Whizzing down the hills, green country fields flashed past. A breeze flowed through my hair. My heart rate was returning to normal. I was cycling the route 27 back to Barnstaple from the sleepy beach town Ilfracombe. Knowing what was in store having done the journey in reverse, I left Ocean Backpackers hostel at 8... Continue Reading →
Exploring Eccentric Exmore
As I stood waiting for my train at London Paddington Station, I had a light bulb moment. Instead of taking the bus for an hour from Barnstaple Station to my hostel, why not cycle? I quickly googled bike rentals in Barnstable and phoned the first one. A gentleman picked up and told me he had... Continue Reading →
My favourite capital city – Edinburgh
'Look at that impressive Manor house,' the lady sitting opposite me announced as she pointed out the train window. I was fortunate enough to be sitting with an elderly couple from New Zealand. The three of us enjoyed spotting out landmarks as the train journeyed from London to Edinburgh. We passed through York Station and... Continue Reading →
Cycling the Thames Route – Richmond Park to Hampton Court
Sheets of rain cascaded from the ominous grey sky into the fast flowing river. We had found shelter in the lovely Riverside Vegetaria restaurant. Tucking into a chef specials platter we watched the world go by. A group huddled in an open air boat battling with their umbrellas. The small motor chugged on sending them... Continue Reading →
189 km of cycling later…
Fuelling up on porridge we were ready for our final day of cycling. We left Jenny's air b n b bright and early, just after 8 am. The cycle began by crossing the river on a picturesque bridge. We proceeded to follow a path along the waterway, ignoring the first 72 sign as it told... Continue Reading →
Day two of cycling Hadrian’s wall – plus a refreshing river dip
Setting off early, we were ecstatic to see that the 72 National Cycle-way led us down a hill to the right of our Hostel and not along the busy uphill road we had arrived on. While the downhill didn't last overly long, the ascents were much more manageable than the ones we faced the day... Continue Reading →
Seaford to Eastbourne – 14 mile walk
White cliffs stood tall in the distance. They jutted out into the light blue sea. Despite being made of chalk, they didn't look as if they were about to crumble any time soon. They looked still. Yet, earlier that morning in the Seaford tourist office the lady on duty warned me to stay well clear... Continue Reading →
River Lee Canal Bike Ride
A ferocious wind gushed against me, while my legs relentlessly pushed on. The path was fairly flat, the only thing slowing me down was the weather. To my right was a grey stagnant rectangular water body, otherwise known as the River Lee Navigation Canal. It is thought to have been created in the Bronze age,... Continue Reading →
“In my country we go to prison first and then become President. ” ― Nelson Mandela
The day started off in style with a delightful buffet breakfast at Ginja Restaurant overlooking the harbour. We tucked into fruit, yoghurt, granola, a wide range of cured meats, smoked salmon, even endless oysters were an option. Then of course there were plenty of pastries to munch on. We were also allowed bottomless drinks (freshly... Continue Reading →
Hiking Table Mountain
Rising early we wanted to summit Table Mountain before the sun reached its peak at around 12am. So, we ordered an Uber taxi at 7am to take us to the trail start point next to the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway costing around 60 rand / £3. On arrival we found the trail a little way... Continue Reading →