CAROLINE CLIMBS BEN NEVIS

Another flashback to our time in Scotland, the day Caroline climbed Ben Nevis.

The end of this adventure is to tackle the highest mountain in the UK, Ben Nevis.  We get to the Visitors Center mid afternoon and are a little disappointed to hear the weather forecast for the next day is quite poor, but alas we are too late to do it this day as we would be coming down in the dark, not a desirable for our first attempt.

We camp in the car park and decide on an early start to try to beat the bad weather coming in. It turns out that there are people coming in right into the night as we see a torch or two traverse the car park with a weary climber.  Awake at five and it is already raining quite heavily so we have another hour in the warm and try again when the weather seems to have cleared a little.

We finally decide to head off at 7.15am.  Now, this mountain is divided into three sections and the first is a steep climb over a path of boulders set as steps.  It is hard going and sadly it starts to become apparent that Mikayla is not very well.  She hadn’t wanted to say anything but was progressively worsening and eventually we have to make a decision that she and Georgia would return to Vincent and I would go on as far as I could. They have made it nearly half way and are very disappointed to have to turn back.  I might add that because of the constant drizzle we are already soaked even though we are quite warm.

I continue on and enjoy a break in the weather and the climb as I pass the easiest part of the trail past the Loch, it is so gorgeous.  Then starts the second section of the shale zig zags.  The climb is steep and still I am warm as toast even in just a t-shirt.  As I plod ever upwards I start to meet some climbers coming down and they advise me that it under an hour to the top but that it is freezing up there.  A couple more zigzags and I hit the biting wind and it is time to put on the layers.

The climb turns into a scramble over large boulders, past the ice trap and then a difficult path between the cairns.  Vision is poor as the rain has really set in up here and I am strangely quite alone at this point.  There have been people on the track all the way but for this final accent it is just me and I can only just see the next cairn, the only way to make out the trail.  It is quite an adventure as I imagine what it would be like to get lost in this wilderness and how very cold a night alone would be up here.

No wonder this mountain claims a few lives every year, to be unprepared would be madness and even with everything organized a weather change could be disastrous.  The top seems to be taking a long time to reach, I am now about four hours into my journey and eventually reach the top.  I have a few moments alone to take a photo of myself and the top beacon, and off the cliff edge.  I can only see about three meters down the cliff face before the cloud invades but it is clear it is not the best path down!  A wrong step up here could be quite a big one.

Quite suddenly there is an influx of fellow climbers and we are all congratulating one another for reaching the top, some are first timers like myself but others are repeat offenders, one man on his seventh ascent.  Well done to everyone.  It is not pleasant up here, visibility is next to nothing, there is a howling gale and it is freezing and wet and I decide it is time to head back down.  It has not been about the view since about half way but about the challenge.  Now I face the challenge of getting back to Vincent.

The top stage takes its toll quite quickly and my knees are complaining.  Once I reach the top of the zigzags I am treated to about half an hour of sunshine and a clear view of the world around, I stop to eat my supplies and chat to some climbers on the way up.  They have a while to go and I advise them that it is harder to come down than go up.  Everyone seems to agree on this point.  I have been able to take of a few layers and dry out the gloves and beanie in the constant wind.  I am now thinking the decent would be lovely if it stayed like this.

Sadly I have been too optimistic and as I reach the bottom of the zigzags the weather sets in worse than ever.  I am about half way down and the path is treacherous and slow and my legs are screaming.  The rest of the journey is agony and at times I wonder why I am here.  I am once again drenched to the skin, it is a rain that by-passes the very best waterproofs.  My feet are just puddles but my boots keep me safe on the slippery boulders and muddy track.  There are some young men that run pass me, Oh to have those knees again.

I slosh on at my very steady pace and I wonder about the poor soles that had still been climbing upward.  I am also so very grateful for the week of sunshine we have had previously to enjoy the highlands, the views would not have happened in this,  how lucky we are.  At about 4.15pm I knock on Vincents door and exclaim to the girls that I think I am about to die.  I head off to the loo while they prepare for my recovery treatment.  I also stop in at the visitors center to let the ladies know I did it.  Congratulations are received with thanks and we discuss the various spots on the mountain, it seems everyone finds coming down the hard part and I am glad it is not just me.  I am still able to laugh though and am pleased to have conquered Ben Nevis.

I meet a guide, and very experienced climber, that is taking a group of climbers up at midnight, “why would you do that?” is all I can respond.  He thinks it’s crazy too, what a way to make a living. Back to Vincent and the girls have the hot water ready.  Hair washed and body bathed they guide me under the covers and provide me with hot water bottles (thank you Maggy, I think you saved my life).  We are going to have to stay another night in the car park as I could not drive, and wonder if my legs will ever manage this task again.

While the girls provide me with food they also fill me in on their day.  By the time they got back to the car they were both very ill with a stomach issue, say no more.  It is so lucky they turned back when they did, at least they had managed to make a recovery and get warm and prepare for my return.  I don’t think Vincent would have coped with three drowned rats at once.

When I wake in the morning I am scared to move, wondering if this is indeed even possible.  My need to get to the loo gives me the motivation and I am very relieved to find that it is not as bad as I thought it might be.  No real damage has been done it seems, just some aches and pains to recover from over the next few days.  The girls are relieved when I seem relatively normal, not sure I was making much sense the night before.

We now have to try to sort out Vincent.  He is water logged with wet jackets and clothes and just invaded by the constant water flow outside.  We get on the road and crank up the heater and start to dry him out.  The next day sees the return of some sunshine so by about day three we have everything back to normal.  What would we do without our precious Vincent, our little home away from home.

We continue traveling south back into England and soon reached the Lake District. It had been our intention to complete the three peaks of the UK, Snowdon and Ben Nevis conquered and Scaffle Pyke to go.  Sadly the legs are not recovered enough to go up the last one after only three days so will have to save that for another trip.

We can console ourselves with our meandering through the Lake district enjoying such a beautiful part of England.  The weather holds quite well and the scenery is just gorgeous and we get to visit the part of the world that Beatrix Potter loved so much.  As we are mad BP fans we enjoy soaking up all the information we can. We visit her husbands law office first and are treated to passionate guides that give us a little more insight into her life.  We gaze on lots of her original drawing and sketches. We then head out to Hill Top and experience an eccentric world that she created to work from.  We can just imagine Peter and all his friends popping up in the garden.  It is a magical journey we thoroughly enjoy.  We look across the fields to her marital home and imagine her plodding across to work with her friends in tow.  We are glad to hear that the movie made of her life is almost all accurate, though she did not know her husband as a child.  A small amount of creative license is acceptable.  Our passion for this wonderful writer will continue on and I look forward to reading to my grandchildren the stories their mothers loved so much.

It is time to head south toward Devon and it takes a few more days to drive through the green lanes and on a couple of high ways till we are back with family.  What a great adventure we have had again and we look forward to coming back in the years to come and explore some more.

This brings the England adventure all up to date.  The final days with family have already been posted on Sep 25th if you would like a flash back update.  All posts from now on for a couple of months with be from USA and our adventures in this wonderful country.  Some are already up and will endeavor to be up to date very soon.  Madly adventuring and writing is really hard work you know.

SCOTLAND: INNERLEITHEN, EDINBURGH AND THE HIGHLANDS

We’re taking you back in time to when we said goodbye to Minting and continued North to Scotland during our UK adventures.

After a sad farewell to Minting and Serenity we head on up the UK through the Yorkshire Dales and enter into Scotland through Jedburgh.  We pop into the visitors center to be given fantastic advice by a very helpful and young woman.  We leave with a load of information to help plan our next part of our journey.

On our way up we stop in a little village called Innerleithen where there is a chance take advantage of our National Trust Membership again. An opportunity to visit Robert Smail’s Printing Factory, a fantastic step back in time.  We are greeted by a lovely young woman who is so passionate and proud of this special opportunity to see how a printing works was ran before all the ‘mod cons’ came along.

Mr Smail resisted the evolution in the printing game and also left behind all the original documentation, all the bells and whistles for the future generations to now enjoy.  Our tour moves on to the case room where all the type is set.  Another equally passionate woman takes us through the whole process and even gives us the opportunity to make our own book mark which we are very proud of and will treasure always.

On now to the big machines with a lovely young man who shows us how the old dragons work. The business is still running thanks to the National Trust and along the tour we see some of their splendid work including posters, cards, invitations and calenders etc.  We talk for a very long time to our original guide about our travels and her passion for her work.  Time to move on and we thank everyone for the best tour we have done our whole trip.

The day is still young and we head into Edinburgh, lucky enough to catch the last days of the Fringe Festival.  We spend time wandering the streets taking in the many entertainers and pop into a few free galleries.  It is a very attractive city that we enjoy our short time in. We move on, deciding to head for the North, passing through Perth.

Our decision to spend as much time exploring nature turns out to be the best plan we could have made. We head up the middle through the Grampians and explore magnificent scenery before finding a spectacular spot on a Loch to settle for the night.  Before the sun goes down I head up a hill for a walk.  It is a bit of a climb along animal tracks but the view over the Loch improves with height and Vincent becomes very small behind me.

We wake the next day to the shinning Loch with a low cloud suspended over it and the most magnificent reflections in the mirror like surface.  We move on to see Loch Ness, famous and busy, beautiful no doubt, but we are headed for a more wild experience.  Further North we press and into the highlands.

Lady luck is on our side once again.  Apparently a storm has just passed through with so much rain there have been landslides,  we arrive and spend 5 days exploring the highlands with spectacular sunshine and perfect blue sky.  We pass along the single lane roads winding and weaving our way through some of the most amazing scenery of our entire trip.  You can’t go past Austria and Switzerland for mountains but this comes so close.  Every turn is another spectacular view.  If you have never been try your hardest to come and see some of the most unspoilt beauty in the world.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album UNITED KINGDOM.

You can also find Robert Smail’s Printing Works Facebook page by clicking here.

CASTLES AND MOUNTAINS OF WALES

Powis House and Gardens was a beautiful National Trust property and lucky for us we caught the last tour of the day yet again. Arriving here we went straight for the lovely library and museum where we would have liked to have spent more time had it not been for the fact we had to start the tour to see the house. Entering the house with a guide, again on our own, we started in the amazing entry way and main staircase.

Originally built in the 1200’s, the castle began as a medieval fortress and has grown with the Herbert family as time has gone on. Overall another beautiful castle and furnished as it would have been when lived in. The view from the terrace is spectacular, looking over the immaculate gardens.

Heading back out to the coast we found a camping spot at Rainbow Falls, then spent the next day driving as close to the ocean as we could. We ate lunch next to the water in the very touristy town of Barmouth, before moving along through Porthmadog, Criccieth, Abersoch and back up to Caernarfon on the way to Snowdonia National Park ready to sleep again.

Having found a very nice car park opposite an icy lake we slept peacefully only to wake to a car park filling with cars and walkers setting off on a very lovely sunny day. We were planning to head around to Snowdon but decided to head off on the same walk for an hour or two. The four off us set off but Georgia became ill and had to turn back with Minting.

Mikayla and I decided to plod on and, chatting with some fellow walkers, discovered we were in fact on Snowdon, on a different approach than that which we intended. Having gone at least half way we decided to push on to the top.

As we got higher we entered the clouds, starting to feel the cold. We discovered that it’s not about the view; it’s about the challenge. Fellow walkers were impressed by our shorts, our legs turning blue. We had a quick lunch at the top and headed back down, knowing that we would be in trouble with the girls as they would be worried.

We had started walking at 11.15 and returned to Vincent at 4.30, a very respectable time on the 7.5 km route including the notorious ledge that takes a couple of victims every year. Georgia was at first relieved, then mad and then very congratulatory at our achievement. We decided to eat, get warm and stay put for the night before making an early start the next day.

Plas Newydd came next and it sure didn’t disappoint. Overlooking the Menai Strait amongst beautiful woodlands and an Italianate garden it had amazing views, but the best part of this mansion would have to be the mural in the dining room, painted by Rex Whistler. There’s plenty of optical illusion going on in this clever masterpiece that is a must see.

Later we got some washing done in the nearby town of Bangor, watching the interesting locals go by before finding Penrhyn Castle, unfortunately already closed for the day. We decided to camp in the car park here and caught the first taster tour of the day here.

The taster tour was a complete waste of time, although we did get to see one room that is only open to the public with a guide. Our favourite part of this castle was the staircase with detail to rival that of the Natural History Museum in London, so intricate and pretty. There are also extensive kitchens and servants quarters open here and they are sometimes even more interesting than the main house.

After lunch we moved on to Conwy where we walked across the Conwy Suspension Bridge and came across the quaint and tiny toll keeper’s house. The guide here was full of knowledge and told us all about the family who lived here and kept the bridge open before being sent to see Aberconwy House.

Aberconwy House should be renamed Higgledy-Piggledy House for it’s very uneven floors and add-ons through out time. It’s Tudor in style and from the street looks like it should have been used in the Harry Potter films. It also makes you wonder how it doesn’t just topple over, must have been built pretty sturdy from the get go!

Our time in Wales over we left Conwy and headed back into England towards Liverpool, after spending one more night camped in the country side of Wales.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album UNITED KINGDOM.

FUN AT THE GOLD MINE AND A VISIT TO DEVIL’S BRIDGE

Continuing on from where we left off in our previous post, we spent most of the afternoon at Dolaucothi Gold Mine, yes another National Trust, where we were excited to be taking a tour inside the mine. While we waited to start Minting had her first go at gold panning and we had fun playing old rope toss games, though none of us were very good. Lucky for us we ended up having a private tour and we were kitted out with our helmets, headlamps and super heavy battery packs ready to head into one of the scariest underground places I’ve been.

Our guide was fantastic and we learnt a lot about both Roman and 19^th/20^th century history, valuable welsh gold and the people who mined here. It was then time to turn our headlamps on and enter into the mine. All was good until we had the opportunity to look backwards and realized the only light we had was what we were casting from our headlamps and I started trying to memorize the way out!

The mine was actually really interesting and, unlike in the ice cave in Austria, we were equipped with enough light to see what was around us. At one point we turned our lights off with only a candle aflame and experienced what it would have been like down there for the miners.

The little boys who worked down here were “not worth the light”, as candles were really expensive and taxed, and learned to avoid the candlelight as it marked danger spots. Lucky occupational health and safety has advanced since then, although they say there were hardly any accidents recorded in the mine.

At the end of the tour our wonderful guide gave us a few recommendations for future site seeing in Wales and sent us to a delicious fish and chip shop in Aberaeron, The New Celtic Restaurant, where we bought our fish and chips take away to eat on the beautiful pebble beach while the sun went down. Minting had a great time rock collecting, finding a few unique shapes and colours, and we enjoyed sitting by the ocean before moving on again to camp near our next stop Llanerchaeron.

Llanerchaeron, another National Trust, is still a working farm where you can visit the animals, tour the house and even get involved in a couple of fun activities. We started in the farm area where we were lucky enough to see a cute calf, born a few days before, and piglets, as well as the other farmyard animals. A walk through the vegetable garden and next to the private lake took us to the front garden of the Georgian Mansion where we taught Minting to play croquet, Mikayla coming up trumps with the win!

Crossing the threshold into the house we were confronted with many stuffed animals in glass boxes and more otter heads on the walls than paintings. Getting over that, it was actually a really nice home and restored beautifully. Up the double staircase, under a huge skylight, you emerge onto a stunning landing. Also crowned by a skylight, this time oval, the landing connects to large oval rooms, opposite each other, that even have round doors. Even better was the fact that these lovely rooms were meant for the women of the house, the dressing room and the ladies sitting room. We got talking to a fabulous lady called Peggy here who reminded us so much of Nan and whom we could have talked to all day.

Time for lunch and we had a scrumptious and healthy meal at the NT café, then hit the road. The view driving along the coast was beautiful and, from what we could see through the pouring rain, inland was just as good as we cut in towards Devil’s Bridge.

Reaching our destination the rain seemed to have stopped for the minute and we started an hour’s walk hoping the rain would hold off while we had to be outside. As always we were lucky and only had to deal with our muddy shoes at the end of the walk and the spray of the waterfalls during.

Here there are three bridges built one over the other and legend has it that the lowest and oldest bridge was built by the devil himself. One day an old woman lost a cow to the opposite side of the river and couldn’t get her back across. The devil appeared and said he would build her a bridge overnight if he could claim the soul of the first living thing to cross the bridge. She agreed and in the morning came back to find a sturdy bridge in place. Not wanting to give herself to the devil the old woman decided to send her dog across the bridge first, throwing a stick for him the fetch. Furious the devil left with nothing, leaving the dog, the old woman got her cow back and the bridge has been there ever since.

The walk was lovely, down steps continuously into the valley for the first half and up again for the second. There’s even a Jacob’s Ladder here, way steeper and ladder-like than the one in Perth. The waterfalls are nice and you can also see fossils in the caves, when you look past the heinous graffiti on the cave walls. Mum, Mikayla and I returned to Minting and Vincent, dry and tired and it didn’t take long for us to decide it was time to stop for the night.

We ended up camping in a pull off on the side of the road with a boat on a broken trailer. Later joined by another campervan, the owners of said boat who were having a run of bad luck. They had bought a boat and halfway home a trailer wheel had fallen off so they had come to camp and look after it. In the morning they tried to start their campervan, but it had broken down. Unfortunately we couldn’t give them a jump-start with Vincent; hopefully they found someone who could quickly, poor things.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album UNITED KINGDOM.

UK TOUR WITH MINTING BEGINS

Under the guidance of Georgia we navigate our way through London to Queensway tube where we pick up Minting, our Chinese friend who stayed with us in Gidge. It is exciting to see her again and we start off on an adventure through Wales. As we anticipated it would be quite a squeeze for us all in Vincent but after a few tries we manage to find the best way to fit 4 in the bed and Minting does really well to get used to the wild camping way of life.

We have decided to base our travels around our National Trust membership and very luckily Minting is allowed to enter for free on our Family membership. Our first stop is at Cliveden, a lovely grounds surrounding the original mansion, now a hotel. The terrace is 500 years old and currently being restored. The view over the formal gardens from up here is delightful. We then wander through the property and end with the water garden. It is so pretty and as we stroll around when suddenly a big splash disturbs the peace. Sadly it’s Georgia falling into one of the very deep ponds whilst trying to get the camera out for the perfect shot of a koi in the disgusting dirty pond water.

Once we realized she was not hurt it was laughter all round, even Georgia, a muddy, algae draped mess. Thankfully we managed to talk the staff into letting her use their shower, lucky, as the smell would not have gone well in Vincent.

The down side to all this was the camera took a dip too and though, after a few days sitting in rice, it works again the horrible water got inside and has left blotches on the inner lens. Time to get the ball rolling with insurance for a replacement but in the mean time blotchy photos it is.

We moved on to our next stop and found a place to camp in the gorgeous village of Lacock. Rising early we took in the sights of this quaint little village. Apart from being the birthplace of photography it is also one of the many sights in England that was home to some Harry Potter filming.

We wandered around visiting Professor Slughorn’s house, and the Potter’s home in the Philosophers Stone. Inside Lacock Abbey the cloister of were used as parts of Hogwarts in the first and second movies and Snape’s potions class can be found inside, such fun. Only thing we didn’t like here was the bakery where they microwaved our pasties. We thoroughly enjoy our time in Lacock and comment that we could come and live here one day.

We move on to The Forest of Dean to find a lovely spot to camp, providing us with a couple of nice walks in the forest before setting off to view the last and only Dutch water garden in England, a place called Westbury. Another National Trust wonder, small but beautiful and restored to its former beauty after years of neglect. We purchase some second hand books for our collection at amazing prices, yet another reason to visit NT properties.

Minting cooked Chinese lunch for us before a short walk at May Hill before driving on to one of our most spectacular parking spots ever, high on the hills in Brecon Beacon, south of Hay-on Wye.

We enjoyed watching the tranquil sport of paragliding. Though a weekday there were at least ten sails in the air, majestically flying around on the breeze. We have to have a go at this one day.

We walked up the very steep hill and enjoyed a closer look at these ‘birds’ before descending to sit and watch the sun go down, spectacular. There are some gorgeous, fat ponies roaming around amongst many sheep, on some of the best pasture you could ever get, and we were lucky to get a pat. The sheep share this area with no fences, oblivious to the passing cars and people.

Minting practices her newly acquired ukulele and it begins to sound like music to help us drift off into the special world we are lucky enough to have found. Sunrise is just as spectacular as the evening and it sad that we have to move along. We head to Hay-on-Wye for an interesting few hours in this town of books. Rummaging through a few of the second had spots and once again purchasing a couple of treasures. Heading on through Brecon Beacons National Park the views are amazing and we stop for lunch at Henrhyd Falls before continuing on through the park taking in the stark rolling hills, fantastic.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album UNITED KINGDOM.

SLEEPLESS IN SEVILLE

We apologize for the lack of posts of late, time flies when you’re having fun! Since our last post we have been to Seville, done the route of the Pueblos Blancos, fleetingly visited Granada, and made our way through the sites of Cordoba and Toledo. All finished with a trip to Madrid to buy Real Madrid tickets for Saturdays game, but more on that later!

We loved Seville, Mum’s favourite city so far and one we could very happily spend an extended time in. The people are friendly, the streets feel clean and safe and the atmosphere is alive with people from all different walks of life from tourists moving from site to site to locals going about their daily grind and everyone in between.

Here we saw the Cathedral of Seville and the Royal Alcazar (Real Alcazar) as well as our first taste of Spanish Flamenco. The cathedral is very interesting with a few treasures to be found inside. First is the grand mausoleum of Christopher Columbus, one of the first things you see as you go through the tunnel that is the main entrance. There are also paintings by Goya and Murillo to be found as well as the Michael Angelo inspired floors in the southeastern corner. A trip up the 37 ramps and 1 flight of stairs to the top of the Giralda (tower) is a must offering the best views of the rooftops of Seville.

They say you can’t do the cathedral and Alcazar in one day so we heeded this advice and camped on the outskirts of the city next to the old Olympic Stadium. We were glad we did because it would certainly be a lot to take in if you saw the two major sites in Seville in one day.

Before heading to our camping spot we decided to seek out some flamenco. Lonely Planet Europe in hand we searched for La Carboneria and found the small door leading to a warehouse style bar on a back street. Flamenco bar located we went for tapas at a nearby restaurant then arrived back by 9:30pm for the first flamenco performance of the evening.

It was amazing. Though since being published in Lonely Planet it’s hard to spot a local in the bar it takes nothing away from the authentic flamenco. We sat down with our cocktails on the long bench surrounded by German, Swiss, Austrian and Americans and struck up conversation with Birgit who has spent time living in Spain. She said that the flamenco performers were fantastic and explained that when the audience knows what they’re doing the experience and emotion is heightened because everyone is so involved. The performers feed off the audience and vice versa.

The flamenco was so emotional and passionate and nothing like what I had expected, it was better and real. A guitarist, a singer and a dancer on stage and we couldn’t tear our eyes away from them. We stayed for the three performances of the night, new dresses for the stunning dancer each time, and eventually left ready for bed.

The next day we had a late start, apparently late nights don’t agree with us, and made our way to the alcazar. We had seen some Moorish detail in buildings previously but that was a miniscule amount compared to what we saw at the Royal Alcazar. Exquisite detail in the walls, above doorways and windows and ceilings, some colour remaining giving a glimpse of what they must have been like when freshly built. The gardens here are also nice but we have seen better.

We had done a bit of driving through the city center, sometimes not by choice when the road system wouldn’t let us go where we wanted, but saw a lot of it along the way. There is not much parking in the city so most of the time we had to park out a bit and walk in to the center. Though the further out you go the more you encounter parking helpers.

We left Seville wanting more but it was time to move south to start the route de la Pueblos Blancos (the route of the white villages), first stop Arcos de le Frontera.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album SEVILLE.

HOME TIME

Mikayla here, Obidos was next. We had been told by the couple that we met at the caves that there was a chocolate festival in Obidos so of course we had to go! What else do you do when you find out there is free samples of chocolate? We got to the walled town and before beginning our search for chocolate we saw the church just outside the wall. We have seen a lot of churches so far and I was not completely enthusiastic but the ceiling of this one was quite nice. Each one has had a something a little different.

So now for the chocolate search. We went through a little section of the market looking at little things, finding that cork seems to be everywhere. After about ten minutes we found the upsetting news that the chocolate festival was only on from Friday to Sunday, we were there on a Thursday.

We ended up deciding that we may as well go through the rest of the market. We went through a few odd stores but it was the last two stores where we had the most success. One was a museum in which we found a beautiful china doll. We had thought of it first as a gift but after a closer look we decided that she was too beautiful to part with. That was the only place where we made a purchase but the last shop had beautiful china that we wish that we could find room in Vincent for, but sadly we couldn’t.

We ended the day in Peniche. We were able to find a camping stop that was perfect for us, private but still with a beautiful ocean view, although it took about half an hour to choose the spot.

Back to Georgia now. Our next morning was spent walking over the cliffs in Peniche and organizing to stay in an apartment for the next few days. Exciting!

We decided on an apartment in Mem Martins, very close to Sintra and a 40 minute train ride to Lisbon, perfect for a few days of space and rest. A few days that turned into 6 nights total.

We have had access to a shower, cable TV, a toilet, an oven, a microwave, Wi-Fi and separate beds for 6 nights; total luxury in a gorgeous apartment. When we arrived we were greeted by our hosts Joao and Maria who are just wonderful. Such wonderful people who have gone out of their way to make us feel welcome and at home, they’re just lovely.

First thing on TV, to my delight, was Grey’s Anatomy, but we’ve also watched as much Keeping up with the Kardashians as I can get Mum to allow, lots of Ghost Whisperer and a few episodes of Offspring (why haven’t I got into this sooner?)

While here we have done a little site seeing around Sintra and one trip into Lisbon to visit Belem.

We had a late start on our Sintra day so had limited time to see what we wanted to. The Palace of Pena and the Moorish Castle were at the top of our list.

The best part of seeing the Palace of Pena is walking through the extensive gardens. You could get lost in all day in the huge sloping hills walking through the vibrant green forest, lakes, streams and bits of history along the way.

The palace is pretty inside with some more differences in furniture and décor, namely patterned and shaded walls, the papier mache furniture (that looked like it was inlayed with mother of pearl detail; Mikayla’s favourite), and Indian looking furniture intricately carved in dark wood with red cushions (Mum’s favourite). Another unique feature inside the palace are the 3D patterned walls.

You can also get a great view of the natural park from the outside walls of the palace as it’s built right at the top of the hill. This also makes it visible from the window of the apartment where we’re staying.

We walked to the Moorish Castle next, up and down those sloping hills, well worth the effort though because this one is a good one. Worth seeing and probably the largest we’ve come across on our trip so far. We also met a fellow Perth gal up here, very nice to meet an Australian and her new friends.

We decided to have dinner out to try bacalhua (Portuguese word for cod) at a restaurant Joao and Maria had recommended to us. The owner here has lived in Australia and again it was really nice to speak in English.

The restaurant was called Bacano Churrasqueira Restaurante in Mem Martins and Mr Rui was lovely treating us to a feast of garlis bread and bacalau for entre and main cooked two different traditional ways. Delicious, and again some very yummy potatoes to try and recreate in Vincent!

The highlight of our time here has been being able to skype our friends! Mikayla got to skype all her best friends and so did I, talking to Ellen and Shauna made me feel so much better, love those girls!

After our skype time we really felt like going to the movies, something we do quite a lot back at home. We’ve been hanging out to see The Monuments Men so off we went to the cinema. English movies are shown as is with Portuguese subtitles so we had no trouble understanding (except when German and French were spoken), it felt like we were back in Perth.

The Monuments Men was fantastic and we loved it so much Mum suggested we see another movie straight away so back to the ticket office we went and decided to see Non Stop. Another great movie and Mikayla’s first thriller, we were very proud!

Photos on our FB page here!

VERSAILLES, CHAMBORD AND CHENONCEAU

The last few days we have seen some breathtaking places. Chateaus seemed to be the theme with visits to the Palace of Versailles, Chateau of Chambord and Chateau of Chenonceau on three consecutive days. I’m glad we ended up seeing them this way because it made them so much more interesting to link the history and compare the architecture and interior design.

They all had quite a few features in common, first being size, they are so enormous and extravagant. Also their beautiful ceilings, worn stone and tile floors, velvet and painted walls, huge tapestries, portraits, and gardens. I can only imagine how long it took and the skill required to build these palaces of intricate detail and magnitude so long ago.

First stop was the Palace of Versailles and when walking up to it you are struck by the amount of gold detail and the enormity of it. Walking closer you are surrounded on three sides by the palace inside a huge courtyard of cobblestones. We bought an audio guide and it was well worth it to get an insight into the history of Versailles, the French royal family and my favourite part, what each room was used for and who lived there.

The palace was not always as big as it is today; built for Louis XIII originally, it was built onto and embellished by future generations to come. The family was forced to leave during the French Revolution in 1789 and most of the furniture inside now is replica with only a few original pieces recovered.

We saw the King’s and Queen’s apartments, it was strange that most rooms were open to the public and even people even came to watch the King and his family eat. We also saw Marie-Antoinette’s bedroom and the secret door she fled through during the revolution. I wish we could have walked the secret corridors! The hall of mirrors was spectacular, so light and pretty with many chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and so much gold it’s almost tacky, but not out of place here!

We did Chambord the next day, ordered built by King Francis I, it was sort of a holiday home he used as a base when he wanted to go hunting on the huge purpose built estate surrounding the chateau. So extravagant, to give you an idea it is 156 meters long, 56 meters tall, has 77 stair cases, 282 fireplaces and 426 rooms, and the King only spent 72 days here during his 32 year reign ad never actually saw the building complete before his death! Crazy!

From outside it really does look like Cinderella’s Castle. Inside it’s quite bare now although you have a much greater freedom to explore the rooms and corridors. One of the defining features, different to any other chateau, is its double helix stair case, thought to be to work of Leonardo da Vinci who once lived nearby.

Last but certainly not least was Chenonceau, dubbed the ladies chateau because of it’s all female ownership. This one was our favourite by far. You get to see every room bar two and even the kitchens all decked out. Every room is done up to look just like it would have when the ladies lived there, complete with flower arrangements and flickering fires, just beautiful, and it is here where you can see the original worn tiles!

Not as large as the first two by far but way more impressive to me. The grounds contain the immense gardens, farming quarters, motes, a MAZE (unfortunately closed for winter) and the chateau is actually built across the River Cher. During WWII when France was occupied by Germany the house was used to move people from the north side of the river to freedom on the south bank as the river marked the line of demarcation.

I loved visiting these places as a tourist and seeing the rooms in all their splendor, especially at Chenonceau, but also thought that surely these huge buildings and gardens could be put to better use than just being tourist attractions. Some are used for formal functions but it would be amazing if they also used them for housing the needy or renting out for charity. Obviously I don’t know how all the space is used but from what I can see there is a lot of wasted space, even now, where rooms are empty and not made up for viewing as they once were.

Since seeing the chateaus we have spent a couple of nights in a gorgeous little town called Montrichard, it had a really great feeling here and we had a perfect little camping spot next to the river. We also got to have another swim and shower here. I usually remember places by what I ate there, this has changed drastically because I think some of the places I’ll remember most are the places I got to have a shower! We’ve also made our way out to La Rochelle on the coast, down past Bordeaux and now in Arcachon. Will keep you updated!

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album CHATEAUS.

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CAMBRIDGE

We spent the day in Cambridge today. Another spectacular place in the world and another spectacular day to take it all in! The sun was shining and, though when the wind picked up it was a bit chilly, it was a perfect day to experience Cambridge in the winter.

Before we left home Maggy warned me that after visiting Cambridge I’d want to study there, and she wasn’t wrong at all. The University of Cambridge was very different to how I imagined and upon arriving at the city center I was immediately reminded of Fremantle (Western Australia). And it seems that comparison is warranted because, just as Notre Dame University in Fremantle is spread all over the city, the University of Cambridge is spread out into various colleges.

A second thing we noticed, that was typical for us, were the many shops. Graham immediately banned shopping in the daylight hours! Must do tourist stops first, and I’m so glad we did! The first stop was the gardens of Emmanuel College, stunning, as we would soon find out was a theme throughout all gardens. Walking around we found a statue of the young Charles Darwin (quite good looking really) and took a few photos!

We were lucky, quite a few college gardens were open and did not demand a fee for entry. Usually most gardens will have a porter at the gate and charge for entry to tourists. Walking around we came across the gardens of Kings College, Kings College Chapel and Trinity Hall Cambridge, all slightly different but equally beautiful. As were the buildings surrounding them, my favourite was Kings College Chapel, amazing!

We walked down the the river. Maggy explained that in the summer the river is full of punts, people falling in and the river sides are lined with people eating ice cream. Another reason to visit again in summer I think we’d enjoy all of that! As it was there was no on eon the river today, obviously way too cold, and the punt companies shut down during winter.

We had a late lunch at Prezzo an Italian restaurant. Delicious food again! We are yet to come across a restaurant we didn’t like (apart from Hungry Horse in Chelmsford, but that’s a different story) maybe they’re all brilliant, maybe we just like food too much. Either way we aren’t complaining and can’t wait to continue tasting new food.

After lunch we walked further along the river and then back into shop infested streets! Danger, camping store alert. I say this because almost every camping or outdoor adventure store we see, we go into. Graham relaxed the no shopping rule because it was almost dark and Mum explained how much we really needed to go in. So we found ourselves in Cotswold Outdoor, where I found “dry shower” a water free actibacterial cleanse. Hopefully it works when desperate times call for desperate measures!

Graham and Maggy then found themselves in Mountain Warehouse, who are having a huge sale by the way! Whenever I see what I call “tourist clothes” on sale I panic. Mum has been gathering and packing our cold weather outdoor gear ever since we decided to travel and while I’m very glad of this when it’s freezing cold and I’m toasty warm I do feel very touristy in them. So with me exclaiming “we don’t need any more tourist clothes” we settled on looking for things we did need.

Three microfibre towels, three waterproof overtrousers (that we tried on in the middle of the shop, Graham holding all our bags and us saying “I don’t know if they’re big enough!” And “they have to fit over our pants, I mean trousers!!”) a fleece throw and a couple of cards later we finished our shopping.

We finished Cambridge (for now) with a hot chocolate at John Lewis before stepping outside then straight onto the Park and Ride bus back to the car for the trip home. Cambridge another place we can’t wait to visit again in the Summer! Hopefully with Maggy and Graham again, as the day is made by the people you do it with!