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Mountains and ice
  • Marie vg
May – Jun 2025

Mountains and ice

A journey to the Arctic Circle and along Offa’s Dyke on the Welsh Border Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 17, 2025
    Marie vgMarie vgMountains and ice
    Arriving in Helsinki with Longyearbyn to the north where we cruise in 2 days
    Helsinki waterwaysHelsinki spring1An example of Jugend architectureMore Jugend architectureDetail from the Winter War memorial

    Helsinki - the world’s happiest city

    May 17 in Finland ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    And all of a sudden we are in the other side of the world!

    We arrived at 6am and couldn’t get into our hotel until 2pm so we have done plenty of exploring on our first day.

    What a surprising city. I had a vague idea of what Helsinki would be, but it’s not this. The first surprise is that it is about 60% open spaces with gorgeous parks, walkways and cycleways. It’s also surrounded by over 300 islands. The port is a hive of activity with giant ferries, cruise ships and icebreakers - as well as crazy people swimming!

    It was a damp 8degrees this morning but cleared into a lovely spring day. It’s Saturday and the joggers and cyclists were all out looking suitably Nordic in their active wear. We wandered from our hotel near the railway station south along the coastal walking track and enjoyed the spring buds on the trees and gorgeous tulips and daffodils. I do love Europe at this time of year. It’s like it’s just waking up.

    The whole city was rebuilt after a major fire in the early 1800’s so the architecture is rather beautiful Art Nouveau (Jugend) in the southern suburbs. Lots of curves and metal domes and cool details. Plenty of cobbled streets and a leisurely pace - exemplified by the fact that most streets had pedestrian crossings rather than lights.

    Finland regularly wins ‘Happiest country in the world’ and Helsinki is the capital of that. It’s not a particularly scientific finding, but the main reason that the Finns say they are happy is that they have such a great attitude to work-life balance and family. The government supports this and values it. It’s certainly the most chilled out city I’ve been to in recent memory.

    Tomorrow we will explore some of the modern buildings designed by Aalto and the Oodi Library which are in the North East of the city. There are some interesting sculptures as well including Sibelius memorial which we need to check out. We saw a stunning one today in memory of the Winter War with Russia in 1940. I’ve attached a pic.

    The night life looks very promising with lots of pubs, restaurants and cafes to explore. At the moment I’m just exploring my bed after a rather wonderful nap!    Read more

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    Oodi Library entry
    1Oodi Library staircase. The words were submitted by the communityOodi Library reading areaFinlandia Theatre. Look for the trees acting as pillars in the front buildingSibelius memorialDetail Sibelius memorialThe Church in the RockChurch in the RockChurch in the Rock

    Oohing at Oodi

    May 18 in Finland ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Did you know that Finland as an independent entity has only existed since 1917? Before that it was a Russian Duchy of Finland and before that controlled by Sweden. News to me so I thought you might also be surprised too. It separated from Russia at the time of the Revolution. No wonder it feels like a young country.

    Just before we left Australia my friend Adele sent me an article about Helsinki. The highlight for the writer was the Oodi Library. Well today we visited it and I fully understand. Firstly it’s an architectural wonder - like a giant ship. Secondly it is full of surprises like tables set up for chess in the entry foyer, fabulous children’s play areas and make-a-space domains with 3d printers and sewing machines just for starters. You can hire musical instruments- and a recording studio. Most importantly it was full of people just hanging out with their kids or friends. Yes there are books - and a staircase that’s a sculpture in itself. A magic building and emblematic of this city which just seems to get things right without having to make a show of it.

    Today was focused on more modern architecture as the city is famous for it. The next stop was Alvo Aalto’s famous Finlandia Theatre. Set beside a small lake, I was particularly taken by the whole tree trunks plus branches that acted as pillars along the outside of one building. Sadly it was closed so we couldn’t check out the fabled theatre space but enjoyed the stunning outside.

    It’s Sunday today and the walking paths, playgrounds and cycle ways were full of families. I’ve never seen so many dads in sole charge of their kids. Family time is clearly a big part of Finnish culture and I’m totally for it. The playgrounds are other level too! A warmer day so the jackets and beanies are off.

    Another big part of Finnish life is apparently the sauna. There are over 3 million in the county - one for every two people. I don’t like them much but when in Rome/ Helsinki…will give one a whirl this evening after my nap :)

    After Finlandia we rather fittingly walked to the Sibelius Monument . He was Finland’s most celebrated composer and Finlandia is probably his most famous piece of music. Very cool sculpture by a woman called Eila Hiltunen. It was installed in 1967 and was controversial as it was so modern- basically 600 steel pipes resembling a pipe organ but with very intricate details. To keep the pearl clutchers happy an additional sculpture of Sibelius’s head was added to the side. Rather ridiculous. I’m sure he’d rather they hadn’t.

    On our wander home we dropped by another remarkable building. Created in 1969 the Temppeliaukio Church was literally dug out of a huge granite rock. Its walls are the bare granite and it is roofed by a giant copper dome. The acoustics are wonderful so if you’re lucky enough to be here when there is a concert get along. It is still an active Lutheran church.

    Nap time now after a very fine Finnish beer. That’s another thing that’s big here and we are supporting the local industry nicely in that area.    Read more

  • Marie vgMarie vgMountains and ice
    Kamppi Chapel
    3Interior Kamppi chapelExterior Kamppi chapel2Kamppi chapelRandom guy on a sculptureUkrainian flag flying on the Central Station

    The vanishing cards trick

    May 19 in Finland ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    There’s a local saying that goes ‘ A Finnish introvert will look at their feet when talking to you. A Finnish extrovert will look at your feet.’ (You have to read that carefully).

    There is some truth in that observation. The Finns are friendly but in a very reserved way. It’s also incredibly quiet here. Hardly any cars - mostly trams and buses and they are all electric. So are the scooters. The only noisy thing is the pedestrian crossing beep. I haven’t heard a single siren. It’s strangely disconcerting.

    And everyone waits patiently at the pedestrian lights until the little green man appears. So far the only person I’ve seen impatiently crossing a totally deserted street against the red man is me.

    It’s been an odd day. It started well with an outstanding breakfast at our hotel. I do love a hotel buffet. The highlight was the special omelette created by the Ghanan chef, Johnny. He spends part of the year here and part back in Ghana. Apparently he came to school here, which brings many questions to mind, the most obvious one being why? If you had to find two more contrasting countries you’d be hard pressed. Anyway, Ghana’s loss is Helsinki’s gain as he’s an awesome chef.

    Being Monday, several of our plans were quashed as the museums and galleries were closed. We did find a very special place though : the Kamppi Chapel. It’s a beautiful wooden sculptural building in the middle of the city. Its purpose is to provide a place for silent reflection, and miraculously, that’s exactly how people are in the space. Totally still and silent. It’s a Lutheran church but open to all. Quite lovely.

    Some cool sculptures nearby as well. It’s a lovely sunny day and the cafes which had direct sun were heaving with hatless coffee drinkers.

    We returned to our hotel and at check out I discovered my wallet with my credit cards was no longer in my bag! A stressful time was had as I unpacked everything but no luck. Nothing else missing but I then had the tedious process of putting cards on hold and contacting the various places I might have dropped it. Luckily I have Apple Pay still and Grant :)

    We are now out at the airport at a hotel overnight before the real adventure begins tomorrow. We leave in the morning to fly to Longyearbyen, the main city on the island of Spitsbergen, on the Svalbard archipelago. It’s the Northern most inhabited community of over 1000 people, right up in the Arctic circle. Temperature around 1degree forecast for tomorrow.

    We are now part of a tour which is a very unusual experience for us. There are 150 people on the ship that we will live on for the next five days and they are all congregating at this hotel as I write. It’s quite fun trying to pick them as we sit in the bar.

    Helsinki has been such a pleasant start to this journey. Now I’m super excited to see the Arctic in all its beauty. How lucky are we? I do pinch myself daily.    Read more

  • Marie vgMarie vgMountains and ice

    Sitting at the top of the world 3

    May 20 in Svalbard and Jan Mayen ⋅ ☁️ -2 °C

    We are in a very low wifi situation here so I’m having trouble posting. This is attempt #3 and I’ll try with just one pic and see if it works.

    Well who’d have thought it? I’m writing this sitting on the balcony of Quark’s Ultramarine looking across the Arctic Ocean to the snow covered peaks of Svalbard. It’s about 1 degree, 9.30pm and the sun is at the same height in the sky as it was when we flew into Longyearbyen nine hours ago. It won’t change - daylight for 24 hours.

    We had a couple of hours to explore Longyearbyen when we arrived. A fascinating little community of about 2000 permanent souls and a lot of seasonal workers. There’s also a new university there with students from all corners of the earth taking the chance to study Geology or Ecology in this unique environment. It’s huddled between tall snow-covered mountains half way along a fiord so relatively sheltered. The buildings are colorful and mostly quite new so the place had quite an air of hope and pride about it.

    An excellent museum consumed most of our time with displays on the history of these islands geologically and socially and some cool stuff on the local wildlife. For over a century Svalbard’s main claim to fame was as a site for the mass slaughter of wildlife- mostly whales and walruses. It was also the stepping off point for several expeditions to the North Pole including a not surprisingly ill fated attempt by hot air balloon.

    In more recent times, thanks to Mr Longyear, an American, it became a coal mining hub. That industry is on its last legs and tourism is now where the economy is focused. You can see the remnants of the old coal mining infrastructure collapsing on the mountain sides. What a brutal existence it must have been for both hunters and miners.
    We were surprised when we arrived here that there was no passport control but were told that it was open to anyone and people could stay as long as they like! There’s quite a large Thai population here!

    Did I mention it was cold? First priority tomorrow for me is purchasing a second beanie. We have been issued fantastic thick jackets and boots and a dry suit so I’m confident that the zodiac excursions tomorrow will be less freezing than the trip out to our ship earlier today.

    Ultramarine is a gorgeous ship. An electric engine so very quiet. Only 150 passengers and at least that many crew- who are from all over the world and absolutely on their game. We’ve done our life jacket and lifeboat drills so are ready to go! Tomorrow morning we are hopeful for a shore excursion to a Walrus colony, but this being the wild, we will just have to wait and see. I will leave you with the first pics of this beautiful place. In fact I won’t as can’t upload! I’ll try pics later    Read more

  • Marie vgMarie vgMountains and ice
    1Berg and boat

    Puffins and Polar Bears

    May 21 in Svalbard and Jan Mayen ⋅ ☁️ -3 °C

    I will start with saying that all anxieties I had about being on a cruise have vanished. This is not a cruise but a work out! When we aren’t eating (fantastic food - yet again this does not look like a weight loss holiday) we are putting on the multiple layers of clothing required to step onto a zodiac for 1.5hours in sub zero temperatures.

    Today we had two such excursions. The first in a fjiord with the biggest glacier on Spitsbergen in an area named Lillihöökfjorden. The glacier is currently 14km wide. Prince Albert 1 of Monaco visited it in 1906 and his grandson revisited it in 2006 and documented its significant retreat in that time. Currently it’s breaking down at a rate of about 50m a year. It was a privilege to be in its ancient presence. The sun came out and it was quite transporting with the towering glacial cliffs and glowing blue ice bergs. There were a few Harbour Seals and lots of birds. Grant was more adventurous and went out in a kayak and managed not to overturn.

    I will try to post a few pics with this blog but we are reliant on Elon Musk’s internet and it’s patchy in the extreme- understandably in this wilderness.

    The second adventure was further north in an area called Fjortende Julibukta which means Fourteenth of July, the French National holiday. Also named by the Prince of Monaco. It’s in a side bay of Krossfjorden and is a puffin habitat so we were excited. The weather deteriorated a bit so it was choppy and overcast but we didn’t pay this crazy money to sit on a boat so we donned the layers and climbed aboard. What a treat! Not only did we see puffins in their breeding colors in their nesting crags, but a whole spectrum of other sea birds which use Svalbard as their breeding ground: Brünnichs Guillemots, Kittiwakes, Glaucous Gulls…it goes on. Also some fat seals.

    Earlier in the day there was a polar bear sighting and we’d identified them as reindeer from the comfort of our room! Next time we will go and join the experts up the front of the ship.

    As I write the ship is rocking and rolling and we are in a snow blizzard. A nice young man is about to give us a talk on photography and I’m hoping my tequila will combine successfully with a sea sickness tablet.

    My mind is very much focused on my friends and family in Port Macquarie and Wauchope which is now flooding after a crazy week of rain. What an extraordinary planet.    Read more

  • Marie vgMarie vgMountains and ice
    Pack ice

    Would you like a Beluga with your Reinde

    May 22, Arctic Ocean ⋅ 🌬 -4 °C

    Today was a classic example of how good it can be when things don’t go to plan.

    Last night, when I last wrote to you, we were in a blizzard and the boat was bouncing about. When we woke this morning the blizzard had passed and we’d moved into a fjord on the north of Spitsbergen. (I can spell fjord now - apologies to those who I tortured with the misspelling in previous blogs). It’s called Mushamna Woodfjorden. The water was calm but the temperature a balmy minus 3. Plenty of snow stacked up on the decks and low cloud.

    The morning plan was to go out by zodiac and kayak to the shore and do a hike, but just before we started getting organized a polar bear was spotted. A gorgeous big male romping about the place and moving at impressive speed. Hiking and boat activity there had to be abandoned as they can swim very powerfully and take out a kayak with ease.

    So we moved on. And then three Beluga Whales appeared! They looked like giant cream colored dolphins. Very hard to spot at first as they release almost no plume and mix with the floating ice. I am very grateful I carried my good binoculars all the way here. Magic.

    Walking plans were shifted to after lunch. BUT who should be there to meet us at our new destination but yet another polar bear? He was particularly entertaining jumping into the ocean and wrestling with something- seal? Kelp? Fish? before clambering ashore and patrolling our walk zone. Two reindeer made an appearance at the same time but at a wise distance.

    So we didn’t get off the boat today, but for good reasons. As compensation our expedition leader decided we would head north until we reached the pack ice. First we popped into a little island with a pile of walruses. They were lying on top of each other so they looked like a giant brown log with tusks.

    We have just arrived at the edge of the pack ice and we are now surrounded by a mosaic of black and white. 550 nautical miles from the North Pole.

    While I think of it, if you’re using the Find Penguins app I recommend you play with its very cool map function. It will show you where we have been with some excellent graphics. Also if you’re following Grants blog and wonder where he’s gone, his Wix app can’t deal with so little internet so you’ll get a deluge once we return to civilization.

    The ship is full of experts who do great talks. Today we had one on Polar Bears. Did you know that the word Arctic came from the Ancient Greek Arktus which means bear? Lots of sad stuff as usual but also hope, as the polar bear is very intelligent and seems to be working out ways to adapt to the changes in its environment.

    Just before we reached the pack ice we had a talk from a geologist explaining how it worked and its importance for controlling world ocean temperatures and climate. It’s a message I knew to a degree, but sitting in the middle of it has a different impact. Again, not a happy tale.

    As I wrote that the ship hit a big piece of sea ice and had a good wobble in agreement.

    I am so grateful to have the chance to see this remarkable phenomenon while it’s still around.

    It’s now minus 4 with a belting wind. I’ve popped outside to take a pic to add to this post but think I’ll hunker down with a nice cocktail before dinner and watch the ice float past the window.

    Thank you for traveling along with me - I’m enjoying your comments and feedback
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  • Marie vgMarie vgMountains and ice

    A face only a mother could love

    May 23 in Svalbard and Jan Mayen ⋅ ☁️ -5 °C

    I realise that the juxtaposition of my title and the picture I’ve selected may be unfortunate but stick with me and all will be revealed.

    It’s interesting how time is such a fluid thing. It feels like weeks yet we’ve only been in this journey for three days. I don’t know how the crew keep up their level of enthusiasm and energy for the months they do this journey as I’m totally overwhelmed by the experiences of just this time.

    The day opened with blue skies and low winds, so, perfect. Overnight we cruised back to the northern tip of Spitsbergen (the biggest island in Svalbard) and we woke in Bjørnfjorden, the bear fjord. Luckily no bears, so we launched into a wonderland of sea ice, glaciers, towering mountains and bearded seals.

    Each time I’ve gone out on a zodiac I’ve had a different driver. They are all fascinating people, often experts in a field such as geology or ornithology. My favorite three have been kiwi women. Today we had Tara who was probably in her thirties but already a ten year veteran of Quark expeditions. She was a dare devil and loved the pack ice, and particularly liked launching our zodiac right at it and then seeing what would happen. She broke her way through into the centre of a beautiful region where we had the pleasure of seeing three bearded seals. These are big! Double the size of the seals we see around Australia with long, dense whiskers. Dark brown with a slightly paler face and just chilling out on a floating piece of ice.

    This was the prettiest area we’ve been to I think. The mountains are still snow covered with just narrow black bands of rock beginning to show through. The glaciers were smaller here, but still awesome with their age and power and this was the first fast ice we had explored. Fast ice holds fast to the land and is frozen sea as opposed to glacier ice.

    After the cruise around the fjord we beached and had a chance to stretch our legs on shore (always with armed guards in case of polar bears). It was so majestic it was quite emotional and there were many people surprised by tears.

    Back on board and it was time for Polar Plunges. Bear in mind this was 100m from the ice we’d just been riding through. I feel delighted that I’m now at an age I can just say, no I don’t want to, but Grant was of course totally in to it and leaped in to applause and brain freeze. It was so cold he has no memory of it - just the pain afterwards. I have no regrets but a grudging admiration for those who did it.

    It felt like no time at all that we were called again to the loading dock, still digesting lunch, as there were walrus to be seen! In the same fjord there was a congregation of about 20 of them on a flat beach area. The crew had a well rehearsed drill. Two boat loads of us were discreetly deposited on the far side of the beach behind a rise. We then sneaked in single file across the squeaky snow trying to be as quiet as possible until we were the legal closest distance of 50m. We then got 30mins to stand in silence and observe some of the strangest creatures I’ve ever seen.

    Walruses are bigger than I expected- particularly the males. The size of a decent cow without the legs :) Males have much longer tusks than females (extended canines) and the tusks are apparently for sexual appeal rather than any particular practical use. They need all the help they can get as they truly are an ugly lot. Pink eyes, blubbery bodies and bristles on their faces that can rise and change direction (touch being one of their strongest senses). A face only a mother could love. They mostly lay on a pile on top of each other until one got restless, skewered another with a tusk provoking a momentary outburst of hostilities and then back to sleep. It was very cool indeed to see this in the flesh and I had to suppress a David Attenborough commentary in my brain.

    We are just back from a post dinner talk by a Polish scientist who is one of our guides whose specialty is elephant seals. Did you know they can dive to 2 km and stay under water for 2 hours? Honestly, nature is just one long astonishment. I’m now inspired to go to Antarctica. Particularly South Georgia.

    Sadly tomorrow is our last day of adventures. The plan is a hike in the morning but we will see what the day brings.

    As I can’t post photos with this blog at the moment I’m putting them up on instagram and facebook so you’ll be able to see them there if you want more. If you have a chance to do this adventure sometime in your life I could not recommend it more highly.

    Speak to you tomorrow.    Read more

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    Alchornet mountain with the kayaks ready to launch - view from our cabin

    Expect the unexpected

    May 24 in Svalbard and Jan Mayen ⋅ ☁️ -2 °C

    Today is our last day of activities on our Arctic expedition and I feel sad already.

    We woke to sunshine and a new fjord in the Northern Isfjord National Park. Across from us was the rocky peak of Alkhor I net or ‘auk-horn’, named both for its huge auk population and its horn-like shape. We were shipped across there in zodiacs and had a wonderful couple of hours wandering the tundra. Grant went off with the kayak crew.

    The place was lousy with reindeer. The Svalbard reindeer are smaller than their Norwegian cousins, a creamy white and look like short legged small cattle. Both sexes have antlers, but the males have larger ones. The tundra they were grazing on was mostly mosses and lichen with some short grasses. It’s a particularly lush area due to all the nesting birds in the rocky cliff faces above. Their poo starts the fertilization of the soil, growing grasses and mosses, which in turn attracts reindeer and foxes, whose poo adds to the soil and more rich tundra. Another amazing nature thing which we never seem to learn to leave well alone or learn from.

    The other common sighting and poo provider was the Barnacle Goose. It’s a cool looking bird with funky black and white markings. A medieval myth which lead to their name is that they hatched from barnacles on trees or the wood of old ships. This myth was further augmented over time to a belief that the Barnacle Goose was therefore a fish not a bird and it was acceptable to eat them over lent when meat was prohibited. It resulted in Pope Innocent III having to make a decree in 1215 that it was actually a bird not a fish and was not to be eaten at lent. The original myth was probably due to the Goose nesting in such remote northerly regions that no one had seen their nests or young. Got to give points for trying re the lent avoidance though.

    While I was getting excited about my reindeer, geese and a couple of cute arctic foxes, Grant and his fellow kayakers were having a remarkable adventure. Across the bay just a 100m away they suddenly saw a polar bear! They stopped and watched, and extraordinarily, witnessed it chase and kill a reindeer! Amazing! Polar Bears seem to be adapting to the loss of sea ice and therefore access to seals with a new ability to hunt on land.

    My compensation was 100 beluga whales cruising past the peninsula we were walking along. Moments like that I wish I had a proper camera but I could get an excellent view with my binoculars- just can’t share it with you sorry. They stretched along hundreds of meters in a long line, their cream backs (with no fin) breaking the water with fine sprays as they breathed. Every now and then some would change direction for no apparent reason and cause consternation amongst the forward flowing peers, but it all seemed to sort itself out. I’ve never seen so many wales and certainly none in such orderly lines, so it was quite an experience.

    In the afternoon we headed out again in zodiacs and kayaks a little further up the Isfjord to Yoldiabukta, home of the Wahlenbergbreen glacier. It was a perfect afternoon with bright sunshine and we used the opportunity to take it slowly and just absorb the beauty of our surroundings . There were several groups of walrus spread along the fast ice and some gorgeous icebergs to finish things off. It was very hard to return to the ship for the last time.

    As expected the Quark people gave us a memorable final evening with a film of our five days, gorgeous dinner and party. It’s now midnight and the sun is bright in the sky. We are moored at Longyearbyen and fly to Helsinki later today. Manchester the day after, so I will be out of contact until we reach Prestatyn in Wales at the start of the next adventure. I hope you’ll join me again then.
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    1The Offa's Dyke Symbol
    Signage en routeThe view of Prestatyn from the 'hill'2The wonderful pub in Bodfari2

    Whales to Wales

    May 28 in Wales ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    I owe Prestatyn an apology. Up until this morning it had underwhelmed. We arrived a couple of days ago via Helsinki and Manchester to rain, grey skies, grey seas and grey beaches. It’s a beach resort town on the Irish Sea in the North of Wales, and there is nothing gloomier than a beach town in the pouring freezing rain. So we went to Chester!

    Chester is an hour away by train and one of those gorgeous old walled cities. This one was build on the foundations of a significant Roman fortress. It was wet and cold but there were fewer glassy eyed parents desperately trying to entertain their wild kids indoors than there were in our hotel in Prestatyn. It’s half term holidays so this weather is really tough on families desperate for a bit of sun and beach. We walked the wall in Chester had an excellent coffee and checked out the museum before jumping on the train back here.

    We enjoyed Chester. This morning we discovered we enjoyed Prestatyn too. The sun came out a little and there was light on the water. Our trail took us through the inland parts of the village which were quaint bustling and delightful. So, sorry for being so dismissive.

    Today was Day 1 on our Offa’s Dyke adventure. Prestatyn is either the start or end of it as people do it in either direction. The trail is 285 km long and ends in Chepstow in the South of Wales. It’s a National Trail of Britain. We will do the whole thing in 20 days - that’s the plan.

    For much of the walk we will follow along Offa’s Dyke (of which I’ll tell you more when we reach it). For now, however, the trail is on a bit of a kink a little North West of the Dyke path. I’m not entirely sure why, but I think it is all about creating a track of contrast and linking the major Areas of Natural Beauty in Wales. Some of that is up this end. If you look at the pictures you’ll see that the way is well marked. We started with brass signs on the pavement and then excellent signage on posts for the rest of the day. The symbol is an acorn. Every sign is in both Welsh and English here.

    We are doing the trail through Mac Travel, a UK company. They have booked our accommodation and will transport our bags- a blessing since we are carrying all our Arctic stuff with us). They’ve also provided us with an excellent app which uses GPS to show us the way. In addition we have been provided with information for each day. If you check out the photos with this blog you’ll see the profile map for today… we knew it was going to be tough. It was described as ‘strenuous’ which never augurs well in my experience.

    After a week being lazy and eating too much it was a rude shock to be clambering 180m up at the start of the day. Reaching the top of the Prestatyn Hillside (an understatement I felt, as I caught my breath) we got an amazing view back over Prestatyn and the neighboring town of Rhyll. Red brick houses, blue ocean and literally hundreds of wind turbines out to sea. I’ve never seen so many and they line most of the horizon.

    As the profile shows we spent the day going up or down! Often we were walking through fields with crops or animals. At one point we had to wait as a new born calf scrambled to its shaky little legs before we could clamber over the stile he was lying next to. Lots of sheep, black , white and mixed. Bunnies, squirrels and lots and lots of beautiful song birds including the Song Thrush.

    When we weren’t crossing fields we were walking through beautiful tracts of oak forests or along quiet country lanes. We passed near a couple of towns but not through any - so got a bit hungry! It was a 20km tough day and we were both feeling it. We hiked through two very beautiful regions : Marian Cwm and the Clwydian Ranges. We carry on along those ranges tomorrow. More hills!

    I’m always very pleased when Grant says he’s tired as it makes me feel it’s ok for me to be too and I’m not just being feeble.

    There was a final cruel hill just before we reached our destination of Bodfari. What a gorgeous little village! Lots of old, beautifully restored grey stone cottages, rambling roses, winding narrow streets and most importantly, a very nice pub! We collapsed there for a grateful beer.

    Tonight we are back in our quaint seaside hotel in Prestatyn called The Beaches. Any seaside British sitcom you’ve seen could have been made here. There’s no accommodation in Bodfari so we will be transferred there in the morning for Day 2.

    In the meantime our feet are up and asking us what the hell we think we are doing..    Read more

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    Arrived! No official town sign
    1Cool sheepTrying not to be blown off the 'hill'. You can see how high we climbedCute restored local homes3Our pub and accommodation4

    Llwybr Clawdd Offa

    May 29 in Wales ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Welsh is apparently one of the hardest languages to learn. But it’s alive and thriving in Wales. Our taxi driver told us this morning that 20 years ago it had almost died out. Now it’s the first language of his family and many if not most Welsh people.

    It’s a language that must feel good in the mouth. Lots of rolling and grinding and phlegm expulsion. We are trying some basics on Duolingo, but today we learned how to say Offa’s Dyke Trail: Llwybr Clawdd Offa. The first fun thing we learned was that to say a word with two L’s you first clear your throat and end that excellent sound with an L. Two d’s are th. The vowels are generally large and open. You will fail absolutely if you try anything phonetic :)

    Cymru is Wales and pronounced something like Gum-ree!

    We are sitting in a little church in the tiny (and unpronounceable)village of LLANGYNHAFA. It’s in capitals cos I copy and pasted it and don’t trust myself to spell it again. We are here because our accommodation, The Golden Lion Inn, doesn’t open until 4pm. We got here around 2pm and the village is so tiny this is the only shelter we could get. It’s a cute little place, many hundreds of years old with an interesting juxtaposition of frescoes and flat screen tv.

    The wind is absolutely howling outside and we’ve had enough of it having been nearly blown off the mountain today.

    As the profile pic shows (attached ) today was not gentle! We started with a massive climb up to the ridge of the Clywdian Hills (440m). It was a benign start with nice farms, tree lined lanes and lots of sheep including one breed with black and white patches on their faces. Most still have their tails and there are a lot of lambs. Sadly we also found a dead one.

    Once we reached the ridge it was a different story and we got absolutely hammered by a massive Westerly. I was literally blown off my feet on occasion and if I lifted my poles they just flew. I’ve attached a video for your entertainment.

    We hammered on for a couple of hours, with another descent then precipitous climb to an Iron Age hill fort called Moel Arthur. Almost got blown off it! It was a relief to eventually get off the ‘hills’ and head down into the lowlands and this gorgeous little town. As an Australian I find it disconcerting how something I consider a respectable mountain is dismissed as a hill…

    We are now in the hotel and the innkeeper, Brian has poured me a Guinness so life is good. Grant and he are talking rugby and there’s a 70’s playlist in the background.

    This community is thriving, with a lot of money coming in with retirees from Manchester and Liverpool. It means the old buildings have been beautifully renovated and new retirees bring the energy to create activities that time brings. Just in this pub I can see they have a weekly quiz night, book club and ladies walk and talk. This place maybe seats 20 and all the locals who come in are on first names. I do love this! Apparently the ‘whole pub’ are going on a three day cycling holiday next month.

    Tonight we dine here and then slog our way up to the ‘hill’ ridge again and turn right.    Read more

  • Marie vgMarie vgMountains and ice
    2Clywdian Hills. Jubilee Tower in the distance
    3Clywdian Hills with mowing for the black grouseJubilee Tower1The view north. This is what we have walked so far from Prestatyn on the coastSheep for Jean1Ruthin Castle1Peacock Ruthin CastlePeacock Ruthin Castle2Today's profile

    Hanging with the locals

    May 30 in Wales ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    We are sleeping in a castle tonight but I’m currently too knackered to explore it beyond my bed! It’s been a big day and we’ve just arrived, hot and bothered.

    It started with a climb from our lovely overnight village of Llangynhafal back up into the Clywdian Hills. The wind had settled and the views from the ridge back across North West Wales were stunning. The hills are covered with a mix of gorse, grasses and heather and the lowlands a mixture of farms and tiny villages, so it’s a symphony of greens and pinks.

    It was a sizable climb (profile attached for those of you who like them) and it kept on going. Eventually we reached the highest point on the Clywdian Range which is Moel Famau. It’s 555m and there’s a ruin at its top called the Jubilee Tower. It was built to celebrate the golden jubilee of King George III in 1810. He was also known as Mad King George.

    An architect was appointed and the design was a square base with an obelisk tower, as Egyptian aesthetics were the thing of the time. Sadly the architect and builder had a big fight and things stopped for a couple of years. It appears the architect was right as when it was eventually built in 1817 it only lasted another 45 years before the obelisk collapsed (narrowly missing several people) and demolished the base.

    It was an imposing structure to see in the distance and the views from up there were stunning. We could see to Liverpool (East), Prestatyn (North) and Snowdonia (West).

    Three odd things I want to share:

    You’ll notice in the pictures there’s a kind of patchwork pattern on the vegetation on the hills. That’s because they mow great rectangles to provide young heather for the black grouse that breed there. They are cool birds and rare. The males are black and red and have an amazing dance-off ritual with other males even before the females arrive on the scene.

    There were suddenly people at the Jubilee Tower. We have seen maybe 6 people a day so far on our walks. We arrived at the tower to find it swarming with humanity. Families picnicking and couples admiring the view. It was a bit of a shock. I also admired the fact that so many people were happy to climb the 300m slope to reach it.

    The Welsh must have astonishing bladders as we have not seen a single toilet since Prestatyn, three days ago. Even at the Jubilee Tower and its carpark which must see hundreds of people a week.

    After Moel Famau we had many kilometers of descent, as the town we are staying in tonight is about 5km off the trail. Luckily it’s a cute town and we are in a castle or I’d be grumpy about it. It’s called Ruthin, and the hotel is the Ruthin Castle Hotel. It was once posh enough that Prince Charles stayed here the night before he became Prince of Wales, but that glory has faded and it’s now got ‘character’. The gardens are stunning though, as are the peacocks.

    The original castle was built in the 1200’s by King Edward I and then gifted to the last Welsh prince. It’s hard to imagine history on that scale. It’s been destroyed and rebuilt many times.

    We have just returned after an evening of meeting the locals. We dropped into one of the Ruthin pubs. It was an old pub (read 1600’s) with a big rock outside. A plaque above the rock said that legend had it that this was the rock on which King Arthur beheaded Huail, the brother of his rival. I keep noticing Merlin and Arthur references here so must dig deeper.

    One of the glories of Wales is that people are lovely and friendly and up for a chat. We had a long yarn with a Southern Wales couple from ‘the valley’ who had nothing much good to say about Wales and the bloody politicians. They left and we met a bunch of Northerner locals who dismissed the Southerners as ‘good as English’ so ignorable. Lots of very entertaining banter and bad jokes about Australian beer.

    We returned to our castle for a pizza and open mic session in the gardens.

    As I write I hear a blackbird chirruping outside. We met our most interesting bird so far today. A Eurasian Sky Lark up in the hills in the heather. It flies high into the air until it’s just a dot and hovers while it sings frantically. It then drops like a stone. Dozens of them all around us up on the hill. It was quite surreal.

    Tomorrow another big day on the hills. I’m told this is the hardest stretch…Today was good tho.

    Thanks for traveling with me.    Read more

  • Marie vgMarie vgMountains and ice
    Stile climbing challenges
    View south from the Clywdian HillsSheep's wool for the takingSome lowland sceneryProfile day4Canals LlangollenTight squeezeLlangollenThe Dee RiverView from our room

    Stiles and kissing gates

    May 31 in Wales ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Offa’s Dyke Trail is renowned for the hundreds of stiles you have to climb, because so much of the trail crosses farmland. These can be challenging as the first step may be several feet above the ground or not attached at all or the whole mechanism wobbly or surrounded by barbed wire or nettles. Navigating them with a full pack is also hard. Because of this a lot of money has been invested in replacing them with things called kissing gates.

    They are a clever design with a gate that swings within a tight enclosure so only one person can squeeze through at a time with the gate automatically closing at one or other opening. That works well until the gap provided is too narrow for you to squeeze through as I embarrassingly experienced today. Grant kindly ?videoed it as he only got through by a hair’s breadth. Removing my pack rescued the day but I’ve attached the video for your entertainment.

    I made a good decision today, not involving kissing gates. After the big walk down to Ruthin from the trail yesterday- 5km and 400m drop I decided that there was no way I wanted to do that in reverse just to get back to the start. So we caught a ride with the guy who collected our bags and he popped us up there. Just driving it was enough- second gear territory.

    Anyway, it meant that instead of a 19-20km slog we had a really enjoyable 14.5km. Long enough with three climbs but I’m feeling fresh and ready to take on the gorgeous town we have ended up in : Llangollen. Now if you were paying attention a couple of days ago you’ll know that two L’s are pronounced ghhhhhl with your best throat clearing noise. This marvelous town has that twice so it’s ghhhlangoghhhhhlen.

    The official end of today was a cute village called Llandegla. (Ghhh again). Apparently that Llan start denotes the fact there’s a church in the village. The second part of the name is to do with the saint associated with that church. There was indeed a church with a delightful notice inside saying ‘please help yourself to tea or coffee in our new kitchen.’ There was also a quaint local store and cafe but we got picked up before we could take advantage of the wonderful cakes on offer. I’m hoping they are open in the morning as we go back there and continue our walk until we reach here tomorrow:)

    It’s nice to have two nights in a hotel as you don’t have to pack in the morning and can get some washing done. It’s particularly nice when you have a beautiful view of a river and a vibrant village to explore.

    Back to our day. It started with breakfast in the castle’s original banquet hall. So much potential if only someone with silly money could step in and renovate it. The collection of artifacts alone is amazing - suits of armor, tapestries and ancient candelabras and that was just in our breakfast room.

    Once we were dropped at Offa’s Dyke we carried on south, firstly climbing yet another ‘Moel’. (Moel means bare hill or mountain). This one gave us magnificent views and our first real southern vistas. The wind kicked in again and I regretted my decision to wear a skirt as it wasn’t quite bare leg weather. The rest of the day was a pleasant amble around contours with the odd climb over. We crossed many fields and chatted to many sheep and cattle.

    If you’re an Australian or New Zealander you might have also been curious about so many sheep with tails. They mostly have full tails right to the ankles, or half to the knee. The other interesting thing is how many are not shorn. Instead they are shedding their wool all over the paddock. Self shearing!

    I asked the local sages at the pub last night and they said it’s because it costs more for the farmers to get the sheep shorn than they get for the wool. These are bred for meat - but there has been no lamb on any menu here that I’ve seen and the sage said that if it’s on the menu it’s New Zealand lamb as Welsh lamb is too expensive! So much to unpack there!

    I have carried a bag of sheep’s wool all the way from Australia as it’s my go-to treatment to avoid blisters. I would have been fine just collecting as I went, from the fields.

    Llangollen is on the River Dee and judging from the number of people in the streets and the dozens white water kayaking past our window, it’s a popular spot for visitors. Llan means place with church and the gollen refers to the Saint Collen. We passed several disused slate mines and one small active one on the way here. A UNESCO world heritage listed canal flows through the town and I’m told there are barges still drawn by horses. We will go check it out now and I shall report back.

    Report? It’s a lovely town! The Dee is a raging river. It’s got plenty of rapids which are keeping the action tourism going. We also went up (yes,up) to the canal. It must be 100m higher than the river and is a remarkable feat of engineering. Trees border it on both sides and there was constant traffic whoever watched. It’s great entertainment observing two boats trying to pass in such an impossibly narrow channel. Some women who were paddling inflatable kayaks got jammed between a boat and the side of the canal while we were there and were very shaken but not injured. I met the horses but they were being retired for the day from their boat pulling duties.

    We had a nice beer in a pub hanging over the river, and then some good tapas. Now back in our room writing and getting ready for what looks like a very nice walk tomorrow.    Read more

  • Marie vgMarie vgMountains and ice
    Moors near World's End
    The wind got up again! World's EndLimestone Cliffs World's EndWorlds EndWorld's End2Profile Day 5

    Toughen up Princess

    June 1 in Wales ⋅ 🌬 12 °C

    There was a moment near the end of our walk today when we found we’d wandered off the track. We were in the middle of a field. No signs to be seen and our GPS map indicated we’d have to climb a steep hill to get back on track. We climbed and were met with a double barbed wire fence and no gate or stile. I will confess to feeling a bit tearful. Grant eventually found a way over which involved a large tree, but it made me reflect on the fact that I’m really not very intrepid.

    My cousins, Malcolm and Cheryl have recently finished walking the whole of New Zealand from top to bottom. Over 2000km and through mud, rivers and mountains. No nice hotel and hot shower for them every night. It was tent or a shared lodge with a bunch of sweaty strangers and carrying enormous backpacks. I am in awe of them, but I know there is no way I could do it that way any more.

    So this blog is not about me achieving great physical milestones. It’s hopefully about my discovery of a wonderful part of the world and maybe a bit of personal discovery in the process. I’m fine if I am a bit of a hiking princess:)

    Other than our temporary lost-ness, today was a really great day of walking. We started back at the cute village of Llandegla. Sadly the community cafe wasn’t open yet, but we did have a nice chat to an old Irish guy who was on his way to church. (The bells were tolling very politely). He informed us that Welsh was invented to confuse the English.

    The rest of the day was a series of changes. We started in a Spruce forest and then stepped out into gorgeous heather covered moors- apparently the best black grouse breeding area in Wales. After that we entered World’s End. This was part of a beautiful valley called Eglwyseg. The entry point was beech and oak forest which suddenly opened up into vast limestone cliffs, with limestone shale scattered down the slopes. Very striking and lovely to walk through.

    There are many myths associated with the area. One was linked to the saint referenced in the name Llangollen - Saint Collen (Gollen). He was credited with killing a giantess called Cares y Bwlch who was hiding with her giant mate in the rocks of Eglwyseg.

    There’s a 16th century manor house still standing at World’s End which is said to be on the site of one the local legendary events.

    In the 12th century there were still Welsh princes. One, called Owain ap Cadwgan, heard a story about the beauty of his second cousin, Nest. She was the wife of Gerald of Windsor. Owain travelled to Gerald’s castle, met Nest and fell in love. He decided to take her, so with accomplices, returned and captured her and her children and burned the castle down. He apparently kept her and her children captive in World’s End.

    As you can imagine this did not go unpunished and the long term consequences for Owain and his father resulted in the loss of their lands and positions. Serves them right, I say. One version of the story has Nest and her children returned to her husband so let’s stick with that one.

    I’m tired tonight. It’s been five days of challenging walking and my muscles are feeling it. Tomorrow is a big day as we need to retrace our steps back to the trail and then make our way to Chirk. About 19km. It looks like another interesting day with plenty of variety but I will need a good night sleep in preparation. We’ve had a nice meal - roast Welsh beef with Yorkshire pudding- so well fueled.

    Speak to you tomorrow from Chirk.    Read more

  • Marie vgMarie vgMountains and ice
    View over Llangollen
    Piebald sheep1Pontcysyllte Aqueduct2Pontcysyllte aqueductChirk CastleChirk Castle. Check out the wild meadows they are cultivating2Today's profile

    The rest is history

    June 2 in Wales ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    I’m sitting in a 400 year old hotel sipping a cask ale and feeling my feet and legs throbbing after a big 21km day. It was a good day though, with lots of surprises and a large dose of history.

    The day started with a haul out of Llangollen back up to the trail. A promising start as we didn’t get lost. The forecast had been for cold and possibly wet, but we were met with a perfect sunny Spring day. The views back across the valley were worth the climb. Next change was a sharply descending track through a spruce forest which popped us out into the town of Trevor. The canal that we first saw in Llangollan flows through there, and the next surprise was seeing the astonishing aqueduct it then travels over!

    The Pontcysyllte (pont -ker-sulth- yay) Aqueduct was built in 1805. It is the highest navigable aqueduct in the world with 18 arches at a height of 38m. There’s a pedestrian path along one side and the canal boats cruise along an iron trench along the other. I managed to walk across it by not looking over the edge! It’s a remarkable construction and World Heritage listed. On the other side we joined the canal and walked along its tree lined bank for several km. There were lots of canal boats moored along the way and it does look rather a romantic way to travel.

    This stretch of canal was significant as it marked the first encounter with Offa’s actual dyke. I’ll tell you about that a little later.

    We bumped into our first fellow Offa hikers today doing the North-South route. Shelly and Colin, also Australians from Perth. They kept us company until we suddenly came across a castle- and a spectacular one at that!

    Chirk castle was built in the 1300’s on the foundation of a fort of Henry I. It has a remarkable history as it was one of the March castles. That’s a whole bit of history I knew nothing about, but apparently the Welsh have long been a thorn in England’s side, and a group of nobles were given land along the Welsh border and responsibility to control the Welsh rabble. They were March lords and were allowed to build castles- so that’s where this one appeared from. The name comes from the border between England and Wales being called the Marches. It also explains why there are so many castles! This one was in magnificent shape as was its garden and was a rewarding side trip.

    The Welsh also gave William the Conqueror a run for his money after the 1066 invasion. He subdued the English but the Welsh were having none of it. Got to admire them!

    Again, in 1165 King Henry II decided it was time to annihilate the Welsh once and for all. He gathered 30 000 soldiers from across all his lands and they converged just down the road from where we are now. The Welsh princes collaborated for once and joined forces but were massively outnumbered. They had the advantage of knowing their land - and this is one of the times Offa’s Dyke works in the Welsh favour. It ironically created an impediment to the English invasion as they tried to push through a gap and the Welsh archers could pick them off as they bottlenecked. A huge battle ensued with massive loss of life. It’s known as the Battle of Crogen and the word Crogen has come to mean a mix of great bravery and loss of life.

    (Henry II tried to push further into Wales but was injured in the mountains that we walk through in a couple of days. He gave up and left the Welsh to another 120 years of independence).

    Nine hundred years later they are still a proud independent people barely tolerating the English.

    The history in this part of the world is very hard to get your head around sometimes! I like these bite-sized little gems and hopefully it will all make a coherent whole by the end of the walk. Apologies to those of you who actually know this history properly as I’ve done a very Readers Digest version.

    I’ll tell you about Offa tomorrow as that’s enough history for today.

    There’s only one place open for dinner tonight in Chirk as it’s Monday but it looks like a great little bistro. (It was).

    We have a HUGE day tomorrow. 25km with some savage climbs so I’m going to try for an early night and not think about it.

    We hit our 100km milestone today!

    Loving your comments by the way. Thank you x    Read more

  • Marie vgMarie vgMountains and ice
    Offa's Dyke3Profile for today

    Questioning my life choices

    June 3 in England ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    The day started badly. After a poor night sleep I woke with a headache, unsettled tummy and a body that felt as exhausted as it did yesterday. As I bent in the bathroom to put on some moisturizer I slammed my head on the basin. I held out hope for breakfast to lift my mood but it failed with a disinterested plate of fried offerings and no marmalade!

    I didn’t want to do today. The description was 25 km of moderate to strenuous which is walking speak for bloody awful. The described elevation was a nominal 700m but I know from experience that that’s at least a 20% underestimate.

    We took some of the sting out of the day by catching a bus to the start of the trail a couple of km away. From there my worse fears were realised as we slugged up a seemingly endless hill. It was a series of paddocks so no path or contours. 300 m up I was questioning my life choices, 400m up I’d lost the will to live!

    And that was just the first 3km!

    Luckily, things started to improve thanks to animal diversions- friendly ponies, cows and highland cattle. We came across the first cross section of Offa’s Dyke that you could really see. I’ve taken a pic and drawn on it.

    This incredible structure was built 1200 years ago on the command of the King of Mercia, Offa. The Welsh population had been causing trouble so it was thought that the Dyke would help control movement across the border. I’ve attached a diagram of the dimensions for the nerds amongst you.

    The most remarkable thing is the scale of the structure. It’s about 132 km long, which considering that all the digging was done by hand is quite incredible! Longer than Hadrian’s Wall. The fact that a lot of it is still intact is also amazing. I’ll fill you in on King Offa more in another post as he is a good story.

    The walk took us through a few cute villages and a couple of forests, so things changed a bit and got more interesting. We crossed the England/Wales border several times. It was also notable for having the first walkers cafe and a toilet!

    But it was brutal. The stats are 24.33 km. 8.5 hours walking. 833 m elevation and over 900m descent.

    The last straw for me was near the end - maybe 5km to go and suddenly we had to climb over a ridge. It was about 80 degrees slope and it went on and on for what felt like forever. I had nothing left and only made it by will power, tears and swearing. Check out the profile picture and you’ll see that last little evil peak.

    The good news is two fold. Firstly we are in a gorgeous pub tonight in Llanymynech, right on the English border. A beer and glass of Shiraz and a very good steak and kidney pudding have put a lighter gloss on things.

    Secondly, tomorrow is almost flat! 20km yes, but hills no.

    Colin and Shelly, our Australian fellow travelers are here tonight as well and look as shattered as we feel. I think I’ve realised the limits to my capacity and if there’s another day like today I shall be catching a bus!    Read more

  • Marie vgMarie vgMountains and ice
    One of the locks - manual workings still look great
    Rewilded Montgomery CanalRe-wilded Montgomery Canal3

    What a difference a day makes

    June 4 in Wales ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    Today was the opposite of yesterday. Great sleep, body felt good, managed not to crack my head on the basin and breakfast was outstanding despite being served by someone who should maybe reconsider her career in hospitality as she clearly doesn’t like people. And she owns the pub:) lucky her husband is charming.

    The walk today was FLAT so it was like a rest day. We spent all of it following the Montgomery Canal until we reached our most charming accommodation yet. Moor Farm just outside Welshpool. I’m a new woman.

    One of the most interesting things about Wales so far has been their various re-wilding projects. We have seen a lot of areas that have been returned to meadow ecosystems with fields of grasses and wildflowers. Today we saw the results of re-wilding a water way.

    Montgomery canal has been disused since the 1940’s but there’s now a short link to the Llangollen canal. When boats stopped using the canal people noticed a remarkable return of water plants and wetland plants, birds and animals. It’s now the best place in the world to see rare floating river plants. There are fish galore, insects and frogs. Just a wonderful recovered ecosystem.

    The long term is to make it all navigable again, but as a fully environmentally restored waterway. An Act was passed in 1987 and the process is now overseen by a charity called the Canal and River Trust.

    It’s an expensive business restoring a canal to boating as the locks need to be made functional again. They’ve already started replacing permanent low bridges (built after 1940) with very clever cantilevered ones where you can pull a chain and a big weight swings the bridge up. A gentle push and down it goes. Just goes to show it’s possible to negotiate change and the results are great for everyone.

    We saw so much bird life, but the highlight was a pair of mute swans with their cygnets. There was a nest with an egg still in it! I’ve attached a video - didn’t get the egg but if you follow Grant’s blog he’s got a better camera so may have captured it.

    Moor Farm is one of four farms owned by our hostess, Henia. Two in Wales and two in England. She’s a charming woman with strong ‘old money’ vibes. This one runs sheep and cattle but one of their main incomes is pheasant shooting. I learned so much that I want to share with you. Firstly I didn’t know that the game keepers that I’d read about in Austen, Hardy and Lawrence actually breed and care for the pheasants. A MILLION baby pheasants are hatched in this region each season in special hatching facilities and each farm’s game keepers rear their own brood taken from that population. 20 000 on Moor Farm. Apparently they are the size of large bramble bees when they hatch so very vulnerable and the game keeper literally sleeps with them. Once they are big enough they are released on the farm and ‘dogged in’ which means the specially trained dogs keep them on the farm!

    The game keeper then runs the shoot. There’s a private airstrip near here for private jets, as this is a big thing here. They pay 70 pounds PER bird shot and a group can shoot 200 a day. Silly money. Henia says the average shooter spends 10 000 pounds. Better return than for sheep!

    At the end of the season some surviving birds are recaptured and used for breeding to ensure good genetic variation. As Henia says ‘they live a great life and then suddenly it’s over’. Again, I realise I shouldn’t judge things I don’t know.

    Tonight we go into Welshpool to a pub for dinner. Tomorrow looks a good walk again - a climb but not a crazy one, so I’m happy again.    Read more

  • Marie vgMarie vgMountains and ice
    Inscribed on the stile
    Rest spot half way up the hill - an old stile1We are half way!Home for tonightMontgomery memento1Hills!

    Of Offa

    June 5 in Wales ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    Let me tell you of King Offa. He was King of Mercia from 757 to 796. Mercia was one of the kingdoms of Anglo Saxon England, occupying the midlands bordering Wales. During his reign he expanded it to cover much of what is now southern and south east England. He never managed to take Northumbria despite giving the King there his daughter…

    He came to power in dubious circumstances and went about ensuring that his son would be heir by murdering any potential other candidates. It was tricky because apparently his assassinated predecessor, Æthelbald had a penchant for nuns and so had illegitimate progeny wide spread across the kingdom. In those days legitimacy wasn’t a prerequisite for rights to the throne, so the carnage was terrible.

    It’s thought that the Dyke along the Welsh border was built over a fifteen year period during his reign but that had to be fitted around various skirmishes with the neighbors.

    Another interesting historical footnote is Offa’s relationship with the church. He had a bit of an obsession with Charlemagne who was the supreme ruler in Europe at the time. His rule had been consecrated by the Pope, so Offa decided that if his own son was consecrated he’d be a done deal for next king. The local Archbishop of Canterbury, Jænberht, was having none of it. Offa was not to be thwarted so he went to the top and persuaded the Pope Adrian I to create a second archdiocese in Mercia in Lichfield. That more obedient Archbishop consecrated Offa’s son, Ecgfrith as future King.

    If you want to know more check out The British History podcast as there are several episodes.

    Basically Offa was an egotistical brute and his obsession with his son becoming king was karmically rewarded with Ecgfrith dying within five months of taking the throne.

    On to more cheerful stuff. We had a nice walk today. It was hard to leave Moors Farm as it was such a lovely little dip into a type of British life that you don’t often get to access.

    As I was leaving I noticed a framed note in the living room from Prince Charles thanking Henia (our host) for the wonderful cheese and fruit cake. I asked her and she said that while the Queen was alive Henia and her husband spent every September in Balmoral working for the Royal Family supporting the shoot. Charles and Camilla had popped into the workers accommodation one day and joined in with the cheese and cake. The note was delivered the next day.

    She was also gifted a whole lot of his ducks as he had too many! He’d contact her regularly to check on their progress.

    The walk. Big climb to start - seems to be the way of things here- but it then flattened and was a pleasant meander through forests, fields and an Iron Age fort. A bit of rain. About 19km.

    We are in a really gorgeous little town called Montgomery. It’s got quite a few tourists wandering through quaint shops, a destroyed castle on a hill and a very fine pub called The Dragon where we are staying. The hotel is hundreds of years old and our bedroom floor is on a rakish angle!

    I’m enjoying a nice local ale (room temperature of course) and listening to the conversation around me as I write. So many different accents! Tomorrow is one of the huge days. It’s part of an area called the Switchbacks. Luckily we’ve split them over two days but tomorrow we go up and over three of them. Each about 400m…

    Keen is not the first word that comes to me, but I’ll give it a crack.

    We are about half way now -161 km. I’ve attached a pic of the whole map showing where we were earlier today to give you an idea.

    Glad you’re on the journey with me.    Read more

  • Marie vgMarie vgMountains and ice
    Climbing on the dykePretty but not enough to justify those hills :)1Half Way1ProofAccessing accommodation the hard wayWhite Horse Inn Clun

    Switchbacks

    June 6 in England ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    I learned a new walking term today. Precipitous climbs followed immediately by precipitous descents are called switchbacks. I plan to never need to know that again.

    It was a big day but I managed better than I’d expected so that’s a bonus. 21km and over 700m climbing was tough, but the steepness was other level. Check out the profile pic to get an idea. Crazy. We met quite a few other walkers today and those carrying proper backpacks were being slayed.

    A lot of the time we were literally walking on the top of Offa’s Dyke.

    My main complaint is that the effort to reward ratio was poor. I’ve climbed like this before in New Zealand or France but the reward was usually some breathtaking vista that made it all worth the pain. Today we were in the Shropshire Hills, an Area of Exceptional Natural Beauty. It was pretty - think rolling green hills, hedgerows and sheep- but I could have seen them all without the effort of climbing crazy heights.

    Just near the end of the official walk for today was a post announcing we were half way! We thought we were that yesterday but have done so many extra km getting to accommodation each night that I think we are going to be well over 300km on this walk.

    The day ended up being longer for just that reason: accommodation several km away. Mac Adventures had given us a ‘find a bridle trail on your right, take the walking trail off its right, cross a river, walk through a farm, accommodation on left’ kind of instruction. No distances or anything useful. When you’re already tired it’s not what you need. We eventually found a bridle trail, but the grass was too long to find a walking track so we had to follow the fence until we found a foot bridge. The farmer had locked all his gates despite it being a public path so we had to climb three! Arriving at our b and b was a relief. Very cute cottage with a nice room.

    The old couple who own it very kindly dropped us off this evening in the closest village called Clun. Add it to your list if you’re traveling this way, and particularly add The White Horse Inn which is one of the best community pubs I’ve been in. Such a great vibe - all ages, lots of chat, pool room and excellent food. Grant had Steak and Kidney Suet pudding and I had a steak and mushroom pie so nice traditional fare. Good beers brewed locally.

    We are home and getting the blogs done before an early night. I’ve decided to give myself a day off tomorrow as I’m knackered and tomorrow is more of the same - less extreme but still big up and down. We will have a slow morning then I’ve got a taxi which will drop Grant at the start of the trail and me at Knighton. No hills! Bliss!    Read more

  • Marie vgMarie vgMountains and ice
    The site wher you could 'sell the wife' until the mid 1800'sSt Edward's Church. Love the prayer cushions all hand embroidered

    Straddling the border

    June 7 in Wales ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Last night we were in England. Tonight we are back in Wales, but the fact that this town, Knighton, sits across the border, means it’s been both English and Welsh through its history. It became officially Welsh in 1535. Its church (built in the 1200’s) is named after St Edward, then the patron saint of England (before St George got the honor for reasons I’m unsure of).

    I got here by taxi, Grant by foot. No regrets. I needed a day out and this was a good one to choose. We’re just past the half way mark and the Welsh name for Knighton is Tref-y-clawdd which means Town on the Dyke. The dyke goes through the town and it houses the Offa’s Dyke information Centre. Seemed like a good place to invest some time in.

    It’s a small market town with a mixture of architecture but mostly 14th and 15th century. Our hotel, The Horse and Jockey is 14th century with the low white ceilings and dark wood beams of the time. At the momentum I’m being regaled by 20 very drunk Irish girls on a hen’s weekend. It’s only 5.30pm and they have consumed more alcohol than I thought possible to be still standing! The bride-to-be’s veil is at a rakish angle.

    Best story I learned about Knighton. Up until the mid 1800’s it was possible to ‘sell the wife’ at the place where the town clock tower now stands. The husband brought his wife along attached to a rope and could sell her to the highest bidder and ‘divorce.’ I will leave you to ponder that. Part of me thinks the wife is well rid of anyone who would do that anyway.

    I spent the day wandering the town, visiting the Offa Centre, cute shops and St Edward’s church. I enjoy old cemeteries and it’s good to be reminded how lucky we are to have such long lives when you see most ages on the stones are under 70. The most interesting things I learned at the information centre were that badgers love using the dyke for their burrows (we have seen several burrows but no badgers) and that the track planners have realized that directing walkers to walk on the top of ancient monuments was probably not a smart idea. It had been something I’d wondered as it’s causing significant erosion. We have walked on the actual dyke extensively. A plan is afoot to address that but as there is apparently ONLY ONE paid employee of National Trails in charge of Offa’s Dyke it may not happen fast. (I may have this wrong, but the woman in the craft shop told me).

    I stopped in for a coffee at a cafe. It was full but a lady called me over to join her and her husband. The Welsh have been universally friendly and welcoming. She was full of chat and her husband a strong and very silent type. It’s the biggest pleasure in travel just having conversations with people whose lives are different to your own. She makes ‘care bears’. She knits them and inserts a healing crystal into them. They are quite beautiful:) She was in town to stock up on her crystals. I managed to extract from the husband that he was a builder (never does anything around the house says wife) and from southern Wales. Agreed the northerners were different and he speaks not a word of Welsh. He speaks hardly a word of English I suspect, if he can help it.

    It was only today I learned that the northern and southern welsh come from quite different stock and original languages. What a fascinating island this is!

    I’ve been feeling off for a few days and at last had the time to work out what the various strange symptoms meant. Luckily we travel with antibiotics so I’m hoping I’ll get a spring back in my step in time for yet another huge day tomorrow. 25km and three big climbs. It’s a Sunday and no public transport so can’t wriggle out of it even if I wanted to.

    Tonight a night at the Horse and Jockey bar and restaurant. Hopefully the hen’s party will have gone to roost.

    Speak to you tomorrow after the big day.    Read more

  • Marie vgMarie vgMountains and ice
    Walking along the top of the Dyke1Yay!3Fields of oatsToday's profile

    Checkmate

    June 8 in Wales ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Moving between Knighton and Kington felt like I was making a winning chess move…

    Today was the kind of day I signed up for. It was long -23km- with an altitude gain of 762m but doable with lovely views and some cute villages. Some very nice forest too. A bit of barley and oats thrown in and it felt like a delightful rural experience. Thanks to the antibiotics I’m back to my old self and enjoyed it.

    There’s been confusion about the switchbacks I mentioned a few days ago. Aussies and Kiwis know switchbacks as zig zags. Welsh switchbacks have neither a zig nor a zag. No steps, no contours, just straight up or down. The best illustration I can give you is if you take a pair of kitchen scissors. The climb is like walking up the inside of the blade and the descent sliding down the other side. Unlike anything I’ve encountered before.

    Today we still climbed but it was gradual -ish. The last section was a very steep down though and our feet are hurting tonight. Luckily our hotel had a spa, pool and sauna :)

    Importantly we passed the 200km mark today so commemorated it with a sheep poo sign. So far we have climbed 7047m! Everest is 8,800. No wonder my legs are tired.

    Kington is a bigger village than Knighton but doesn’t have the same charm. Its bar isn’t as fun either. There are a couple of obnoxious drunks so we have moved to the restaurant.

    Last night after I wrote to you we joined the locals in the Horse and Jockey. We had a table by the bar and the punters rotated by for a chat. Lots of great stories and characters. There were 10 men who were there for a birthday. They were all fathers and sons and had caught a train to Knighton that morning, spent the day doing a round of the local bars and ended up at the Horse. The barman started refusing drinks. ‘How do you know I’m drunk’ says punter.
    ‘Because I’m sober,’ was the very reasonable reply from the barman, met with genial acceptance. Mad panic as they all realized the train was about to leave. Very entertaining. No idea if they made it.

    These guys really drink here! (And girls, remembering the Irish hens party yesterday afternoon). I don’t think I saw anyone drunk in Italy or France when we were walking there - other than British tourists. I suspect it’s a problem.

    When I walk there is always a song in my head and it reflects the pace. Today it was a lively ‘Call my baby lollipop’ on the flats. For the hills the old favorite returned: the hymn All Through the Night. It’s appeared in my head every walk over the last few years and I have no idea why, but it’s a nice climbing pace. Today I learned it was actually Welsh "Ar Hyd y Nos”.

    I’ve never known the lyrics - just the tune so looked it up this evening and discovered it’s actually a beautiful lullaby.

    Sleep my child and peace attend thee,
    All through the night
    Guardian angels God will send thee,
    All through the night
    Soft the drowsy hours are creeping,
    Hill and dale in slumber sleeping,
    I my loved ones' watch am keeping,
    All through the night.
    Angels watching, e'er around thee,
    All through the night
    Midnight slumber close surround thee,
    All through the night
    Soft the drowsy hours are creeping,
    Hill and dale in slumber sleeping
    I my loved ones' watch am keeping,
    All through the night.

    A combination of Welsh and lullabies makes me feel warm inside.

    Hope you are all well in your lives around the world. Speak to you tomorrow. BIG day - bigger than today but we end up in the place I’ve been most looking forward to - Hay on Wye. Famous for its Literary Festival. Yum.

    Hill and dale in slumber sleeping.    Read more

  • Marie vgMarie vgMountains and ice

    Utopia

    June 9 in England ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Today I found the perfect village. It is the only book village in the world. But to get there I had to walk 25.5km and climb 680m!

    Despite those numbers this was probably the nicest day so far. I had to adjust my negative impression of Kington as when we climbed out of the town we passed beautiful old homes and gracious gardens under ancient trees. The climb was long but civilized.

    Today we were up high again walking along the Marches - border area. I’ve come to enjoy these heather and gorse covered hills. The views are amazing as is the bird life. A new one today - the Eurasian Bullfinch. A gorgeous orange, black and white little chap.

    The land we were on was mostly owned by one family - the Banks. Apparently descended from the botanist Joseph Banks. We commoners are allowed access to it thanks to one of the wonderful ancient British laws that seem to last forever. For some reason the Banks planted a grove of Monkey Puzzle trees at the highest point of the land. I wonder what Chilean native trees are making of Welsh temperatures. Fewer sheep so less poo so winning…

    A good walk for me involves plenty of contrast. We got that with several cute villages, some nice forest and the beautiful River Wye. One village church had a table set up inside with free tea and biscuits- even milk in the fridge.

    The surfaces were softer today and for once we ended the day on flat land following the river valley so my feet are happier. Grant is suffering a bit but hopefully that will pass.

    So far I’m blister free thanks to a regime of Vaseline, toe socks, second socks and padding with sheep’s wool (foot fleece). The game changer we have learned however is constantly adjusting the lacing on our shoes. It’s amazing how much your feet and shoes change through the day and if you don’t keep adjusting, your feet start moving and that’s usually where the blisters appear. Hope it lasts! We have never done such a tough walk before and the days coming up don’t look any easier. We start tomorrow with a 650m climb! God help me.

    The utopian town in question is Hay on Wye. In addition to being the world’s only book town it holds a famous annual writers festival which I hope some of you will accompany me to one day.

    By the time we arrived and went through the post walk rigmarole and rest, the shops were shut - but I can’t fit anything in my luggage so that’s a good thing. I did a wander around - or hobble around- and counted 15 book stores! Many are specialists in genres and several are second hand vendors. I’m sure there are more. Fabulous.

    The town’s population is under 2000 souls but it’s clearly a dynamic and creative community and next time you are in these parts add it to your list if you haven’t been.

    Dinner in a nice pub down the road - The Blue Boar- as our hotel was a bit dull. While we were there a bunch of people arrived all sweaty and sporty. They were aged from forty to seventy and are RUNNING from one end of the UK to the other in 30 days. …pass me the chips ….    Read more

  • Marie vgMarie vgMountains and ice
    Grant with Marilyn - the Black Mountain
    On the way upWelsh Mountain PonyWelsh Mountain ponies on the topPeat bog- 'Dead Marshes' Tolkein3At the top looking NorthLooking west over the heath1On the way down - Longton in the distance1Congratulatory selfie for reaching 705m2Today's profile.

    Marilyn Munro

    June 10 in Wales ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Today we climbed a Marilyn. One of the gifts of traveling this way is that every day you are exposed to things you never knew. A Marilyn is a hill or mountain in England, Northern Ireland or Wales which has a prominence of at least 150m. Apparently the name came from a pun in response to Scottish mountains being called Munros.

    Our Marilyn was very high - 705m and straddles the English and Welsh border. The ascent was very reasonable as it was gradual. It is called Black Mountain and it is a stunning hunk of red sandstone covered in heath. The views were breathtaking in every direction and we were incredibly lucky with the weather as it’s not unusual for it to be completely covered in cloud or rain or snow…

    One of the highlights was the Welsh Mountain Ponies. They have been recorded there right back to Roman times and unlike the Brumbies in Australia are considered an asset to the fragile heath ecosystem. Very aesthetic with long manes.

    The male ponies have a ritual where they sniff piles of dung. If it’s not theirs they turn and add their own to the top. The next stallion comes along and does the same, so that over time they can create quite impressive piles - all of which we had to navigate on our path.

    I’ve attached pics to try to give you an idea of the beauty and the colours and the vastness. Try to look on a big screen if you can.

    Physically we were both doing fine until the very steep descent down to the cute village we are in tonight - Longton. It was a steep drop from 600m and our feet and knees took a hammering. Seeing the hotel felt like people lost in a desert coming across an oasis!

    The crazy hill we scrambled down is where tomorrow starts. I’m not doing it and Grant is doing a Grant route that goes around rather than over.

    The reason I’m not doing it other than the obvious, that I’m not insane, is that my lovely cousins happen to be nearby so are swinging by to pick me up and we will have lunch together with Grant in the next town of our destination - Llangattock Lingoed. (Our waiter just pronounced it for us and it bears no resemblance to any of those letters). My cousins, Rob and Sarah are usually in Edinburgh so this is a big bonus, though they are here for sad family business. They have been hosts to all our kids, their cousins and random other acquaintances and are just a delightful pair - and as a bonus their daughter Hannah will be there too.

    Very much looking forward to time with them and a day off my feet.

    After tomorrow only three days of walking to go! Hard to believe it. There was a time there I really didn’t think I could do it, so I’m happy I stuck it out. The last few days in particular have been spectacular.

    When I was up on Black Mountain in the heath and peat bogs I was reminded of so much of the wonderful English literature that describes that barren landscape. Tolkien, the Bronte’s, Hardy. I also thought of my father who died 20 years ago next week. A passionate reader and traveler. Why he came to me today I don’t know, but that’s another gift of these long walks. Your mind clears and leaves space for other things to filter in. I had a chance for some quite emotional reflection and am grateful for that. Next week my brother is doing a lovely thing and flying down from Toowoomba to drive my mum all the way to dad’s grave in Grafton for the day. I’m sorry I won’t be with them but am happy that it’s happening.

    Our relationship with people who have passed changes over time and I felt a very warm and positive shift in my relationship with my dad up on Black Mountain. For that I am grateful.    Read more

  • Marie vgMarie vgMountains and ice
    Longtown Castle
    Longtown castle2Family at Hunters Moon InnOur view. The Old Rectory2Evening Hunters Moon Inn. Medieval church in the backgroundDusk The Old Rectory

    In praise of leisure and family

    June 11 in England ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    What a lovely day. The sun was shining and the village of Longtown was glowing - and I had my feet up:)

    Grant headed off early on his cross country alternative route to Llangattock Lingoed. My conscience got to me eventually and I decided to explore Longtown. My hostess at The Crown told me there was a castle just up the road - as happens in these parts - so I meandered, resenting the hill but enjoying the quaint homes. The castle was worth the effort. It was a ruin but there was enough there to imagine its glory days. Built in the early 12th century, the land was gifted to two French brothers who’d supported William the Conqueror in the Norman invasion.

    The castle was one of the Marches castles I mentioned a few days ago. The task of these fortresses being to control the unruly Welsh. It was destroyed and rebuilt again in the fourteenth century for the same purpose. The Welsh are a tough lot to manage it seems.

    My wonderful cousins collected me in the late morning and we travelled to Llangattock Lingoed. Grant had already arrived as it was pretty much down the road as a wonky crow flies. We had a lovely few hours catching up at the Hunters Moon Inn. They are special people and it was such a pleasure to have this time and meet their new puppy. We hope to see their daughter, Hannah, again when we are in London.

    We are staying at the rectory just up the road from the Inn. It’s beautifully restored and the hostess delivered perfect tea on a perfect tray to suit our perfect view - see pic. Between the rectory and the pub is a medieval church. Half a dozen homes and that is it.

    Other than excellent pub and accommodation the other redeeming feature is that the town is actually on Offa’s Dyke Trail so we don’t have to do any backtracking tomorrow. Yay!

    We are sitting in the pub garden on one of those perfect British clear blue sky evenings. A blackbird is giving us his best song, the locals are talking loudly enough that I can eavesdrop on their lives and dinner is about to be served. I’ve finished my antibiotics so can have a glass of wine again, so all is good with the world.

    Three days to go. Each day long but no outrageous hills that I can see, so we are feeling strong and able. Tomorrow Monmouth on the River Wye. It will be Grant’s birthday so a good way to celebrate being above ground for 66 years :)    Read more

  • Marie vgMarie vgMountains and ice
    Alter at Church of St Cradoc. Medieval. Llangattock Lingoed
    White Castle (another Marches castle) in the background with cow defenseRed mud and barley fields and Smurf.1Cute sheep1The gate over the bridge At Monmouth

    Ponchos on

    June 12 in Wales ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    It rained! We have been expecting this since we arrived in Wales, but have been incredibly lucky to have had nothing but the odd shower to date. This morning we got the real thing and the ponchos were on again, bringing back memories of our wet and muddy walk in France last year. Thinking of you Graham and Gillian.

    We are on the home stretch and it is nice to be having some easier days. Today was still 24km but only one hill of significance. How expectations change!

    It is Grant’s birthday today so it was a nice start with calls from the kids. No presents as no room! We had a lovely breakfast at the Old Rectory. We don’t eat lunch when we walk so I find myself forcing a far bigger breakfast than I would normally have so it sustains me ‘til dinner. It means the first couple of kilometers are hard work as I’m managing a very full tummy!

    We had a soft start as we began by visiting the medieval church next to our bnb. It was then downhill for the first few kilometers which I think is a first for this walk! Paddocks , hedgerows, sheep, cows and horses were the day’s theme. There was a castle (White Castle) thrown in but we had to navigate a herd of cattle with young calves to access that entry.

    This is red sandstone country and it makes for mighty challenging mud. I’d hate to do this after a week of rain as one day was enough to turn it into a confrontingly slippery surface. Very aesthetic tho’,with the red against the olive green barley fields.

    A highlight of the day was meeting our first path angel. On Caminos there are many people who provide drinks and food and shelter for walkers. On a normal walk this doesn’t happen as much, though several churches have provided tea in this half of the path, and today even a toilet!

    Our angel appeared about an hour into our walk. It was pelting down with rain and we saw a sign saying ‘refreshments’. We followed it into a beautiful farm complex which had clearly been renovated to be a wedding venue. As we were about to turn tail, a man called out that he would be with us in a moment and we should take shelter in the shed across the way. We gratefully did as were told, stripping off our ponchos and watching the rain torrent down outside. He (Leon) then joined us and asked us what we’d like. We explained we thought it was a cafe and had popped in for a coffee, but we’d obviously made a mistake. He said, nonsense, of course we could have a coffee. We then apologised for the fact that we had no cash. Did he take a card? He dismissed us with a wave of the hand, said to use the loo if we needed and then reappeared with a plunger of coffee and welsh biscuits. Free.

    He sat and chatted while we ate. His wife was a retired opera singer and her father the past conductor for the Swedish royal family. Nowadays they focus on music programs for young people and an annual music festival they hold in their medieval barn. He is a passionate Welshman, with cricket his great love. He’s excited about the Ashes and when I asked him who he was supporting he looked at me as if I was a mad woman. ‘Anyone but the English’ he said. So Australia.

    Gee I love people’s stories. None of this was anything you’d expect on first meeting Leon. I now need to return for a music festival as well as the Hay writers festival. Life is getting busy.

    We are in quite a big place today - Monmouth. It even has traffic lights. It also has the best preserved Medieval bridge with full gate in the UK. So there! Quite a cool structure. We are in a nice little bnb strangely devoid of any other humans, including the ones who were meant to let us in! Long story but we eventually tracked down someone who could talk us through multiple stages of key boxes etc. I’m a fan of hotels for exactly the reason that there are humans to talk to!

    Anyway, that aside, we are back from a very good meal at a local Italian restaurant to celebrate Grant’s birthday and feeling fondly for Monmouth.

    Tomorrow is the penultimate day and we head to Tintern of Abbey fame. There’s a high route with a 800m climb or we can follow the Wye River. You can guess my preference:)

    Night dear friends.    Read more

  • Marie vgMarie vgMountains and ice
    1On the River Wye
    River Wye300km mark1River Wye at Tintern1Tintern AbbeyTintern AbbeyTintern Abbey1Our accommodation tonight :)

    Lines composed below Tintern Abbey

    June 13 in Wales ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    I have spent most of today wondering why Tintern Abbey seemed so significant in my mind. It was only minutes ago that I remembered the incredible Wordsworth poem written near it, titled Lines composed a few miles above Tintern Abbey.

    I took the opportunity to re-read it and there was something quite magic reading a poem in the place in which it was written. Wordsworth loved the Wye Valley and wrote the poem after walking the same paths and hills that we are exploring. He reflects that last time he was here he was a young and athletic 25 years old and rushed about the place. This time he’s older and has learned to relish the rich experience of a slower pace, in the company of his beloved sister.

    That was our experience today. I will attach the full poem at the end of this blog for those who would like to read it. It’s one of my favorite and holds a lot more significance now than it did when I first encountered it in high school.

    We had a beautiful meander through the Wye valley today following the course of the river. The trout fishers were out, the sun shone, the quartet of blackcap, wren, blackbird and chiffchaff were in full voice and there were no real hills. Bliss.

    That does not mean it was a bludge. We still covered 19.5km. So far Grant has walked 322km. I am 25km behind so I’ll hit my 300 tomorrow but we celebrated today with a buttercup sign:) see pics.

    Once we made it to the town of Tintern via an ice cream at a cafe in an old station, we dropped our bags at our lovely accommodation (Parva Farmhouse) and walked up to Tintern Abbey which was about 1km away. It was so striking! It’s basically like a skeleton of a cathedral and it’s quite astonishing to see in the flesh. (Pics attached).

    It all began in 1139 with a group of Cistercian monks. The original buildings were simple and wooden, but in the 1200’s the Marcher Lords became patrons and the monks started to think bigger. The result is considered one of the greatest examples of Gothic architecture in Britain.

    The abbey and its magnificent church thrived until Henry VIII came along with his Reformation when he dissolved monasteries. In 1536 Tintern Abbey surrendered and that was the start of its gradual decay.

    While we were there it was apparent there’s some serious restoration work under way, so it’s clear that its value is still recognized.

    We have dinner tonight at our accommodation and it’s looking pretty special. Tomorrow is the last day of walking! Wow!

    I will leave you to read Wordsworth and speak to you tomorrow at the end of this epic adventure.    Read more

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