Perfect Peak District

 Mid June saw us in the Peak District once again, enjoying a wonderful week of walking. The weather, which had been fearsomely hot in the preceding weeks, thankfully cooled and we had perfect clear blue skies every day, except for the first morning. 

This was going to be a week of dipping into lots of things, rather than focussing on two or three long walks. We stayed in Buxton as neither of us had been there before, and so had new areas to explore. On our first morning in the rain, we climbed up to Solomon's Temple on Grin Low Hill which was lovely, with the rain easing as we wandered back down through heathland and mixed woodland. After a cup of coffee, we headed up onto Burbage Edge in the Goyt Valley, again overlooking Buxton, where the National Park boundary runs right over the summit. Unfortunately, the rain started in earnest once we were at the trig point, so we hurried down again, soaking wet. In the afternoon, we decided to visit the wonderful Lyme Park and thoroughly enjoyed the stunning house and grounds.

The next day found us back in the Dark Peak early, to walk Upper Burbage Edge, one of the nine gritstone edges. Originally planning to just walk this edge, the day was so beautiful and the views so stunning that we carried on to the end, then climbed up onto Lower Burbage Edge as well, before walking back through the valley, which was a delight. We then headed down to the peace and stillness of Stanage End to look for the iconic abandoned millstones which are so redolent of the Peak District, and in fact form the logo of the national park. To our delight, we found five, one lying flat making the perfect table for lunch and a coffee brew in stunning surroundings! After lunch, we’d planned to walk on Froggatt Edge, but a road closure and long detour meant Curbar Edge was more convenient. This turned out to be absolutely sublime in the warm afternoon sun, with the most wonderful panoramas. We spent a long time sitting in the sun with our boots and socks off, enjoying the views. I think this is our favourite edge so far.

The Roaches was our next objective the following day, in the Staffordshire Peak District; a completely new area for us. Climbing up through bracken and a small Scots Pine wood, we emerged onto the wide flat plateau which was dotted with tiny pine trees, heather and weather worn rock formations. We ambled along to the pretty Doxey Pool where we sat for a while watching swallows swooping down to drink and catch insects. Deciding not to walk the whole ridge, we meandered back southwards, enjoying the sun and the magnificent views of the Leek Valley before scrambling down the large rocks at the end of the ridge, which was very enjoyable. Joining a path at the bottom, we headed back, watching groups of children learning to climb and paused to consider tackling the dramatic looking Hen Cloud, but decided to leave that for another visit. Instead, we drove the 20 minutes or so to a small parking area at Gradbach for the walk to Lud's Church; a secluded gorge that has been used as a place of worship since pagan times. It was very warm and after a welcome cup of coffee at the tiny Riverside Cafe, we set off through the welcome cool of Back Woods before climbing steeply up and following a path than wound gradually and gently up through the trees for perhaps a mile or two. We soon came to a fingerpost pointing to what looked like a rockfall, but was in fact the way down into the gorge and, after negotiating this slightly slippery route, found ourselves in an incredible cool, shady, fern filled gulley, about 18 metres deep. It was muddy underfoot, but opened out with the sun filtering soft green light into the depths. We walked for perhaps 100 metres to a series of roughly cut stone steps leading up and back into the woodland, but the path down was closed, so we retraced our steps, walking the length of the gorge again before leaving at our entrance point. It was mesmerising and unique. We made a quick stop on a shady outcrop of rocks in the woods for lunch, before heading back.

We then moved on to Bakewell for a couple of nights, and were out early, parking at Ladybower Reservoir to climb Win Hill; prominent from almost everywhere in the Hope Valley area. We crossed Ladybower dam, slightly intimidated by the two huge 'plugholes' or shaft spillways, then began climbing up through a lovely shady pine woodland. The path rose very gently up through the woods to a slightly steeper section just before the treeline, when we crossed open fellside and climbed the last rocky knoll to the summit. The views were beautiful in all directions; to Edale and Mam Tor, down to Ladybower and across to Baslow Edge. We had the top to ourselves for half an hour before others began to appear from different directions, so we made our way back down. We spent the afternoon wandering around Bakewell which was stunning with the most beautiful displays of flowers, strolling by the river and exploring the back streets.

We had a lazy morning the next day, then a walk round Bakewell again, which was busy and buzzy as it was a Saturday and there was a dance festival taking place. We had arranged to meet friends in Buxton where we had a walk around the lovely Pavilion Gardens before drinks, a meal and then a talk from 17 time Everest summiteer, Kenton Cool, about the history of Everest climbing expeditions at the Pavilion Gardens, which was fascinating if a little warm!

Our final morning saw us leaving Bakewell and calling in to Hardwick Hall for a visit before setting off back down the M1. I'd been before a couple of times about 30 years ago but couldn't really recall much about it, and Bro had never been. It was gorgeous and the gardens were particularly stunning with flowers and flowering shrubs in profusion. The house was a fascinating example of Elizabethan architecture.

We've grown to really love the Peak District, and will be returning very soon.

Upper burbage edge

millstones at stanage end

the leek valley from the roaches

stunning views from curbar edge

curbar edge

The Ancient Woodland

I write a lot on this blog about the Lake District, Peak District and many other places, some far flung, that I’ve visited, but this time I thought I’d write about somewhere that’s right on my doorstep and which, during lockdown, became something of a godsend.

It’s a copse of ancient woodland, just over 20 acres in size, which has been there for at least 500 years. It takes about eight minutes for us to walk to, and marks the boundary between North Berkshire and South Oxfordshire. It’s bordered on three sides by houses, but the fourth side leads on and out into open, arable farmland, huge fields and lovely woodlands. It can lead to a fairly sizeable, rural walk if you wish.

In the 1800s it was part of a large, nearby estate where they grazed their black cattle and some of the original iron fencing from that time still exists. Up until the middle of the 1900s it was farmland. Hazel coppicing is now taking place, something I don’t remember seeing there before, to promote new growth and prolong the life of the trees. A large area has just been cleared because of Ash dieback, but is now full of buttercups.

Consisting of two vast fields, one used by local youth football teams on occasional Saturdays, the other is left wilder so that in spring and summer, the whole area is filled with wildflowers. Ancient oak and beech woods encircle the fields with huge, vast trunked, magnificent oaks a particular feature. Elsewhere, whip like hazel saplings have self seeded into mini woodlands of their own, interspersed with hawthorn, silver birch and blackthorn, making the area varied and interesting to walk in. The land is clay; in fact it’s the only patch of clay north of the River Thames, but this does lead to a great deal of mud in the winter months. It is also a nature reserve with a sculpture trail, and marks the beginning of the Chiltern Hills.

When we were kids, we tended to avoid the woods; they had an atmosphere; a little creepy, not that nice and the area had a bit of a ‘reputation’. Whether it was just parents exercising caution for a group of young teens not to stay out too late in case something happened (who knows, but probably), or us just thinking all woods were creepy, it was a still good place to walk our dogs and meet friends. As adults, we have taken our young dogs there to run in the big fields and socialise with other dogs, have ridden bikes and horses down its leafy lanes and have explored every inch of the woodlands, the edgelands and beyond. It’s fair to say we’ve walked there hundreds, if not thousands, of times.

In spring, the hawthorn hedgerow which lines one side of the main field is thick with beautiful May blossom, birds, insects and butterflies. The field is then carpeted in thousands of white daisies. There is a wild cherry which is a sight to see in full bloom, and on a warm summer evening scores of rabbits sit on the grassy rides, grooming each other and playing. Vast areas of the woodland are carpeted in bluebells and wood anemones, and birdsong is loud and beautiful.

In summer, the wildflowers are out in full force; common orchids, yellow rattle and common knapweed amongst many others, then the area is mown and made into hay bales, leaving a sweet, rich and fragrant smell in the air. A tiny pond near the entrance is surrounded by marsh marigolds and occupied by the occasional mallard.

In autumn, there is an abundance of blackberries, hazelnuts and sloes which we gather in earnest. We’ve also found crabapples and even an apple tree which must have been seeded by birds and which yielded a good sweet crop, collected as windfalls. A variety of mushrooms litter the floor and the colours of the oaks and beeches are beautiful.

In winter, there is an area where old Christmas Trees can be left to be chipped for mulch. Huge tangy smelling piles of chipped bark are free for anyone to take, which we have in the past, and by about February, all of it has disappeared. The woods are a lovely, quiet place to walk at this time of year, with drifts of snowdrops appearing after Christmas, but it does become very muddy with so much footfall.

In November last year, friends of the woodland put a Tree Trail up along a path which runs down the south side of the woodland, next to a Saxon bank and ditch we hadn’t noticed before as it was overgrown, but has now been cleared. Little signs were attached to a variety of trees, pointing out those of particular interest. The area had once been part of the aforementioned estate, so there are some trees I wouldn’t usually associate with woodlands, such as a large solitary Yew, but the signs pointed out, amongst Oak, Beech and Holly; Cedar, Elm, Ash, Wild Service, Hazel, Hornbeam and rarest of all, a Rocky Mountain White Pine, reputedly planted by none other than Thomas Jefferson in the 1700s when he visited the estate!

During lockdown, along one of the main paths, someone had pinned plastic bags containing a little knitted heart and a beautiful uplifting message inside, encouraging people to take one, which I thought was a wonderfully thoughtful idea and so charming. It really did cheer me up, and still does when I look at it.

We walked every day we were allowed to during lockdown, and then beyond as restrictions lifted but we were only allowed to walk close to home. It gave us peace, beauty, encounters with nature, time to think, time to clear heads and minds, daily exercise and a sense of purpose in difficult and changing times. We still walk there regularly when we don’t want to take the car out, and always see and find something new and interesting.

I really don’t know what we would have done without it. We are so grateful for it and and we love it.

Wittenham Clumps

Round Hill, the taller of the Clumps

Here in the south, whilst we might be blessed with beautiful, pastoral landscapes, ancient sweeping chalkland vistas, acres of woodland and stunning coastlines, we're not over endowed with high hills. There are the Mendips (325m), the North Wessex Downs (297m), the Quantocks at 389m, the Purbeck Hills at 208m and Dunkery Beacon and High Willhays on Dartmoor peak at 600m and 621m respectively. Nearest to us are the Chiltern Hills which are lovely, but they come in at a lofty 267m. For those of us who have a passion for the high fells, this is all a little frustrating.

However, a mere half hour drive from us lies a pair of wooded, chalk hills towering over the South Oxfordshire landscape at a whopping 120m called Wittenham Clumps. The 'clump' refers to the wooded portion on top of each hill, but they are officially called the Sinodun Hills; Sinodun meaning old fort. Named Round Hill and Castle Hill, there is a bronze age hill fort on Castle Hill and evidence of a long occupation. Time Team dug here for a while and discovered some sort of Roman villa with a mosaic floor.

I remember the Poem Tree. In the 19th century, a Joseph Tubbs carved quite a long poem into the trunk of one of the trees on Round Hill (the Earth Trust’s website has the poem detailed in full - see www.earthtrust.org.uk) but even 20 years ago it was difficult to read. Sadly the tree died long ago and has collapsed fairly recently. A couple of other folkloric things of interest are the Money Pit - a hollow where a raven is said to have buried its treasure and some of the trees on the top of Round Hill are known as the Cuckoo Pen - legend being that if you trap a Cuckoo there, it will be endless summer.

The Thames, beautiful in May, walking to the Clumps from Dorchester

Locally known as the Berkshire Bubs (the county boundary was moved a few decades ago) or Mother Dunch's Buttocks (after a local lady of the manor), they are something of a landmark, standing proud of the Oxfordshire plain, close to the River Thames. What they do do, is provide a viewpoint for a fabulous 360 degree panorama over Oxfordshire and the start or end point of a series of lovely walks. We have been going since we were kids as Dad always only really enjoyed a walk if it had a view, something we've obviously inherited. 

Stunning views from the top of the Clumps over oxfordshire

Surrounded by fields, it's a great place for families to picnic and very popular for kite flying, dog walking and Sunday afternoon strolling, but you can combine the clumps into much longer walks if you prefer and it really does make a lovely day out, especially in the spring when all the May blossom is at its frothy best. Nearby Dorchester is a beautiful little village with a huge Abbey, Wallingford a pretty market town with a long history and there are scores of lovely villages in rural settings to visit en route or stop for a wander. The Thames runs nearby, but it’s the gentle, meandering greeny blue Thames, with fish, birdlife and tiny beaches.

Frothy GORgeous May blossom

A peaceful, sunny spot

So whilst you may not have to pack a rucksack and take walking poles, I will always have a soft spot for the Clumps - a little piece of high ground punching way above its weight. Or height.

Brightwell barrow. A barrow not a clump

Transylvania ha ha.......

I was very fortunate to be offered a week's work trip in April to Transylvania somewhere, frankly, I have long wanted to visit.

Those that know me know I like anything spooky and this, coupled with the mountains and the history, was perfect for me! A number of people have said, before I went and after I returned, that they didn't think Transylvania was even a real place, so firmly entrenched are we in the Dracula myth, but yes, it is a region of Romania and yes, there actually was a real Dracula - Vlad Tepes, also known as Vlad the Impaler. He obviously wasn't a vampire, but he might have drunk the blood of his victims as it meant taking on their characteristics - be it strength or bravery. Dracula meant son of the Devil which is a reference I guess to a fairly brutal and cruel reputation, but they were different times and he is regarded a something of a folk hero in Romania.

Anyway, the myth is a little perpetuated in some areas - mainly for the tourists - but it is a fascinating country with some truly unique sights I've never seen anywhere else in all my travels, and I loved it.

bran castle - DRACUla’s castle

vlad tepes, aka vlad the impaler aka vlad dracul

the shoemaker’s house

We visited the cities/towns/villages of Bucharest, Sinaia, Brasov, Bucovina, Sighisoara, Bistrita, Cluj Napoca, Alba Iulia and Sibiu, and the overriding impression I had is that everything is very old, very authentic and very unspoilt, which was fascinating. Most of the smaller towns and villages date back to the 13th century and I don't imagine they look so different from those times. Small, crooked houses all brightly painted, narrow cobbled streets, tiny old churches, covered wooden walkways and fantastic old clock towers dominate town and village squares.

We visited the beautiful Peles Castle filled with stunning wood carvings and Bran Castle traditionally known as Dracula's castle, although Vlad Tepes was only held prisoner there for a short time. Prejmer Fortified Church really was an extraordinarily tangible example of the history of everyday people; a four storey fortified wall around the church; all built of wood which we had to feel our way round in semi darkness on uneven floors, and all utterly untouched since the 1300s. Tiny rooms where families sheltered in troubled times were just as they would have been back then. Astonishing and quite moving.

The landscapes varied as we travelled through this amazing country against the backdrop of the Carpathian Mountains, still with patches of snow, from the mightily impressive 1000ft cliffs of the Bicaz Gorges to the more rolling and pastoral Moldovan farmland region. We visited the utterly exquisite painted monastery at Voronet, one of only a handful left in the county with unbelievably beautiful, vibrantly painted Biblical scenes covering every surface, inside and out. We visited the unique Salina Turda salt mine with its three hundred foot cavern and lake at the bottom where you can row a boat in the dim light and people come to take the air to help with respiratory problems.

We also visited museums and huge churches in Cluj Napoca and Alba Iulia, had dinner in Dracula's birthplace and childhood home which is now a restaurant in Sighisoara and ended in Bucharest which is a busy, buzzy city - a little like Paris but on a vast scale, with little remnants of the older city still existing in tiny churches and ornate courtyards tucked away down narrow back streets.

prejmer fortified church

voronet painted monastery

dracula’S house in sighisoara

salina turda salt mine - boating 300ft down!

carpathian mountains

All in all, it was a fascinating, memorable trip. It's a wonderful place to visit if you want something a little different, somewhere unspoilt with a long, interesting history and a touch of spookiness on the side!!

North by North East

the view from roseberry topping

At the beginning of July I went north east for the second year running for a long weekend’s house party to celebrate a milestone birthday for my oldest friend and Uni roommate and her family (14 of us!) in a large house in Skinningrove, north of Whitby.

Skinningrove was part of large ironstone mining area and in fact where we stayed was the old power house for the mine. The mine entrance was just behind the house and is now closed, but the soil, rocks and riverbed in the village are a lovely rich terracotta colour as a result of all that ironstone There’s a lovely sandy beach which is huge when the tide is out and Skinningrove is also on the Cleveland Way, following the cliffs towards Saltburn one way and Staithes the other.

the beach at skinningrove

We did a lovely coastal cliff walk from Skinningrove to Saltburn and back which gave us fabulous sea views. Saltburn is a wonderful old fashioned Victorian seaside town which was bustling with holidaymakers on its immense sandy beach and in the sea. After a restorative cream tea, we headed back. It was very hot but cooler in the evenings so we had barbecues outside for every meal, enjoying a drink or two and the hot tub! ​

We took an early evening trip to Staithes, a pretty fishing village clustered around a busy harbour and spent a couple of hours watching the boats and the seabirds nesting on the cliffs. We also had a wander round Whitby which I've visited several times before, although I went up and into the Abbey this time and got a different perspective over the town and coast.

SALT BURN from the cleveland way

giant wind chime on the cliff just outside saltburn

just part of SALTbURN’S huge beach

pretty staithes

On my last full day there as some of the others were staying longer, we climbed Roseberry Topping near Great Ayton in fantastically warm weather, something I've wanted to do for a while and which was absolutely beautiful. A fairly stiff climb but straightforward and the views were superb.

It was a really enjoyable weekend in an area I’m really starting to fall in love with. A few days of laughter with good weather, good food and better friends.

roseberry topping

roseberry’s panoramic view

Lake Como

In the travel industry, we have what are called educationals and familiarisation trips. These are essentially free trips provided by tour operators and/or tourist boards to enable you to see and experience the 'product' for yourself.

Educationals involve more looking round hotels and fam trips are slightly more the sort of thing you would do on your own holiday; so some hotel viewings and some sightseeing, to both long and short haul destinations. I have been lucky enough to have had at least one a year and have been to some amazing hotels I probably couldn't afford and even one or two places I might not have otherwise visited. Which is totally their point.

churches clinging to the shore

In the middle of May, I had a lovely three day fam trip to Lake Como. I absolutely love Italy and have been many times, but I'd never visited the Lakes area. My boss knows my love of lakes and mountains, so I was delighted.

Wow, is it spectacular. Ringed by mountains, fringed by sixteenth and seventeenth century villas (and yes, we did see George's!) with tiny villages, markets and churches. It sits almost on the border with Switzerland so you can see the snow capped Alps from Tremezzo. Staying in Como, we took a boat to Como Town, visited tiny villages with narrow alleyways and streets leading down to the water and called into cool, quiet churches perched on the hillsides and lakeshores. We took the ferry over to, and had lunch in, gorgeous Bellagio, famous for its silk and stylish people.​

Carrying on down the lakeshore, we came across the spot where Mussolini was shot, then drove up into the mountains following what was one of the stages of the Giro d'Italia. At the top of the mountain is a tiny church which is a mecca for professional and amateur cyclists as it’s a memorial to those who have lost their lives in cycling accidents. There’s also a large cycling museum nearby. We spend our last evening in Como learning how to make authentic pizzas in an outdoor pizza oven and enjoyed them with a glass of wine by the pool.

beautiful bellagio

the madonna del ghisallo church - a memorial to cyclists

Our last night was at the stately old lady of the lake, the Grand Hotel Tremezzo; a confection of a pile overlooking the lake and backed by pine wooded hills. It was real old school glamour; heavy brocades, deep red carpets, oil paintings and lots of gold. That evening we enjoyed a six course dinner, the highlight of which was the hotel's famous Saffron Risotto with real 18 carat gold which you eat with a gold spoon. Apparently only about 1400 people in the world have eaten it (it is that expensive) and I proudly have a certificate saying I was number 1399!

It's a lovely place for a weekend break. In a shade over two hours you can be at your hotel from leaving London. There is plenty of walking, hiking and rock climbing if you want to be active, but just sitting looking at the view with a delicious Italian coffee keeping an eye out for Mr Clooney is just as good!

looking down on the lake from the mountains

it is work, honest!

It doesn’t have to be pointy to have a point...

common HAIRCap moss

I've read a couple of interesting articles this week; one from Stuart Maconie about the pleasures of walking in the Midlands, an area overlooked by many, and another about the joys of walking on the flat.

We can't all be lucky enough to live close to, or in, one of our stunning National Parks, and lots of us are a long way away from the coast, mountains, high hills or dales and, with work and family commitments, it isn't even always possible to get there on a regular basis; for some, it may just be a precious week or two a year.

However, for those of us who like to walk daily, we sometimes have to choose routes that are convenient and fit into our busy lives. Some people (and I know quite a few) don't actually want to walk up hills and down dales, some will only walk in good weather and some don't like to walk recreationally at all. Bro and I have a large dog who needs a lot of exercise and is walked twice a day. Every day. Even Christmas Day. In rain, sleet, wind, storms, mist, hail, snow, fog or shine.

naturally beautiful

this will all be bluebells soon

We don't unfortunately live that near to a National Park or the coast, but we do have the lovely Oxfordshire chalk landscape to walk in, but inevitably, we have to walk close or closer to home on occasion and these walks, frankly, are not always as inspiring as they might be.

Some routes, because of time constraints, we've done dozens of times in one form or another and we're going further and further afield to try and find new areas. So yesterday, I thought I'd take the camera and do a walk in an area we've been to many many times before and see what there is of interest by looking properly.

It was a flat walk of around four miles in Oxfordshire. To be honest, it did make the walk more interesting and made us pay more attention than usual to our surroundings. As the chap who wrote the article said, there doesn't have to be a panoramic vista, a trig point, a ridge to walk or a peak to bag; you can get as much pleasure walking on the flat, and I’d have to agree.

enticing valleys

great to see new, traditional hedging

home made mounting block

lovely rich soil, but how did that single tyre track get there….?

big skies

Lots is being written at the moment about walking and our mental health and the concerns over obesity, so wherever it is, whatever the weather, whatever you prefer, however long or short, the most important thing is to keep doing it!

Kites, combes and county tops

I’ve found a few minutes spare to type this blog. In the travel industry, January is our busiest time and it has been really, really manic, but in a good way. Feeling a bit like a wrung rag in the evenings hasn't left much time for anything else so firstly, Happy New Year. Secondly, what thoughts I have been able to muster have turned to holidays for the year, but as those are a little way off, walks closer to home have been on the agenda.

the oxfordshire plain from watlington hill

Here on the north Berkshire, south Oxfordshire border, the weather so far this month (bar a couple of days of unexpected snow) has been really quite good. As someone who used to dislike January and February, we've had a lot of beautiful crisp days with fantastic sun and deep blue skies more reminiscent of spring.

In the south, we don't have too much in the way of big hills; the nearest to us being the Chilterns. Over the decades, we have visited Watlington Hill countless times as it's pretty much the highest point nearest to us, and does have lovely views over the Oxfordshire Plain, some good walks and great places to sit and picnic.

It's an area of chalk downland with mixed woodland of broadleaf and unusually, yew, and is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest for, among other things, butterflies. It's a good place to fly kites or see kites - Red ones to be specific, and there are masses of them - I counted eight the other week. We have two pairs that nest next door but one to us, and once we counted twelve flying around overhead (someone must have put food out I suspect). They are such beautiful birds though, and I love the way they track the dog up and down the garden.

lovely weather for january

Thinking about the high points near us, Bro and I have an app that details various hill lists, and one of those is county tops. We thought we'd try and climb them in the area, and then as and when we travel around. Berkshire's was listed as the top of a road on a housing estate west of Reading, but then as Bowsey Hill, Ashley Hill and Walbury Hill, so we weren’t sure which one it really was. Googling Walbury Hill appeared to be the answer at a whopping 297m, and it has an Iron Age hill fort on the summit, although it’s all on private land, so you can’t actually get to the trig point. We’ve been up there several times and the views are beautiful though. We did 'climb' Bowsey and Ashley Hills (466 and 476ft), but gloss over that; we did.

My overriding memory of Walbury Hill is slipping and falling full length in the mud with Bro filming it and laughing until he saw my muddy bloody knee and at least had the grace to stop laughing, but not to A) help me up, B) give me one jot of sympathy or C) delete the film…

Walbury Hill leads on to Combe Gibbet where there is a replica of the gallows that was originally erected in 1676; a creepy place in the winter when you're the last up there, but beautiful in the summer with far reaching views views and a great starting point for some good walks.

Suffice to say, we haven't really made great headway into the county tops - I think we've done 12 out of 184 but, until we can get up north where it's considerably lumpier, Watlington Hill will do nicely.

more views and with added red kite

Vibrant, Venerable Venice

I hadn't been to Venice since I was seven when I can just about remember eating ice creams in St Mark's Square and a Gondola ride. I'd always wanted to visit again as an adult, but Bro didn't really want to go having been three times already, so he was on dog sitting duties while a friend and I had two nights away.

One of our lovely tour operators treated us to a suite upgrade complete with champagne on ice, at our hotel the lovely Londra Palace, two minutes from St Mark's Square. After an early flight, we had a very James Bond style private water taxi arrival (again, courtesy of said tour operator), dropped our bags off and spent the afternoon wandering all through the main and back streets, loving all the little artisan shops. That evening we enjoyed a complimentary three course dinner courtesy of the hotel this time, which was absolutely delicious.

The next day we took the hotel's courtesy water taxi to Murano to visit the glass factory and wandered the tiny streets browsing the glass shops (yes, I did buy a couple of pieces!) then it was on to Burano, famous for its lace and brightly coloured houses, where we enjoyed an al fresco lunch and a glass of chilled, crisp Italian wine.

That afternoon was spent in the Doge's Palace (we had free tickets as part of our little package) which was stunning, but I found the prison more interesting; crossing the Bridge of Sighs and roaming the dark, narrow passages and peering into all the cells was fascinating.

On our final day we took a water bus the full length of the Grand Canal to the fruit and fish markets and walked all the way back to St Mark's Square, where we joined a pre-booked tour, a lovely generous present from my friend, to go into the secret passages and hidden parts of the Doge's Palace which was amazing!

We visited the medieval prison, the torture room, went up into the roof, saw Casanova's cell and heard all about his escape (I have subsequently read his book which I would thoroughly recommend) and explored the secret passages leading from the prison and the administrative offices to the grand rooms of the palace, where we literally popped out of a cupboard at the end of the tour. We loved it!!

Venice is so beautiful, so unique and so precious and I'm so pleased and thankful to have been able to visit again.

the grand canal

fascinating narrow streets

this was art rather than structural!

glass blowing in murano

colourful burano

houses of every colour in burano

one of the largest rooms in europe with a ceiling by tintoretto, in the doges palace

the bridge of sighs - beautiful from the outside, but it leads to the prison

the reason for the sigh on the bridge of sighs - the prisoners’ last glimpse of the outside

inside the bridge of sighs

casanova’s cell

the medieval leads - the cells just under the roof

the roof holding tintoretto’s ceiling up

Coastal paths and moorland

whitby abbey’s imposing position

My oldest friend and Uni roommate and her husband treated me to a long weekend for my forthcoming ‘big’ birthday, which was incredibly generous of them, so early September saw me on the other side of the Pennines for a change, on the north east coast, basing ourselves just outside Whitby.

I hadn't been to Whitby for what must be about 18 years, or Robin Hood's Bay since I was a kid, so it was lovely. As was the weather. The afternoon saw us wandering the town - up to the Abbey, onto the Prom to see the seals, meandering the narrow streets and browsing the little shops. Then it was across to the other side of the harbour, up to the whale bones, back to the car and on for a meal and something fizzy.

The following day we met up with my friend's sister and her husband (also old friends) who were camping on the cliffs above Robin Hood's Bay and the five of us walked down towards the Bay, but took the Cinder Track, joining the Cleveland Way Coastal Path to Whitby. The Cinder Path is the old Scarborough to Whitby rail line that closed in 1965 and it makes for an easy, flat walk with beautiful coastal views.

the beautiful cleveland way from robin hood’s bay to whitby

fantastic beaches

The Cleveland Way National Trail is a 109 walk from Filey to Helmsley and hugs the top of the cliffs. The views were stunning, especially coming into Whitby with the Abbey ruins looming spookily closer. After lunch on the pier, we took the Cinder Path back to Robin Hood's Bay and enjoyed fish and chips in the sun by the beach.

The next day, three of us went to Goathland, home of the popular Heartbeat series, and did a walk following West Beck up and down the valley to the Wheeldale Roman Road and back over the moors into the village for a cup of tea at the railway station, watching the steam trains.

The weather was perfect, the scenery was wonderful and the company was even better. A lovely way to kick start birthday celebrations.

fish and chip stop in robin hood’s bay

the moors around goathland

Pen y Fan-tastic!!

views on the climb up

Three days after getting back from Halkidiki, Bro and I took advantage of a couple of mid week days off to go and climb Pen y Fan in the Brecon Beacons. It'd been on our to do list for a while and it's an area we really don't know at all, so it would be an interesting couple of days.

We booked into the dog friendly Craig-y-Nos Castle Hotel which is the very atmospheric, gothic former home of opera singer Adeline Patti, world famous in the 1800s. It's also haunted and the TV programme Most Haunted filmed an episode here. We weren't in the main castle building, but in what we suspect were the former stables, so we didn't hear, see or feel anything untoward, which was both a relief and a shame.

That afternoon the sun came out, and after lunch we walked in the 40 acre Craig-y-Nos Country Park in which the hotel sits. There are lots of gentle, well marked paths to follow, a visitor centre and tea room with benches and picnic areas, so it's a lovely place to spend an afternoon. We, of course, took the steepest, longest path up and above the park and were rewarded with some lovely views of the Upper Swansea Valley, then wandered back down following a woodland path through huge banks of wild garlic and bluebells next to the bubbling River Tawe, which was magical.

craig y nos castle hotel

river tawe in craig y nos country park

the upper swansea valley

huge drifts of wild garlic

The next morning we were up and off early so as to get a space in the parking area at the foot of Pen y Fan which we’d read can be really busy. Pen y Fan is the highest mountain in the Brecon Beacons and South Wales, at 2907ft, but it’s a straightforward and obvious path as part of the Beacons Way up to the summit, and one that requires no navigation.

It was a beautiful day and the clarity of the light was stunning. The path is easy but steepish and it's pretty much 2 miles up and 2 miles back. As you near the col between Corn Du and the Craig Gwaun Taf ridge, the path reaches its steepest, but then levels and runs along the base of Corn Du as you turn north eastwards for Pen y Fan.

The views were jaw dropping. Huge, glacial valleys dropped away on either side of the ridge and there were views right across to the Bristol Channel, Swansea Bay, the Black Mountains and the Cambrian Mountains. It was still and warm and perfect, although quite busy for a Thursday morning.

The last, easy pull brought us onto the wide, flat summit plateau of Pen y Fan itself, and its wonderful panoramic views. Beware the incredibly sheer, steep drops if you venture too close to the edge though! We spent a good half hour up there and made our way leisurely back down, in time for a pub lunch after a really enjoyable morning's walk.

summit panorama

cribyn from pen y fan

the steep side of corn du

beautiful views from the summit

huge glacial valleys

pen y fan looking to corn du

the path down

Halkidikilcious!

young olives

I've been very lucky and have just returned from a work trip to Halkidiki in the Macedonian region of mainland Greece. We flew into Thessaloniki Airport and stayed just outside Nikiti at the beautiful Danai Beach Hotel for two nights, then moved on to Ouranoupoli for two nights at the Eagles Palace Hotel.

The Danai Beach is one of the Leading Hotels of the World group and was a stunning, marbled oasis of calm and elegance set in beautiful gardens.  The nearest village is old Nikiti which is a sleepy little place of traditional houses and a thriving beekeeping industry, together with the ubiquitous olive trees for their fruit and oil. The coastline is unspoilt and quiet, with sandy beaches although it's a little early in the season for swimming in the sea - for me, anyway. I did brave the unheated pool at the Danai Beach, but it was painfully cold until I started swimming!

the view from my balcony at the danai beach

beautiful clear sea

the old town of nikiti

nikiti

Eagles Palace is a larger, resort style hotel near the town of Ouranoupoli in the north west of the region and we were lucky enough to have a villa with private pool each which was a treat. I was lucky to have an end villa, so I had a 360 degree panorama to look out onto from the living room, terrace, bedroom and even the bath tub!

the view from my villa at eagles palace

the small harbour at ouranopoli

From Ouranoupoli we had a morning's walk through olive groves and past small vineyards and farms to the ruined Zygou Monastery and on to the last beach on the Mount Athos Peninsula where women are allowed.

At the furthest point of the peninsula, 2000 monks live in isolation, the largest male-only area in the world. Even female animals are banned. We wandered down the beach and peered through a large chain link, barbed wire topped fence through to the empty beach on the other side and yes, police do patrol the area and yes, it would be up to 10 years in jail for breaching the rules. Male tourists are allowed to visit the monastery though.

I did catch a glimpse of Mount Athos in the distance and saw Mount Olympus near the airport with its snow covered top; in fact, the whole area is very mountainous and lush.

the ruins of the zygou monastery

young olives

i’m afraid this beach is out of bounds ladies

this one is fine though!

Lots of wonderful Greek food, Greek wine tasting and amazing hospitality made for a really interesting visit to a beautiful, unspoilt area.

Man, Oman!

For the past week, I've been on a work trip. I flew into Muscat, Oman then joined a cruise ship on its way round the Musandam Peninsula, stopping at Khasab before getting off in Abu Dhabi. I don't think I've ever been away so close to Christmas and it's been very odd seeing Christmas trees and decorations whilst in T-shirt and sunglasses! I'm writing this on the deck in Abu Dhabi in beautiful sun, exactly a week before Christmas Day!

Muscat is a beautiful city, immaculately clean and calm and surrounded by huge, rocky mountains. We had an afternoon free so four of us left the ship and took a tour round the old city. We saw the Sultan’s Al Alam Royal Palace, forts, the marina and the local souk which we wandered around getting totally lost, but it was clean, quiet and very well organised and the four of us ladies felt completely safe and unthreatened; not something I can say about every souk I’ve been to in other parts of the Middle East.

Al Alam royal palace

sailing in an omani dhow

Our next stop was Khasab which is the capital of the Musandam Peninsula and an area known at the Norway of Arabia for its huge mountains and narrow inlets and It's still fairly off the beaten track to tourists. We took a traditional wooden Dhow for a full day’s sailing in and around the ‘fjords’; the highlight of the day was a huge school of dolphins, including youngsters, swimming alongside the boat. We stopped twice for swimming and snorkelling from the boat in crystal clear, emerald green water teeming with brightly coloured fish. Lunch on board was delicious spicy chicken, rice, salad, Arabic flat bread and fragrant mint tea.

sailing the musandam peninsula

tiny villages at the foot of the mountains

Back on the ship, after cruising through the night to Abu Dhabi, we disembarked the next morning and took a full day tour of the city. I'd been before, so it was great to see areas I'd missed the first time.

The first stop was the local Iranian markets selling all manner of household items both indoor and outdoor, then a huge wonderful fish market, an amazing array of fruit and vegetable stalls and the date market where we sampled every type of date imaginable, and there are more than you think! We then wandered outside and watched the Keralan fisherman tending their huge, wire crab pots on the harbourside. ​

After a refreshing mint tea stop, we took a high speed lift up to the 74th floor viewing area of the Etihad Towers which gives you the most stunning views right over the city and beyond, into the desert. After coming back down and enjoying a lovely buffet lunch of local foods, we went to the beautiful Sheikh Zayed Mosque, surely a highlight of any visit to the city. Made entirely of white marble inlaid with flowers of semi precious stones, mother of pearl and crystal, it is breathtakingly serene and beautiful.

Then it was a quick impromptu visit to Yas Island and a look round the marina and the Formula 1 racetrack (which you can use for running and cycling on every Tuesday) before a light supper, a shower and change of clothes ready for our late night return flight after a fascinating trip.

stunning views from the etihad towers

sheikh zayed mosque

beautiful inlaid marble

shisha pipes

Machu Picchu

About five years ago, I decided to go Peru as I’d always wanted to go. Bro didn't fancy it, so I went alone, becoming the fifth member of a group of six. I'm fascinated by the Inca culture and, having visited many other South American countries, realised that most of that culture centres on Peru. ​

Peru is at altitude, but as you long as you take it easy in the first couple of days of acclimatisation, you can adjust fairly quickly. Headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, nosebleeds, bloodshot eyes and some odd dreams can affect some, but it usually passes after a day or two. ​

Machu Picchu itself takes a little effort to get to, but it's utterly worth it. First you fly to either Paris or Madrid, then it’s another twelve hours on to Lima. After a couple of days we flew on to Cusco to acclimatise as Cusco is higher than Machu Picchu We then took a long, slow train ride from Cusco to Aguas Calientes at the base of the mountain and from there, you take a small minibus up some fairly hairy hairpin bends to the site itself.

Machu Picchu is a 15th century Inca citadel at 7970ft above sea level. It sits in the cloud forest above the Sacred Valley and is thought to have been a sanctuary for the last Inca emperor. It was only 'discovered' in 1911 by American Hiram Bingham, but locals are thought to have known of it for decades and used the terracing for growing their crops. Those local farmers helped guide Bingham to the site.

It sits in a hand created saddle between the two mountains of Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu and was accessed by two high level routes - now known as the Inca Trail -  which entered the city through the Sun Gate or the Inca Bridge. It has rightly been a World Heritage Site since 1983 as an 'absolute masterpiece of architecture and a unique testimony to the Inca civilisation'.

It's such as magical place. As you wander the terraces, the tiny streets, peer into houses and even visit the royal quarters, you marvel at just where you are; high in the remote mountains, among the clouds, seemingly a million miles from anywhere. Standing at the top of the terracing and glimpsing the valley floor far below, you realise how high you are, yet are completely unseen from below. It is peaceful, warm and quiet and very difficult to tear yourself away. I genuinely didn't want to leave. ​

I am left with the privilege of being able to say I have seen this special wonder of the world for myself; certainly the most magical place I have ever been.

the famous shot!

the Main plaza

some of the huge, hand cut terraces

cut on such sheer slopes

hidden amongst the clouds

more Terracing - you enter the site through the thatched hut just in front of where the person in yellow is standing

looking down into the valley

magical

Five Dales in Derbyshire

rolling derbyshire farmland

A recent trip to visit friends in the village I used to live in in Derbyshire saw five of us walking five dales in the White Peak area of the Peak District. The White Peak is a limestone plateau with limestone dales and is a gently rolling landscape compared to the more rugged, moorland and upland of the Dark Peak, slightly further north.

dry stone walling at its best in litton

Starting at the village of Litton, we crossed farmers fields with their maze of dry stone walls to enter pretty Tansley Dale and picked our way down to a stile which heralds the start of Cressbrook Dale at the bottom of the valley. We then took a gently sloping path up the flank of the hill which, at the top, has lovely views across the limestone landscape.

tansley dale

the bottom of TaNSleY dale and the start of cressbrook dale

cressbrook dale

the limestone scenery of cressbrook dale

A short descent back down into the dale and a gentle, wooded walk next to a babbling stream brought us out past Cressbrook Millpond and into the wonderfully named Water cum Jolly Dale with its rocky limestone cliffs and crags popular with climbers, running alongside the River Wye.

This flat, pleasant path opens into pretty, wooded Millar's Dale dominated by Raven Tor, a huge overhanging limestone cliff, also a mecca for climbers. At the end of Miller's Dale, part of the Wye Valley's Site of Special Scientific Interest for its geology, grassland and woodland, we stopped for a drink enjoying the sun, as most of the last mile or two had been in cool and shady woodland.

cressbrook millpond, water cum jolly dale

Then it was on into Tideswell Dale, where the quiet road leads to Tideswell village with its 'Cathedral of the Peak'; the huge Church of St John the Baptist. A lovely Sunday lunch was enjoyed at the Horse and Jockey in the high street, then a simple stroll up and out of the village and over the fields back to Litton completed the loop. A fabulous walk with good friends.

beautiful scenery from tideswell to litton

Outstanding Orkneys

grass of PARNASSUS

A couple of years ago, Bro and I decided to take a trip to the far north, to the Orkney Islands, somewhere I’d dreamed of visiting for years. Flying in via Aberdeen, it was a fantastic few days, with so much historically and archaeologically of interest to see. Made up of 70 islands, 20 of which are habited, they sit about 10 miles off the northern coast of Scotland.

The islands are bleak, barren and starkly beautiful, with lovely white sand, deserted beaches, huge cliffs, plentiful birdlife, seal colonies and so many neolithic sites they are almost everywhere you look; standing stones, stone circles, burial mounds and chambers, archaeological dig sites, brochs, the Churchill Barriers and of course the unique, preserved village of Skara Brae.

We stayed the capital, Kirkwall; a pretty little town with the large cathedral of St Magnus dominating the centre, and the remains of two ruined castles - the Bishop’s and Earl’s Palaces. We also hired a small red van which was all they had available as we hadn’t pre-booked, but which turned out to be very useful for changing in and out of wet coats and boots. We drove all around the main island, which was simple, straightforward and really not that busy.

It’s a wild, beautiful, fascinating place and well worth a visit.

Stones of Stenness

Ring of Brodgar

Brough of Birsay

Pictish Village, Birsay

Skara Brae

Maes Howe

Broch of Gurness

Kirkwall Harbour

Fellosophy

Confucius was a wise man; a teacher and philosopher who gave us the principle of do as you would be done by. I have no real grasp of philosophy although I have on occasion pondered the 'why are we here' question, but other than that, I pretty much just go through life in happy philosophical ignorance. I thought I would take some of the wise man's teachings and see if could try and apply them to myself.

Confucius says: It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.

In the early days of fell walking, I would huff and puff my way to to the top, usually getting cross in the process and constantly wondering 'how much further', 'what up there' or 'you must be joking'. I was once sent on an Outward Bound course from work and pretty much the best bit of advice I was given (which I still apply 26 years later) is, as soon as you think you can't do it, you won't. Your mind is powerful and I think most of climbing is having a positive mental attitude - it certainly worked for me. My desire to get to the top and see the view spurs me on.

Confucius says: Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

I'm surprised to say that in all the years we've now been walking more seriously, I've only fallen three times and none of those was serious - just thumping down on grass; once on Pike o'Blisco I slipped on ice and went down on my knees, but nothing really dramatic. It does teach you to watch your step though.

Confucius says: When anger rises, think of the consequences.

It's amazing the number of times we've heard people arguing on the fells and the funny thing is how far voices carry. It's a long way. We've actually looked round to see who it was behind us going hammer and tongs, only to spot the culprits across the valley on the opposite ridge! Stomping along in a temper can't be much fun either. I can honestly say we haven’t experienced either.

Confucius says: Success depends upon previous preparations and without such preparations there is sure to be failure.

Very true. In our very first fell outings, we were woefully unprepared and although nothing dramatic ever happened, it probably made the walks harder and less enjoyable that they should have been. Dehydration on Heron Pike, the wrong kit and clothing on our first Helvellyn attempt, following sheep paths, taking short cuts and ending up walking further and harder, but suffice to say lessons have been learnt and we are always well prepared in every way. We were once able to help a lady suffering from heat exhaustion and huge blisters about half way up the Ranger's Path on Snowdon because we had plenty of food, spare drink with electrolytes and a first aid kit.

Confucius says: Ability will never catch up with the demand for it.

I've lost count of the number of times I've looked longingly ahead and thought, it's not that far to the next summit, or we've completely under-estimated the distances between fells, or not taken account of huge valleys or ravines in between them. We've stood, occasionally for quite some time, looking up at summits after 8 or 9 miles wondering whether to carry on, but we do always do the sensible thing and turn back. Having a dog with you also makes you a little more realistic. Make sure you have enough energy for the return trip and any unforeseen detours you might have to make ( we had to do a 3 mile detour to avoid a bull in a field once, after a 9 mile walk....)

Confucius says: Real knowledge is to realise the extent of one's ignorance.

All those early mistakes we made have turned us into half way reasonable walkers and helped us, more importantly perhaps, learn what not to do. Packing the right kit, taking enough food, knowing your route and alternatives, knowing your limitations and knowing when to turn back if necessary ( we turned back half way between Whin Rigg and Illgill Head because the dog was pretty arthritic by then and we didn't want to push him too far when we had a long return journey). Most of all, you can relax and enjoy yourself which is what it's all about.

Confucius says: Everything has beauty but not everyone sees it.

We can honestly say we've enjoyed every walk and every fell we've done. Even Armboth Fell and Mungrisedale Common which Wainwright himself didn't rate very highly. They both had stunning views at the very least. Everything has something positive or beautiful about it; even on the dullest trudge you can spot beautiful wild flowers, interesting rocks or listen to birdsong. I always try, on the routine daily commute, to spot something interesting - just to enrich the day, even for a second.

Confucius says: Wherever you go, go with all your heart.

Can’t argue with that.

Spring Tulip

Beautiful Berkshire

I know my heart is in Cumbria and amongst the beautiful fells, but I thought I should probably spare a thought for the county I've called home on and off for pretty much half my life.

I've had periods of living in Wales, Dorset, Hampshire, Derbyshire and Bedfordshire, but my parents have been here for 45 years and it's always been home. We are, however, a northern family - Dad's from Lancashire and most of the rest of the family is from Cumbria and Yorkshire.

Berkshire is a beautiful, gentle county with the Thames meandering right through the middle of it. Home to Windsor Castle, Eton, Ascot and Lambourn which is famous for its association with some of the best racehorses in the world. Ricky Gervais, Kate Winslet, the Duchess of Cambridge, Ranulph Fiennes, Chris Tarrant and Henry VI were all born here; George Orwell, Diana Dors and a lot of Britain's royalty are buried here including Henry VIII, Jane Seymour and Charles I at Windsor and Henry I at the now ruined Reading Abbey. George Clooney has a house on the Thames, Ghandi stopped for tea, cake and meditation in Reading; also where Jane Austen went to school, and the Dalai Lama has strong connections with the Tandoori Restaurant in Caversham which he has visited on occasion. 

fields of gold

more rolling than rugged

windsor castle

white horse hill looking over the oxfordshire plain

the gorgeous ridgeway

Berkshire has one of Britain's oldest roads, the Ridgeway, running through it as well as the Thames Path - the only long distance path to follow a river for most of its length - the Test Way and the Wayfarers Walk. Beacon Hill is one of its best known hill forts and is also home to the grave of the Earl of Carnarvon (he of King Tut fame).

The highest point is Walbury Hill at 297m, which is also the highest point in south east England. The Berkshire Downs and the North Wessex Downs are Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Lambourn Downs are a Special Area of Conservation. There is the world renowned Bronze Age hillchalk White Horse at Uffington, near Dragon Hill where George is said to have slain the dragon (both now classed as Oxfordshire, but were traditionally in Berkshire). Cox Green Roman Villa, Cliveden of Profumo fame, Donington Castle, Basildon Park, Dorney Court, Ufton Court, Shaw House, Ashdown House and Highclere Castle aka Downton Abbey are all within the county. Combe Gibbet has a replica gibbet, the original last used in 1676, which is built on Inkpen Long Barrow.

shaw house

In the early 19th century, the age old custom of selecting the Mayor of Bartlemas on Mace Monday (the first after 25th July) was still taking place in Newbury. After selection, a meal of bacon and beans was served and a cabbage stalk on a pole was paraded in the mayoral procession.

The old Berkshire custom of Rough Music was recorded in Aborfield and Warfield; if a man was known or suspected of beating his wife, neighbours would gather outside his house and bang pots and pans, blow horns or anything to make a racket and keep him awake. Hungerford is the only town in the country left still celebrating the medieval Hocktide Festival on the second Tuesday after Easter. John of Gaunt gave the town special hunting and fishing rights which are still celebrated today by, amongst others, Tutti Men who carry flower covered poles with an orange on top and Tutti Wenches who give out oranges and ask for kisses.

Aldermaston is only one of 11 places left that still holds a Candle Auction where people bid to be able to lease a meadow while a candle studded with horse nails burns. When the nails drop out, the person who has the bid wins.

Swan Upping also takes place in the third week of July where the Royal Swan Uppers (all swans are technically owned by the Queen) round up swans on certain stretches of the Thames where they are checked, marked and released

beautiful river thames

swan upping

tempting little paths

So, whilst Berkshire might not be as hilly as I'd like, there are some beautiful villages along the Thames, rolling countryside and lots of history. 

Mountain Mania

peru’s sacred valley

I love mountains. I've never really been a beachy person, although I love the coastal paths and messing around in rock pools, but mountains have something about them. I've worked in travel for the past 20 odd years and have been lucky enough to have visited some amazing places both for work and holiday, but mountains always get my vote, especially our own home grown ones.

I've put together a little selection of some of the amazing mountains I've been lucky enough to have seen.

Aconcagua. argentina - the highest mountain outside asia, in the southern and western hemispheres at 6962m

the matterhorn, swiss alps 4478m

the view from the summit of snowdon, 1085m

mount cook or aoraki, 3724m

the north face of the eiger, grindelwald, switzerland 3970m

Andean scenery, ecuador

the columbia Icefield. the rockies, canada

Sagarmatha herself, Mother Goddess of the Sky - Mount Everest - from tibet

Malta Part 3: Heading home

As always seems to be the way, just as we were feeling relaxed and refreshed, it was time to go home. Our flight wasn't until 5pm, so we had plenty of time for a final wander.

Early that morning, we turned away from Valletta city and walked a little of the Historic Trail in the quieter part of the city which was lovely and calm. We looked at churches, war memorials. tiny shops and bizarrely, a cat hotel. We also spent some time in the beautiful Hastings Gardens with its tree sized cacti and views of Marsamxett Harbour.

After a leisurely coffee, we wandered back to Upper Barakka Gardens, a real hub for people of all ages and watched a lady with a film crew obviously making some sort of travel show about the history of Malta, and crikey, we could recite it word for word before they moved on. We also saw the firing of the noon day gun at Saluting Battery which drew a crowd as it presumably has been doing for the centuries the custom has been observed.

valletta’s narrow streets

the noon day guns

After lunch we wandered back to the hotel and sat by the pool soaking up some warmth before plunging headlong back into an English winter again.

Although our pre-booked transfer to the airport didn't arrive, the flight home was thankfully uneventful and we felt much better for the break.

upper barakka gardens

last minute sun soaking

I would thoroughly recommend Valletta for a short winter visit for some sun, fascinating history and lovely beaches. Just check the bus timetables. Or better still, hire a car.