worm cast architecture.
I came down to the plains of La Mancha and although I haven't seen any windmills to tilt at I can imagine the huge flat sameness of the landscape could induce hallucinations. There was one small hill at Chinchilla de Monte-Aragon that stood out above the plain so I had to climb up to the castle to look at the panorama from there and the surrounding medieval town was peaceful, such a change from the madness of Barcelona.
Today I am going to the museum in Albacete and a village in a gorge somewhere before meeting up with Ian and Monique this afternoon for a good ole catch up.

Showers but clearing later.

Two words of warning, don't put parking tickets between your lips they remove skin when you try to take them out and Barcelona is a huge city, do not try to go everywhere on foot. Why am I always so surprised that I am not enjoying myself in cities, every time I go to one, I always say never again.
Yesterday it was raining when I put the cases in the car and on the scenic journey from Perpignan to Salou it was raining off and on, I arrived at my basic hostal and before I had the chance to unload it was raining cats and dogs. During a pause in the showers I got the cases in and went for an exploratory walk and you guessed I was like a drowned rather I got back to my digs.
Salou is the same as it was 15 years ago maybe a few more shops and restaurants, this is in the Spanish part of the resort, I haven't been to the real tourist resort.
I had really good noodles last night at a Chinese restaurant on the main drag, had to go back tonight, they are not proper noodles more that flattened type of spaghetti.
I've been in touch with Ian and I am meet him and Monique on Saturday. Going down to Albacete tomorrow.

Getting warmer.

The temperature is rising but so is the humidity in fact it is wet so I am heading south. Today's trip around the southern cities of Beziers, Montpellier and Perpignan were not impressive, a little like my gite in Carcassonne shabby chic but more shabby than chic and as for Narbonne Plage even Blackpool is not that desolate in the winter.
I am staying in a cheap and cheerful hotel in Perpignan tonight, the staff are friendly and obviously Anglophiles I even give the waitress the benefit of the doubt, although she was 6' 2" with size 11 boots and no bum, the food was excellent but I do feel that service staff do have a certain view on us Brits. When I asked for a steak the waitress immediately asked me "how do you want it, well done?" She seemed mollified when I asked for it medium but of course the chef had heard all this so he just removed the horns and threw it on the plate, I have had  a more cooked bleu in other restaurants but I am not complaining it was tender and very good indeed.

Admin day.

Today was a lazy day, up late and just sitting in the sun reading, I am on my fourth book so far. I leave here tomorrow and after an exploration of Beziers and Montpellier along with any cute villages en route  I will stop the night in Perpignan before crossing the border into Spain on Wednesday, I haven't decided where the next stop will be yet.

The bad news is there will be no photos on the blog, my old laptop has given up the ghost so after I take all the photos of it when I get home it will be time to say goodbye.

Hurricane, earthquake or other disaster.

Things are going too well, last night I found that I can use Netflix here in France so it was a late night on the box sets. Today was wall to wall sunshine for my exploration of the Cathar castles and medieval villages and the picnic in Rennes-le-Chateau was bliss, no tourists and views of the distant Pyrenees. This evening I asked my host Johan where the nearest laundrette was, he showed me where his washing machine and drier were and even provided the detergent, he is getting a good write up on Trip Advisor. So what disarsters are around the corner?
I have got to find a way of putting photos on this blog, everything was hunky dory until I upgraded to Windows 10, I think this poor old laptop will be for the crusher when we get home.
I have heard from my cave dwelling friends Monique and Ian in Andalucia I will give them a call next week to see if they can fit me in, it would be great to catch up, we haven't seen each other since I gave them the tour of North Wales two years ago.
Note to Kay, Perlembacher is sold in Lidl France but they have changed the name to Perlembourg and give it a twist off cap but it still tastes good.

Catch up

Wednesday was cold wet and windy but I completed my round of the D-day beaches and also found time to visit Pegasus Bridge which for me put the top hat on the whole visit. The next best thing was when a falcon went into hover mode only 20 feet away from me, it split its time watching me and searching the ground but it was there for at least a minute, magic.

Thursday saw me heading down south, I enjoyed the non-motorway route and the unexpected lunchtime picnic with the temperature at 16 degrees was a real bonus for November. Thursday night was spent at Limoges Ibis hotel close to the train station - interesting offers are available from some local girls but the highlight for me was a meal at a Vietnamese restaurant strangely enough called the Saigon. The food was lovely but the staff ( a waitress the same age as me ) and the ambiance hailed back to the sixties. 
I am now staying in a quaint gite in Carcassonne for four days and the huge bonus is it is self catering so I am enjoying the local produce and saving money at the same time. Seriously although I do like French cuisine it it is both good and healthy to get back to basics, cheese, salad, olives etc plus lots of local vino. 
Today I walked over to the medieval city, it is magnificent but just another castle and walled town. I had thought I might feel a little something after all my reading and research but no, nothing grabbed me. The more interestsing thing was it was market day I bought baguettes, vegetables and wine but mostly people watched. tonight is chill out night.

A full day.

To keep you in the picture, when I say we on this trip it is just Magda and I. Marmalade couldn't be bothered with a second European road trip in twelve months and Harry cried off after she said no I get the impression he was worried about his reputation. 

I was in Bayeux cathedral before 9am this morning and the only other person there was the cleaning lady, it was it was quite spiritual and I value the experience. It is hard to grasp that this beautiful magic place was built nearly a thousand years ago and in less than 30 years without all the machines and expertise that we have today. Why is Gaudi's masterpiece taking so long and Liverpool's Anglican cathedral took nearly a hundred years to finish. I lit a Remembrance candle for Jan, I know she would have liked that.

My next stop was the Bayeux Tapestry, again I was early so I avoided the crowds. The entrance fee includes an audio guide which I think is there to hurry you through the tour as there is no way of pausing it but I just took my time. The tapestry itself I found to be quite naive in places and it obviously tells the tale from the Norman point of view but there were some parts of it that I certainly was not taught in school.

From there I went to the Bayeux Battle of Normandy Memorial Museum which is great for setting the scene and following through the 100 days after the invasion. The Bayeux British cemetery is next door and the 4000 graves there is a sobering experience.

The French have the right attitude, at lunchtime most businesses and all government buildings close for lunch (even the pay car parks are free from noon until 2pm) I ate my apple and went up to Utah beach one of the American landing beaches, after that I went to the other beach, Omaha. By then it was 6pm so time for a pint.

A friend recently told me that there is nothing less attractive than a skinny old man and after my recent weight loss I was beginning to fit that description but after two wonderful nights of plat du jour at my hotel I am in danger of becoming the skinny old man with a paunch. I have had the plat du jour at lunch time before and it has been good but not brilliant, in this hotel it is what French food is supposed to be, the tenderest beef I have ever tasted, fish that even I enjoyed and the steamed vegetables includes celeriac and chestnuts - amazing, I suppose that is why all the other restaurants in town are empty and this one is full of locals.

Moving on part 2.

Wow, nearly six months since I was last abroad and it shows, all my linguistic skills have gone out of the window, I was stuttering and stumbling through ordering  my meal tonight but to give the waiter his due as long as I was trying he stuck to French, when I ran out of words and was sitting there like a rabbit in the headlights then he spoke fluent English, he earned his tip.

I had a lovely weekend,  I saw everyone of my southernmost family and they are all looking good and sounding positive, what more could I ask for, thank you all for putting up with me.

I was early for the ferry so they put me on an earlier sailing, thank you P&O.  Ferries and probably cruise ships don't do it for me, I want to be hands on when I am on the water, I can't relax and read a book when some numpty is on the helm.

My road trip here was slow and sedate avoiding motorways (especially the toll kind) but it gave me an insight into fuel prices, basically away from the motorways they are the same price as at home. The olde worlde houses here are amazing and Bayeux is lovely but the outstanding building is the cathedral, hopefully I will get there tomorrow, I also plan to view the Bayeux tapestry and maybe some of the invasion beaches.

The come back moment happened when I saw the cathedrals of Rouen on the skyline, it could be a good starting point for a tour of Normandy and Brittany maybe in autumn next year. I will try for photos tomorrow, the nighttime shots did not work out. 

Garda to Munich via Austria.

Last night's passeggiata was good to watch, all ages out to impress, the music however was not so good, firstly a rock band who started with a thirty minute jam session but playing the same melody/riff repeatedly and the second act in a different venue was a single guitarist with a good voice and interesting catalogue of songs by Neil Young, America, Dylan etc his problem was he couldn't play the guitar. We left Garda at 8:30 and headed north into the Alps, parts of the trip were quite boring going through long tunnels full of exhaust fumes but as we turned off for the Stelvio Pass things improved, some of the tunnels were original with no room for two cars to pass and there were even waterfalls in a couple of them and in some of the galleries. The climb up to the top of the pass was very twisty and the way down was even better. I was going to stop for a bratty at the top but there was no parking space, it must be mad in summer. I was amazed at the number of cyclists who go up, I can see the fun in coming down and you could see the fixed grins on the cyclists faces as they hated down the mountain. There was a big difference across the border in Austria, it seemed cleaner and more ordered and the road surface was a huge improvement on the Italian potholes. I stopped at the first Austrian services for lunch, it was like a five star hotel, immaculately clean and everything in its place, staff dressed in traditional dirndl though thank god there were no lederhosen on view. I went for the huge serving of gulashsuppe, that definitely killed the hunger pangs. Nine hours after leaving Garda I found my hotel in Munich. The hotel car park is a new style to me, I drove down into the basement where a receptionist directed me through a sliding gate onto a metal plinth, when I locked the car and walked out of the gate she pressed a button and the car descended into a sub basement, like something out of James Bond. Munich looks well worth a visit, this will go on my city break list. I did go for a walk down to the centre and down by the river, the public transport system seems very good, lots of trams and busses and a large underground besides all that everyone else uses bikes on proper bike paths, I wonder if the do cycle hire like Boris's bikes.

Heading north.

Last night's stay in Osteria dei Segretii was just right, a well appointed room with an eiderdown - I haven't seen one for years. The meal, wine and beer in a relaxed atmosphere also helped and everyone else there was Italian. The prices weren't silly and the only downside was all the noise as they sorted out the restaurant at the end of the night but I was distracted by a Harlan Coben book I had started which I managed to put down at 1am. The started of today's journey was perfect, cool sunny conditions after last nights rain but then I hit the coast - 11 miles on two hours, not funny. I arrived up in Garda at fourish and found that now we are in season I will have to pay for parking, damn. The advantage of it being in season is there is more opportunity for people watching so that was a nice couple of Nastro Azzuros by the way I can recommend last nights tipple, Menabrea. I booked into the same hotel that I stayed in two years ago here in Garda because they posted my Kindle back to me after I had left it on my room, in my mind it was a sort of repayment for their kindness but I shouldn't have bothered they don't remember me at all. Very deflating to the ego. My afternoon aperitif was taken in a cafe which has live music tonight so here's hoping. Long day tomorrow, Munich via the Stelvio Pass if it is open.

The long drive home begins.

The stay at an Italian resort was quite relaxing when I could get away from the entertainments team's extremely loud Europop which they played at various venues throughout the resort without any warning, but now the drive home has begun. I had a lovely drive through the countryside from Metaponto to Termoli which was brightened up by the Layby Lils from Foggia all the way to the coast, I waved to them all, funnily enough not one of them waved back. The coast road along the Adriatic is very slow so reluctantly I jumped on the toll motorway which was OK until I came off when the automatic cashier gobbled my ticket and cash and then shut down still owing me €9.50, after lots of Italian shouting from the machine itself they gave up and raised the barrier for me. I will lay money that I now get a bill for a lost ticket but I will email my dissatisfaction and follow it up with a letter when I get home. Tonight I am staying at The Secret Osteria up in the hills west of Ancona, a lovely location and the restaurant is very popular with the locals so tonight's dinner should be good. Tomorrow's destination is Garda.

Basilicata ramblings.

I think that TV companies must block book attractions to keep tourist out while they film. I have seen a documentary/travel programme about the churches cut into the Sassi caves in Matera and it looked lovely and peaceful. Now, bear in mind the season has not started yet but by 0930 the place was swamped by guided tours of clicking pink cattle blinding people with flash photography, I lasted about ten minutes then headed for the most interestingly named town on my map. Montescaglioso was lovely, it is a hilltop town and the old town is a maze where I got lost until I stumbled on a film crew shooting scenes for a film set in the fifties I would imagine by the old cars the had on set it was a pleasant cabaret to go with my lunch. The Alesidano club where I am staying is very Italian and the activities run all day until 11:30 pm. I saw what was happening when I checked in and asked to change my apartment which overlooked the entertainment amphitheater but I was assured that it would be quiet by 9 pm. Lies, lies and dammed lies the imbecillic racket went on for hours, I thought Italians were sophisticated but the cheered and clapped at what was really bad karaoke. I was quickly given an apartment well away from the action yesterday. The remainder of this week is going to be at slow pace, a little walking, panic tanning and shopping for wine and pasta before the journey home starts on Saturday.

More ferries.

Corfu, a nice place but you have to get away from the mass tourism that swamps a lot of the coast and Corfu Town is always full because there are two cruise ships in dock, as one leaves another arrives. i was lucky to find Villi and Linda's place it was lovely and quiet and spacious with the advantage of a patio and the amount of produce that they gave me was embarrassing, I left with lemons, home made wine and home made Rakki so look out I may need victims to taste it for me. I enjoyed getting up in the hills and meeting the real people but if you come to the coast the part I liked most was in the southwest between Messongi and including Petriti, which is mostly villa accommodation. I went back to Benitses for my last meal and was entertained by two of his caged birds, Elvis and Pavarotti. Yesterday I had a lazy day until I went for the ferry from Corfu to Igoumenitsa, the temperature had climbed to 30C so I became a shade seeker. In Igoumenitsa I went to a local taverna where I passed a pleasant couple of hours with a Canadian educated Greek historian Nicholas then it was time to check in, eventually the ferry left at 1am but fortunately armed with sleeping bag and pillow I found a vacant couch which I immediately bagsied. I think I managed five hours sleep but it was hot and sleeping in my clothes made it even hotter thank god I took wet wipes and toothbrush with me! I am going for a quick pizza tonight then bed.

Black bees and walnut cake.

The visit to the morning market in Corfu town was a failure, the traffic on Sunday had lulled me into thinking I could park the car just outside the centre, not a chance it was the Whacky Races with cars jammed in every parking space by half past nine. I investigated Gouvia marina where Odyseus Yachting also have a base, it is huge. I will be checking out possible mooring locations on the island with a view to sailing from here in the future. The coast north of there is heavily touristified so it was nice to get up in the hills to the supposedly restored Venitian village of Perithea, the only parts that have been restored are a couple of houses that are obviously holiday homes, a really lovely building that is now holiday lets and of course the four tavernas. Having said that it was good to wander around the village looking at the buildings and also visiting the 'bee man', he had over fifty hives in his garden and the bees were black, a first for me. I went fo a walk along a track that contoured the hills and when I saw the top of Mount Pantokrator above me I was tempted to climb but I don't think fitflops are the ideal footwear for such a task so I retired to the quietest taverna for walnut cake and coffee. I was listening to Jan's iPod on the way back Played through the car's sound system and il Divo's version of Amazing Grace with full bagpipes was on as I was threading my way through the traffic in town I certainly got some funny looks. Breakfast yesterday was Lena's eggs scrambled, I have never seen such deep yellow yolks even when I kept hens myself, she has also given me home made goats cheese and promises me goats milk tomorrow morning. The lump of cheese she gave me was huge, it is very mild and a bit like mozzarella it was good with my sausage Bolognaise. Last night I went out for dinner for the first time here, I couldn't face Corfu town and my local taverna was closed so I ended up in Benitses and went to the taverna of the same name which is in a line of four restaurants facing the sea. The owner Dimitris came and sat with me, his only customer. When I asked him why one of the restaurants was busy while the other three were empty he told me about the Pigeon Syndrome, the first table that gets settled attracts other pigeons which thinking about it is often the case. Myself I avoid the busier places because they get so loud unless of course they are full of locals then it is worth it because the food must be good. Zorba was played again.

Another ferry.

Another weather alarm clock yesterday, this time it was Thor throwing his thunderbolts about. The drive down to Igoumenitsa was through torrential rain but it started slowing down while we were on the ferry to Corfu and today we have sun, yay! I am now staying with a Corfiot family at the end of a track in the middle of nowhere. The apartment is the ground floor of their house which I think is actually their son's place but they need the money so rent it out in the summer. Villi tells me he is an unemployed agronomist but I think he may mean he normally does people's gardens and with the current crisis people cannot afford to get the gardener in. He is busy anyway he grows most of his own fruit and veg and also has chickens and turkeys. He doesn't waste his grapes on wine he turns them into grappa and I am now the proud possessor of a bottle to go with the lemons and eggs Lena his wife gave me. Lovely people. Yesterday it took me hours to find my new digs so I stayed put in the afternoon and had a few beers. Today I explored Corfu town, it seems a nice place with the warren of streets like a maze but it was full with two cruise liners on the jetty, one of which was the Oriana, so I went up to the castle to get away from the tourists. The forecast is good and I plan to explore the island and go to the morning market in town for fruit and veg etc, it might be a quiet week blogwise.

Down from the hills.

Yesterday I meandered down from the hills to the town/small city of Ioannnina, I was here by 11am so I parked up and tramped all around the walled city which is refreshingly uncluttered with shops selling tourist tat, there were a couple of shops providing basics for the locals and a restaurant and café. The citadel was at one time Ali Pasha's seraglio but is now the site of his tomb next to a restored mosque there is also a museum with an annex which you can visit for the princely sum of 2 euros. Lunch was a giros pitta, the chef told me that when I say pitta it sounds like pizza but then again he is American. He kept me amused with his take on the problems between Greece and the EU, apparently it was the Germans forcing Greece to take out loans and then having the audacity to want the money back. After the entertainment I visited the Archeology Museum which had some amazing articles on display, I could not believe the intricacy of the silverwork from over two thousand years ago. another surprise was the display of coins. There was a coin from Syracuse in Sicily which had the three legs of Man on it and I thought that was a Viking symbol, the other was a representation of the goddess Athene on which the Britannia on our coins must have been based and both of these coins were from around 25BC to 14AD. To cap the day I checked in to a very homely hotel and the food last night was a Greek version of chilli chicken with olives and sultanas which I do not normally like in hot food but it all went together so well. This morning the hammering rain woke me up, I resolved to not let is stop me from exploring I would put on my waterproof and go for it but my waterproof is still behind the cabin door on the boat, not the only thing I have left behind this trip! Anyway the visit to Dodoni went well, the rain slowed and I still had an umbrella in the car. Dodoni apparently was the site of Greece's oldest oracle 4000 years ago and I thought the original oracle was at Delphi, anyway by 1300 Zeus was speaking here too, so I stood under the sacred oak tree in his temple and asked him what direction my life will take when I grow up, all I heard was birdsong, goatbells and the patter of rain on my umbella. The site is well placed in a bowl between the mountains to the West and the hills to the North and East and there is an aura about the place which is hard to describe, the other feature is the very large theatre which is still in use, according to the blurb, in it's heyday it could seat 17,000 people, there was no one there to see me perform. This afternoon I caught the ferry across Lake Pamvotis to visit the small island which has six monasteries on it and I discovered three times as many stalls selling tourist junk, anyway the weather gods got me back for mocking Zeus. I am now in my cosy hotel room after a hot shower listening to the rain on the window. The forecast tomorrow is clearing then the following 9 days wall to wall sun which should make for a pleasant week in Corfu or Kerkyra in Greek, maybe that is a sign?

Back to basics.

After last night's indifferent 'Beef in red sauce' meal I decided to go back to basics tonight, the pork kebab and salad was absolutely brilliant. I am a man of simple tastes but I cannot remember a night in a restaurant in Greece when Zorba was not played at least once. A great exploring day today, I started of with. Walk to the local monastery which was built on a crag overlooking the gorge. The views again were spectacular, it seemed to me to be an ideal place for contemplation. There was the opportunity in the monastery church to light another candle to Jan and as I lit it the sun came out from behind the clouds so I know she is still with me. The rest of the day I spent driving up circuitous roads to visit remote villages. The scenery up here is too much I can't think of the correct superlative to describe it and there are surprises around every corner whether it is a spectacular view, a local looney in the middle of the road or a herd of cows looking for fresh grass, it certainly keeps you on your toes. Well I know I have only got a few weeks left so I have planned the trip home. I will be visiting a couple of friends en route as well as the Stelvio Pass so after leaving the far south of Italy on the 4th of June I should be home on Friday 10th, see you in chapel Peter.

Up in the hills.

I know we were spoiled with all the fantastic food we had whilst sailing but last night I had the worst meal of the trip so far at the Barrel restaurant in Nydri the food was not cooked/reheated properly and it had virtually immediate laxative effect. Take my tip, don't go there. Lunch today was Lidl rolls and ham picnic up in the mountains. I was planning to walk the Vikos gorge but I went out to look at it and it is fearsome, 1100 metres deep, that is the height of Snowdon. I was talking to a guide and he did say that although the distance through the gorge is only 12kms it takes around 8 hours because of the climbs and the rough ground. He also said not to do it solo. I will get some walks in but not the whole length of the gorge.

R&R in Nydri.

Nydri is an OK place to recover from a full on adventure break, it is very, very tourist orientated but there are shops to replace toiletries etc and a lady who is doing my laundry. I am taking it easy but I walked the town a couple of times yesterday and wound up the waiters in the restaurants by reading their menus then not going in but I had a pleasant relaxed meal in a taverna back from the waterfront. Today I went on the waterfall walk, it was interesting because the final 400 metres is into a gorge, however, it is a little farther than the guide books suggest, it takes about two hours there and back from the seafront. I also went for a tour of the island by car and found what could be an ideal lunch or overnight stop in the boat at Mikros Gialos, an inlet East of Syvota. Syvota itself, which we visited in 2014 was full with over 60 Sailing Holidays boats, today was changeover day. I popped around to Vassiliki but it is an unattractive concrete tourist resort aimed at windsurfers. So tomorrow I head north into the hills.

Three men in a boat.

I am on my own again in Nydri on the island of Lefkada, I dropped JB and Kevin off at the airport this morning. We had a great weeks sailing, probably the best we have had in the last twelve years. We had good winds most days and only one day off due to a front coming through that brought some rain with it. Our first stop was at Spartochori where we also started last time but thank goodness it was a lot calmer this time, the welcome and food were just as we remembered. Our next port of call was Fiscardo were we met another Kevin who was a yacht photographer (see sailing pics.com) and story teller, we had his whole life history in the short space of time we were there. Next stop was Sami where Stavros at the Faros tavern served up the best food so far but that was beaten again by the delicious stifado and roast lamb that we all shared at Nikos' taverna in Vathi on Ithaka. We stayed the extra day in Vathi and went to the same cafe on two days to be welcomed on day two like old friends by Betty (which apparently in Greece is short for Patricia?????), while there we also had a visit from the coastguard who inspected all the boar's safety gear. After a memorable 30 mile sail with Captain Kev on the helm we arrived at the immaculate Karnagio taverna in Vathi on Meganissi where the food went another step higher, the baked lamb was to die for. The owner, a super efficient Bulgarian called Alex told us that her nickname amongst the local Greeks is Hitler because of the high standards she demands from her employees. we also met Dougie McKenzie Iverson and his wife Jane who again gave us his life story mainly about sailing but the interesting side of his story is he owns the Thomas Wolsey pun in Ipswich which is not far from Keira and Kay, so Tom could well get a visit. Back in Paleros last night we caught the final between Saracens and Racing 92 in the Docks bar where the gorgeous Anna put Kev in his place by insisting that he was JB's dad. Our final meal was at the Dionysos restaurant run by a German lady named Sylvia and her Greek husband Myka, the food was good but not as amazing as what had gone before but the highlight of the day was when the waitress tried to teach us the Greek for cutlery which to our ears sounded like "my hairy Peroni" This blog is really just to remind us of what we got up to on the activity break 2016 because we found we had forgotten so much of what had happened on the previous trip.

Sailing and sailing.

Greece was on strike on Sunday so the Saturday night ferry was brought forward to 2pm but of course the Greek dockers wanted the extra days pay so the leaving time was delayed until 5pm so that we would arrive in Igoumenitsa at 2am. A Bulgarian family joined me at my table and talking to them passed the time on the long trip. I can recommend the Astoria Hotel in Igoumenitsa where I rested my weary head for all of 5 hours. After buying the provisions for the boat I met JB and Young Kevin at Preveza airport at midday and we went down to take over the boat in Paleros. So far we have been to Spartocheri on Meganissi, Fiskardo on Cephalonia, last night we got into Sami and today we are heading for Vathi on Ithaka. The weather has been great but rain is forecast for tomorrow. yesterday we had good winds and got the boat healing over and doing over 8 knots much to Kev's dismay, we have also had fun with anchor chains being crossed and other challenges. It is good to have company after three weeks on my own, I am coming to the conclusion that I enjoy the travelling more than the arrival and staying a week in one place.

Ramblings cut short.

Apparently there is going to be a strike in Greek ports on Sunday so my ferry will not be sailing at 9pm but now at 2pm which works for me now I can sleep in a proper bed rather than roughing it on an overnight ferry, excellent I will be able to greet the boys clean, polished and awake. Yesterday I did my final exploration, the weather has at last changed and the little white legs put in an appearance. The people over here seem to walk around with closed faces but engage them in conversation and they smile and open up especially out in the sticks but I suppose that applies to most parts of the world. Today's task was a slow admin session pottering around to get ready for next weeks activity break. I love a good potter. The fridge and larder are now empty so I will be dining at the local bistro tonight I just hope they have some real meat.

Further ramblings.

I have now explored the boot of Italy South of Lecce, I am not excited, a number of the small resorts have space for passing yachts and Castro could be worth a weekend visit but that is about it for me. I am going to try the local wines tomorrow apparently they have a good reputation but I was told this by a local chap so we will see also I will take some photos for the blog but also to show you what the area is like. I must admit I am looking forward to Greece for the kebabs and chops I have just about had enough pasta, pizza and paninis but I cannot fault the wine especially the huge range of good Chianti, if you ever get over here never, never, never drink the super cheap bottles in the supermarkets in fact you are better off buying the five litre plastic containers at least that won't rot your teeth or take the lining off your stomach.

Italian ramblings.

On my way down from the mountains I was passing Foggia when I caught a glimpse of a scantily clad young lady in the layby to my right, very nice I thought but a little further down the road another young lady in a skin tight purple dress and six inch heels was standing in another layby and this was at about midday, where these Layby Lils if so the police who were passing at the same time as me did not seem concerned. I was always under the impression that the Italians had a certain sense of style, now I know I am not known for my sartorial elegance but some of the sights I have seen over here are just amazing. I saw a very skinny young guy yesterday dressed all in black from pixie boots, skin-tight jeans and jacket and the biggest scarf you have ever seen wrapped around his neck topped by a shaved head with a tuft of hair left on top, he looked like a black ice-cream cone. The uniform for mutton just now is heeled pixie boots, black leggings, mini skirt and too tight top with OTT make-up and carefully teased out hair accompanied of course by the regulation huge sunglasses. Yesterday's exploring was cancelled due to pouring rain, so I stocked up with beer and wine at Lidl and read another book, fortunately it stopped raining at 5pm so I at least got out for a walk, I was starting to seize up with all this enforced relaxation. Today I caught the resort shuttle bus into Lecce and I was very glad I had, the traffic was mad and parking legally is impossible which probably explains why locals double park or park on pedestrian crossings etc, if I tried that I would get a ticket as I now know from experience. Lecce old town was interesting a little too baroque and full of tourists for me but after a couple of hours walking the streets I found a street cafe selling local craft beers to while away the time waiting for the shuttle back to the resort, a pleasant people watching spell.

Way down South.

The journey down from the hills on Saturday was very pleasant I think everyone was having a lie in, the hills and hairpins are now behind me, Puglia is a relatively flat and featureless province with long straight roads. My new accommodation leaves a lot to be desired but the one plus is it has the first sprung mattress since arriving in Europe, one of the problems here is limited WiFi so this could limit my blogging. The weather has also slowed me down along with yesterday's Mayday holiday but I plan to explore today.

Why travel too far.

I must admit when I booked this weeks accommodation I did not research it too well, I knew it was in the hills between Rome And Naples so automatically assumed I could just pop down and do Pompeii etc. The reality is that Italian country roads and their attendant speed limits are not conducive to speedy travel so like most things it has taken a while to register in my brain. I will save the Rome and Roman antiquities for a future city break type visit. Today I have been exploring Medieval villages, the fact that these villages were usually built on hilltops and mountainsides escaped me until I started walking their streets, of course present me with a hill and I have to go to the top, but when I did finally reach the church at the top of the village of Pizzone I needed a prolonged break to look at the view. My visit to that village was a delight, I only saw two of the inhabitants and they both said hello. The funkiest thing was hearing the strains of 'Smoke on the water' coming from a little bar that didn't even look open, it certainly put a smile on my face. On a whim I followed the road uphill from Pizzone and ended up in the blind valley that my resort is named after, I only saw one car and two foresters on the way there and back, it was a brilliant experience being so remote, once I got over the worry of being eaten by the local bear population. I was starting to feel persecuted with the amount of cloud and rain I have experienced (nothing like Wales of course) but then I am I the hills above the 1550 foot contour what should I expect at this time of year. This afternoon I heard the music outside and I thought it was the ice cream man but it was the local mobile shop so I went over to buy some of his locally sourced fruit and veg, that was another conversation carried out in mostly sign language I really will have to knuckle down and try to learn some Italian. On my way back to the apartment I followed a lady who was searching in the undergrowth I was a little confused until I realised she was looking for snails, she did offer me some - I think, but I refused politely and hurried on my way. This is a lovely quite part of Italy, as I said earlier I just wish I could communicate a little better because unlike in the tourist areas the local people here have no reason to learn English in fact in one of the villages I visited today the villagers were Albanian refugees from two hundred years ago and their Italian was nearly as bad as mine.

Cultural in Molise.

Today's first call was to the Paleolithic Museum just outside Isernia. My guide book advised that I would need to pre-book but I turned up on the off chance and I was made very welcome, I think the custodian was fed up with all the screaming school parties. One part of the museum is built over an ongoing archeological dig and some of the artefacts they have found are on display in the museum. The site was discovered in 1979 during excavations for a road and the oldest part of the dig has been identified at between 650,000 to 700,000 years ago, the oldest site so far discovered in Europe. The next visit was to a museum in Campobasso but that turned into another farse, it was the lunchtime rush hour and of course there was no parking so I departed rapidly and retired to a ristorante in the country, I asked for a glass of red to go with the meal but the waiter brought me a half litre when I asked him to change it he poured half of it into a litre carafe that a couple of lorry drivers were sharing, simples. The restaurant was next door to my next stop, the Roman town of Saepinum. I nearly had the place to myself there were a few sheep, goats and chickens that kept me company. There are some farms and cottages on the site and some of the old ones have incorporated parts of the original buildings, very relaxing to walk around after my huge lunch.

Defeated by Naples, again.

This morning the sun was shining through my bedroom window so with my shower and breakfast over I was in the car about to programme the sat nav when I glanced at the clock. 07:30 - nowhere opens before 10am so I was too early for my planned exploration of local sights, damn. OK I plugged Herculaneum into the satnav and off we went, Naples was fun driving, it is amazing how there are not more accidents but that is my UK brain talking. Italians go were they aim and if everyone follows suit and makes allowances for this it works very well, anyway we got very close to the site but there as no parking spaces to be found and then the problems started my satnav got lost, I was travelling down a dual carriageway and she thought we were in a field, eventually after a number of hiccups on her behalf I just headed South with the sun in the left corner of the windscreen and went to Paestum on the recommendation of Saga friend and what a great idea that was, at times I thought I was on the Nile, the temples were just unbelievably well preserved and these were pre Roman structures, thanks for the tip Anne. The journey back to my hotel took a little longer than expected due to a closed motorway but there is always a silver lining and I got to go to a Lidl, where I picked up food for dinner and three lunches plus two bottles of wine for less than a tenner. Loads of photos taken over the past few days but my minimal tech knowledge means I will probably do a picture blog when I get home. My previous experience of Naples was on a motorbike on my way to a posting in Cyprus, I had planned to visit Pompeii then and set off in the morning from Civitavechia, all went well until I arrived just outside Naples when the heavens opened and I bounced from pothole to pothole on the cobbled street in the pouring rain for what seemed like hours only to miss Pompeii altogether until I saw an apparition of a marble hotel on a cliff top in Sorento. I squelched into reception in sodden leathers and boots only to be told................yes sir we have a room for you and a garage for your bike and if you hang your leathers in our boiler room they will be dry by morning, a fellow biker behind the reception desk, as I said there is always a silver lining especially when you least expect it.

Travelling through Italy.

My intended meander down from Como to Pisa was not much fun, I did not use motorways in the hope of seeing some of the countryside what I had not realised was that Northern Italy is highly industrialised and is really just one huge urban wasteland. I eventually reached Pisa in the rain. The tower has not straightened itself out yet, and I did not go for the pizza after all, I dined at a popular restaurant on an industrial estate where I was the only foreigner, the set three course meal with wine was excellent and only €12.00. The contained journey from Pisa to Rocchetta a Volturno in the mountains was a constant battle with my Tomtom Coleen, she was definitely having an off day and tried to give directions through towns and onto toll roads but at the end I let her take me on the last 18 mile leg, I swear she was trying to get her own back for all my interference because as soon as I let her take over we came off a dual carriageway onto mountain roads but after driving in Wales and Cyprus these roads were a dream and the surface was better than of the motorways I had been driving on. That last leg was wonderful I think I saw three cars in the whole trip and the flowering trees and wildlife were amazing, there were lilac, laburnum, lots of different fruit trees and huge displays of wisteria which had been trained into a form of hedging, I also saw deer, goats both with and without goatherds, kites and masses of jays they are not as shy as the ones at home. I will be based here in Rocchetta for a week and the rain is forecast to stop tonight so I am looking forward to exploring this untouristy area as well as popping down to Pompeii and maybe Rome.

Prince is dead long live the Queen.

A long day behind the wheel, over 400 miles from Luxembourg to Como in Italy. The drive was OK I had Colin Blunstone along for the ride as well as three discs of 50s rock and roll that were new to me. Colin brought back memories whilst the other discs made me realise how many 60s and 70s pop hits were not originals also they told my life history with tracks like 'Run around Sue' and 'Brown Eyed Handsome Man'. Switzerland was a bit of a shock, they took forty euros off me for road tax, can you imagine the furore if each of the European nations charged the Swiss forty euros when they drove over an EEC border. The other ouch was spending a penny at a Swiss motorway services costs one euro. I had expected Como to be a little like Garda but it is definitey not, I tried to visit the lake shore but it is hugely built up, everything is out of bounds to anyone but residents - fines threatened and although it was fun driving like an Italian for a while, after half an hour I was worn out with concentrating so much, I felt like a WWll Spitfire pilot after a dogfight, so tonight's dinner came from Carrefour and the wine from the hotel bar but you can't complain at a bottle of Pinot for €5.00. Tomorrow I plan to meander down to Pisa and hopefully try the real thing after having a look at the tower, but saying that I will probably cover another 300 to 400 miles and the same for Saturday l think Saturday evening and Sunday may just be an extended chill session.

The joy of travel.

Today started well and on plan, we got to Waterloo on time after a quick diversion to view the location of Hugaumont Farm. The Waterloo experience was good, most of the museum/experience was filling in the background to the rise of Napoleon and the lead up to the battle but the 4d film was good and the panorama painted in 1912 was excellent for giving a perspective of the view both commanders had of the battle it was also good preparation for the view from the top of the Lion Mound. The route to the top of the Lion Mound is straight up 226 steps. I am pleased to say that the British won again despite the two Frenchmen in front of me, they gave up and let me pass at about the halfway mark. I didn't let them see how knackered I was at the top. From Waterloo I drove to my "hotel" in Luxenbourg city. Honestly I thought I had gone through a time warp right back to my first stay in Monmartre I n Paris in 1971, the bed was the same, the carpet was the same and 'though the shower was not in a tin enclosure it still had the droopy head that some previous occupant had remedied with a piece of string attached to the extractor vent, just have to see if breakfast is delivered to my room without any warning! Keira and Kay took me out for a meal last week and when the waitress delivered our second round of drinks she lost her balance with the tray and left me wearing a full pint of Lowenbrau, the staff swiftly rallied around and mopped up and we got on with the evening. Tonight in a local restaurant a lady knocked over her wine glass, the waiter sprinted over and collected the broken glass and reported the matter to the head waiter who then went to get the little old lady out of the cupboard to mop up the health and safety risk, in the meantime the waiter disposed of the broken glass and reappeared with a clean tablecloth. Wonderful to watch, but by that time I had thoroughly confused the waiter by mostly speaking Spanish, (I knew what I had wanted to say but the French words would not appear on my tongue), he got his own back on me by speaking to me in Italian so a really memorable day. Tomorrow is a long long drive down to Lake Como.

Wallowing in the ambiance.

Today's cultural experience was at the 'in Flanders Field Museaum' and the Ieper Municipal Museum where I discovered the pastel drawing brilliance of Louise De Hem, being a total Philistine I have never bothered to look at pastels before, I was amazed at the definition and also the ability of pastels to show details of fine fabrics, if I hadn't been better edumacated I would say I was blown away or even gobsmacked by this artist's skill but I hate both of those expressions so I won't use them. After lunch I went over to Tyne Cot Cemetery, 9000+ graves and the names of over 30,000 soldiers who lie in unmarked graves, again a moving experience but still very hard for me to comprehend the scale of death that occurred in such a small portion of the front. My thoughts go out to all the families of the soldiers in unmarked graves, they have no place to go to say goodbye and have no hope of closure. Lunch today was a brootjie, at least that is how I think it is spelt, basically half a French stick filled with whatever you fancy. After all my excursions I went back to the square I visited yesterday for dinner and it was pleasant to sit in the sun sampling Belgian beers whilst reading my new book. Tomorrow is Waterloo and then Luxembourg.

Belgium.

My first impression of Belgium was my God this place is flat, it would have been a horrible place to hide from snipers, no wonder the trench system was established so quickly during the First World War. I had always thought that the majority of WWl was fought in France imagine how chagrined I felt to discover that a great part of the territory contested by the British and Commonwealth troops was actually in Belgium. I have been exploring and the sheer number of military graves here plus the knowledge that there are nearly 100,000 men whose graves are not known shocked me. I have seen the cemeteries on films and the news, but to stand in the actual cemetery just brings it all home, that and the ceremony at the Menin Gate tonight was what I will remember about my first day in Ypres. I always feel sad when I hear the Last Post played especially when I remember former comrades who are no longer here but to hear it played in that place after having visited a number of cemeteries today memories of Pete Reford, Stan Lewis, Neil Sheldon and Chris Lawson all came flooding back to me and I don't mind admitting tears were rolling down my cheeks, in fact I am filling up again while writing this.

The adventure begins.

A great start, up before the alarm and on the road at 05:30, no delays on the M25 and we were in Dover 4 hours early so We got a place on the 08:00 ferry at no extra charge. Seeing all the girls was great but I feel that getting wasted every time I see Keira and Kay is not really setting the example I should as their father. I missed Taylor because he was working, he is a night auditor and receptionist in a Heathrow hotel, well done mate and good luck. We should dock at 11am local time in Dunkirk and tonight we are staying for the next two nights in Ypres in Belgium giving me the opportunity to visit the Menin gate evening ceremony and WWl cemeterys and museums.........

Transport issues.

I bought Edith two and a half years ago in a rush for my first European road trip and she fulfilled her role admirably, coasting through Spain, Portugal and France without a hitch but lately she has been showing hints of her Gallic ancestry by occasional displays of petulance, she is also slowing down but that could be her age. I could not trust her on another extended road trip so I have found a new girl for my next trip, her name is Magda and she is a younger Teutonic model which fits well with my itinerary of traveling through German speaking countries on my way to and from Italy and Greece. The adventure begins on Monday when I catch the ferry from Dover to Dieppe at midday.

The holiday is over

I did my last serious walk on Saturday, a circumnavigation of the Larnaca salt lake. Last time I completed the walk anti clockwise in two hours and calculated that it was six miles, this time I decided to go clockwise and after taking a number of wrong turns I eventually got back to the car two and a half hours later so nearer seven and a half miles but it is all good for the legs. Saturday was of course wall to wall rugby and although England had won the championship - courtesy of Scotland's win against France as one Scottish friend told me - they wanted to go for the Grand Slam and when the French started playing I thought Oh No they have actually turned up this time but even though it was a tense game for England supporters I think it was a great match to watch. The hire car went back this morning and I had another haircut in Larnaca so final panic tanning today then pack up and fly back tomorrow. It is funny now I am not thinking of buying or renting a property in Cyprus I like the place better, as Arnie says, I'll be back.

Gorgeous

The rain held off on Wednesday and I walked the Avkas Gorge. Walk is actually a misnomer for the activity rather it was a walk, scramble, paddle, boulder, really canyoning without a wetsuit, an enjoyable adventure which at three hours was at least an hour longer than I expected. I had my final walk with the Polygon Hash last night, the guest RA was a hoot, it turned into a singing and joke fest, we rounded off with a very sociable visit to a local taverna which was new to me. Besides the heat and sunshine that is what I will miss when I leave Cyprus, every day can be a social occasion. I use a desk in the hotel foyer when I am juggling my electronic devices and yesterday just as I was about to blog I was approached by a guy who wanted to book a trip to Nicosia, he thought I was a tour organiser, anyway he got talking and I was still listening to him nearly two hours later when I made the excuse that I had to got to the Hash just to get away Well a day off today, I haven't decided what to do but I have learned that I cannot just doss around for long before I get fidgety maybe I should take relax lessons from Billy Boy or just carry on, in fact I do have some future trips to plan, now what are the dates for the Lions Tour next year?

Rain, rain, rain.

Good result in the rugby, my precautions worked but it was a good job the Welsh team didn't wake up earlier. Sunday's medieval bridge walk did not happen, the hangover won. There was a wild thunderstorm in the early hours of Monday morning which I thought had cleared the air but I was wrong, l had just found my first bridge on my rescheduled walk when the heavens opened so I retreated back to Larnaca where they had been having lovely sunshine. Monday's Larnaca Hash went well until we were in the circle at the end of the walk/run when again the a thunderstorm hit. The good news is my new lightweight waterproof jacket works but the trousers and trainers got soaked. Today was laundry day and it was cloudy and cold so i spent the day reading and researching future holidays in my room with the windows closed. Tonight's buffet evening meal did not look appetising so I headed down the strip to Marsalas the best Indian Restaurant in this area. Tomorrow weather permitting i am going to attempt the Avkas Gorge, I have brought proper boots with me as when I tried it in December I gave up because trainers were not man enough for the job.

Mimosa and lizards.

Today's walk was around Konnos Bay, the wild flowers are out and the mimosa is in bloom and the little lizards are everywhere. The walk followed the coast and in places there were a couple of steep ascents but the knees are holding out which is good news. The internet connection is now good but my laptop has expired so there will be no photos on the blog until I get home and upload some. Tonight is rugby night but I won't be watching the game in the Lion or wearing my England shirt so there is a chance we may actually beat Wales. Tomorrow I plan to visit all the Medieval bridges in the Troodos Mountains, but that will be hangover dependant.

Back on line again.

Yippee the ladies football teams have gone home and we again have WiFi in the hotel, with upwards of 60 players plus support staff constantly on Facebook etc there was no bandwidth left for us guests. I have actually been treating this break as a holiday, I am hashing three days a week plus a quiz on Thursdays, which we won this week, and also getting to listen to some live music - Frankie Vali tonight and the Blues Brothers tomorrow night. This afternoon I played Boules and we had a Frenchman playing, he instructed us in the etiquette of the game, there seem to be more rules on etiquette than on how the game is actually played. I am on fully inclusive at this hotel but I have been out with friends for meals most nights, buffet evening meals are not for me. On Monday we said goodbye to Pauline and Jim, they are leaving the island after having lived here for 28 years and they are not the only people going home disillusioned with the 'new Cyprus' More soon.

Cyprus 2016

Manchester Airport Terminal 2. What a comedown from my last two airport experiences at Heathrow Terminal 5 and Liverpool which were efficient and friendly. Initially huge queues to book in with Thomson fortunately they had a number of check in desks open but then the security nightmare began, queue, queue, queue for the two channels they had open even though there were enough staff hanging around to open at least another two channels and the attitude of the people staffing the area was appalling, the passengers were treated as inconvenient encumbrances. The disastrous consequences of all the queuing was no Frankie and Bennie’s breakfast which maybe in the great scheme of things was good for me.

Next rant. If you ever fly Thomson do not get an aisle seat, the aisle seems to be narrower than on other airlines and the stewardesses are wider, a bit like the stewardess on the National Express song, there was a miniature Irish steward but he had no control over his elbows so everyone in aisle seats were constantly being battered or losing their books, drinks etc, the poor girl in front of me had just poured her champagne into the stylish plastic cup provided when the leprechaun knocked it all over her handbag and shoes. I am getting a window seat on the return flight to keep clear of the mayhem.

Booking a three week all-inclusive holiday in Cyprus was probably not the best way of starting a new healthy lifestyle, especially now the understairs is packed to bursting with wine including too many ordered during my South Africa trip. The restaurant in the hotel provides buffet food only so that could aid the healthy lifestyle ‘cos I won’t be eating the tepid food that has been sitting on the counter for hours, looks like fruit for breakfast and salads for lunch and dinner with the occasional kebab and fish & chips at local restaurants.

Enough gloom and doom, today is a new day, the sun is shining and it is lovely and warm. I wonder what it is like in the UK!

Looking back, this is the first hotel holiday I have been on since Jan and I went to Tunisia over New Year about 12 years ago but despite the usual disadvantages like the tepid food and listening to the people next door there are definitely positives. I am surrounded by staff who cater to my every need, no cleaning up after myself and even the bed gets made but the nicest thing about this hotel is it is located centrally for all the places I want to visit and is even on the bus route. The biggest problem at the moment is the hotel is full, there are four teams staying here who are taking part in the Cyprus Cup which is women's competition so it is not all bad. 

I have had to try all over the hotel to find a good enough wifi signal to connect my laptop but I found it by squeezing onto the pay terminal in the foyer so things should be OK from here.

Last night I met Paul and Teresa at Lambros (my favourite fish & chip restaurant) and we went on from there to a quiz, we did not win this time. I am meeting up with another group of friends on Sunday for lunch and music, I will take the camera.

Idiot

I arrived today at 1230 at the Sevilla Rock Art Trail in the Cederberg in my air conditioned car and set off on the 5km ramble around nine rock art sites it was a unique experience for me and I also enjoyed all the deer and antelope I saw en-route but I was not too keen on the troops of baboons. By the time I finished the walk I had drunk the whole of the one and a half litre bottle of water I had with me and the lady who runs the site said I was mad to go out in the 40+ temperatures. When I saw my bright red face in the mirror I agreed with her. That is one problem with aircon it lulls you into a false sense of security, I have now finished a second bottle of water.
So that is it, holiday nearly over just pack the case and meander down to Cape Town tomorrow.
Next year I will come a little later when it is not so hot.

From the sublime...............

I left the luxury of Marie's B&B on Saturday morning after a wonderful 2 day break the only drawback were Wal and Reen from Grimsby, they were a talking tag-team and never seemed to draw breath, I got caught twice but now I know the history of their family, friends jobs and holidays. I had a long trip planned to make my way to Tulbagh. The route was scenic. First I took the Swartberg Pass to Prince Albert as suggested by BB.

The top of the pass is 1500 feet higher than Snowdon and they even put a sign up to let you know you have arrived.

 

 

The views are spectacular and a little scary - no barriers on this road.

 




Prince Albert itself was just another desert village so I just stopped for water.







The next stop was at The Milner Hotel in Matjiesfontein, which was being set up for a wedding later that evening.

Matjiesfontain, built in 1884, is just a one sided strip next to the railway line in the middle of nowhere, where the train still stops.

I settled for lunch in the Old Post Office.

 

I arrived in Tulbagh in good time to get to the sports bar for the start of the Six Nations in fact I was early and caught the final hour of the England One Day International where Jos Buttler destroyed South Africa's hopes with three consecutive sixes, I felt sorry for all the guys so I bought a round for the bar, I don't actually remember leaving there.

 

The B&B I was booked into bears no comparison with my previous 2 days and there was no one around to make breakfast the following morning or for check out - that will be an enjoyable Trip Advisor entry. The same will probably happen at the current place but I shall not bore you with my moans.

 

I had a good day exploring today, I went up to Eland's bay which is impressive to look at and because of the cold sea quite refreshingly cool but not a place I would revisit. My second call was to The Baths which are naturally heated baths 18kms South of Citrusdal.

I spent a pleasant hour or two there and may do again tomorrow.

Earthbound again.

Yesterday's drive up to Oudtshoorn was uneventful but for the scenery I am sure I drove some of the locals nuts by cruising along on their roads and getting in the way when they had places to get in a hurry but there were no honking horns or rude gestures, so much more relaxed than us northern hemisphere types.

South Africa's very own Uluru

This photo cannot capture the majesty of these mountains.

Another busy road in the Langkloof.

I stopped of for lunch at Ray's Cafe in De Rust and asked him what I should not miss in De Rust he told me to forget the town unless I wanted local crafts or wine and to head up to Meiringspoort just 20 minutes North for as he put it 'the nature', he was right but for some reason my camera misbehaved so the photos of the pass, waterfall and pools are only in my head.

I had a lovely welcome back to Earthbound guest house by Marie and her staff, this place is a gem. I said last year that I was glad not too many people read this blog because otherwise she would be booked all year well despite that she IS booked all year in fact I met one couple who are now on their sixth visit so if you do want to visit and I recommend you do, book well in advance.







Last night's Sirloin steak on the bone plus two beers and a dessert at the local branch of the Spur chain (which I found out is owned by Marie's husband Bas) came to a massive £9.00 including a JB sized tip, Oh and that included the taxi there and back. Why do we put up with high prices, rain and misery in the UK when all this is available just 12 hours away?