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Holmes Travels
Holmes Travels

Holmes Travels

traveled in 10 countries Read more🇨🇦Whitehorse
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  • Holmes TravelsTour of Monte RosaHolmes Travels
    Resting at Orestes Hut
    Having coffee and waiting out the storm1All of us on a bridge1HilaryFrom Orestes Hut

    To Orestes Hut

    August 1, 2018 in Italy ⋅ 🌧 6 °C

    There was thunder and lightening when we were ready to leave in the morning. We made a decision to head into the town of Alagna Valsesia and halfway there the storm hit and we got caught in torrential rains. Luckily we came across a taxi van that took all of us to the town where we had coffee. When the storm lifted we got three cable cars (2 to Corno del Camoscio 3024 m and 1 down to Refugio Gabiet) and then had a short one hour walk to our next refuge, the Orestes hut. It serves vegetarian food. We wanted to do a short walk but it rained in the afternoon and we got more lightening so we just stayed in the refuge. Anne led a yoga session for those of us who wanted it. We had a nice dinner and went to bed early.Read more

  • Holmes TravelsTour of Monte RosaHolmes Travels
    1Scene in Maacugnaga
    Lago di QuarazzaSteep switchbacks to Colle del TurloTowards the ColleMonte Rosa from Refugio Pastore

    Refugio Pastore

    July 31, 2018 in Italy ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    We took the gondola down from The Rifugio Oberto Maroli to Macugnaga and then started walking from the village down the valley. We then turned up the Valle Quarazza. It was a long approach to the start of a very steep switchback trail built by the Italian Alpini. This is the part of the trail where a Gwilym had so much difficulty last year. He did it a month earlier and it was snow covered. We had lunch and had a herd of cows come by and pestered us for food. We saw several groups of cows during our ascent. We could hear the bells around their necks as we were approaching from a distance. Farmers here keep their cows in the villages during the winter months and then bring them to higher grounds in the summer months. It is common to see groups of cows up at 2000m in the summer months. We had lunch near a group of cows. They were curious and approached us. Hilary stuck out her pole as one approached her and it seemed to get a bit aggressive in response to this. One cow then approached Hamish, bringing his face inches away from Hamish. Hamish then rubbed the cow's face. The cow seemed really affectionate like a dog!! We had a long gruelling hike to the Colle del Turlo (2737 m) and it began to rain near the top, so we put on our rain gear. It was then a steep switchback downhill 1000 m to Refugio Pastore, with the sun coming out again. We had a shower and beers and nice dinner. It was a very long and hard day today.Read more

  • Holmes TravelsTour of Monte RosaHolmes Travels
    Steep slabs and ledges towards Monte Moro pass
    At Monte Moro passGolden Madonna guarding Monte Moro pass

    To Monte Moro Pass

    July 30, 2018 in Italy ⋅ 🌧 7 °C

    We left Saas Grund and hiked along a large dammed reservoir. Then we climbed up a steep trail with large blocky boulders and ramps along the fractures of the rocks. We got to the golden Madonna at the Monte Moro pass (2853 m) and had lunch there. Then it was a steep down climb to the Rifugio Oberto Maroli (2796 m). We had a drink there and the Hilary, Geoff, Hamish and Bob hiked up Joderhorn mountain (3035). It was a boulder scramble where you needed to be careful. We had a nice dinner and headed to bed early.Read more

  • Holmes TravelsTour of Monte RosaHolmes Travels
    On the Höhenweg trail
    AnneAn IbexHilary11Saastal summits across valleyBob with his Tilley hat above Saas GrundSaas Grund in the valleyAnne and Geoff

    In Saas Grund

    July 29, 2018 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We took the cable car up from Grächen to Hanigalp (2121m) and spent the day hiking to Saas Grund. It was over seven hours and got a little hotter as the day went on. We found water in the streams so we weren’t short. There were a couple of rock slides with boulders to carefully navigate. The trail overhung steep valley walls and there was a tunnel in one place. When we reached Saas Grund we met up with our three other hikers who had walked down the trail to meet us. There’s Gwilym Rees-Jones and Severine (his daughter) and Hamish Calder (her husband). We had a drink outside at the inn and then Kim and I walked into town to grab something for lunch tomorrow. There were lots of larch trees which are used for the traditional buildings and turn a dark chocolate brown over time.Read more

  • Holmes TravelsTour of Monte RosaHolmes Travels
    Street market in Lausanne
    Rondini in the market1Kim on trainBob at St Niklaus bus stopGrachen and cable carsGrachenScene in GrachenKim in front of our hotel in Grachen

    Meeting our hiking group in Grachen

    July 28, 2018 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    We woke up to thunder and lightening and rain. We had breakfast and then went into town to look around. There was a nice market going on in the town centre. We then headed back and got ready to go. We took the train from Lausanne to Visp. Then we switched to the train to Zermatt and got off halfway up the line at Saint Niklaus. We then caught a bus to Grächen which climbed high above the valley to this small town. We checked in and then got our lunch for tomorrow. At 7 we met with five of our group in the hotel bar. There’s Hilary Sharp our guide, Geoff Armstrong from Oxford, Anne Méalhie from Paris and myself and Kim. We will meet with three other people at Saas-Grund tomorrow. We talked about the trip and then had a nice dinner with four courses. The hotel owner is a stern Swiss German woman named Mrs Fuchs. She came over to our table to say hello. The weather promises to be better tomorrow.Read more

  • Holmes TravelsTour of Monte RosaHolmes Travels
    Lausanne Cathedral
    View of Lausanne from CathedralL'Hermitage above LausanneKim by large Pine Tree at l'HermitagePalais de Rumine1Kim looking at collection in Palais de RumineStanding by Great White Shark at museum1Bob looking like a tourist by a FountainLa Suisse sailing on Lake GenevaKim with Friend at Olympic Museum

    A Hot Day in Lausanne

    July 27, 2018 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Another very hot day today. I think it got to 33 and humid. After breakfast we took the metro and walked to the Lausanne Cathedral which started construction about 850 years ago. It was nice and cool wandering around in there. After we walked uphill to l’Hermitage which is a foundation that supports art and has a museum in an old mansion. The grounds were nice with huge cedar and pine trees. Then we walked down to the Palais de Rumine which is a large Renaissance style building hosting a great museum of geology, archaeology and the natural world. They had an amazing and slightly eerie zoology exhibit with hundreds of preserved animals from different regions of the world. They had a preserved coelacanth which was neat to see. They also had a huge Great White Shark caught in the 50’s by fisherman off Spain in the Mediterranean. After that we walked into the old part of town and looked in shops. We then headed to the waterfront and stuck our feet in the lake to cool off. We walked over to the Olympic museum, which is here because Lausanne is where the IOC is based. We didn’t go in though as the admission price was high. We then went back into the shopping area and had a nice dinner and drinks in an outdoor café. We are now back in the hotel. The air conditioning isn’t working but they are apparently still working on it and the desk girl said there is light at the end of the tunnel.Read more

  • Holmes TravelsTour of Monte RosaHolmes Travels
    Kim at Lake Léman at Lausanne
    Kim on train to Lausanne1The Montreux built in 1904. Oldest boat in operationBoat heading out from Lausanne

    Train to Lausanne

    July 26, 2018 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    We checked out of our hotel and walked over to Gare de Lyon. We caught the train to Lausanne at 12:10. The train was fast and smooth. We sat across from an American couple from Boston who were heading to a wedding in France. They knew the names the town but not where it was or anything in between. We arrived in Lausanne around 4:15 and made our way to our hotel (the Carlton Lausanne) and checked in. Then we caught the metro back to the station and bought our remaining train and bus tickets. After that we ate at MacDonalds. It was 24 francs for two Big Mac meals which is about 30$. Things here are on average 30% higher than home but sometimes seem as high as 50% higher after you do the conversion; except beer which is about the same. We took the metro to the Lake and walked a bit and had a drink in a bar outside. The two big boats (la Suisse and the Montreux) were berthed in harbour). They ply the lake and have been in service over 100 years. We then took the metro back to the hotel.Read more

  • Holmes TravelsTour of Monte RosaHolmes Travels
    1Kim, Bob and Anne on the rooftop
    Porte Saint Denis

    Dinnner with Anne and Dominique

    July 26, 2018 in France ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    We were invited to have dinner with Anne and Dominique who live just off Rue Saint Denis. We spent a wonderful evening with them enjoying their drinks and food and hospitality on their rooftop deck. From the deck, we could see the top part of the Eiffel tower. During dinner we saw the tower all lit up. At 10pm the lights on the tower began flashing. We took the metro there and back and on the way passed the Porte Saint Denis which was built in one of the gates in the old fortifications of Paris.Read more

  • Holmes TravelsTour of Monte RosaHolmes Travels
    Eglise Saint Eustache
    A virtual beating heart at the churchThe Louvre entrance in the hot sunMilos of Croton being bitten by a LionVenus teaching cupid to shoot a bowHercules capturing Erymanthian boarWinged victory of SamothraceCrowds in front of Mona LisaA tired visitorThe Jardin de la Palais Royale

    Another Day in Paris

    July 25, 2018 in France ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    We had a long day in the heat today. We got a metro pass which was on sale for only 7 € because of the heat. We went to visit the Victor Hugo apartment near Place des Vogues. I recall being in this spot when Russ brought us to Paris years ago. Then we went to St Eustache church and then had a drink and croissant nearby at a café. We then spent 3 hours wandering around in the Louvre. It was crowded but surprisingly not too hot. There were lots of people taking selfies or crowded around tour guides. The audio guide was frustrating to figure out and when you could get it to work it went on way too long. The Mona Lisa room when we got to it was mobbed. The Louvre was amazing but really exhausting to try and take too much in. After that we walked over to the Jardin de la Palais Royale and walked through the trees. Then we caught the metro back to our room. The Paris metro is cool, unlike the London tube which can be really hot.Read more

  • Holmes TravelsTour of Monte RosaHolmes Travels
    Pyramid at the Louvre
    Kim at the TuileriesMounted police at the LouvreSomeone having a bad day at the LouvreNice condo for saleNapoleon's tomb at les Invalides1Painting of French and German soldiers1Café in Saint GermaineBob with ice creamPlace de la Bastille

    Wandering around Paris

    July 24, 2018 in France ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    We had a nice breakfast at the hotel and then headed out into the heat. We walked a long way today, past the Louvre and over to Les Invalides. There we toured the war museum and saw Napoleon’s tomb. The museum had some amazing displays and paintings of France’s wars since the 1700’s. We then walked through Saint Germaine where we stopped for crepes and ice cream. We then walked to the Sorbonne and the Latin Quarter. We then crossed Isle St Louis to the Place de la Bastille and then stopped for dinner. We’re resting in our air conditioned hotel now.Read more

  • Holmes TravelsTour of Monte RosaHolmes Travels
    Concorde at airport1At CitizenMMarionettes in windowIn CitizenM hotelNotre Dame

    Arrive in Paris

    July 23, 2018 in France ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    We arrived in Paris around 8:30 am. Caught a bus for de Gaulle aerogare to Gare de Lyon and walked to our hotel - the Citizen M - which is nearby. Left our bags there as it was too early to check in and walked back to the Gare de Lyon and bought our train tickets to Lausanne for Thursday.
    We walked into the Latin Quarter for an early dinner and had salads. Vegged out back at our hotel in the evening as we’re pretty jet lagged.    Read more

  • Holmes TravelsTour of Monte RosaHolmes Travels
    Kim and Myles at White Spot
    Our 7871Crew cleaning up fuel spill by our plane

    Depart for Paris

    July 22, 2018 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    I (Bob) flew to Vancouver on the 6 am Air Canada flight from Whitehorse. Met Kim and Myles at White Spot for breakfast. Said bye to Myles and then got thru security and we are now waiting for our Paris flight. It’s supposed to get in at 7 am Paris time. We’re reading about things to do in Paris.
    Postscript: The flight was two hours delayed because of a fuel spill. We had no connections though so it was fine.    Read more

  • Holmes TravelsScotland 2018Holmes Travels
    Lower Manhatten from Newark
    New Jersey TurnpikeOur Nice Dinner on Air Canada

    Long Flight to Vancouver

    June 22, 2018 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    We left our hotel in Glasgow at 5:45 am and got the bus to the airport. We flew to Newark NJ and had a long lay over of six hours. The flight to Vancouver was on Air Canada. We ended up in business class somehow, with just two seats across instead of three, so had lots of room to stretch out. Our bags were the first off in Vancouver which is pretty much unheard of for us. We caught the shuttle bus and are now ensconced in the Sheraton airport hotel. Our flight to Whitehorse is tomorrow at 8 am. So, our trip is over. It was great fun.Read more

  • Holmes TravelsScotland 2018Holmes Travels
    David Livingstone statue at Glasgow Cathedral
    Tomb of Saint MungoThe Nave inside Cathedral1The organ pipesSir John A MacDonald's birthplace1We Stayed Away1Very wise wordsPhoto of Kim, Laura and Bob in Book1At Citizen M

    Last Day in Glasgow

    June 21, 2018 in Scotland ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    We spent the last day wandering around Glasgow. We went over to the Glasgow Cathedral. There are a lot of Scottish soldiers memorialized, from all the British wars all over the world. St Mungo’s tomb is there, dating from the 600’s AD. We wandered along Argyle St to see what was left of Sir John A MacDonald’s alleged birthplace above the Fox and the Hound Pub. It’s all been torn down with no plaque of any kind. Good job Canada. We had a beer at the Horse Shoe bar which dates from the 1840’s and watched the World Cup. We went to Waterstone’s bookshop and saw pictures of Kim and Laura in Hilary Sharp’s Mont Blanc hiking book, so took pictures of the pictures. We did some shopping and then had dinner at the Raven. We’re back at the hotel now packing up for tomorrow’s flights.Read more

  • Holmes TravelsScotland 2018Holmes Travels
    The Pot Still pub
    Wind turbine blade seen along highwayLounge area at Citizen M

    Back to Glasgow

    June 20, 2018 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    We caught the bus to Glasgow from Portree this morning. It was a seven hour bus ride with one stop for a half hour in Ft. William. It was interesting to see some of the places we passed on our hike from the vantage of the bus. We were sad to be finished walking. The walking was much better. It’s funny how the British say that you’re “walking” when you’re struggling up the side of a cliff with a pack; whereas we would call that “scrambling”or at least “hiking”. Walking in Canada is where you take the dog around the block.
    We got to Glasgow and checked into the Citizen M hotel, where we stayed when we first arrived here a few weeks ago. We went out for whiskeys and pub food and found the Pot Still. We had Laphroaig and pies. Both were pretty good. Then we went for a bigger dinner at Atholl’s and then back to our room. We’re figuring out what to do with our last day in Scotland tomorrow.    Read more

  • Holmes TravelsScotland 2018Holmes Travels
    Looking towards Glen Sligachan
    At Sligachan hotelAllt Dearg Mor riverAlt Dearg House1Allt Dearg RiverLooking towards Bruach na FrithePinnacle ridge of Squrr nan Gillean

    The Cuillins

    June 19, 2018 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    We thought we’d try to hike up one of the Cuillins today if the weather cooperated. We caught a bus in town and headed to Sligachan where we headed out towards Bruach na Frithe. The weather was windy but not raining, and the clouds were below the tops of the mountains. The scenery was really beautiful as we walked up in the meadows and along the Allt Dearg Mor river. The heather is just starting to bloom but there were moss campions about. We turned off the river path and headed uphill towards the mountain. The wind picked up quite a bit. It was roaring over the mountain ridge and then dropping into the cirque that we were walking up. We decided to stop and have lunch and not go any further. It was a nice walk back to Sligachan where we caught the bus back to Portree. There we found a pub and had drinks and then headed back to our B&B ahead of dinner.Read more

  • Holmes TravelsScotland 2018Holmes Travels
    2Old Man of Storr
    1View from our windowPortree harbourStart of Old Man of Storr trailView along path near the topRidge aboveSheep getting out of windCotton grass blowing1Looking backHeading back down

    Old Man of Storr

    June 17, 2018 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    It was a windy raw day today, so we had to adjust plans somewhat. We had a nice breakfast and headed into town. It’s about a 12 minute walk from our B&B. We looked around the shops, ducking in and out as the squalls hit and then the sun would come out. Val bought a dog coat for Sammy and we both bought books. Then we grabbed some food at the Coop and got on the local bus going to the north of the Island. We got off at the Old Man of Storr trailhead and hiked up to the top where there is a great lookout. It’s a slog up and took about 40 minutes. It is a busy place with lots of tourists. The wind came in big gusts of probably 100 km or more with the occasional squall thrown in. It was fairly miserable at times but we did get great views. We waited for the bus back at the road but ended up getting a lift from two girls from Saskatchewan who had a car and said we looked cold. We’re back in our room now and the sun just came out.Read more

  • Holmes TravelsScotland 2018Holmes Travels
    View of Portree from our B&B
    At the Inverness bus stationIn Glen ShielPortree from our B&BBob's lamb dinner in PortreeVal's artichoke and walnuts stacks

    Arrival at Isle of Skye

    June 17, 2018 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    We left Aviemore this morning and took a bus to Inverness and a second bus to Portree in Skye. It was really spectacular going through Glen Shiel which is a high pass that is surrounded by treeless mountains. We passed by the Glen Shiel battle site and the Five Sisters of Kintail which is a nice ridge walk. When we got to the sea we saw Eilean Donan Castle. We crossed over the bridge to Skye and got to Portree about 4:30. Our B&B is a 15 minute walk from the town centre which isn’t too bad, as long as it’s not raining. The weather has turned wet with a very low cloud ceiling and breezy. At least it’s not cold. Our B&B is comfortable. We have two days here and we’ll have to see what the weather is like to decide what we can do. We had a nice dinner at the Granery in town.Read more

  • Holmes TravelsScotland 2018Holmes Travels
    At Cairgorm summit
    Wondering what the weather will bringOur trail heading up ridge on rightHeading into cloudsIt's windy!The summit plaque on Ben MacDuiBen MacDui summit cairn1Val at Ben MacDui summitCairgorm weather station1Val selfie at Cairgorm Mountain

    Summits of Ben MacDui and Cairngorm

    June 16, 2018 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    We left today aside to try to get to the summits of Ben MacDui (1309 meters) and Cairngorm Mountain (1244 meters). Ben MacDui is the second highest mountain in Britain and Cairngorm is the sixth. They are both Munro’s obviously. We grabbed some take-out food and coffee at the only open coffee shop in town at 7 am and then caught the bus to the Cairngorm ski centre. From there we did a circuit that went up one ridge to Ben MacDui and then circled around to Cairngorm and then went down by the ski area. The circuit was 17 km long. Once we got above the clouds the visibility came and went, but at its worst was only about 30 meters. It was hard to spot the cairns so Bob’s gps watch was very handy to keep on track in the whiteouts. The wind was extremely strong most of the time and would almost blow you over and there was some driving rain that got a little worse as the afternoon went on. Needless to say, we saw no views at all but at least we did it. We were going to skip Cairngorm as the wind was too strong and take a short cut back, but we decided to bail on that idea when we couldn’t find the cairns leading down the ridge. So we went back to our planned track up Cairgorm Mountain. We saw two people at the start of the day in the distance but nobody else. We had a coffee and snack when we got down to the ski centre and caught the bus back to town, now we have a challenge in trying to dry things in our little pod unit so we can pack up and leave tomorrow. It’s raining in town so things are pretty wet.Read more

  • Holmes TravelsScotland 2018Holmes Travels
    2Our pod
    The 4 pods hereAviemoreSt Andrews Church of Scotland1Interesting things in grocery storeCairngorms from Aviemore

    In Aviemore

    June 15, 2018 in Scotland ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    We took the bus from Inverness today and traveled to Aviemore, which is in the Cairngorms National Park. The Cairngorms are a huge area of granite that creates a high upland area, incised by rivers and sculpted by glaciers. The Cairngorms are the largest area above 900 meters in Britain. Aviemore has a lot of outdoor shops but we managed to restrain ourselves and Val bought only socks. We are staying in a glamping pod, which is a detached unit that has an all-in-one shower, toilet and sink and also has a double bed. It’s nice but a little cramped. We walked into town and had coffee, and checked out the shops and figured out the schedule for tomorrow. We booked dinner at the Winking Owl pub.Read more

  • Holmes TravelsScotland 2018Holmes Travels
    Our finish of the Great Glen Way yesterday
    Val's "fat quarters"More "fat quarters"1Staircase at Royal Highland Hotel1Cream teaAt CastleVictorian MarketBagpipes for saleInverness CastleOur B&B. The Inverglen

    Day off in Inverness

    June 14, 2018 in Scotland ⋅ 🌙 9 °C

    Today is our day off. The wind really came up overnight and it was very gusty with rain squalls that settled down by late afternoon. We just spent the day walking around the downtown area and going into shops. We had a lunch of cream tea at the Royal Highland Hotel. Val bought some “fat quarters” at a fabric shop. We walked up to the Castle for a view of the city. Had dinner at No. 27, a nice pub meal. Tomorrow we head to Aviemore by bus.Read more

  • Holmes TravelsScotland 2018Holmes Travels
    Huge oak tree
    Urquhart Castle on Loch NessLast views of Loch NessIn the forest1Val trying to spot Neolithic hut circlesAlong roadCaledonian canal near InvernessBridge to Ness Islands, InvernessInvernessThe end of the Great Glen Way

    The Finish of the Great Glen Way

    June 13, 2018 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    We made it to Inverness. It was a long day today of somewhere around 32 km. We had glimpses of Loch Ness, and saw Urquhart Castle, but most of the day was in forest or behind hills. Our feet were pretty tired when we arrived at the end of the Great Glen Way. There is a marker there, near Inverness Castle, for the end of the route. It started to drizzle about half way through the day, but never amounted to much. When we got to Inverness we had cappuccino’s to warm up and then headed to our B&B. We now have an off day here which will be nice so we can sleep in and have a leisurely breakfast. We’ve walked nearly 300 km from Milngavie where we started.Read more

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