MAd4Travel

JUNE 2022

Although we said goodbye to Rob in part 1 of our South African adventure we welcomed two more friends almost simultaneously. No sooner had we dropped Rob off at departures we were joined in the hotel by our good friends Carole and Olivier. They had just completed a lengthy journey. First they flew from Montreal, Canada to London, England. Then after a long lay over, from London to Johannesburg, South Africa. They were a bit jet lagged but had enough energy for a couple gins and a bite to eat in the pub next to the hotel before retiring to try and get their body clock sorted out.

The next day was a long drive south, from Johannesburg down to the Drakensberg Mountains. The scenery was fairly flat and uninteresting for the first part of our 4 hour trip but as we got closer to the mountains it improved considerably. This was the first time Carole and Olivier had been in South Africa so everything was a new experience. The first of those experiences was our shop en-route for groceries.

Getting ouf Johannesburg, 4h00 of not so interesting scenery

On the way to the Drakensberg

Once we left the main road for the final few kilometres to our accommodation, just outside Winterton, the road condition deteriorated. Still tarred but with massive potholes. Avoiding them was a challenge, made worse when not following a local who knows the road.

Local road in the Drakensberg

Home for the next six nights was a delightful cottage, just outside the town on Winterton and with great views of the mountains. We had stayed at the cottage before so everything was familiar and just as good as we had remembered. This is winter in South Africa so it wasn’t a surprise to see snow on the top of the mountains (see Drakensberg Mountains below) which contrasted with the warm sunny conditions we were enjoying below.

Our Cottage in Drakensberg

View over the Drakensberg from our Cottage

Everyday was warm and sunny, which gave us the opportunity get out and explore.

Hiking in the mountain foothills occupied three of those days. The fresh mountain air and beautiful scenery made us feel good and provided an excuse to indulge in the local food and drink afterwards.

Giants Castle section of the Drakensberg

Sterkspruit Falls walk

Beer tasting

Drakensberg Scenery

Monk's Cowl hike in the Drakensberg

The rock on the left side is the Monk's Cowl

When not hiking we would investigate other attractions the area had to offer, museums, art & craft galleries and local markets. On the Sunday we had a Braai at our cottage, a typical South African thing to do. Beautiful cuts of meat with fresh vegetables, washed down with Savannah Ciders.

Firing up the Braai

The Old 19th century shop who is now a museum

Step back in time a the re-creation of a local shop

One of the non hiking days we visited the local town of Winterton. An experience that exceeded our expectations.
We were first welcomed to the town by the car minder, as he directed us to a vacant parking space in the high street. He then assured us the vehicle would be safe under his watch, hoping to be rewarded for his work, which he was.
Across the street was the Post Office, the main reason for our visit to the town. The postmaster was very helpful and somewhat entertained by the number of postage stamps we needed to purchase. He enquired where we were from and hoped that we would return to his establishment soon. It was heart warming to see how proud he was of his Post Office and the service he offered, something that is rare these days. Even if the postcards took six months to arrive.

High Street Winterton

On leaving the Post Office we spotted a little shop selling Biltong. Biltong (see below) is a favourite snack in Southern Africa and as Carole and Olivier had never tried it, this seemed the ideal opportunity to introduce them to it. Inside the shop there was a vast array of flavours to choose from and the shop owner kindly explained each of them. Following a sample tasting we left with a selection to munch on.

Biltong selection

Biltong Shop

Next stop on our Winterton tour was at the museum. Another warm welcome was offered on our arrival and the curator seemed very pleased to have foreign guests once more. Spread over two floors with some larger items outside, the museum documented the history of Winterton and the surrounding area. Photo’s, documents and artefacts bought the whole thing to life and was fascinating to look around.

Winterton Museum

Winterton Museum

What was meant to be a short stop in Winterton ended up taking a couple of hours. By this time we were hungry and thirsty so a short drive to a local farm restaurant was called for.

As mentioned earlier, this was the first trip to Southern Africa for Carole and Olivier and to my mind it wouldn’t be complete without going on safari. So with this in mind we altered our itinerary to incorporate this. The only problem was we weren’t in the right part of the country to achieve this. Having assessed our options we decided our best bit was to return to the Kruger National Park.

The distance from the Drakensberg to the Kruger was too far to comfortably do in a day so we decided to overnight on route. Our plan was to get the bulk of the journey done on the first day which would allow time to travel to the Kruger and an afternoon in the park on the second.

The small town of Carolina was our chosen destination for the overnight stop. Nothing there of note except for a comfortable Bed & Breakfast to stay at. We arrived in the late afternoon and after a bit of relaxation went out for dinner.
Our hosts at the B&B had informed us that there was only one restaurant in town so that is where we went. Coalers Restaurant and Pub was just off Carolina’s main street accessed by an alleyway. We parked outside and assessed our options. On one side of the building was the pub, with music pumping, fruit machines flashing and full of cigarette smoke. On the other was an empty room full of tables and chairs. We choose the latter and entered. This was obviously the restaurant as used cutlery and crockery still lay on the tables. A lady quickly appeared, showed us to a table and cleared up the mess left by the previous diners. At this stage we didn’t know what to expect but as the evening progressed we were treated to a very pleasant dining experience. Our waitress, who had obviously had a hard day, soon relaxed around us and became very welcoming even teaching us some Zulu phrases. The chef ran the kitchen on his own and served up some very tasty food, which we washed down with beer and cider. An unexpected but very enjoyable evening.

B&B in Caroline on our stop over from Drakensberg to Kruger

The Coalers Pub Menu (not to share)

The following day, after a hearty breakfast, we were back on the road again heading north towards Hazyview. Hazyview would be our access point into the Kruger National Park and we had three nights booked on the same estate we stayed with Rob.
By early afternoon we had unloaded the car and dinned on the veranda of the accommodation. We were now ready to go on safari. The excitement was building as this was Carole and Olivier first African safari and I always love going on safari. Unfortunately that excitement soon turned to disappointment when we arrived at the entrance gate. A sign reading “No entry, park quota reached” was what we were greeted with, the first time ever we had not been granted access. However, we turned that disappointment to renewed vigour and went back home to plan our safari’s for the next two days.

It had not been light for long when we awoke the next morning. We had planned an early start to ensure entry to the park and were pleased we had, when we joined a queue of cars at the park entrance. It took almost an hour to get in the park but once in the wait was worth it. It was a beautiful day and the wildlife was plentiful. We spent the whole day watching wildlife, only breaking for a late breakfast at Skukuza Camp.

Central Kruger

Cape Vulture

Oxpeckers on a Giraffe's back

Spotted Hyena and Pup sharing a meal

Spotted Hyena finshing breakfas

Spotted Hyena mother feeding her young

Lioness on the prowl

Impala

Lilac Breasted Roller

Gaggle of Oxpeackers

African Squirels

Nile Crocodile

Elephants

Buffalo herd crossing

Filled with enthusiasm the next day was more of the same, albeit in two different locations. Another early start and another good morning’s wildlife watching. We then returned to the cottage for lunch and to wait for our afternoon/evening activity to start.
We wanted Carole and Olivier to experience a night drive and as we couldn’t self drive in the Kruger after dusk, we booked one with a private game reserve. Our choice was the Sabi Sands Game Reserve which has an unfenced border with the Kruger National Park. Around 14:00 we were picked up from our front door and driven into the Sabi Sands reserve, about an hour and a half by tarred and dirt road. Once in the reserve there was time for refreshments before the game drive began. We were joined in an open safari vehicle by four Americans, which made a party of ten when you added the driver/guide and a spotter perched on the front. Wildlife spotting for the first two hours was enjoyable but not that notable (for us as seasoned safari goers).

Driver and spotter on our night drive

Bateleur's Eagles

Elephant rear end

However, just before dusk the excitement levels rose considerably when three White Rhino’s, a family of mother, father and baby, were spotted amongst some bushes. We ventured over to get a better look and spent around 15 minutes in their company before they disappeared out of sight.

White Rhino

It was now getting dark and time for our sundowner so we parked under a tree, disembarked and had our sundowner drink. A nice sunset even if the catering wasn’t up to the usual standard.

Sunset

If the late afternoon drive hadn’t been that spectacular it was all about to change as night fell. Firstly, we were almost joined on our sundowner experience by a Spotted Hyena that was out on recognisance. He or she glanced over at what we were doing before continuing on, passing about 10 meters from the back of the vehicle.
Back in the vehicle we didn’t have to wait long for more excitement. Negotiating a narrow track through long grass we came upon a Leopard out looking for a spot of dinner. Unsurprisingly our company was not welcome and it disappeared into the long grass a few minutes after being spotted. We searched with spot lights but it wasn’t going to hang around for our pleasure.
Still buzzing from the Leopard sighting, news came over the radio that a male Lion was chilling out by the side of the road not far from us. We raced to the location and joined two other groups parked a respectful distance from the Lion. He didn’t seem to mind the company and continued to doze while we attempted to take photo’s. After a while he needed to stretch his legs, just in case the girls needed his assistance in the evening’s hunt, and strolled off roaring to announce his presence. We all followed until he settled down again. He still didn’t seem to mind our presence, which couldn’t be said of the Impala which made a hasty retreat when we all turned up. In all we probably spent about 30 minutes in his company before leaving him in peace.

Lion on the move

Lion at Night

Lion

After that sighting we all felt it couldn’t get any better, but it did. Almost back at camp we came across another Leopard. This one was bigger and bolder than the last, and tolerated us for some while as we followed it along a narrow path. Eventually, enough was enough and it disappeared into the undergrowth.

Leopard

Leopard

Surely that was the end of the excitement for the night, but no. With the camp lights looming in the distance another Spotted Hyena crossed our path. It disappeared in to the undergrowth but not before we got a good look.
With so many sightings at the end of the day we were late back to camp but we hadn’t missed our dinner, which had been delayed for our return. A beautiful meal then followed before we met up with our driver for the return journey back to the cottage.

Even now the excitement was not yet over as we met a herd of Elephant by the side of the road. We cautiously tried to pass only to be sternly told to back up by an ear flapping matriarch. We duly did as requested, soon finding out what had annoyed her. The kids were still on the opposite side of the road and we were not allowed to pass until they had crossed. We waited a few minutes until all were present and correct, then was permitted to continue our journey. What an amazing evening.

The following day was a bit subdued after the excitement of the previous night. Added to it being our last day in South Africa and other than a bit shopping, the only activity for the day was the drive back to Johannesburg Airport. The drive complete and the hire car returned, all that was left was to board the plain for the flight back to the UK. On the bright side, Carole and Olivier were joining us on the flight and would spend a few days with us before returning to Canada.

Personal Observations & Interesting Facts

Mode of Transport
We hired a Nissan X-Trail with 4x4 option for the entirety of the the trip. This gave us enough room for 4 adult, luggage and provisions. The 4x4 mode wasn’t needed but we were pleased to have the safeguard.

Weather
In the Drakensberg we had no rain. Most days were sunny with temperatures ranging from mid 20’s C during the day and circa 2-6 C at night.
In the Kruger & Hazyview it was sunny every day and a little warmer than in the Drakensberg.

Drakensberg Mountains
The Drakensberg is the eastern portion of a mountain range known as the Great Escapement, that stretches northwards up as far as the Limpopo Provence. In KwaZulu Natal, where we were staying, the Escarpment reaches its greatest elevation of almost 3,500 meters. It also forms the border between South Africa and the tiny country of Lesotho. In fact Lesotho occupies the plateau on top the Drakensberg Mountains and is completely surrounded by South Africa. Waterfalls tumble down the sheer cliffs of the Drakensberg and form many important rivers in South Africa. One of these is the second highest in the world. The Tugela Falls has a total drop of 947m and is only surpassed by Angel Falls in Venezuela with 979m.

Local People
Meeting local people allows us to better understand the country we are travelling in. Although we don’t seek out interaction we encourage it when it is offered. Although almost all conversations are informative and interesting, some individuals leave a greater impression than others.
The Postmaster in the small town of Winterton who was so proud of his Post Office and so pleased he could deal with our postcards for us. He even asked us to call again when we were next in the area.
Then there was the lady making baskets. Her shop front was a bus shelter at the side of the road which also doubled up as a workshop were she created her baskets. It was also her child care centre as she had two young children to look after as well. Her work was of the highest quality and priced very reasonably, so we were happy to buy a few to bring home. Although a bit shy to engage in conversation we did have a brief chat and she was very pleased with our custom.

The Weaver workshop

Basket Art Gallery

Biltong
Biltong is a form of dried, cured meat that originated in Southern Africa. Various types of meat are used to produce it, ranging from beef to game such as ostrich or kudu. The cut may also vary, either fillet of meat cut into strips following the grain of the muscle, or flat pieces sliced across the grain. It is related to beef jerky in that they are both spiced, dried meats; however, the typical ingredients, taste and production processes may differ. The word biltong is from the Dutch bil ("buttock") and tong ("strip" or “tongue").

MAY/JUNE 2022

Having signed off as full time travellers in 2021 we are in the process of reinventing ourselves as part time travellers. Our initial plan was to get this new lifestyle underway in 2022 but we soon realised that this was in conflict with our plans to renovate our house. Therefore a staged approach has been adopted. House renovation will take priority in 2022 and the new part time travelling lifestyle will be launched in 2023.
However this is not to say we won’t be leaving these shores in 2022, it will just be not so regularly.

Which brings me to the start of this new adventure. A taxi from Hove and a flight from London Heathrow deposited us (Anne, me & Rob) to the warm winter sun at Johannesburg International Airport, where our latest South African adventure was about to start. But not before we had completed the entry formalities, which were well organised and reasonable swift. The lack of foreign tourist obviously helped, but even with the Covid checks we were soon through immigration and ready to collect our hire car.
With the paperwork completed and in possession of our hire car keys we headed north along the N1 and into the Limpopo province. A fairly flat landscape gradually turned more mountainous as we approached our first stop of the day. We had chosen the town of Polokwane and its “Mall of the North” for lunch and to shop for provisions. Then with bellies and shopping trolleys full we continued our journey, this time east and further into the mountains, passing the strangely named town of “Nobody”.
Finally, high up in the Magoebaskloof Mountains we turned of the main road and continued along a dirt road that cut its way into the Woodbush Forest. Somewhere along this “road” was our accommodation for the next five nights. Our host had said the accommodation could be accessed by a saloon car but we were very relieved to have 4x4. However, the bumpy journey was worth it, our palatial villa with stunning views was idyllic.

Veranda at our villa

Bedroom 1 in the villa

Inside the Villa

We had five nights and four full days in the Magoebaskloof Mountains and spent each day exploring the area. Generally the weather was warm and sunny each day, which evidently hadn’t been the case the week before.
We broke ourselves in gently on the first day with a look around our nearest town, Haenertsburg. A quaint town at the bottom of the mountain pass with a few shops and restaurants. We started with a bit of shopping then retired to the outside dining area of a charming restaurant for a late lunch.

Haenertsburg main street

The next few days followed a regular pattern. We would start with a leisurely breakfast on our veranda with just the forest and bird life for company. Then head out for our daily hike. Each day would take in a different terrain. The mountain foothills one day, into its dense forest another and a combination of the two in a local botanical gardens. They all were very enjoyable with their own charm. We either had rolling hills and forests laid out in front of us or we were immersed in those very forests, so dense the sky was barely visible.

Breakfast on the Veranda

Relaxing on the Veranda

View over the Magoebaskloof Foothills

The Haenertsburg circuit hike

Some muddy part of the circuit

Funny on the walk

Botanical Garden in the winter

Forest hike in the Magoebaskloof Mountains

Forest hike in the Magoebaskloof Mountains

Scenic view over the Magoebaskloof Mountains range

By mid to late afternoon our activities were normally complete and we would return to our villa in the forest. There were many reasons not to stay out later. Firstly, we wanted to enjoy the villa and its surroundings. Especially the visits from a troop of rare Samango Monkeys, which are endangered and not found in many parts of South Africa any more, together with its varied birdlife. Secondly, the forest road to the villa wasn’t easy in the daylight so avoiding it in the dark was a priority.

Knysna Lourie

Knysna Lourie

Samango Monkey outside our Veranda

Samango Monkey

Samango Monkey

From the mountains we drove east and into the Kruger National Park. We had booked a cottage in Letaba camp in the more northernly section of the park. The cottage was comfortable and had views down to the Letaba River just a short walk away.
Each day we would head out into the park to explore the surrounding area and see the wildlife it supports. Although we had some amazing sightings the animal population in this part of the park didn’t seem so plentiful as we had experienced further south. Maybe they were there but the thick foliage blocked us from seeing them. South Africa has had good summer rains this year, which they were in great need of, which meant the foliage was very thick and very green.

Sunset at Letaba Restcamp

Lilac Breaster Roller, in total, it has around 8 colours: green, white, black, yellow, turquoise, dark blue, reddish-brown, and lilac

Grey Hornbill

Waterbuck,crocodile and lion avoid preying on waterbuck because of their unpleasant smell

An elephant trunk has up to 40,000 muscles

Klipspringer :this pint-sized rock hopper can jump onto a spot the size of an Oreo cookie.

Impala

One thing we hadn’t encountered before in the Kruger was having a flat tyre. Fortunately the tyre stayed inflated enough to get us to camp and they had a garage that could perform a repair. In fact because the hole was so big we needed a second repair when the first started to leak. The second repair still leaked a little bit, but did the job and got us through the rest of our stay in South Africa.

Tyre repair

Tyre repair

Tyre Repair

Repaired Tyre

On the forth day we traveled through the park to get to our next destination, the small town of Hazyview. And what a day. We probably had the best wildlife sightings we ever had in the Kruger, which included amongst many others, Spotted Hyena, Lions, Leopard and Wild Dog. What also enhanced the pleasure was that the park wasn’t as busy as usual, far fewer foreign tourists.

Oliphant River

White Crested Helmet Shrike

Grumpy Yellow Billed Hornbill

Zebra are closely related to horses but they are not the same species

Oliphant river view from Olifant Restcamp

Zebra grin

Elephant have 4 toenails at the front and 3 at the back

Giraffe towering above the trees, world tallest mammals

Baobab Tree, probably over 2000 years old due to its size

Giant Kingfisher

Southern Ground Hornbill , The adult male has an extensive brilliant red face and throat wattle. Prey can include rodents, snakes, lizards, frogs, bird eggs, nestling birds and insects.

Hippo mummy and baby, look at the front of the mother

Male Ostriches . A group of ostriches is called a flock. Flocks can consist of up to 100 birds. The most we saw at a time was 4

Giraffe are at they most vulnerable when drinking. These 2 after hesitated for 10mn decided it wasn't safe enough and left

Southern Ground Hornbill. They are only 1500 left in the world , all in South Africa, the species is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

Spotted Hyena pup. they Live in social territorial group call Clans

Natal Spurfow, used to be called Natal Francolin but change name due to it's spur claw

Hyppo - as a group called a Pod of Hyppo

Spotted hyenas - Hyenas are not members of the dog or cat families. Instead, they are so unique that they have a family all their own, Hyaenidae

Leopard in the shade

Hazyview is a sub-tropical farming town renowned for its large banana and macadamia nut industries, contributing about 20% of South Africa's bananas and 30% of macadamia output. It’s located just west of the Kruger National Park, and at the foot of the Blyde River Canyon massif. The town's name is derived from the shimmering haze that occurs during the heat of summer.

During our stay we split our time between exploring the Blyde River Canyon area and day visits to the Kruger.

Access to the Blyde River Canyon area requires a steep drive out of Hazyview up a mountain road, avoiding the many large potholes and past the numerous banana plantations. Usually this takes about 30 minutes, but during our stay the journey was substantially longer due to road works en-route. Although designated as road works the hold up was for rock blasting. Many of the rocks in the cliff above the road had become dangerously loose during the summer rains and needed to be dislodged before they fell on any passing motorist. We queued in an open mountain tunnel with other motorist, most of them got out of their cars which created a bit of a social event whilst we all waited patiently. This unusual event caught the attention of a group of vervet monkeys who briefly came to investigate what was going on.

Blasting the road warning

Waiting for the blasting to be completed

Road after the blasting

Once clear of the hold up we were able to continue to the top of the canyon. Blyde River Canyon has many natural attractions and we are fortunate enough to have visited most of them on previous occasions. However, two of our favourites hadn’t been visited by Rob, so these were the ones we selected.
First stop was Graskop Gorge. Situated at the bottom of sheer cliffs and fed by an impressive waterfall is a pristine sub-tropical forest. Originally almost inaccessible it can now be reached via a lift. The bottom of the gorge is a nature reserve where we followed a circular boardwalk to explore the indigenous flora and fauna. The boardwalk provides access to the thick foliage as well as protecting it from foot traffic. Although only small, there was enough to see to keep us amused for an hour or so.

Scenic from the lift down to Graskop Gorge

View over Graskop Gorge and waterfall

Lift down to Graskop Gorge

Boardwalk at Graskop Gorge

Having extracted ourselves from the gorge and taken lunch in the town of Graskop. We proceeded out of town to our second stop: the Graskop Pinnacle, a 30m quartzite tower protruding up from the valley floor and fringed by the dense forest of the Driekop Gorge. The tower was covered by brightly coloured aloes which is a major attraction for the bird and insect life in the area. Cliff top platforms provided us with panoramic views and good photograph points. There were no other tourists so we had the place to ourselves, which made exploring even more enjoyable.

Pinnacle View

Of course they had to beyond :-)

In addition to some shopping in Hazyview, we managed to fit in two day visits into the Kruger National Park. As is usually the case when on a self drive safari, the wildlife sighting were variable. You can spend a lot of time driving around without seeing anything of note and then your luck is suddenly in. Which was the case on these two days. Amongst the memorable sighting were a large pack of Wild Dog (Painted Wolf), Spotted Hyena and our first ever sighting of Civet.

King of the road

Lions chilling out next to the road in the Kruger

Close encounter of the furry kind. I had to use my mobile phone , it was so close my zoom wouldn't work

Flying Vulture

Painted Wolf: They only have four toes per foot - other dogs have five toes on their forefeet.

Cape Buffalo

Mum and pups cuddling and feeding time

Spoted Hyena and pup

Painted Wolf are critically endangered but numbers are improving due to conservation efforts

Wild Dog or Painted Wolf, their scientific name is Lycaon pictus – which translates directly as painted wolf and reflects their mottled caramel and brown fur

studies have shown that hyenas kill 66-90% of what they eat and when it comes to the actual hunt they are extremely versatile and successful hunters

African Fish Eagle

Bee Eater

This pup is probably no more than 3 weeks old

African Civet have an omnivorous diet includes carrion, rodents, birds, eggs, reptiles, frogs, crabs, insects, fruits, and other vegetation. Poultry and young lambs are sometimes taken.

African Civet and young,Despite their cat-like appearance and behaviours, the African Civets are not felines at all but are in fact, more closely related to other small carnivores including Weasels and Mongooses

African Civet. A nocturnal animal, this is the first time we had a good sighting of it

Young Spotted Hyenas with very young pups

It was now time to drive back to Johannesburg airport and say goodbye to Rob. His holiday was complete and he needed to fly back to the UK and return to work. A straightforward journey with some nice scenery to begin with, then turning to a less interesting flat area full of mining operations. It also completed the first part of our stay in South Africa. We had an overnight hotel stay at Johannesburg airport before continuing our travels south (see South Africa 2022 - Drakensberg & Kruger).

Personal Observations & Interesting Facts

Covid-19 in South Africa
During our stay in South Africa we found Covid-19 restrictions were still in place. Before entering any public indoor area you were required to sanitise your hands and wear a face mask at all times, except if you are eating in a restaurant. This was not an issue and seemed very sensible as the virus is still with us and vaccination rates amongst the South African population is lower than ours in the UK.

Pronunciation
We struggled with the pronunciation of the region for our first stay so we asked a local how to say it. Magoebaskloof is pronounced as Ma-huber-klouf.

Mode of Transport
We hired a Nissan X-Trail with 4x4 option for the entirety of the trip. This gave us enough room for 4 adults, luggage and provisions. The 4x4 mode wasn’t needed but we were pleased to have the safeguard.

Our wheels

Weather
In the Magoebaskloof Mountains were lucky to have very little rain, it had been very wet the week before we arrived. Most days were sunny with temperatures ranging from low 20’s C during the day and circa 5-10C at night.
In the Kruger & Hazyview it was sunny every day and a little warmer than in the mountains.

Local People
Meeting local people allows us to better understand the country we are travelling in. Although we don’t seek out interaction we encourage it when it is offered.
Although almost all conversations are informative and interesting, some individuals leave a greater impression than others. During this part of the trip two stand out amongst the others.
People of the small town of Haenertsburg seemed very proud of the environment they lived in and went to great lengths to encourage us to explore the mountains paths around them. Details of where to go, where to park and then enquiring how we enjoyed it, helped us plan the activities during our stay. A waitress took the time to help us pronounce the name of the mountains (see above), even though our attempts were poor and it delayed her.
Then there was Alec at the tyre repair shop in Kruger’s Letaba Camp. Dedicated to get our tyre fixed using only the most basic tools and materials, which initially didn’t fill me with much optimism for success. His workplace was a concrete slab and his tools were basic, looked on their last legs and stored in a plastic shopping bag. Yet he had faith in his ability and equipment and did a job that would see us through the rest of the trip. Even when the first fix wouldn’t hold, our second visit didn’t phase him. He just doubled the size of the hole plug and reluctantly took a small payment, claiming he should have fixed it on the first occasion. We left the camp feeling very grateful for his help and wished we could have done more to show our appreciation, if I could have called in at a hardware store I would have bought him new tools.

Tyre repair

FEBRUARY 2016 - NOVEMBER 2020

Been

When we returned from Mexico at the end of March 2020 I was optimistic that our traveling lifestyle would resume again after a few months break. During 2020 we had managed several wonderful months touring around the UK whilst all the time complying with the various Covid restrictions that were still in place (this of course has been repeated in the first part of 2021). But as the year progressed my optimism began to wain and by the start of 2021 I was beginning to think we needed a new plan. To be fair, Anne had come to this conclusion many months in advance of me but had kindly allowed me to continue dreaming.

However, by April 2021 we both agreed that the chances of going abroad in the near future was looking distinctly unlikely. We therefore sadly said goodbye to being travellers full time and began to plan for being travellers part time.
We gave notice to our tenants (up to 6 months is required under the new Covid rules) and put a new plan into place. A rejig of our long term financial plan meant we should be able to fund a house refurbishment and extensive travelling for the next three years. Those three years will hopefully commence in 2022 and find us being out of the country for 6 months of the year (not all at once but on three or four separate occasions).

So that brings us to the end of one great adventure but allows us to look forward to another in the years to come. How that adventure will unfold will be heavily influenced by how the world deals with Covid-19, as it is surely here to stay for some time to come. Climate change and the ever increasing political unrest around the world will play its part in how and where we travel. But travel we will, all the time we have our health and the funds to do so.

So that’s the end of our blogs for the moment, but as “Arnie” would say “We’ll be back”.

Personal Observations & Interesting Facts

Travel Facts & Figures

1. We travelled the world for 50 months from the start of February 2016 to the end of March 2020 (10 months short of the original plan due to Covid-19). This doesn’t include the more recent trips around the UK when Covid restrictions allowed.

2. During our 50 months we visited 37 nations, some more than once and almost all long enough to get a real feel for the local way of life. This is almost half of our life time achievement. Between us we have visit 80 nations and 5 dependancies, the vast majority together.

3. We travelled 454,219km, equivalent to the moon and half way back or over 10 times around the world. Of that, 329,337km was by air, 115,664km was over land, 2,538km by sea and 6,680 on foot.

4. We visited 6 of the 7 continents (Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, South America & Oceania) and swam in or sailed upon 4 of the 5 oceans (Pacific, Atlantic, Indian & Arctic). The only thing missing was Antarctica and the Southern Ocean that surrounds it.

5. Our farthest point north was about 82 Degrees North (Latitude). Looking for Polar Bears in pack ice off the northern coast of Svalbard, Norway. Our farthest point south 46 Degrees South (Latitude). About the most southernly point on New Zealand’s South Island.

6. The most remote location we visited would have to be Easter Island. Although it is not the least populated, sitting far out in the Pacific Ocean, it is the furthest from any major landmass. The island of Svalbard, up in the high arctic, was a strong contender for this title but its proximity to Europe ruled it out.

7. On our journey in to Atacama Andes we reached a point of 5000m above sea level (almost equalling this height in the Nepalese Himalaya) and in Mauritius we dived in a submarine to a depth of 35m below sea level. Our highest elevation in a manmade structure was 452m above sea level on the 125th floor of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

8. The most populated city on our travels is Mexico City where over 20 million people live. At the other end of the scale, the least populated city visited is Wells in the county of Somerset, England. Wells has a population of just 12,000.

9. The wettest weather we encountered was in Milford Sound, New Zealand and the driest in the Atacama Desert, Chile where it hadn’t properly rained for years.

10. The noisiest place we visited has to be the streets of Katmandu, Nepal, where every form of transport competes for limited space in the narrow streets of the capital. By contrast our star gazing evening in the Andean Mountains of Chile has to be the most peaceful place, although when the boat was stationary it was pretty quiet up in the high Arctic.

11. Our scariest moment on our travels have two contenders. The first was disturbing a Cape Cobra which reared up and hissed, no more than a meter from us. Fortunately, it decided to escape rather than attack.
The second was an encounter with two African Elephants whilst out on a night drive. Both bulls and both in musth (a periodic condition that causes a state high aggression). We found ourselves between the two of them and although in a vehicle with a National Park a guide, we felt very unsafe. With a steep cliff in front of us and one of the Elephants getting closer and closer behind us, we had not route out. Fortunately the guide was able to call for help and eventually the elephants were persuaded to leave us alone and go play somewhere else.

12. We have often been asked what we missed most whilst travelling. For me it's not being able to watch rugby or go to any heavy metal gigs and for Anne it was the lack of comfortable pillows, vital for a good nights sleep. But having said that, these are small sacrifices compared to the amazing adventure we have just had.

13. Finally, we are often asked what was our favourite place or moment. Sometimes we offer an answer, but in truth it is impossible to choose as the whole trip was amazing and it would be wrong to single out one place or occasion.

A selection of our travel photos

Ice & Water Canmore

Breathing on White Island can be difficult

Muddy walk (the nice part and only for a very short time)

Caution Kiwi (Okarito)

Black Bear

Peyto Lake

Slov 036

Slov 057

Wales 061

Norway 124

Norway 155

Norway 192

Norway 273

Norway 245

Canada 093

Canada 088

Slim river and Kluane Lake

our flight

Kaskawaslh Glacier

Views of the Kananaskis from Highway

Eagle Owl

Fish River Canyon upper rim

Quiver Tree Forest

The climb up the dune

Deadvlei

Cheetah with lunch

Baby Elephant

Bushman in search of food

Namibian road

Spitzkop

Namaqualand Flowers

Augrabies Falls

Peak District

Peak District scenery

Moon, from Elqui Valley Observatory

Parque Nacional Pan de Azúcar

Flamingo flight path

Volcano Licancabur

Lago Pucon

One of many UNESCO church's on Chiloe

Iguazu Falls

Coati

Uitkyk Trail Mt Rochelle Nature Reserve

Early View of Franschhoek Valley from Mt Rochelle

King (or Giant Protea) the South Africa official Flower

Plamiet River Trail in Kogelberg Nature Reserve

Holguin

Trinidad

Old American car in Trinidad

Vinales countryside

Coffee making the old way

Chacma Baboon feeding on shellfish at Olifantsbos Bay

View from the Table Mountain plateau

View from the Table Mountain plateau

Golf Trees in Gardens by the Bay at night

Marina Bay Sands by Night

Nong Khiaw

Spinning the silk for the weaving

Digging for Gold on the Nam Ou

Khamu Village

No age restriction to pipe smoking in a Katu Village

Road side restaurant

Watching TV is more interesting than watching weird tourists

Sculpture of clusters bombies

KL

Reflection in Taiping Lake

Dusky Leaf Monkey

Oriental Pied Hornbill

Petronas Twin Towers

Krka NP

Colourful Zagreb

Plitvice Lakes National Park

Viru Bog in Lahemaa National Park

View from le Morne

Great BIG Hindu God at Grand Bassin

View towards Pas de Bellecombe

St-Michael Mount, Cornwall

Gallox Bridge, a medieval packhorse bridge across the River Avill (circa 15th Century). Gallox refers to the execution gallows on Gallox Hill.

Chartreuse Mountains

Quinta da Regaleira

Miradouro Santo Justa

Tram in Lisbon

Christ the Redeemer

Hand in the sand

Tongariki

Rano Raraku in morning sunlight before opening time

Orongo crater

Slippery conditions on the road to Tierriadentro

Looking back over the Segovia Archaeological site

One of the most well preserved underground tomb at Segovia site

Starting our descent from El Aguacate

Andean scenery

Steep street of Comuna 13

View of the escalators (orange framed structure) in Comuna 13

Cockpit of sunken plane

Diver

Statues

Life size bronze statue in the centre of Bratislava

Čičmany house

Glacier lake at Skalnaté Pleso (1751m)

Approach to Spis Castle

Forth Bridge

Scotish Terrier Hamish kindly posed on top of Ben Aa'n

Kelpies

Hippo taking to the water

Painted Dog in iMfolozi

Sleeping White Rhino

View over Hluhluwe

Elephant in our "back garden"

Hike in the Drakensberg

The Amphitheatre

Production of swazi candles

Nile Crocodile in Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary

Rhinos in the mist

Fully fed and chilling out

Leopard

Water play

Lilac Breasted Roller in flight

The man at the mirador Del Roc del Quer

Bardenas Reales, La Blanca Baja area

Crossing the river in Bardia National Park

Dashain Festival procession

From Jomsom to Chele

Street view in Lo Manthang

Spinning Changra wool in Lo Manthang

Making yogurt

Leaving Lo Manthang after yesterday snow fall on the mountains

Flight arriving into Jomsom airport

Flying from Kathmandu to Pokhara

Himalaya mountains view from the plane

A decoration in front of a house during Diwali Festival

Durbar Square, Patan

Grand Palace

Top of Sigiriya Rock

Cave temple of Dambulla

Nine Arch Railway Bridge

Elephant attempting to enter reception

What a view

Stilt fishing

Butterflies resting on a tree trunk

View over the ancient mesoamerican city of Teotihuacán

Mercardo 77

Field of blue agave

Geared up, ready for the Zip-line

Ready to jump Zip-line

Malcolm on the Zip-line

Road side shrine in Baja Concepcion

Loch Broom Reflection

Red Deer Stag outside our bedroom window at night, very noisy rut call

Smoo Cave with fresh water coming in waterfall and sea water at cave mouth

It's raining but still beautiful autumn colours

Glencoe, next time I may try to stay in this cottage!

It's not only for pedestrian but cars and motorbike also use the same street

JUNE 2021

After a very enjoyable week in the Wye Valley our travels took us east and back into England. Our destination was not mainland England but an island just off the south coast called the Isle of Wight.
We had planned to be on the island by mid afternoon but our ferry crossing got delayed so we didn’t arrive until 10:00pm. However, before that we had a leisurely start to the day, courtesy of our friendly hosts in the Wye Valley and an event free drive to Portsmouth. Portsmouth was where we would connect with our ferry to the Isle of Wight and with time to spare, dine out. We were joined at the restaurant by our travelling companion Rob and after dinner we all took the ferry together. A night crossing wasn’t what we had planned but it did show us a of both Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight at night.

Porstmouth Spinnaker tower

The Isle of Whight Ferry

Rolling hills of the Isle of Wight

Our accommodation on the Isle of Wight was a three bedroom cottage, in a rural setting and right in the middle of the island. We choose three bedrooms to accommodate two further friends during the middle of our stay. The cottage was surrounded by well kept lawns and bordered by trees and hedges. This was a perfect environment for local wildlife, which included regular visits from Red Squirrels and Rabbits plus an extensive variety of birdlife. We even spotted an Owl in the garden on two of the nights.

Local resident red squirrel

Hungry Red Squirrel

The itinerary for the island was a little different from previous locations. We planned to reign back the hiking a bit and spend more time visiting the places of interest on the island. A packed agenda was therefore put together taking account of the local weather forecast.

Our first day started off damp but improved later. A delicious lunch at the Garlic Farm was followed by a stroll around the coastal towns of Sandown and Bembridge. Whilst Sandown looked very run down under the every present dark clouds, Bembridge had a much more appealing quaintness.

Sandown Pier

The weather on the following day was much better, which was good, as most of our activities were outside. We started with the Model Village in the picturesque hamlet of Godshill and was impressed by the quality and accuracy of the modelling together with the ground maintenance.
With time to spare before lunch we took the opportunity to look around Godshill, then dined at a highly recommended veggie restaurant.

Modal Village

Modal Village

Energised by our lunch we were ready for more. Next stop was the ruined manor of Appuldurcombe House. Set on an elevated positions with stunning views all around you could quite imagine this to be an impressive residence at one time. Sadly, neglect and the ravages of time have taken its toll on this once grand building. The architectural quality is still there to be seen but the structure is now not much more than an empty shell calling out to be renovated.

Appuldurcombe House

Appuldurcombe House

With a bit of energy still remaining a walk up to St Catherines Oratory was next on our agenda. At one of the highest point on the Isle of Wight the views from this vantage point were extensive. You felt that you could see the whole island, although in reality only part of the south and west coasts, plus quite a lot of the interior, were visible.

St Catherine's Oratory, medieval tower build in 1328 as penance by a local landowner who had plundered church property

The weather took a turn for the worse on the next day. This limited us to pick up our friends, Martyn and Jane, from the Ryde Hoverport

The Isle of Whight passengers hovercraft

and all five of us indulging in a cream tea back at the Garlic Farm.

Cream Tea at the Garlic Farm

Fortunately the weather improved from then on, allowing us to get out and see more of what the island had to offer. Next stop was Osbourne House, Queen Victoria’s favourite residence. Covid restrictions meant that not all of the house was available to view but enough to get a feel for royal life in the 19th century.

Inside Osbourne House

Osbourne House

The grounds of Osbourne House are extensive but the well laid path allowed us to see its most interesting parts. A path lead from the house to a private beach where Victoria would bathe. We assumed a carriage would transport the queen each way as it was quite a long walk. Once at the beach the queen would not just strip down to her bikini, but enter her bathing machine (a wooden caravan on wheels), change into her swimming costume and the whole contraption pushed into the sea. This preserved the queen's modesty and provided a changing room and a plumbed in toilet.  When she had finished her dip it was pulled back to the beach using a wire rope and winch.

Queen Victoria's bathing machine with a lady in period bathing costumes (photo from internet)

Our return loop back to the house took us via the children’s garden. An area of period toys and a vegetable garden where the princes and princesses were instructed in the skills of horticulture.

It was now lunchtime so we took the short drive the town of Cowes. Cowes is at the mouth of the River Medina and spread over either side of its banks. We were aiming for the historic west side and needed to cross the river from east to west. To achieve this we used the “Floating Bridge”, a vehicular chain ferry which crosses the river. It only takes a few minutes to cross but is a fun activity all the same.

The floating bridge

A look around the shops followed by lunch, then it was back to the cottage to relax before dining out that evening (a scrumptious meal at the Pointer Inn).

We awoke the next day to bright sunshine, ideal for our visit to the “Needles”. After a short drive but a long queue to get into the carpark, we started our cliff walk to the famous landmark. The Needles (see below) are a row of three stacks of chalk that rise about 30m out of the sea, off the western extremity of the Isle of Wight and with a lighthouse perched on the furthest one.
Our cliff walk gave us a great view down into the clear water below us and the colourful cliffs behind us. The remains of an old fort occupies the furthest extremity of the cliff path and this is where you get the best views of the Needles. The National Trust charge a fiver each for this privilege but it was well worth the expense, especially on such a beautiful day.

Colourful rock formation at Alum Bay

Walking toward the Needles

The Needles

Chalk Cliffs at the Needles

Having photographed the Needles from every angle possible it was time to return to the carpark and on to the next attraction of the day. A short drive along the coast got us to the pretty harbour town of Yarmouth. With a bit of time to spare before lunch we had a quick look around the old town.

Yarmouth harbour

Lunch today was taken at a restaurant called “Off the Rails”. Positioned inside the old Yarmouth train station you are surrounded by railway memorabilia. With tables and seating spilling out onto the platform and everything having a railway theme, the enjoyment began even before you had considered what to eat and drink. From that point onwards, the experience got even better. The food was superb and the drinks pretty good as well. Fully satisfied, there was just time to admire the scenery from the platform before heading back to the cottage.

Outside "Off the Rails"

Insight "Off the Rails" restaurant

The sun was still shinning when we arrived back at the cottage. We decided to take advantage and settled into a bit of a boozy session on the elevated decking in our garden.

Martyn and Jane left us on the following day. After dropping them off at the hoverport we made our way to Carisbrooke Castle (see below) for a bit of history. Carisbrooke is an imposing castle perched on high ground overlooking the village. We entered through the gate house and spent a good couple of hours exploring its inner building and ramparts whilst taking in the history as we progressed.
By now, all this history had built up a thirst so we retreated to the Pointer Inn for a mid-afternoon drink.

Carisbrooke Castle

Carisbrooke Castle

Our last day on the island should have been a speedy pack, then off to catch the 10:40 ferry. But as with our outwards journey we had been moved to a later ferry. This made for a more leisurely start to the day and created the opportunity to explore more of the island.
We first went back to the delightful coastal village of Yarmouth to see its castle. As castles go this was one of the smallest I have been in. Tucked away amongst period houses, it commands a great view across the Solent (stretch of water that divides the island from the mainland). Its position was strategic to defend this part of the English coastline from attack. Gun placements, with a varying degree of sophistication, were present here from 16th to 19th century. The castle was then brought back into military use again during both the First and Second World Wars.

Due to its size, Yarmouth Castle didn’t take long to look around, this meant there was time for another stop before lunch. That stop was Mottistone Gardens. The gardens are set in an “Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty” and from its elevated position, allows a view all the way to the southern coastline. We spent an hour or so strolling amongst the blooms and foliage before heading to our favourite pub for a late lunch.

Mottistone Gardens

A delicious and leisurely lunch then followed at the Pointer Inn before making our way to the ferry port. Upon arrival we were informed that our delayed sailing had been delayed further by more mechanical gremlins. Finally around 17:00 we set sail for the short journey back to the mainland, only to be be delayed further by a cruise liner leaving Portsmouth harbour. Back on the mainland it was just short drive to Hove and the completion of our visit to the Isle of Wight.

Leaving Isle of Wight

Arriving back in Porstmouth

Great cruise ship delaying our arrival in Portsmouth

Personal Observations & Interesting Facts

The Needles
The formation takes its name from a fourth needle-shaped pillar called Lot’s Wife, which collapsed in a storm in 1764. The remaining rocks are not at all needle-like, but the name has stuck. The Needles' pointed shape is a result of their unusual geology. The strata have been so heavily folded over time that the chalk is near vertical. This chalk outcrop runs through the centre of the Island from Culvers Cliff in the east to the Needles in the west, and then continues under the sea to the Isle of Purbeck on the mainland. The whole stretch is a marine conservation area.

The Needles

Carisbrooke Castle
A ruined wall at the site suggests that there was a building there in late Roman times. Chronicles indicate that the cousin of Anglo-Saxon King Cynric of Wessex, died in AD 544, and was buried there. It became an Anglo-Saxon stronghold during the 8th century and a wall was built around the hill as a defence against Viking raids around AD 1000.
From 1100 the castle remained in the possession of the Redvers’ family, and over the next two centuries improvement were made to the castle including stone walls, towers and a keep. In 1293 the castle was sold to Edward I. From then on, its governance was entrusted to wardens as representatives of the crown.
In 1377, in the reign of Richard II the castle was unsuccessfully attacked by the French. It was reputedly saved by local hero Peter de Heyno who shot the French commander.
The castle continue to be improved and fortified over the next few centuries including the bowling green used by Charles I during his imprisonment. Charles I was imprisoned here for fourteen months before his execution in 1649.
From 1896 to 1944, it was the home of Princess Beatrice, daughter of Queen Victoria as Governor of the Isle of Wight.

Carisbrooke Castle

JUNE 2021

Our journey now took us from Northern England down to the South West. We were prepared for a long drive, Google Map indicated around 6 hours. What we hadn’t expected was the volume of traffic and the nine and half hours it eventually took us. On the up side the weather was good all the way and the new accommodation very nice.
We were now staying in village called Farrington Gurney, on the edge of the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and only 12 miles from the historic city of Bath. Therefore our exploration would concentrate on these two locations.

Our first day consisted of recovering from the drive, watching a bit of Rugby on the TV and visiting the local Farm Shop. The produce in the Farm Shop were so good there was no need to shop anywhere else.

The following day we felt recovered enough to check out what the Mendip Hills have to offer. With the sun shining and a walk selected we headed off to East Harptree Woods. The woods are managed by the Forestry Commission so the paths were well laid out and easy going, just what we needed. The dense tree cover made quite a change from the more barren landscape that we had been used to over the past month. It was good to stretch our legs and loosen up, ready for a greater challenge the following day.

Smitham Chimney, the last of its kind

Chimney history

The famous English landmark of Cheddar Gorge (see below) was next on our list to explore and a circular walk around its rim was the plan. The day started with a drive across the Mendip Hills finishing with the spectacular decent through the gorge. Part way down we parked and got out to better appreciate the sheer cliffs that rose either side of the road, as high as 137m in places. Photo’s taken, we continued our drive down the gorge, into the town of Cheddar (where the famous cheese originated, a style of which is now produced all over the world) to the start of our walk.

Cheddar gorge view from the road

Road through the Cheddar Gorge

Our route began with a steep 250m climb through woodland eventually emerging at the rim of the gorge. Even though it was a bit hazy, you could see for miles, all across north Somerset and as far as the Bristol Channel. We now followed a path close to the cliff edge and with views down into the gorge. At the half way point we descended down to the road before climbing up again on the other side. We were now on the opposite side of the gorge with more great views to take in. Every so often we would spot a small herd of goats munching at the foliage. These had been introduced to aid the biodiversity of the area. Our walk ended at a steep set of steps, known as “Jacobs Ladder”, which took us back to where the car was parked and the end of the circular walk.

Start of the Cheddar Gorge walk was quit steep as you can see on the photo

Cheddar Gorge views from the other side

We walked both side of the Gorge

Looking down the gorge

Anne was due her second Covid-19 vaccine during our stay, we had arranged for this to be done locally. With that sorted, we switched our attention to a bit of sightseeing. Not far from the vaccine centre was the city of Wells and that’s where we went.
Wells has the distinction of being the smallest city in England. Although not being much more than a village it is designated a city due to its cathedral. The whole city has retained its period buildings making you feel that you have stepped back in time.
The 13th century cathedral dominates the city and that where our self guided tour started. Renovation scaffolding restricted our view and a film crew limited our access, but we were still able to appreciate what a magnificent building it is. Once we had finished admiring it from the outside we ventured inside. What struck you first was the amazing vaulted ceiling followed by an admiration of all the other stone work on display. The interior was an amalgam of almost 800 years of alterations and additions whilst the exterior courtyard had relics dating back to roman times.

Wells Cathedral

Stone work on the outside of the Cathedral

Wells Cathedral Ceiling

A short walk from the cathedral is Vicar’s Close, and our next stop. A magnificently preserved medieval cobbled street, reputedly the oldest purely residential example in Europe. Vicar’s Close dates from the mid 14th century and, interestingly, the street narrows towards the end which makes it look longer from the entrance. Many of the residences were originally built to accommodate the chantry priests and are now Grade 1 listed buildings. Entry to the close is via a stone gateway, big enough for both pedestrian and wagon evidently, and once inside you feel cut of from everything outside. With very few tourist in town on our visit, we had the place almost to ourselves which made it all the more impressive.

Vicar's Close, Wells

Vicar's close

At the end of Vicar's Close

From Vicar’s Close we skirted the old city, returning to the beautifully intact Market Place. Then past the famous conduit, originally a gift from Bishop Bekynton in 1451, and on to the Bishops Palace.
A stone gateway leads from the Market Place to the grounds of the Bishops Palace. A moat surrounds the palace and provides a pleasant waterside walk when we leave the city. A drawbridge gives access to the palace and a grassy courtyard. This was as far as we went before recrossing the drawbridge and heading back to the car. Around the corner from the drawbridge is a small bell which, historically, the swans of the moat were trained to ring when they required food. Charmingly this tradition continues and two of the resident swans are able to call for food service when ever hungry.

The Bishops Palace in Wells

The bell that the swan ring to get food

Bishops Palace resident swan

We thought Wells would be interesting but it exceeded expectations, we were so glad we made the visit.

The following day it was back into the Mendip Hills for another countryside excursion. A bit more energetic than planned but enjoyable all the same.

View from one of our many walks in Somerset

Any visit to this part of the world would not be complete without a day in Bath. We booked a couple of activities in advance, then planned our sightseeing around them. As with Wells we decided to do a self guided tour and started with what is probably Bath’s most famous landmark, the Pulteney Bridge (see below) over the River Avon and its crescent weir beneath it.

Pulteney Bridge

From the bridge we walked east to Bath’s 15th century Cathedral, built on the site of a 7th century abbey. Bath’s Roman Baths are right next to the cathedral but we left these as we were returning later for a detailed visit.

Bath Cathedral

Moving on, passed the historic “Sally Lunn’s Eating House” (see below), down Bath Street, in front of the Theatre Royal then up hill towards the posher part of town. Half way up the hill we passed by the Jane Austin museum with people in period dress outside. Finally arriving at the top of the hill at the “Circus”.

Bath street

Originally called the King's Circus, it was finished in 1768. The plaza consists of three large townhouse buildings, all forming a perfect circle at the meeting of Brock, Gay, and Bennett Streets. The name "Circus" comes from Latin and means a ring or circle.

King Circus (from the internet)

It was a brief stop to admire the architecture and take a photo, then on to our next stop just a short walk away. We were now in the Royal Crescent. The buildings were originally only known as The Crescent, but "Royal" was added in the 18th century when Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany stayed here. This moon-shaped semicircular row of houses faces a sprawling lawn. The Crescent was built from 1767 to 1774 by John Wood, the Younger, who also completed The Circus. It is 500 feet long and contains 114 ionic columns and many other decorative and distinctive moldings. It is said to be the most stunning views of Georgian architecture that Bath has to offer.

Royal Crescent in Bath

Royal Crescent

Our route now took us back to the banks of the River Avon and the most leisurely part of the day. We had booked a river trip on one of the original vessels that plied these waters. Our thirty minute trip took us from Bath’s old industrial area up to Pulteney Bridge and back. We were the only cabin guests onboard so we received a personalised commentary from the guide.

Old Industrial Bath

View over Pulteney Bridge

Lunch followed the boat trip, then it was our last visit of the day, the Roman Baths (see below). The baths are housed in a victorian building and our visit was dictated by a one way system (to aid social distancing in the current climate). Numerous information boards explained the baths functionality as well as their history. A fascinating look back into times gone by.

Entrance to the Roman Baths but now the entrance to the Pump Room

Inside the Roman Baths

Hot spring inside the Roman Baths

It was now time for a change of country, as our next location was across the border in Wales. The journey was fairly short so we took the opportunity to visit Goodrich castles en route. The castle dates to the 12th century but was altered and modified during the subsequent 500 years. It was badly damaged in 1646 during an English Civil War battle and has remained a ruin ever since. There were very few other visitor when we were there, which made exploring all the more enjoyable.

Goodrich Castle

Medieval Goodrich castle, a stop en route from Somerset to Wales

one of the finest and best preserved of all English medieval castles: Goodrich Castle

Following the castle visit we continued into Wales and to our accommodation in the Wye Valley. Home for the next seven nights would be a rustic cottage just on the outskirts of Whitebrook village. The cottage sat on land owned by our friendly hosts, plus Rocket the dog, Brian the cat and Gypsy the pig. The Whitebrook River flowed by the edge of the property which in turn nestled in a wooded valley. With our own garden to enjoy the sunny weather, it was hard to motivate ourselves to explore the surrounding area.

Our Accommodation at Whitebrook

6 month old Pet Pig

However, we did manage to move ourselves on most days with walks in the local area. The Wye Valley is designated an “Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty”, which our walks confirmed to be true. The walks normally comprised of river side paths and steep wooded hillsides with beautiful views from every vantage point; all the time being immersed in greenery and serenaded by bird song. There was also history to be learnt as each walk encountered reminders of industries long since gone but not forgotten.

River Wye (one side is England and the other Wales)

Devil's Pulpit: Local myth states that the Devil created the Pulpit to preach to the Monks of Tintern, in the hopes that he could tempt them away from their religious ways

View down to Tinten Abbey from the Devil's Pulpit

Tintern Abbey and the Wye Valley

View of the river Wye

Bridge between England & Wales over the river Wye

Old industrial bridge across the river Wye

Walk in the Wye Valley

Mill Stone

The seven days flew by and we were now on our way to join friends and sample the delights of the Isle of White.

Personal Observations & Interesting Facts

Cheddar Gorge
Cheddar Gorge is a limestone gorge in the Mendip Hills, near the village of Cheddar, Somerset, England. The gorge is the site of the Cheddar show caves, where Britain's oldest complete human skeleton (“Cheddar Man”), estimated to be 9,000 years old was found in 1903. Above ground the area attracts both walkers and rock climbers.

Cheddar Gorge panoramic view

Pulteney Bridge
Bath is a city of unique landmarks, and none are more recognisable than the Pulteney Bridge. Depending on who you trust, there are only one, two, or three other bridges in the world that are lined with shops. Whatever the exact number is, there certainly aren't many others like it.
The bridge opened in 1774 and was designed by Robert Adam. It was the brainchild of William Johnstone Pulteney, who named it after his wife, Frances. His vision was to create a new town nearby, but he needed a grand bridge to connect it to Bath. Adam's design was drafted in the Palladian style, harking back to the 16th-century Venetian architect Andrea Palladio.
The Pulteney Bridge is a World Heritage Site and an English Grade I Listed Building. You will find restaurants of various cuisines, independent shops, and Bath Rugby Club's official store along the bridge.

Pulteney Bridge from the boat

Sally Lunn’s Eating House
This is one of the oldest houses in Bath. As the story goes, Sally Lunn was a French immigrant who arrived in Bath in 1680 and established this bakery. The house was built around 1482, but the masonry oven and other elements on the ground floor date from around 1137.

Sally's Lunns House

The Roman Baths of Bath
The baths at Bath are fed by a natural spring system. Rain falls on the nearby Mendip Hills, and it flows down through limestone aquifers until it is more than 4,000m (13,100 feet) below ground level. Geothermal energy heats and pressurises the water, which rises to the surface and escapes through natural fissures. The 46 degree Celsius (115 degree Fahrenheit) water bubbles up at more than a million litres (250,000 gallons) per day.
This natural spring has attracted visitors to the area for more than 2,000 years. The Celts worshiped here, and the early Romans dedicated the springs to the goddess Sulis. As such, the Roman name of the town was Aquae Sulis. It is also believed that pre-Roman British king Bladud built the original baths here and that their healing powers cured him and his pigs of leprosy.
Between 60 and 70 AD, the Roman temple was built. The Baths, or thermae, were created over the next 300 years or so. After the Romans withdrew from Britain, their complex fell into disrepair and was gone by the 6th century.
Today the spring is housed inside an 18th-century building designed by John Wood, the Elder, and John Wood, the Younger. The buildings were further expanded during the Victorian era in a similar style. The main entrance is currently through the Grand Pump Room, where visitors drank the waters and many social functions were held.

Ground view of the Baths