London Hiking

 I've always been a walker. Any time there is some free time, we often say 'Let's go for a walk'. 

The problem is in lockdown, we've completely exhausted all of our local walks. So along with a friend, we decided to start exploring further afield. 

Walk 1 was to Richmond. Not so unusual, but we'd usually cycle there or get the Overground. This time we went across Barnes Bridge, up through the Sheen Gate into Richmond Park, across the park, and back home via the river. TOTAL 16 miles, with a lovely lunch stop at the Duck Pond Market. 

Walk 2: Osterley Park, River Brent, Hanwell Park, Pitshanger & Ealing

This walk started off round Gunnersbury Park, up the A4, and then in to Osterley Park. How have I never been here before?!? It's a beautiful National Trust property, and I'll have to try and visit once it reopens. Then across the M4, along the canal for a bit (past the Three Bridges), up the River Brent through Hanwell Park, and round into Pitshanger. Then back streets of Ealing and home. TOTAL 17 miles

Walk 3: Brent Reservoir & Fryent Country Park

This walk started off past Wormwood Scrubs, and up towards my first London home in Willesden Green. It turns out I never went any further north than Gladstone Park, so it was nice to explore what was nearby. Around Brent Reservoir, and across into Fryent Country Park. VERY BOGGY, but beautiful. Then back through Neasden, Willesden, Harlesden & back home. TOTAL 17 Miles

Walk 4: Brompton Cemetery, Hyde Park, Regents Park

This one was meant to be shorter, as we left later as it was raining. It ended up being 18 miles as per usual!! River path, Lillie Road, Brompton Cemetery, back streets of Chelsea, with some lovely Mews roads, Hyde Park, Serpentine, back streets above Oxford Street, Regents Park, back streets of Bayswater, Uxbridge Road & home. TOTAL 18 miles

Walk 5: Putney Heath, Wimbledon Common, Wandsworth

We started with a usual, along the river and across Barnes Bridge. Then up Roehampten Lane and into Putney Heath. Under the A3 (who knew there was an underpass there) and onto Wimbledon Common. Back through Wandsworth towards the River Wandle, across Putney Bridge, back though Fulham and home. TOTAL 18 miles

Serpentine Swimming

 I've been a member of the Serpentine Swimming Club for a few years now, and there is something so special and magical about wild swimming in Central London - despite all the duck poo and pond weed, and occasionally being threatened by swans!

This year it has been particularly special, due to it being closed for so long, there was such a sense of excitement when it reopened. 

After 10 beautiful days - which unfortunately coincided with a heatwave, meaning every member turned up - it was closed again until it could be opened safely, which also coincided with a turn in the weather, which naturally made it less busy. 

It's open from 5.30-9.30am, and is a very pricey £20 for the year. Facilities are limited - change next to the pond, and avoid the duck poo - but it's such a friendly place, it's worth the slightly unusual conditions. 

I tend to go around 6.30am-7am, and it's very peaceful at this time. 

Reopening in May

So beautifully hot and sunny

Beautiful skies early in July

Just arriving for sunrise in September

Slightly misty in the pre sunrise moments in October

It's now dark when we arrive, but gets light pretty quickly. Although there are fewer swimmers now (the water is still 12 degrees so not too icy yet), we are kept company by the joggers and boot campers on the opposite shore. 

I would really recommend wild swimming - for the soul as much as for exercise, and as a fellow swimmer said this morning 'it's cold, but addictive'. So true!!

I Bought An Electric Car!! Nissan Leaf

For years I've been trying to improve my environmental awareness, and try to be as green as possible in the way I live.

I make all my own clothes, won't buy anything in single use plastic, try to buy my food as naked and locally as possible, and have switched to a renewable energy tariff at home. We've also stopped flying as much as we used to, preferring to take the Eurostar when we want to travel in Europe, as we live so near to Kings Cross!

So another big one on the list was my car. I'd had it for 15 years, so that was good in that it had lasted a long time!! However, it was becoming less fuel efficient in its old age, and so I have been thinking for a few years that Electric is the way forward.

We started browsing all the different models available, and looked at Hybrids too, at the start of the year, and then lockdown was the perfect opportunity to really seriously research them all, and decide what to go for.

I mostly just drive locally around London, maybe 30-40 miles each way for some longer trips, but mostly within 10 miles, so I knew an electric car would be perfect for this. My parents live 125miles away, and my boyfriends parents slightly further, but as they are all retired, they love to come and visit us more than we go and visit them!!

The main thing for me was boot space - for markets I shove a lot of stuff in my car, and some of the electric models are tiny!! At one showroom, I was looking in the boots of cars first, before looking inside, and the salesperson was very surprised when I rejected some instantly, without even looking inside!!

I also rejected hybrids pretty quickly, as they are not much better for the environment than some smaller engine petrol cars, and also there are 2 mechanisms to go wrong!

So the Nissan Leaf was perfect - great boot size, great reviews, and happily in budget!

The main thing to decide was which model to go for, as the range in the older ones goes from about 80-160 miles, with the price increasing with the higher mileage.

I've settled on a 66 reg one, which a range of around 110-130 miles. I've mostly been driving it around locally, and it is a dream to drive. In eco mode, when driving around London, it barely uses any charge, as every time you brake, it charges the battery! I was instantly in love!

I'd bought it from near Guildford, so had the experience of driving back on the M25 and M4 as a little taste of motorway, but hadn't fully tested it, or rapid charged it. However, I've just got back from a longer trip, which involved a rapid charge and it was great! Normally I hate driving on my own, as I get bored, but the Leaf is such a dream to drive, I was quite happy!

I'd already made accounts for Ecotricity (who run most of the chargers in UK service stations) and Zap Map (which shows where all charging points are, if they are in use, and if they are broken!) so was ready to go.

When entering the route into the Leaf satnav, it instantly told me that I probably wouldn't make my destination without a charge stop, so gave me a selection of possible stops, and asked me to select one to program in. Brilliant!

Ideally, if I had a passenger, I'd have got them to keep an eye on Zap map, to check if the charging points were being used, before I got there, but as I was on my own, I just went with my plan, but stopped with enough charge that I still could have reached the next service station, should these ones have been out of action.

I have to admit I was a little nervous. Various people had warned me against buying a fully electric car, insisting that I would regularly get stuck without charge, but it all went smoothly, I arrived to 2 working and empty chargers, connected to one, exactly as I should have, and 16 mins and £3.50 later, I was back up to 80% charge. Brilliant.

I also had a lovely chat with a couple who turned up to charge their car next to me while I was waiting, which according to them is entirely normal!

As is usual with review sites, most people only leave feedback when there is a problem, so it can seem daunting to look at Zap Map and see so many problems reported, so I made sure to leave feedback that everything had worked as expected!

I'm still very much a new owner, so will report back in a few months when I've explored more, but for now I am a very very happy customer!

Climbing Volcan Aconagua - Antigua Guatemala

Although it was only a couple of weeks ago, it already seems like ages since my summer holidays - traveling around the south east of Mexico, a quick hop to Caye Caulker in Belize, and then Guatemala.

One of the highlights of Guatemala was climbing Volcan Aconagua (3976m). I've climbed a fair few volcanoes and mountains over 4000m before, and been lucky enough not to struggle with the altitude, so didn't expect anything different this time, but clearly I've got a lot older since I last climbed that high!!

The walk started easily enough, up through some corn fields, but it was a steep, scrabbly path that just kept on going up and it was hard! We started hiking at 2,500m, climbed until 3,700m where we camped for the night, with just a last little bit to climb in the middle of the night for sunrise.

Despite the hard walk, lack of oxygen, and freezing cold, it was an incredible sunrise, combined with the feeling of ebing on top of the world, and with Volcan Fuego smoking excitingly next to us (it had last erupted 2 months before our hike!!).

Here are some photos.....

Starting the hike

Our accommodation for the night

Just a few volcanoes around!

Almost at the top for sunrise

Such a stunning view!

We made it!

Volcanoes, the moon and volcano shadow! So cool!

The cloud quickly rolled in!

Volcan Fuego silently smoking away...

The nicest part of the walk as it was flat!!

A view over the valley

Backpacking Adventures

I am very excitingly off on some backpacking adventures tomorrow, for a few weeks, and so am now doing all sorts of things I can think of to put off packing.

This is not as bad as it sounds - I have actually almost packed, I just need to wash a few last bits, and add in a few extra things I've just thought of to take.

I am however, trying to be very good, and not just keep adding things I think of!!

I got my trusty Lowe Alpine 55l rucksack back in 2002 and have taken it all over the world with me on various adventures, and it's been great. The only problem (apart from it now being very old and worn) is that it is surprisingly roomy, and so if I have space, I tend to fill it!

So as I now go on more weekend/long weekend trips (Can't wait for retirement!!) rather than month/year long trips, I have replaced my trusty old favourite with a new Lowe Alpine 45l carry on. It's lightweight, has the right amount of padding and pockets, and is surprisingly roomy, whilst still fitting into hand luggage size guidelines. 

I have so far taken it as hand luggage on a Ryanair and British Airways flight and there has been no question it's within the size allowed. 

Now as I really am one of those people who will pack stuff if there is space in my bag, and then get annoyed later, I decided that I can do 3 weeks backpacking in Central America with hand luggage only. It's going to be hot, so I can fit a lot of sundresses, bikinis and shorts in my hand luggage space. 

Slightly bulkier but definite essentials also include my snorkel & mask, hammock, mosquito net, and a big box of English Breakfast tea. 

Off to pack now.....photos to follow in a few weeks!!

Crazy Spring Snow

I love snow! I turn into a child and start jumping up and down as soon as I see snowflakes falling, and spend half the year dreaming of our annual ski trip and how big the snow drifts will be.

We've had more than our normal share of snow this year, and particularly in March, and I've spent a lot of time out wandering in it.

Here are some of my photos:

Kensington Palace Gardens - Cycling Home

My poor tomatoes - they've since died :(

Snow encroaching on the hallway inside our block

A ridiculous forecast for March!!

Playing in the garden in my newly made giant jumper dress. 

Hammersmith Bridge

Walking the Thames at low tide

The Thames was frozen at the edges!

Deep snow!

Crazy icicles under our balcony!!