a wandering whatever

I’ve been labelled a globe trotter this year. I have not really gone that far but I have been moving about a bit-and I’m hopefully not done yet. If somebody gives me a big enough kick up the proverbially derry aire I could be pushed into going abroad in November or January. But we’ll see.

I’ve kind of threatened a summary of my travels….so far. I’ve already done the Irish Cycling Safari one where I met the lovely Carolyn. What’s happened since?

The Glover Challenge.

This was a particularly tough walk.Took us 12 hours to do something like 14 miles over a few mountains in Donegal.Weather conditions were very chanrable.We met nobody, and in a way this was great-the whole solitude thing. I managed to get separated from group for a while and this was scary, the whole alone in the wilderness thing. Despite it’s toughness and enjoying it emensly this is something I don’t think I’ll do again-as a complete walk.Parts of it most definitely-but all of in one go….no.

Lessons leaned here-have a spare glasses case in rucksack-when it is misty rain-glasses are a hinderance-much better clear out of focus, than can’t see a bloomin’ thing. Oh! And when I got separated, I luckily still had a phone signal-a whistle is much better-got one now.

My next trip was a cycling trip in Scotland. This has been planned for a few years and this year it finally got off the ground-despite a kind of falling out. This was with the friend who got me into the cycling thing, and nurtured my love for the outdoors and my general fitness level. During the trip something’s he said made me realise how much he valued our friendship, kind of surprised me. He actually apologised for something that happened some 7 or 8 years ago. I told him that, that was water under the bridge and I had forgotten about it-that’s what friendship was all about. We had great weather on this trip saw some scenery I can only describe as Nirvana.Racey looking landlady in our B&B and a few really challenging climbs. The day we left this haven countryside we had rain of somewhat Biblical proportions, roads were flooded-there was no way we could have cycled in that weather-so, something was most definitely out to make sure we had a good time.

Ben Nevis had us leaving home for the ferry at the unwelcoming time of 4:30 am. The hotel we stayed in had its own leisure centre –so I went prepared. Despite being very comfortable the hotel’s food portions were miniscule. The climb up The Ben (I can call it that now) was relatively easy.Well after the glover , it had to be. What I didn’t like was the crowds of people coming up AND down.We started our walk at 8:30 am, so I don’t know what time the others started. It was just a track up and down.The summit was very misty with quite a few people doing Usain Bolt poses-not me.

Took me about 3 ½ hours to get to the top-actually did not need the lunch that I brought with me. On the way home we were in no mad rush so we stopped to get a few scenic shots and views before getting to the ferry. 

 

So what next? We asked ourselves –we done the highest in England,Scotland, Ireland and Wales-to be honest I don’t care –as long as the craic is good, the air is fresh and there’s not hordes of people blocking the way.

No idea what I’m up to in November/January.But want to get away somewhere. Need a new passport though-and that’ll mean having to shave and wash properly for the photos.

Things in general for me are pretty crap at the moment, but when I summarise my blessings –after the obvious first 3 –I can ride a bike, I can read a book and I can pee standing up. What I have done so far this year makes me smile-the little things that happened on these trips make me laugh-even though nobody but those on the trips will get the joke, like the waitress in the hotel on the Ben Nevis trip who scolded us for taking extra rolls for our soup-without asking; or the waitress in the restaurant on the Scottish cycling trip who cleared our table by instalments-I fit looked like we had finished she was down lifting the plates, as soon as the utensils had left our hands.

Any way I KNOW what I have to do to get my life in some sort of order again it’s just taking that leap of faith or whatever terminology is used.

Incidentally the mad Donegal woman now in Dublin I met last year emailed me to tell me she is considering moving back to Donegal.AND she has been sending texts the odd time-her humour is as almost as warped as mine –or is it the other way round Having a friend like her around could keep my spirits up. Oh and Carolyn keeps in touch too-her stories of her travels make me smile too. A return rubber band fight in 2013 is possible