Twice Brewed, Greencarts, Heddon-on-the-Wall, Wallsend

At some point Foxy and I bought a bottle of brandy with which we continually filled our little tiny sample whisky bottles that Richard gave us on the second day. Came in handy for the last few days of cold weather and rain. It's amazing how a little bit of brandy can warm you up! The day started out bright and sunny and I went for an early morning walk with Henry just to warm up. Back at camp and Gary arrived with sausage butty's (only half a cherry tomato on each one...seriously, you'd think there was war rationings!) Still not happy with the tea situation. At Greencarts, however we did have use of the kitchen. We ordered a curry for our dinner that night, it was nice to just shower and not have to go out to eat. I took the liberty of filling up my hot water bottle and my thermos there.

During our morning orientation, Gary gave us explicit instructions on taking a photo of the ancient sicamore tree at the famous "Sicamore Gap". He did another little demonstration...Richard was the tree, Foxy, the person being photographed and I was appointed the photographer, nearly tripping over a tent rope, much to Gary's disapproval! Point was taken and when we got there, we duly took our positions and shot the photos as instructed. Undeniably, the most beautiful and visible remains of the wall, this was my favourite day. There were a lot of ups and downs, steep rock stair climbs offering incredible views from the top depicting clearly the rugged landscape of the north and the vibrant green pastures south of the wall. It was clear to see why the Romans chose this place to mark their territory. By now it was raining pretty heavily and we made it to Housesteads just in time to avoid the downpour. We took refuge in the British Heritage museum there and then carried on after a short break.

We said goodbye to Gary and Jack that morning as the next two nights were to be spent in a bunkhouse in Heddon-on-the-Wall. In beds. With sheets. And towels. And breakfast. This was the longest day of walking - 37.7km according to Lindy - further than any day I did on the Camino! We made the great mistake of stopping far too long at Chesters (museum, cafe) and were way behind schedule by the time we got going. I was quite anxious as I knew it was a long way. We ended up separating and walked the last5 hours alone that day. Foxy, Lindy, and Richard walked together. When I arrived at the Robin Hood Pub at 5:30, knowing I still had two hours to go, I texted them and told them to take a cab as they were about an hour behind me. Lindy took a cab with two other guys staying at the same place but Foxy soldiered on with Richard, arriving around 8:30. Boy were we glad to get to that bunkhouse!

Another working farm, we met Paula, the farmers wife who also looked after everyone at the bunkhouse. She was SO great. Henry and I went for a short walk in the morning and introduced ourselves to the horses which was so fun. It was pouring and I was already wet. I made tea for everyone (there was a full kitchen) and took it around on a tray. Then breakfast and on our way for the last day of walking through Newcastle to Wallsend. The forecast was for relentless rain all day. Since most of us were staying another night, we didn't have to pack up and we braced ourselves for the rainy day.  It was a reasonable 15miles and a very uneventful end as there wasn't even a plaque! We passed the museum, which indicated the end and had to backtrack! There were no signs, no fanfare and oddly, no Gary popping up to welcome and congratulate us! 

After meeting Lindy, we went to a grocery store and bought the makings of a meal. We returned to the bunkhouse and I cooked a huge spag bol and Gen made a beautiful salad. Henry and his dad left us a bottle of champagne to celebrate (they stayed in Newcastle that night with family). We had a great meal and prepared ourselves for the inevitable goodbyes that would come the next day. In the morning, Paula asked me if I wanted to help her feed the lambs before I left! It was so much fun! Lambs are the sweetest creatures of all. I just loved all the farm animals and talked endlessly with anyone who would take the time to tell me about life on a farm. I think I might want to be a farmers wife someday. Hmmmm. Once again, I had to say goodbye to people who I had come to love. It's really hard as these experiences are so intense and you do get very close. Fortunately for me Foxy lives in Liverpool so I can prolong my goodbye with her and I know I will see Lindy and Gen in Canada. The rest....well, never say never I say. We may meet again someday. Such is the life of the traveller and I shall never forget any of them. It was a highlight of my travels.

Me and my "snuggle pack"

Favorite day

We did it!!

Celebrating!

Hadrian's Wall continued....

Day one was an easy walking day, about 14 miles and flat, with beautiful coastal views in the beginning. We spent the second night in Walton (pronounced "Watton"), another very cold night. My "snuggle pack" helped but the blanket kept sliding off my sleeping bag which was annoying. We stayed at a farm called Sandysike, a working farm and the home of Richard and Margaret who were "landed gentry". Gary had warned us that they were a bit eccentric but we found them to be perfectly sweet and lovely. Once we got organised, Richard came to the tent site which was situated on what was once the tennis courts, and took our drinks order. We all signed up to dine in their formal dining room, complete with family portraits from the 1600's! They cooked and served us graciously and it was one of the most enjoyable evenings of the week. For dessert there was a fruit crumble and you had a choice between cream or custard. I was the only person to ask for custard and it turned out that Margaret couldnt get it ready in time. I didnt mind, but ate my crumble naked. A few minutes later, she showed up with a small pitcher of custard and i felt bad so i ate it anyway. Thankfully, Henry helped me out!

During the evening I asked Richard if he had a cow that needed milking (it's always been something I'd like to try) and he said "well, yes, there's Emma isn't there?" he told me to meet him at 7:30am and he would take me to her. My friend Gen also had this wish so together we headed into the barn and each took a turn. Emma was very tolerant of our fumbling attemps - I kept thinking i was hurting her! What an experience! We even tasted the milk, which was warm and a little gamey...It was just so interesting to listen to Richard talk about the history of his family and he was quite intriged when I told him about our family farm house dating back to the 1500's. I was having such I great time I hated to leave, especially since there was a cow that was due to give birth at any moment!

We packed up and headed out for day 2. We were all beginning to bond and there was great cameraderie amongst the ten of us. There were four men walking together: two brothers, Bill and David and their sons Mark and Henry. They were from opposite ends of the country and decided to do this as a sort of family reunion. Lovely guys. Then there was Richard from the midlands, Janine from London, and the two Canadians I mentioned earlier. Lindy is a doctor and Gen is a teacher who has taken a year off to travel, a kindred spirit... The six of us sort of walked together and broke off into little groups but keeping an eye on each other. Janine was a keen historian and left us to look at the museums along the way. One of the best things we encountered were the "honesty boxes", little canteens left by the locals with bottles of water, juice, sodas, chocolate, granola bars and other snacks. Each item had a price and if you took one, you just left the money in a little box! I was intrigued by the concept..... and the trust.

The path is pretty well way marked with an acorn symbol and a yellow arrow. We got lost a couple of times however, which made the day longer but we had some adventures! Mostly, we just had such a lovely time together. The scenery in the English countryside is unparalleled. The Canadians kept exclaiming "it's just SO beautiful!", and it made Foxy appreciate her country even more to see it through the eyes of the traveller. For me, I just couldn't get enough of the sheep and lambs. I even came across one that had literally just given birth only minutes before. The mama was licking her baby and gently, but firmly pushing it with her nose to get it to stand up. I just stood there in awe. 

Day three dawned and we braced ourselves for what was meant to be the hardest day. We actually found that, although long, it was quite manageable until we bumped into Gary at Burdoswold where he was entertaining private clients from the USA. He seemed to have a different outfit every time we saw him, each one perfectly suited for the moment. This one was a hiking outfit with woollen jumper, short trousers with knee socks and a little beanie hat with a pompon! He looked auspiciously at his watch saying "you're going to have to get going if you want your dinner tonight!" He then kindly showed us a shortcut, in which we found ourselves lost in a matter of an hour and it took us just as long as it would have had we stuck to the original  path! It was raining, dark, and we ended up walking along the highway to get to the pub at Twice Brewed (yeah, that's the name of the place) just in time to order a meal. There we were, looking pretty daggy and draping our clothing over the radiators to try and dry it out before going back to the tents where we knew it wouldn't dry. Just then, Gary popped up again looking splendid in his country gentleman outfit. Foxy couldn't help herself and told him he looked gorgeous. He beamed and blushed. It turned out we joined a quiz night and didn't get to the campsite until it was well dark. We stumbled through the pitch dark to the campsite, laughing and trying to figure out where the loo was. We gave up, found a spot near the tent, then wriggled ourselves into our sleeping bags. Amen for the "snuggle pack"!

Favorite Quote: "I'm as warm as a little pie" -- Foxy

Gary and Jack making breakfast

Enjoying a bacon butty

All you have to do is follow the acorn

Mid- day pub stop

Oh the dear lambs!

Hadrian's Wall - part 1

I am very behind in my writing, but with the help of my friend Foxy (yes, she is as fabulous as her name suggests!) I have put together some highlights of the Hadrians Wall walk. Here goes... Foxy and I took the train from Liverpool Lime St to Carlisle and whilst on the train, got chatting with two lovely guys, one from Liverpool and one from Chorley who shared his sweets with us. She was surprised at my ease with talking to strangers....little did she know what my life has been like for the past 8 months!

After arriving in Carlisle we had just enough time to go shoe shopping and have a pint and a Crabbies before boarding a bus to Port Carlisle. We arrived in time to get to the campsite and meet the rest of the people on the self guided tour. Upon arriving at the site, along with three other people on the bus, we met our fearless leader, Gary, whom we came to revere and respect, despite his quirky, stern ways. He was accompanied by his lovely sidekick Jack, who became our most trusty keeper of the camp. Gary chastised those who dared to bring a wheely suitcase or had the audacity to wear jeans.....one cannot hike in jeans because when they get wet, they won't dry! We liked him immediately, but we knew from the start that this was serious business!

During our initial briefing, Gary informed us that it would be a bit chilly so I "rented" a fleece liner as I only had a two season sleeping bag and was worried I might be cold. Then we all headed to the pub around the corner for a meal. Foxy and I sat with two friends from Edmonton, Lindy and Genevieve (Gen) who were to became two of our dear companions over the next week. Back to camp to perform our ablutions and then into our tent for what was to become the coldest night I have ever spent. I don't think I slept a wink and found out the temperature was below freezing. I warned Foxy that if I didn't sort this out, I'd be climbing in bed with her to keep warm. All I could think was where the hell are my hot flushes when I really NEED them?! There were "snuggle packs" for rent as well - a wool blanket and a hot water bottle. I foolishly thought I wouldn't need them but believe me, I had them the next night!

 Breakfasts were included and were served at 8:30 sharp. We were quite excited to find out that each morning we would have a selection of cereals, juice, coffee or tea and a bacon and mushroom or sausage and tomato butty, surely a great way to start a 25+km day of walking. We were each given a fabric bag containing a metal plate, mug, and bowl which we were to use for the week. There were, of course, specific instructions as to the use of said articles. With all the flair that he could muster, Gary proudly produced these buttys and to his horror, Foxy put out her used bowl (she had had some cereal and milk and had not washed the bowl) to which he exclaimed that she must use the plate in her bag! When I asked for another cup of tea, he looked at me in shock and said "there's only so much water. We have to conserve". Bollocks! I thought to myself. This was to become a serious and contentious issue between Gary and I. I need my morning tea!

When Gary discovered that Foxy and I decided not to take the packed lunches (we both prefer to eat light whilst walking), he said "I have only two words for you: DAY THREE"!!! and then wouldn't tell us anything about the dreaded third day. We were left to surmise, knowing it couldn't be good. Port Carlisle is a few miles away from where we began the walk so Gary gave us a ride in the back of his Land Rover to Bowness on Solway, where we began. Each morning after breakfast he gave us a briefing, including historical facts and suggestions of timing in order for us to get to camp before dark. He would often set up a little scenario using us as props so he could illustrate his story....."Richard, stand here - you are a ditch, Mark, you are a vallum, Lindy, you are a mound, Janine, you are the wall"... and then he would proceed with his story. We did as we were told and it added an interesting element to the day and funnily enough, we remembered what he had said when we were walking.  TBC......

Carlisle

Crabbies

Camp

The beginning

Add caption

An Honesty Box

Barcelona

The best thing about Barcelona is the architecture and art history. The worst thing about Barcelona is the cost of being here. I have spent more money in 3 days in Barcelona than in the other 17 days I've been in Spain! The thing is, they are actually crooks about it. You order a simple meal and they bring bread and olives. As in many places in Spain, this is included in the meal. In Barcelona they have the cheek to add 7€ to your already inflated bill! Lunch one day was a small bocadilla at a sandwich shop, off the main tourist drag. The guy asked me if I wanted cervesa, cola cola or sangria. Naturally I chose sangria. When I got the bill, the sandwich was 8€ and the sangria (glass) was 12€!!!!! I was disgusted and told him so to which he just shrugged nonchalantly.  Anyway, moving on...... Barcelona is a fabulous city, just like everyone said. I booked myself a very small and simple room just off Las Ramblas and it was perfect for what I needed. I met a woman from Denmark on the bus and she ended up staying there as well. The first thing I wanted to do was see the Sagrada Familia and it was even more spectacular than I had imagined it to be. It stands magestically, its 4 spires reaching high to the heavens. I managed to figure out the metro and get myself across town to the Basillica and found that there was a queue of more than an hour. I wavered for a moment, then decided I would do it. Most of the wait was sunny and the wait was so worth it in the end. I stood and stared in awe at the entrance, the Passion facade. In contrast to the highly decorated Nativity Façade, the Passion Façade is austere, plain and simple, with ample bare stone, and is carved with harsh straight lines to resemble a skeleton if it were reduced to only bone. Dedicated to the Passion of Christ, the suffering of Jesus during his crucifixion, the façade was intended to portray the sins of man, provoking a dramatic effect. Gaudí intended for this façade to strike fear into the onlooker. He wanted to "break" arcs and "cut" columns, and to use the effect of chiaroscuro (dark angular shadows contrasted by harsh rigid light) to further show the severity and brutality of Christ's sacrifice, facing the setting sun, indicative and symbolic of the death of Christ. The columns of the interior are a unique Gaudí design, besides branching to support their load, their ever-changing surfaces are the result of the intersection of various geometric forms. The simplest example is that of a square base evolving into an octagon as the column rises, then a sixteen-sided form, and eventually to a circle. Essentially none of the interior surfaces are flat; the ornamentation is comprehensive and rich, consisting in large part of abstract shapes which combine smooth curves and jagged points. Gaudi designed the columns to resemble trees and branches and it really felt as if I was walking into a forest. Constructed between 1894 and 1930, the Nativity façade was the first façade to be completed. Dedicated to the birth of Jesus, it is decorated with scenes reminiscent of elements of life. Characteristic of Gaudí's naturalistic style, the sculptures are ornately arranged and decorated with scenes and images from nature, each a symbol in their own manner. For instance, the three porticos are separated by two large columns, and at the base of each lies a turtle or a tortoise (one to represent the land and the other the sea; each are symbols of time as something set in stone and unchangeable). In contrast to the figures of turtles and their symbolism, two chameleons can be found at either side of the façade, and are symbolic of change. The façade faces the rising sun to the northeast, a symbol for the birth of Christ. It is divided into three porticos, each of which represents a theological virtue (Hope, Faith and Charity). The Tree of Life rises above the door of Jesus in the portico of Charity.  On the subject of the extremely long construction period, Gaudí is said to have remarked, "My client is not in a hurry." When Gaudí died in 1926, the basilica was between 15 and 25 percent complete. The halfway point was marked in 2010, and the church was consecrated by Pope Benedict and is now used for religious service. I went for a bike tour of the city and the day, fortunately was sunny and warm. We started out at Plaza St Jaume where we collected our bikes and met our guides. It was a very good experience as I got to see a lot of the city stopping at various architectural points along the way and ending up at the beach for a drink. A funny thing happened. About three hours into the ride, one of the people in the group rode up beside me and said she had heard I was from BC. She asked me where I was from and, since nobody ever knows where Nelson is, I always say in a small town east of Vancouver. It turns out, she is from Nelson too and I actually know her husband! She was travelling with friends and I did not see her again but it was an interesting encounter. Night bus to Madrid and flight back to Liverpool. I had left a small case at the office of the English immersion program and when I went to pick it up, the office was closed because of a bank holiday and I could not get in. My case is still in Madrid!