Herefordshire Week 194: Tuesday 12 – Monday 18 September 2023

London to Llanthony via David Hockney and Oxford St, and the Post Pyrenees catch up.

David Hockney at the Lightroom (Video, 6 sec)
David Hockney at the Lightroom (Video, 6 sec)

Steffi and I had the day in London on Tuesday. In the morning we went to the David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) exhibition / show at Lightroom in the Coal Drops Yard redevelopment north of Kings Cross. The first time I’d been there and it’s very chichi. You can tell Google, Meta et al are just the other side of the Regents Canal.

The show was amazing. I’m not that in to art, and wouldn’t have gone myself. I’m so glad Steffi wanted to go. We stayed on to watch the first half or so of the show again.

David Hockney at the Lightroom
David Hockney at the Lightroom

In the afternoon, shopping on Oxford Street (Uniqlo and John Lewis), walking to Covent Garden and (eventually) lucking out with a soft launch late lunch at Paro Indian (recommended!) followed by a tour of the outdoor kit shops of Southampton Street, with Ellis Brigham providing a long chat about all things Nepal and confirmation that I should stick with my La Sportiva boots purchased from Trekitt.

Greek takeaway for dinner (Steffi and I are making the most of being in Deliveroo-land). Plus a bottle of wine or two…


Steffi and I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast on Wednesday, while Hazel got going WFH, then the two of us hoisted our rucksacks and made our way to Paddington, had a lovely coffee with Tom then got our respective GWR trains home.

Mine, of course, was delayed by “signalling problems in the Oxford area” and terminated early at Great Malvern. Everyone – everyone – who got off the train there had lots of luggage. Yes, we had all chosen the direct train for A Reason. GWR seem not to care.

Finally rolled into Hereford on the West Midlands Train service, two hours later than I should have. Phil is a very patient taxi driver.

Home for tea and scones, a bit of unpacking, a chat with Sonia about Nepal 2023, dinner, bed.


Thursday saw me catching up on admin – Pyrenees IOUs and personal admin that had piled up while I’d been away. Got a lot done. Plus a flying visit into Hereford for our “updating our wills” etc meetings at Lambe Corner. Made a start on the weeknotes backlog too.


Back to the GV Gym on Friday for Aerobics and Stretch, then home to tackle the Garden Admin, aka collecting / clearing windfall apples, mowing – the strimmer mower and Hunting Honda had been returned, fixed, while I was away. A lot of grass to cut and clear, and today was the only dry day for a fortnight according to the weather forecast.

Caught up with Val about Nepal 2023 at lunchtime in between Honda mow and Countax mow.

Phil’s pizza for dinner!

Yum yum
Yum yum

Saturday morning dawned misty and stayed cloudy and cool, but dry so I got out and collected more windfalls from the orchard, the garden railway line and the lower path – plenty of cookers there, although the Egremont Russets still have a while to go.

Spent the rest of the morning on the computer on weeknotes and (eventually!) Live Chat with Charles at Qatar Airways finding out about costs for changing our flights for Nepal 2023 Plan B.

Made chutney and crumble in the afternoon, and had TJL over for beer / tea and crisps late afternoon. After a pint each, all Phil and I could cope with was lentil soup and telly. I should have trained harder in the Pyrenees 🙂

Owls late at night, and early (Sunday) morning.


Sunday’s highlight was lunch at The Temple Bar Inn with Dad and Jean, followed by a lazy telly afternoon that segued into a glass of wine, cheese and biscuits and evening telly.


Sonia and I met up at Llanthony Priory on Monday for some Nepal trek training, and to chat about the trip. Val’s broken knee cap had thrown things up into the air a bit and I’d made the executive decision that we’d postpone for 12 months, but a few sleeps later the three of us (me, Sonia & Steffi) have all definitely decided we want to stick with Plan A: Kanchenjunga & Lumba Sumba.

Our route from Llanthony was determined by the very wet weather (rain, heavy at times, cloud right down into the valley and little sign of lifting – in spite of what the weather forecast had suggested): Up to Bal Bach and back, then up the steep (northern) trail onto Hatterrall Ridge and south along the ridge past the trig point and down the gently sloping track that starts by an old stone wall.

The cloud and rain did clear occasionally to give gorgeous views of the Vale of Ewyas and east over Herefordshire, and a rainbow over the Cat’s Back. But most of the time we were huddled inside Goretex.

Rainbow over Herefordshire
Rainbow over Herefordshire

TV: Drops of God, Starstruck (series 3), Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction, This Farming Life (series 6).

Audiobook: The Bullet that Missed – Richard Osman.

Podcasts: History Extra.


Photos: Herefordshire week 194 on Flickr.

Phil: w/e 2023-09-17.

Herefordshire Week 193: Tuesday 05 – Monday 11 September 2023

In the Pyrenees with Alfonso and Manu, finishing up our cut down Carros de Foc, then driving west and completing the Ruta de las Golondrinas, Clásica version.

Team Mucho Gusto, and some sporting the exclusive Mucho Gusto T-Shirt
Team Mucho Gusto, and some sporting the exclusive Mucho Gusto T-Shirt

Just brief notes here; for the detail you’ll have to wait for the write up – aka Into the Pyrenees with Alfonso and Manu: Photos & Notes. (Next on the list!)


Tuesday saw us complete our mini Carros de Foc trek, walking down from Refugio Amitges (2380m) to Estany St. Maurici (1912m) via the Cascada de Ratera and retreading the trail back to the car park.

Alfonso's Outline for Trekking Carros de Foc
Alfonso’s Outline for Trekking Carros de Foc

Lunch back on the sunny terrace of the Restaurant Vall d’Àneu in Esterri d’Àneu then on to Vielha for a night at Hotel Eth Pomèr (Apples, how appropriate), beers and presentation of the Team Mucho Gusto T-Shirts (plus chutney and spare toothbrushes) at REFU Birreria and dinner at Woolloomooloo.


Wednesday was transit day, driving west-ish from Vielha to Refugio de Belagua via Ainsa (mediaeval city) and Jaca (lunch, mini Magnums and a mooch around Barrabés).

The Golondrinas huts are all accessible by road, and Belagua was buzzing. We had a fab evening – receiving our Golondrinas swag, taking in the views, enjoying our private en suite room. And bottom bunks!

Arriving at Refugio de Belagua
Arriving at Refugio de Belagua

We set off on La Ruta de las Golondrinas on Thursday morning: driving down to the car park at RincĂłn de Belagua and then walking through forest and fields and forest again to Refugio de Linza. Hot.

A day of Cathedral-like beech forests, sparkling dew on spider’s webs, bracken and gorse, a stiff, sweaty climb, a picnic in the woods – all accompanied by an impossible light bulb riddle.

Sparkling spider's web
Sparkling spider’s web

The Linza hut was the quietest we stayed in, there were only around 10 other people there. Very relaxing. We played Scrabble in Spanish sat at a shady picnic table before dinner.


Friday saw us cross the border into France on Ruta de las Golondrinas day 2, trekking from Refugio de Linza to Refuge de l’Abérouat. A long, hot day.

Highlights: morning shade, chamois and marmots, Collado de Petrechema, goats cheese selling berger in his ‘house of love’, another beech forest picnic, 7.2% beers!

Rach and Me at the Collado de Petrechema, looking down into France
Rach and Me at the Collado de Petrechema, looking down into France

Lowlight: 4km on toasty tarmac.


We stayed in France on Saturday as day 3 of La Ruta de las Golondrinas (which I suppose I ought to be calling La Route des Hirondelles given we’re in France) took us from Refuge de l’AbĂ©rouat to Refuge Jeandel.

The trail took us over pas de Azuns and pas del Osque – and Alfonso and Manu provided an optional extra for Rach and I, climbing up one of Les Tourelles. FAB.

Vulture viewing, on top of our peak in Les Tourelles
Vulture viewing, on top of our peak in Les Tourelles

The Jeandel refuge and the manmade ski resort of La Pierre Saint Martin were less so.

I did get a proposal from a passing berger mind you.


Sunday saw us return into Spain as day 4 of La Ruta de las Golondrinas brought us back to Refugio de Belagua, a day after La Vuelta had passed by. En route, Pic de Arlás (2044m), quiet meadows and close up vulture views, and a bit of zig zagging over the main road in the run up to elevenses.

Vulture
Vulture

Late lunch at the hut then Rach and I accompanied Alfonso and Manu back down to the car park to collect the van. It’s a very steep trail down through the forests – very glad of the presence of poles and the absence of backpack.

The evening thunderstorm in the valley reached us overnight. Lots of rain, and lightning. A suitably dramatic end to our Ruta de las Golondrinas.

Alfonso's Outline for Ruta de las Golondrinas
Alfonso’s Outline for Ruta de las Golondrinas

Monday was a day for farewells, and the end of this year’s adventures with Alfonso and Manu.

We drove back to Lourdes airport, flew back to London Stansted in the company of nuns, got the Stansted Express back to Liverpool Street, said au revoir to Rach and then headed down to Hotel Hazel for the night, and another Thai Takeaway for dinner.

Yum yum
Yum yum

TV: My Mum, Your Dad (out of the corner of my eye).

Audiobook: The Bullet that Missed – Richard Osman.


Photos: Herefordshire week 193 on Flickr.

Phil: w/e 2023-09-10.

Into the Pyrenees with Alfonso & Manu: We’re back!

Time for a Post Pyrenees Blog Post!

Team Mucho Gusto had a fab time on both the Carros de Foc and La Ruta de las Golondrinas and the two routes took us to two very different parts of the Pyrenees.

Alfonso's Outline for Carros de Foc
Alfonso’s Outline for Carros de Foc
Alfonso's Outline for Ruta de las Golondrinas
Alfonso’s Outline for Ruta de las Golondrinas

Many, many memories – mostly highlights!

The gorgeous lakes everywhere in AigĂĽestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park, home to the Carros de Foc, the beautiful Estany de Monestero mirroring the mountains above and around, the Grecian / Roman step dam down from Estany Negre de Peguera (it really did remind me of a square amphitheatre), our first sight of Refugio J M Blanc….

Love at first sight: Refugio J.M. Blanc
Love at first sight: Refugio J.M. Blanc

…..chanting with Esther on the shores of Estany dels Barbs, playing “Who Am I?” at Colomina (Pocohontas? No, Cleopatra) and hangman too (ornitorrinco!), Tina’s essential map of the Carros de Foc, the crazy 3 minute scree (and hidden gully) run the lone pine tree, fir trees and pines, bilberries and juniper berries, tripping over on disused, dead level railway track, crossing Collada de Dellui just before the downpour, Rachel’s emergency chocolate en route to Refugio Estany Llong, cold beers and the best lentils at Refugio Amitges, not quite having the weather to fully enjoy the Refugios’ various sun decks and terraces (but we tried), surviving top bunk ascents/descents (and snorers).

A lovely evening in Vielha, with our Mucho Gusto Team T-shirts.

Team Mucho Gusto, and some sporting the exclusive Mucho Gusto T-Shirt
Team Mucho Gusto, and some sporting the exclusive Mucho Gusto T-Shirt

Mini Magnums in Jaca and getting our Golondrinas swag (yes, I am that shallow) at Belagua.

Walking through the cathedral-like beech forest as we set off on La Ruta de las Golondrinas, Manu’s riddles – and solving them (eventually), Scrabble in Spanish (and, later, in English), watching the International Space Station silently pass overhead against a backdrop of stars, marmots and chamois, and choughs, views and climbers at Collado de Petrachema….

Rach and Me at the Collado de Petrachema, and the descent down into France
Rach and Me at the Collado de Petrachema, and the descent down into France

… the berger‘s maison d’amour (and also his tasty goats cheese and hanging chair), picnics in beech woods, 4km of toasty tarmac, arriving ahead of schedule at Refuge de l’AbĂ©rouat and celebrating with 7.2% cold beers and lots of snacks, Pas d’Azuns and Pas de l’Osque and optional extra Les Tourelles in between, the lonely berger of Arette-La Pierre St Martin, the ugly reality of a manmade ski resort sans snow, our morning ascent of Pic d’Arlas and the final return to the RincĂłn de Belagua

Although I preferred the Carros de Foc overall (and would love to do the remaining sections), Les Tourelles was my overall highlight – the buzz of getting there and back, the bearded vultures cruising past below and soaring overhead – and a fluffy front feather caught on the rock where one had landed, Alfonso and Manu doing their Professional Poses on the outcrop with sheer drops back down into the valley below.

Vulture viewing, on top of our peak in Les Tourelles
Vulture viewing, on top of our peak in Les Tourelles

Nothing we hadn’t done before 🙂

Thank you Alfonso, Esther and Manu, and here’s to another adventure in 2024!

Herefordshire Week 186: Tuesday 18 – Monday 24 July 2023

Beacons Way Days 1 & 2. Gardening. Off to Essex. Day trip to London.

Me, Sara and Sonia at the Crug Mawr Trig Point
Me, Sara and Sonia at the Crug Mawr Trig Point

More Rain.


Rain returned Tuesday. A good day for admin, and then into Hereford for more admin-y type things. LED call in the evening, followed by my first post-retirement KMCA catch up.


On Wednesday and Thursday I walked the first two days of The Beacons Way with Sonia and Sara. Read the write up in my blogpost. Thankfully we had two days of good weather – and could see the downpours deluging everywhere else!

Beacons Way Day 1: Abergavenny to Llanthony, 22km / 13.5 miles, 850m / 2790ft ascent, via Skirrid / Ysgyryd Fawr (486m) and Hatterrall Hill (531m).

Strava Map & Graph: Beacons Way Day 1: Abergavenny to Llanthony
Strava Map & Graph: Beacons Way Day 1: Abergavenny to Llanthony

Beacons Way Day 2: Llanthony to Crickhowell, 19km / 12 miles, 890m / 2920ft ascent, via Bal Bach (520m), Crug Mawr (550m) and Crug Hywel / Table Mountain (451m).

Strava Map & Graph: Beacons Way Day 2: Llanthony to Crickhowell
Strava Map & Graph: Beacons Way Day 2: Llanthony to Crickhowell

Phil and I made the most of the third (and final) day of dry weather on Friday to do some garden jobs. Phil scythed (and encountered many toads large and small) and I:

  • Pulled up plum growth below the pond
  • Transplanted 4 baby yews I found near the quarry into pots
  • Cleared the fenced edge of the large pond of bindweed, dead cow parsley, ground elder, giant nettles etc etc etc
  • Cleared the ground elder under the yew tree by the hedgehog house
  • Swept the tree house deck (lots of yew leaves and seeds)
  • Pruned the coffin gooseberry and planted larger cuttings in pots
  • Picked peas (6 pods) and dwarf beans (4) and 2 strawberries and 4 sweet peas
  • Planted out the last of the leeks into long plastic planter. Rough and ready but better than the shallow tray there were in…

I also took some photos of the large fungi at far end of lawn – never seen those before.

Big fungi....
Big fungi….
Big fungi.... with kitchen scissors for scale
Big fungi…. with kitchen scissors for scale

Before dinner I spent an hour working out route options for day 3 & 4 of the Beacons Way. Most of the time was spent on trying to work out bus routes….


Rain returned with a vengeance on Saturday.

Good weather for another hour looking at days 3, 4 & 5 of the Beacons Way. Again, most of the time was spent on trying to work out bus routes…. until I found Transport for Wales’ super handy TrawsCymru Bus journey planner. I’d wasted a lot of time on Stagecoach’s website which only shows their services (which took me a while to realise).

Flickred my Beacons Way photos (and some older ones), prepped these weeknotes and wrote my blogpost covering Days 1 & 2 of the Beacons Way.

Then down the lane for early tea – F&C with TJL.


Up early on Sunday for the drive to Essex.

As we were eating our early breakfast, we were treated to a pair of hares in Kiln field…..

A Pair of Hares
A Pair of Hares

… and a green woodpecker adult showing its young where to find the best bugs on our verge and drive.

Green woodpeckers - adult and juvenile
Green woodpeckers – adult and juvenile

I went dad’s return route this time (M50 M5 M42 M6 A14 M11 A120 A12) and it was a million times less stressful than the M25, and faster / easier driving than our cross country route via Milton Keynes.

We got to Witham around 1.30pm and had a couple of hours there before I left Phil with his folks and continued on to Wivenhoe, which proved to be a more painful drive thanks to roadworks on the A12. And meeting a bus on Wivenhoe’s narrow, car-lined High Street.

Tom and Jo supplied an ice lolly on arrival which improved things no end.

By 7pm I was sitting out by the river with a glass of wine.

Wivenhoe Wine Time
Wivenhoe Wine Time

Not bad.


Monday, train into London for the Persia exhibition at the British Museum (excellent) and a tour of the outdoor shops in search of a new pair of trekking boots (in vain).

Luxury and Power: Persia to Greece
Luxury and Power: Persia to Greece

TV: Halt and Catch Fire, The Light In The Hall.

Podcasts: The Forum.


Photos: Herefordshire week 186 on Flickr.

Phil: w/e 2023-07-23.

Herefordshire Week 177: Tuesday 16 – Monday 22 May 2023

Retirement has arrived.

As has the summer.

GVWC: Breinton Springs Circular - Hereford Cathedral and the River Wye from the Old Bridge
GVWC: Breinton Springs Circular – Hereford Cathedral and the River Wye from the Old Bridge

7am alarm Tuesday for our last morning in Antibes. Washing, recycling, quick trip to the Boulangerie for mini gateaux, baguette, croque monsieur, quiche and croissants aux amandes et chocolat for breakfast.

Bus No 6 then the 82 to Nice Airport, all ahead of schedule. Caught up with work emails once we were through security etc.

Good flight – lots of legroom and a sandwich lunch on the BA flight to London City Airport. Farewell to Steffi then DLR to Bank, farewell to Hazel and into work. Sunny in Antibes, sunny in London.

Busy afternoon sorting out doing a few more afternoon 1-2-1s of handover, having my exit interview and in my final KMCA Zoom.

Rendezvous with Phil and down to H’s for Indian takeaway from Khan’s. Tasty!


Weds – up early and into work (for me) to the Breakfast Club (for P). Another busy day, but I made it to BLWV by 6.30pm for WW with Hazel, Rachel and Fi.

Thursday was my last day. A long day, and a lovely day. So many lovely messages and chats.

Last day ....
Last day ….

Pretty tortuous “train” journey back to Hereford but we made it home eventually.


Friday. The first day of the next stage of my life, and I’m doing admin – washing, defrosting the freezer, catching up with photos and weeknotes. Ah, this is what retirement is all about…..

Wonderful how green everything is after a week away, and how many flowers are out. The grass has gone bananas, we have buttercups galore and there is may blossom and cow parsley everywhere. Hedges that were bare when I left are now bursting with green leaves.

Buttercups below the large pond
Buttercups below the large pond

I think dad and Jean must have visited while we were away and checked on – and watered, thankfully – the seedlings in the greenhouse. In my office, where I’d left a few scrawny tomato and lettuce seedlings and a tray of weedy onion greens I’ve returned to an array of thriving small plants. Clearly they all do well left alone!

In the orchard, the rhubarb continues to display triffid-like traits, compost corner is hidden by greenery and I have pea and bean seedlings in the veg patch. Success!

More ripe strawberries inside the greenhouse, baby gooseberries outside.

More strawberries from the greenhouse
More strawberries from the greenhouse

Four newts (at least) in the small pond, but no tadpoles, and no sign of any fish in the big one…. I hope that doesn’t mean we’ve had a heron visiting. The flag irises are out.

Iris in the large pond
Iris in the large pond

Saturday was my first time helping out at the annual Abbey Dore Plant Sale. A great way to meet more people and also to stock up on seedlings. I had a lovely day. Gorgeous sunshine and dad and Jean treated me to tea and cake.

Abbey Dore Plant Sale
Abbey Dore Plant Sale

They reappeared at 6pm at Forty Acres for a celebration dinner created by Phil. A really lovely, relaxed evening. Just right.

My Retirement Celebration Dinner by Phil
My Retirement Celebration Dinner by Phil

I slept well.


Sunday was another fantastic sunny day and I spent the morning out with the GVWC on Jo’s Breinton Springs Circular: 7½ miles, 3 hours.

A different route from that CP and I had done back in March 2022; less tarmac, more back alleys and footpaths and a gorgeous old orchard full of cow parsley, apple blossom and may blossom on the final approach to Breinton Church. And not only was the church open but it has a new-looking toilet built into a quiet corner at the back of the north aisle. What a great idea.

GVWC: Breinton Springs Circular
GVWC: Breinton Springs Circular

Home for a late lunch and a lazy afternoon on the patio and in the conservatory. There was a sofa snooze….

Forty Acres from the front lawn
Forty Acres from the front lawn

I made dinner – the long awaited lentil soup – and we watched Perry Mason.

Bats zooming around outside as dusk drew in.


Monday was another walk this time meeting up with S&S (but not G) at the Little Black Hill car park picnic spot for Cat’s Back Circular: Cat’s Back – Hay Bluff – Hatterrall Ridge – Olchon Valley (9 ½ miles, 1600ft elevation gain, 4 ½ hours).

Cat's Back Circular: Herefordshire from Hatterrall Ridge
Cat’s Back Circular: Herefordshire from Hatterrall Ridge

The sunshine continued, this time with a cool brisk breeze up on the tops of the Black Mountains – and I got my first sunburn of the year …. and my first Magnum of the year too from the brilliant village shop, Hopes of Longtown. My first visit; I can see why people rave about it.

I’d watched kites soaring high above the Golden Valley, Abbey Dore side, before I headed out for the day.

Home for a pot of tea, sat in the shade (partly for sunburn, partly because it was hot), than a stroll around the garden taking photos of the flowers. I wish we could offer smell-o-vision for the lilac and wisteria – both were gorgeous.

Alliums
Alliums
Orchid on the front lawn
Orchid on the front lawn
Bugle
Bugle

Got the long hose out to top up the large pond. P had spotted some fish – let’s hope it’s just too hot for them to bask and a bit too murky for us to see them …..

Spotted a newt in the small pond, and – amazingly – some tadpoles still….

No squirrels though!

(I spoke to soon – one was trying its luck (in vain) at the squirrel-proof bird feeders this morning)


Retirement Days Tracker: All done

All done
All done

TV: Succession, Barry (season 4), Perry Mason (season 2), Location, Location, Location.

Podcasts: History Extra, The Forum.


Photos: Herefordshire week 177 on Flickr.

Phil: w/e 2023-05-21.