Category: Uncategorized (Page 4 of 11)

The 2019/2020 handbooks for the Camping & Caravanning Club and the Motorhome & Caravan club have dropped through the postbox so planning time for more adventures.

Part of the joy of campervanning, especially in the winter when not much camping is being done, is the planning of the year’s trips. I’ve already got a few things booked including my summer holiday trip but it makes for an entertaining winter evening, thumbing through the books, seeing the pictures and wondering where the van will take me in 2019.

I’d like to travel a bit further afield this year. Over the past couple of summers I’ve done large trips in the van and I now know that it is a comfortable motorway mile munching machine. A bit less composed on the twisty countryside stuff but once up to 70 on a main motorway the van purrs along and with some tunes going it makes for a very pleasant trip.

So time to plan and dream about upcoming trips.

With the goal of getting out in the van more and getting a lot more travelling done, it was up early and off to Dundee for a day trip.

The road was straight (M90/A90) then down the A85. I did get a bit lost and ended up missing the car park I was aiming for but ended up in a better one that was totally empty. So no problems parking.

The first port of call (no pun intended) was the Discovery Centre and the RSS Discovery

This is a ship that spent 2 years in the Antarctic ice surveying and exploring before a life of scientific voyages. The Discovery centre told the story o the expedition south along with the details of the ship’s construction in Dundee.

The ship itself had been modified since the Antarctica voyage and was missing its engines. However there was plenty to see on board and lots of details about the how the crew would have lived on the voyage. The quarters were cramped and one interesting feature is that there are no port holes on the side of the ship. This was to give the vessel strength to survive when trapped in the ice.

Next along the banks of the Tay was the V&A Dundee

This is an impressive building with an even more impressive space inside.

Lots of the building is given over to education about and the preserving of, Scottish Design. The permanent exhibition is not that large but had the MacKintosh Oak Room set up as it would have been when first installed in a tea room in Glasgow. This was worth the visit alone. Other items of design were on display and it was quite an eclectic collection.

Continuing along the river was HMS Unicorn. This is apparently the third oldest ship in the UK and is a frigate from the early 19th century. It had been converted to a drill hall at some point in its life so the top was roofed over and the masts were gone but the lower decks were set out as they would have been in its life as a warship. I enjoyed my visit but it was hard on the back and head, they seemed to have been a lot shorter in those days.

Last up on the visit was the McManus Gallery and Museum. This is a fairly typical city museum with the family silver on display as it were. However they did have some artefacts from NCR and DMA Design and a very good portrait exhibition so worth the visit.

There were a few other things I thought about seeing but I was on the clock for the pay and display parking so it was back to the van pausing only to see the Desperate Dan and Oor Wullie statues.

Started out on the road home just as the rain came on so result there. I really enjoyed my trip and saw some fabulous stuff. Might head back at some point for any other exhibitions at the V&A and to see the Dundee Contemporary Arts centre.

On New Year’s Day, I managed to get out for a walk, climbing Arthur’s Sea, walking along the canal and then down the Water of Leith. It was the first real walk I’ve done in ages and it was 20Km of pure joy.

I had forgotten the simple pleasure of striding out along a path, of climbing a hill to see the top or of sitting eating lunch outdoors watching what goes by.

I’ve been doing so much running of late which basically means training and more or less sticking to a strict schedule that I’ve not been able to get out for a walk for a year or more. My hiking gear has been feeling somewhat neglected of late.

Running, while I find it a meditative act, is an inward looking exercise. I’m focused on my form, my breathing, my pace and often how much longer I have to go before I can stop. I don’t see what is round me. I’m also pushing myself so often I’m really quite tired.

Walking is a more expansive act. I’m moving at a slower pace, though still working for it, and can look around and see the landscape that I’m passing through. I hit a rhythm and settle into a stride. My legs carry me along in an easy fashion and I’m begin to feel part of the scenery that I’m passing through.

There’s also time for photography, another much loved but somewhat neglected pastime. The light was fantastic from the top of Arthur’s seat and I got a few good photos at the top and then on the canal.

The bonus of that is of course, see what you managed to shoot when you get home. Here’s what i did get.

So, time to spend the year on foot, traversing the paths of the country and capturing it all on (digital) film. Sounds like a good recipe for 2019.

As I sit here looking out over Middle Meadow Walk it is time to look back on the year and look forward to the new.

2018

The plan for this year was to take lots of little trips in the van rather than one big holiday. As it turns out, this didn’t happen mostly as I was ill for a good part of the year. But still there were a few nice trips and the lovely weather through the summer was a bonus.

I missed my usual Easter time trip to Melrose this year and actually the first trip was a day trip to my first Volkswagen show, Volksfling in Bigger. The weather was fabulous and there was a fantastic variety of VWs on show from old Beetles and Splitties to more modern T5 and T6s. Read about it here.

Next up at the end of June was a trip to one of my favourite places in the world, Northumberland. This was a chance to sample the delights of one of the sites on the coast and visit a few castles. On the way down I saw Bamburgh Castle which was a little bit of a disappointment being more a stately home than a castle but the site I was at (Dunstan Hill) was great and there was Dunstanburgh Castle to see which was very impressive. Even better I found a little gallery and picked up a picture of Bamburgh Castle that is now gracing the walls of my flat. Read the blog post about the trip.

July’s trip was to the Lake District and Castlerigg Hall campsite, somewhere I’ve visited before. This time the weather was much better ( I remember the last visit a few years ago where I was setting up camp in torrential rain which ended up indirectly ruining the awning I had at the time).

I visited the town of Keswick and saw an exhibition of Chris Bonington and his mountineering exploits. And the Derwent Pencil Museum. A strange but wonderful place to visit. Some walking was done but my ambition overstretched my ability and a boat trip was taken as well.

Late July it was monster hunting on the shores of Loch Ness at Drumnadrochit.The weather on the drive up was scorching but I did pick the weekend that the good weather was over and got somewhat rained on on the Saturday. And never saw the monster either. But Urqhart Castle is impressive though go out of season or early as it was mobbed when I got there.

There was a day trip to Alnwick Castle and its gardens but being ill over the year did make for a somewhat restricted itenerary.

On the exercise front, I started working with a PT to try and build up some muscle and managed some pretty good times out running. A 1h39m half marathon at Stirling and a 43m 46s 10K at the Edinburgh Men’s 10k in November. On the downside, my knee started to hurt more and more as I ran so it could be that 2018 is the last year of running.

So it’s been a trying year with changes occuring and restrictions being put on me. But I made it to the end in one piece and have a newly found sense of purpose for the new year. And, to be Stoic about it,

misfortune nobly born is good fortune.

Marcus Aurelius

2019

So what does the new year hold for me. Well fingers crossed I’ve shaken off the problems I’ve had through 2018 and I can look forward to more camping trips. The fact that I am probably stopping running in favour of lower impact exercise means that I can spend more time in the hills. Other than a bit of walking near Keswick, I’ve not been up a hill for the entirety of 2018. As they say, when one door shuts, another opens. The trick is to see the new door and go through it.

I’m hoping to do a lot more dancing in 2019. I want to learn Kizomba and improve my Bachata. Creativity is going to feature large in the new year with making music and taking photos

So here’s to the new year and all that it may bring.

Late July getaway up north to look for a monster and get in a few castles. The weather on Friday morning was very good but the forecast was not promising for the Saturday. Not to mind, the van was packed and after a 10K run in the morning it was down to the usual pit stop at Sainsbury’s for food and this time fuel. I was going a long way so brimmed the tank. This confused the range remaining display somewhat as after 20miles of driving, the range was going up.

It was motorway in blazing sunshine all the way to Perth and what seem to be standard queues waiting to get on to the A9 itself. The music was playing and the sun continued to shine, if anything getting hotter, as I made my way north up the A9 past Pitlochry and Blair Atholl. The House of Bruar came into view and it was tempting to stop and have a look round but I was planning to break my journey further up the road at Kingussie to visit Ruthven Barracks.

Kingussie appearing proved to be a moment of decision that resulted in some hard application of the brakes as the satnav and the road signs differed on which was the best way there. At the last moment I decided to follow the signs and not the satnav. Oops.

A couple of minor roads later I was at the Barracks. This site was created to police the Highlands and is one of a chain of military installations to do so. The barracks themselves are small but not completely ruined. There were a few people visiting and I had a look round for half an hour. This was all it took to turn the van into a furnace in the sun so all the doors were opened while I eat lunch and had some lukewarm water which had been sitting on the dashboard.

Back on the A9 Inverness soon came into view and the fun of navigating through four or five roundabouts to make it to the A82 along the loch side towards Drumnadrochit. The loch was looking calm and slightly eerie even with the bright sun.

Twisting and turning along the A82 and one wrong turn later, I was at the campsite. I booked in and was pitched up in record time. With the roof up the van was cooling down a bit but during the journey I had had the air conditioning on full.

With the weather not looking promising for the Saturday, I walking the mile along the road to Urquhart Castle. This was absolutely packed. Several coachloads of tourists along with a full car park meant it was very busy. Being a Historic Scotland member, I got to jump the queue and into the castle quite quickly.

A fairly compact castle that was ruined after being deliberately destroyed to stop it remaining a stronghold, there were some views over the loch that was glistening in the sunlight. Avoiding the climb to the top of the tower (I’m not a fan of spiral staircases) I wandered around for a while taking photos and imagining what it would have been like to live there at its height.

Back at the van, the campsite was filling up with both caravans/motorhomes and campers. Many of them looked like they were walking the Great Glen and stopping off for the night.

One of the joys of camping is the getting away from the all the distractions and settling down to some serious reading. The book for this weekend was “Bean Counters: The Triumph of the Accountants and How They Broke Capitalism” by Richard Brooks. The story of accountants and where they’ve gone somewhat wrong over recent years. It was a fair page turner and it was nice to sit in the shade of the van with the doors and roof open and relax into a good book.

Dinner was cooked and as night fell it was time to go to bed. For this trip I left the Duvalay at home and brought normal bedding. This was easily fitted and then down to sleep.

I awoke on Saturday morning to the sound of torrential rain. It was hammering off the roof and making quite a racket. This suggested that the Met Office’s forecast had been on the nose.

Eventually it eased off then stopped and I got out of bed after quite a good night’s sleep. After breakfast, it was into Drumnadrochit and for a first port of call, a ticket to a cruise on the loch. There were many available and I picked the first one that I came to. A minibus ride to the quay side and we were on a boat and heading out in the black waters of Loch Ness. The weather had cleared a bit and there were quite good views up and down the loch. The skipper was very knowledgeable and there was a film clip running with details of the loch. One of the most impressive thing was that the boat was fitted with an echo sounder which showed the profile of the loch under the water. It is very steep sided and really quite deep in the middle.

While out on the water we passed a lovely sailing vessel (underway with engines) heading up to Inverness. Also, there were some good views of castle Urquhart from the water.

Sadly, no sign of the Loch Ness monster while we were out but there were some very tame ducks that came right onto the boat and were rewarded with some bread from the skipper.

Back in town, it was on to the Loch Ness exhibition. This told the story of the legend of the monster and the various hunts for the creature over the years. It was very well put together, consisting of a series of film clips and exhibits. In the end it left the question of Nessie’s existence open but overall it did tend towards the creature as myth rather than something being there.

Back at the van after the exhibition, it was time to settle down and read for a bit more. The campsite was getting quite full and the last few (grass, no electric) pitches were filling up. Plenty of hikers camping and a fair few families.

I finished “Bean Counters” by mid-afternoon. It’s one of those books that makes you think and also quite angry. I would thoroughly recommend it. The patchy rain was continuing and it was fairly driech.

It reached dinner time and some chicken was had. The other book that I’d brought on this trip was “Altered Carbon”. I’d started this some time ago but was only slowly making my way through it. Another dent was made in it and then down to sleep.

Sunday dawned bright and dry. It had rained overnight but the main point was that the roof canvas was mostly dry and I was able to towel the last few bits of water off.

Camp was broken with much the same speed as it was made and, as I discovered, the motorhome service point was large enough that I was able to drain the fresh and the grey water tanks at the same time.

By 7:30am I was on the road to Inverness and then south on the A9. I had the road almost to myself for quite a while. It was bright but the further south I got the more the weather closed in. By Pitlochry it was raining quite heavily.

The rest of the journey was made in alternating heavy rain and bright sunshine but, with a stop at Perth, I was home in about 3 hours and unpacking the van.

Loch Ness (though not the monster) is another place ticked off the list of places to go. The weather was a bit of a disappointment on the Saturday, especially after the long run of heatwave we’ve had. Not to mind, I enjoyed it and it’s time to plan the next one.

More Pics here

Summer holiday this year was to be shorter than normal in line with the idea of taking more breaks spread throughout the calendar. With this in mind, it was off down to the Lake District to a beautiful campsite just outside of Keswick, Castlerigg Hall. I’ve been here before to do some walking so it was nice to head back.

After the usual stop at Sainsbury’s to pick up supplies the journey down the A702 and A74(M)/M6 was uneventful apart from the usual congestion at the junction 40 turn off for Keswick. The A66 was having some road works but it was just under 3 hours to the campsite.

The weather was fantastic. The last time I was here, the rain wasn’t taking time to fall but on arrival this time, the sun was out and it was really rather hot. I was assigned to a pitch near the tent field which was slightly sloping so it was out with the levelling chocks to try and get the van on an even keel. This did mean that I couldn’t turn the driver’s seat around as that means taking the handbrake off. I had to pick up some grass pegs to get the wind-out awning out since the pitches here are quite small and the awning extended onto the grass verge.

The rest of Monday was spent sitting in the shade reading. I’d brought along a few books that I was trying to finish off and today’s reading was “Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts” by Jaron Lanier. This is a fairly short one of only a couple of hundred pages. But it adds to the discussion about whether Social Media is a good or not. For me, camping is a way to get away from the internet in general though there was a bit of browsing of the BBC on this trip with government resignations and football.

There was a nice cool breeze in the shade and I got a fair way through the book before stopping to make some chicken for dinner. After eating, the weather was still so good that I got out the deckchairs and went to sit with the other campers on the recreation with the lake view. Lovely evening. And as the sun went down we were treated to a light show

Tuesday started after not a great night’s sleep since it was so warm and the van was still slightly tilted down at the back. I wasn’t feeling brilliant either and with cloudy weather forecast for the morning (with about 10mins of rain as well) the walking was postponed for a day and it was into Keswick proper instead. First port of call was the Derwent Pencil Museum. A fascinating concept for a museum but it really tells the story of pencil manufacturing round the Lake District after the discovery of graphite in the 1500s. The museum was small but interesting and informative. One of the most fascinating things on show was a pencil made during the second world war that concealed a map and compass.  The centrepiece was the world’s largest pencil. The museum shop would be heaven to anyone who draws with every kind of pencil on sale.

After the museum I wandered round Keswick doing a little shopping and taking in the ambiance. The next port of call was the Keswick Museum which had a Man and Mountain exhibition on Chris Bonington. Short but inspiring to take more adventures in life, even if not climbing mountains. I also picked up some fridge magnets to add to the collection.

Bus back to the van and since I was still feeling a bit under the weather, there was some serious napping to be done. More reading and then, since the campsite has a well-stocked shop, I picked up some frozen chips to go with the fish I was having for dinner. These took longer to cook that would have been ideal but nice none the less.

I finished off “Ten Arguments…” and made a start on completing “Red Sparrow” by Jason Matthews. I’d missed this at the cinema and was keen to read the book before it came out on DVD. This book was a slow burner but was really picking up as I got to the end.

Wednesday I was feeling better but still not sleeping well in the heat. For bedding I have a Duvalay but this doesn’t really seem to be working for me so I may invest in some proper bedding for the van rather than a sleeping back or alike.

As promised by the weather forecast, the sun was out so while suiting up for the walk I made sure of pouring at least 1.5l of water into the hydration bladder.

Setting off anti clockwise round the lake, I was instantly regretting not putting shorts on. There were a fair few hikers out on the main path but when I turned off for Bleaberry Fell, I was alone and as it always the case in these situations, the chatter of the monkey mind was beginning to settle. I’ve always found the hiking in the hills is as good for the mental state as for physical conditioning.

There were some impressive views from Bleaberry Fell with the lake and the town laid out below.

The walk from the fell to High Seat would have been over a nasty bog had the weather not been so dry for so long. There were still some patches around but the going was good and it was an easy walk to the trig point at High Seat. I met some other walkers here heading in the other direction and we commented on how much easier this was without the bog.

Off of High Seat I think that I took a wrong turn somewhere as I ended up on a downclimb over a crag that was really not something you would find on a marked path in the Lake District. At this point the holiday got expensive as I sat down to climb over a ledge and heard a crack. I’d sat on my phone and broken the screen quite badly. It was still working but….

Over the crag it was downwards to the NT hut for a bit of chat with the wardens (they did have a fire going in the hut!). The plan was to continue anti-clockwise round the lake and following the path to Surprise View it was then into some woods and a maze of twisty paths all alike. I dislike strongly trying to navigate in wooded areas as there are no distant landmarks to find you way by and it is too easy to end up on the wrong path. And so, it was I ended up on a path I wasn’t expecting but it did bring me out closer to the hotel than I expected. It was getting hotter and I bought and drunk in one go a 0.5l bottle of water.

Leaving the hotel, I was beginning to struggle. The idea of climbing Cat Bell was abandoned in favour of just walking round the shore. And then as if by magic, the lake boat appeared. I cut my losses and jumped on the boat for a lovely trip across Derwent Water.

Back in Keswick I passed a gallery selling photos of the Lakes and couldn’t resist picking one up. I’m going to have to start rotating the photos as I’m running out of wall space. When I got back to the van I was very tired. I’d drunk over 2l of water that day so far and was still thirsty. After a cooling shower I settled down in the cool of the van to finish “Red Sparrow”. An interesting twist at the end, I’ll have to look out for any sequels.

A steak was cremated for dinner and I spent the evening alternately reading and following the football on the BBC. I could hear the cheers and groans as the game ebbed and flowed. In the end England were unlucky but the consensus of opinion in the next day was that they’d done the country proud.

Thursday was time for the trip home. I’d asked about the motorhome service point but this seemed to be right in front of someone’s pitch and I didn’t fancy waking them up. Packing up took minutes and I was on the road home at 7:30am. Journey back was as uneventful as the journey there and I was back, unloaded and washing on by mid-morning.

All in all, a lovely trip. I should probably have got up earlier for the hike to avoid the worst of the sun but I saw some fantastic sights and had that calming experience of walking in nature so can’t complain. Just got to get that photo framed.

Gallery here

The weather was good so it was off for a weekend away in one of my favourite parts of the country, Northumberland. Plan was to visit Bamburgh Castle on the way down then pitch up at Dunstan Hill Camping and Caravanning club site for the weekend and do some walking.

And with that, on the Friday it was off early via Sainsbury’s and on the the A1 south. With a quick refuel on the way, it was an fairly uneventful journey to the turn off for the Northumberland costal road. And in only 1 1/2 hours, I was at the gates of Bamburgh Castle.

It was at this point I realised that I’d left the battery for my camera at home.

Never mind, it was a chance to gain some iPhone photo skills. Bamburgh Castle has been there for quite some time dating way way back. However in recent (e.g. late 19th early 20th) century it was turned from a castle for kings and earls in to a home for the first Lord Armstrong, an engineer who wanted to turn it into a respite home but sadly died before the work was complete. it remains a home of the Armstrongs and these days is more home than castle.

Inside there was an Armstrong museum with some artefacts from his company. The state rooms and tower are now home to the collection of furniture and alike that has been acquired over the years.

Lunch was had with an impressive view from the car park

And then on south to the campsite. This was along some fairly narrow and twisty roads but taken at a reasonable speed it was a lovely drive as the sun was well out and there were some impressive views.

Just south of Embelton, The site is on flat open ground surrounded mostly by farmland. It looked fairly busy when I arrived but I got a pitch next to the loos and set about putting up the new canopy that I’d bought to replace a damaged awning. This didn’t take long but did require a read of the instructions.

Then one of the fun things about being on a campsite in the good weather, opening all the doors and windows and having a snooze in the sun.

The other nice thing of course, is reading in the sun. I had a few books to make my way through and was making a determined effort to read them.

Just being past midsummer, night fell late but the camp quietened down from about 10pm and I was in bed with more reading.

I awoke early but morning on the Saturday was a bit chilly so it was on with the heater and back to sleep for a bit. When I finally surfaced, had breakfast and showered, it was on with the hiking boots and off to Dunstanburgh castle. This was along a coast road by a golf course. The castle itself looks somewhat imposing on the cliff face even though by today it is mostly a ruin. More iPhone photography followed.

After the castle it was on south to Craster. This is a small fishing village that caters to the tourist trade now. I passed by a gallery and couldn’t resist popping in and picking up a fabulous photo of a rainbow at dawn over Bamburgh Castle. After the gallery it was on to the tourist information and more souvenirs bought. Then on through some fields and back to the van for lunch.

The sun was well out and the van was hot even with the windows open. I managed to get to the end of the book I was reading (“Bulls**t Jobs, A theory” by David Graeber) and on to a book about how to find silence in the world. I find this to be important as I’m the sort of person who gets a bit frazzled if I’m in busy company for long periods of time. That’s part of the appeal of the van and camping, I leave most of the technology of the world behind, no Facebook, no Twitter. Just a few books and a minor concession of a 3DS.

Since I had the canopy up, it was time to cook some steak outside on my grill plate for dinner. this turned out very nice and was eaten al-fresco watching the other campers (including a brilliant T25 AutoSleeper Trooper which seemed to have 2 adults and 6 kids in it) do their thing.

Sunday was another early one and by 7:30am I was on the road home. I had the A1 to myself for most of it and it was a relaxing drive .

All in all a lovely weekend away. Got some sun. Read some books and visited some Castles. Can’t be better.

 

One of the joys of owning a VW campervan is the large VW scene. Bank Holiday Weekend it was VolksFling 2018 and on a sunny Saturday morning I headed down to Biggar to see what was happening. As it traditional on the way down I got semi-lost by missing the turn onto Biggar Agricultural Showground but after a quick U turn I was at the gate, paid my £7 and was directed onto the day parking field.

Since it it a whole weekend thing, many people were camping and a quick turn around the camping field showed all sorts of machinery had shown up. From campers of every kind to beetles, golfs and the more rare VW productions of yesteryear. Quite a few new vehicles as well amongst the heritage.

A big draw is the trader stands and there were selling every type of part you could want up to complete air cooled engines. Plenty of t-shirts, towels, cuddly toys and blankets to be had all with the VW theme. I picked up a blanket to use a throw over the back seat, a t-shirt, cushion and some quite expensive but official screenwash.

The middle of the show was given over to the show and shine. Lots of lovely cars and vans on display here. Pictures tell a thousand words so here’s some of that beauty.

After lunch there was a cooking demonstration given by a couple who own a camper. On the menu today was veggie-burgers, Key Lime pie and corn dogs. All cooked on a two ring hob ( except the corn dogs, they needed a deep fat fryer ).

Mid afternoon I was beginning to burn in the sun so home time it was. A lovely show and one to go back to and perhaps to venture to others further afield.

The cup of coffee I’ve just had was rather lovely. Instead of going for instant or having a machine do it, I took the time so grind the beans, slowly pour the hot water over the granules and leave it to brew. It took several minutes to prepare but the wait was worth it. A fantastic tasting beverage that could be savoured rather than simply gulped down.

When things are hand crafted, whether food and drink, novels and writing, music or anything that is made in some way, you can see and taste the love, care and attention that has gone into the making.

And when it is you yourself that has put in the work, the taste is all the sweeter. The preparation has created a sense of anticipation. And the reward is the outcome but in many respects that’s just the icing on the cake. There is a joy to be had in the exercise of a skill, no matter what that skill is and how trivial it may seem to others.

There is a suggestion that the rise of automation and AI will put humans largely out of work. That certainly is a fear to be sure, but perhaps we will come full circle in the Industrial Revolution and return to being a workforce of crafts people. Let the machines do the boring work a leave the creativity and special attention to the humans.

So 2017 came to an end and the stroke of midnight last night. I was dozing in bed but heard the fireworks. And in the morning light of a new year, it is time to take stock, look back at what was achieved and gaze forward to a new year.

The big thing for me was getting back in to running. After the 2016 marathon where I came out of it a bit broken, I thought that was my running career over. But a bit of physio, some stretching and a lot of patience I’ve got back and in some ways come back stronger with a  personal 10Km best of 44m 18s. I’m looking forward to getting back to 1/2 marathon distance and basically enjoying the exercise.

As seems to be a common theme over the past few years, I didn’t get as much travelling done as I wanted to but did get away for some nice breaks. The summer holiday (part 1 & part 2) was rather good with the Pink Floyd exhibition at the V&A a highlight.

In May there was the chance to boogie the night away in Blackpool. This also showed a way forward where an overnight stay is a perfectly possible, even with a 3 hour drive. I’m hopeful to get back to Blackpool for one of the salsa events in 2018.

Some hillwalking was done but not as much as I had hoped. It seemed like every time I planned to go, the weather did not co-operate. But since we can take each setback as a learning experience, the plan for next year is to keep the van loaded and be able to take off for an overnight at short notice. There’s plenty of hills to climb and lots of campsites close by for an overnight.

2017 was a year of exploring philosophy as well. I found Stoic Philosophy and was intreiged by its promise of a more robust life. I read much on it and considered taking that step to follow it fully. 2018 will be the year I step fully onto the path and try to live the philosophy as much as possible.

So to any reading this. All the best for 2018 and this time next year we’ll see how we did.