Category Archives: Walks

131 miles / GR10

Geoff & Sally in BanyulsWe are now in Banyuls after walking 131 miles in eleven days along the GR10

We have had perfect weather very hot at times and only rain during the night

It has been a very tough walk but I have enjoyed every second and Geoff will never know how much I have appreciated the opportunity to do this walk with him

It’s been great to have my Kindle and catch up with the reading I long to do, but always seem too busy to do at home

Looking forward to a good nights sleep after being in full, air less, dormitory rooms for the past few nights, with some real miserable French people 🙁

3 days till we fly home, will be interesting to see what we do I hope to get a few hours on a nice beach in the sun with my Kindle

Then I cannot wait to have a bath and give my clothes a proper wash

It’s been perfect 🙂

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Location:Avenue de la République,Banyuls-sur-Mer,France

Trailside Eco Lodge

Sally striding down GR10We had mountain thunder storms during the night so was happy to wake up to a clear fresh day

After another breakfast of bread and jam which I really struggle with, we were off on our way at 8.30am

Today’s route was a much easier walk with no noticeable height gain or loss, mainly through forest and across ski runs .

We soon covered the 12 miles and found ourselves at the Trailside Eco Lodge by 1.30.

The downside to finishing so early is the long wait till the 8pm dinner the upside is more time to read my book and rest my feet / legs ready for the next day.

Dinner here was very good all local organic food with local cheese too. Only 2 other guests staying a French couple we have bumped into now and again they started on the same day as us from Merens and will be going to Banyuls too so we expect to bump into them again.

Tomorrows refuge has no shower or electric so should be interesting.

It’s now pouring with rain and thunder can be heard in the distance but hopefully it will be dry and clear again by morning.

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Location:Casas del Mitg,Planès,France

Tough walking

GR10 Geoff & Sally on snowWe are now at refuge Des Bouillouses after 2 really tough days walking along the GR10.

The first day was only 6 miles but it was a constant climb,the actual height gain was 1367 m so not bad for a Norfolk girl

That night we stayed at Refuge Des Besines very remote and beautiful with a great evening meal which made up for the expensive price .

We had breakfast at 6.30 and was on our way by 7.30 as it promised to be another hot day.

The height gain today was only 602 m but it was a good 11 miles over very rocky paths, some still covered in snow.

The 2 hour climb up to Coll de coma d’Anyell was just awesome! Then it seemed a long way down till we eventually arrived at tonights refuge.

We had a long wait for the showers as a huge French walking group had just arrived but I passed the time with Mr Grey and my Kindle 🙂

Photos for day 1 can be found here and day 2 here.

Happy to say my achilles is behaving but as a precaution I am applying Voltarol gel morning and evening.

As I write a mountain storm is brewing.

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Ax Les Thermes

Geoff & Sally at Tolouse stationThis morning we left Cambridge by taxi at 3.30am after a flight and 2 train journeys we arrived 13 hours later in Ax Les Thermes and just to make us feel at home it was pouring with rain 🙁

Tomorrow we are going to sample the thermal baths and have a massage, I have booked the hot stone massage to see how it compares to mine.

Hopefully by Tuesday it will have stopped raining as we then take the train up to Merens les Vals and from here we start walking along the GR10. Day 39 in the Cicerone guide Book.

This will be Geoff’s third walk along the GR10 and I am lucky to be with him this time as he completes the walk.

My rucsac weights in at 8kg without water and food the lightest I have managed yet and hopefully this will help my Achilles.

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Location:Rue du Parc du Teich,Ax-les-Thermes,France

A stroke of luck !

It seems I really did only get my job transfer as a huge favour from one manager to another ( and because I kept nagging oops I mean asking ) which on the plus side is a huge stroke of luck for me but on the down side its what will they do with me !

I have had a great week working on the dairy and answering all “red “calls for the checkouts, amazing as I was not even till trained before !

My neck shoulders and arms have never ached so much and my brain has had to work too, yes I actually have one that still works !

The people I have worked with have been really friendly, I have settled well and my hours at work have just flew by … something that never happened on the fish counter.

Now I just have to wait while they make a job for me….. it should be the same days but the hours could change BUT I am not going to worry about that now as I am off to the Pyrenees walking on Sunday and wont be back till 18th July 🙂

Hope to blog if I can get wi-fi and I can drag myself away from Mr Grey 🙂

if not see you all soon x x

 

 

What next !

Over the weekend I achieved the last challenge that I had set for myself while Geoff was away walking the South West Coast Path.

The first challenge was to run my 10km

The second was to do a good walk on my own, something I really thought I would hate but ended up loving 🙂

The third was to walk 26 miles, which actually turned out to be a 32 mile day, as Geoff enticed me into town with the promise of dinner, amazingly my legs felt ok this morning, my toes just had a few hot spots.

My Friend ,Gina also did the walk with me and she did amazingly well as it was her first real walk, when you walk and talk the time and miles just disappear !

 Fitbit says I did 67455 steps so I should get my 60,000 badge 🙂

Next its 11 days walking along the GR10 , in July,with Geoff and I can hardly wait 🙂

Chilford Hall Oxfam walk 26 miles at EveryTrail

(can you spot where we went wrong, too busy talking we missed a turning ! )

Newmarket Ramblers

Sunday, I thought I would be sensible and stay at home to rest my aching bum 🙁  but then I found out that a friend of mine was down from the cotswolds planning to do the same walk, so how could I resist.

I so rarely see this friend that I have problems remembering his name … I know it begins with a B but I do get so mixed up with his name 🙂

Anyway Off  I went to Ixworth on Sunday morning , to meet up with my friends, then we went onto Combs Ford in Stowmarket where T was leading the walk for the Newmarket Ramblers.

It was a delightful sunny walk and as usual it was a walk full of history and stories, we  even had to hunt for  a grave stone of a famous person buried at  St Andrew’s Church, in the village of Great Finborough, Suffolk.

Then to finish the day  my friend T cooked me dinner as she had read on my blog how I wished  someone would cook me dinner 🙂

A perfect day in perfect company 🙂

Photos can be seen here 

Newmarket Ramblers at EveryTrail

My lone walk

I could not bare the thought of moping around the house today, especially as it promised to be a nice day.

So I took myself off for a walk, I dont mean my usual little walks round the cycle paths near my home, I mean a real walk.

Nothing new about that you might think BUT it was something new as I went on my own and walked 15 miles along the Fen Rivers Way to Downham Market, where I then caught a train back to Kings Lynn.

I enjoyed the walk far more than I expected too and it gave me plenty of time to think about things that are bothering me at the moment, mainly a job transfer with Tesco and how I may have agreed in my desperation for a move, to work hours that I really dont want too 🙁

Only time will sort this out and till then I have decided not to worry about it 🙂

I loved the peace and quiet of walking by the river, the only thing that spoilt it was my RUSTLING trousers , that I dont usually hear when walking and talking 🙂

All photos can be seen here

Kings Lynn to Downham Market along the Fen Rivers Way at EveryTrail