Vic's Big Walk

Lilliput Or Brobdingnag?

2012-02-14T23:05:00.002+01:00

Gay used to ride her own motorbike - a Moto Guzzi.

I don't know whether the bikes have grown since then, or if she has shrunk!

Single-click pics to make them bigger.

Weather Contrast

2012-02-07T02:01:00.000+01:00

Gay and I covered 100 kms on foot last week, with a further 50 kms on bicycle. It was a bit of a shock to the system after a year or so of much, much less. And after the first long march I was not a happy bunny because it seemed the plantar fasciitis had returned. Surprisingly, the next morning it had eased off again and has not really troubled me since, despite further assaults. I can tell it is there but it is not getting worse.

We are now at Kaka Point in the Catlins, pretty much as far south as you can go in New Zealand. The weather is good, as you can tell in the picture of Nugget Point, to which we walked this morning, although there is a very strong easterly wind. At this latitude, the wind whistles round and round the world pretty much unimpeded, as does the Southern Ocean, which makes the latter such a dangerous and exciting place for sailors.

The second picture, kindly sent to us by Ang, our next-door neighbour, is the scene outside our home this morning. I think we did the right thing coming here. :-)

Missing It Already

2012-02-04T00:00:00.001+01:00

In Akaroa we felt several of Christchurch's earthquakes and as we left there on Monday we heard the news that they had just suffered the 10,000th - don't listen to the weasel word "aftershock" - they are all earthquakes.

We drove south for more than 400 kms to Alexandra, where the whole idea of the Big Walk started. Here we suddenly launched into our usual program of walking more than 25 kms a day, at route-march pace, finishing before lunch. It was particularly hard this time because, due to plantar fasciitis, I have not done much walking at all in the past 12 months. The first two days were gruelling, but it has become a little easier now.

Nicola sent me the photograph this morning to remind me of what we are missing in Europe. Of course it is summer here, although not a particularly hot one. In the meantime Europe seems to have been hit by especially severe weather. The reports on tv and in the newspapers here have been of temperatures in Central Europe, down to minus 20 or 30 something. We have no idea what is happening at home, but Nicola's picture is of my grandson Alessandro in their garden in Rome. She says she has never seen so much snow there (she has lived in Rome for more than half her life) and it was still falling as she "spoke".

We don't come to New Zealand every year to escape the winters in Europe, but it seems an increasingly pleasing byproduct of our travels.

We'll Be Coming Round The Mountain ....

2012-01-27T04:29:00.001+01:00

Today was supposed to start off with our first strenuous walk for 9 months - in fact since the last time we were in New Zealand. Since then I have been trying to get rid of a foot injury, and hope I have now done so.

The walk had to be cancelled because a couple of cold fronts swept up from the direction of Antarctica and severely lowered temperatures for 24 hours, not to mention being accompanied by heavy rain. As you will see from the accompanying pictures, the good weather seems to have returned (late afternoon) and we hope to be on the launching pad tomorrow morning.

We are in Akaroa, the first place we ever came to in New Zealand and one of Gay's favourite places on earth - a place which has been transformed in our absence because all the cruise ships which used to visit Lyttleton, the port for Christchurch, now come in to Akaroa. Lyttleton was severely destroyed by last year's earthquakes.

Akaroa was an attempt at a French colony in New Zealand. Unfortunately, the four ships of colonists arrived a few days after 6th February 1840, the date on which the Treaty of Waitangi was signed between the British representatives of Queen Victoria and the Maori chiefs, making New Zealand a British colony. The French decided to stay, which is why many of the streets and businesses in the town have French names. Akaroa has a population of a few hundred. The two cruise ships you see here have a population of over 4,000 passengers between them, which is why Akaroa is transformed. There are more people here than we have ever seen, except on national holidays, when the inhabitants of Christchurch tend to stream in this direction.

The third picture shows you where we shall be walking tomorrow. Up, behind, and down from that mountain. It takes about 3 hours and some of it is very, very steep. This will be a severe test of my foot, not to mention my fitness. The most I have walked in the past 9 months has been 6 kms, and on much flatter ground.

Christchurch Earthquake Recovery

2012-01-23T05:05:00.003+01:00

We arrived in Christchurch on Saturday. During Sunday night we felt our first (for us, I emphasise - Christchurch has had plenty) earthquakes of this year, 3 of them. Christchurch has had more than 10,000 now. New Zealand is a very active earthquake zone, on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", but two years ago it was thought that Christchurch was immune, not being on any fault lines - now it is known to be on 2.

This morning, before leaving the city, we ventured into the centre, or as near to the centre as possible. The Red Zone is still fenced off, with recovery and demolition work still going on. Hundreds of buildings are already missing from the Central Business District.

Some of these photographs show how resilient and inventive the people of Christchurch are being in getting their city going again. This "container mall" was, when we left NZ last year in April, still cordoned off. Since then almost all the buildings have been demolished, if they were not already levelled by the earthquakes. Look at the marvellous adaption of the containers to their new use as temporary shops and cafes; the use of colour; the setting of sculpture and flowers. And of course they are safe. If an earthquake happens while you are inside, it is best to stay exactly where you are. I should think a lot of thinking is going on about using the linked container principle as the basis of whatever permanent buildings go up as Christchurch is rebuilt.

In New Zealand they are fond of talking about their "Number 8 Wire" approach, which means they can make anything out of said wire, just a metaphor for adaptability. We normally take such statements with a pinch of salt because you hear similar phrases used in other countries and even individual states in USA. But I think the people of Christchurch are coming up trumps with their proof of the principle this time, with a very healthy leaven of resilience. Don't forget all this is going on at the same time as the earthquakes ("aftershock" is a bit of a euphemism) are continuing.

Any of these photographs can be enlarged by single-clicking on them.

Costa Conquering

2012-01-18T18:12:00.002+01:00

I have said before in this blog that if Costa, the UK coffee chain, were to go international, it would wipe the floor with Starbucks. I now find that Costa is in 40 countries and it certainly seems to have already seen off Starbucks here in Dubai. Costa is everywhere and I have seen one Starbucks.

Today we went up the Burj Khalifa, currently the tallest building in the world. If you come to Dubai, my advice is to give this a miss. Karen had bought our tickets online so they were a quarter of the price paid by those queuing up on the spot, who were paying 400 UAE Dirhams, which is about £70 sterling. It is all a bit of a swiz. Despite being shunted here and there into one queue after another before shooting up in an immensely fast lift (elevator) you emerge onto a viewing platform which is only half way up the building. That would be fine if this were known in advance, but the impression is given that you are going to the top. When I am at home in France, I go to bed every night at a greater altitude.

In fact I am left wondering just why so many people go to Dubai. There is a great deal of shopping available but I don't think it is particularly cheap.

One thing that is definitely worth seeing is the musical fountain show which takes place every 20 minutes. This is particularly splendid at night, when it is also illuminated.

Tomorrow, after a full day awake, we go to the airport for a flight, starting at 0130 in the morning and lasting fourteen and a half hours, to Sydney. Deep joy.

Abandon Ship!

2012-01-14T07:41:00.004+01:00

This is the ship on which we crossed, starting Wednesday, finishing Thursday, from Barcelona to Civitavecchia, the port for Rome.

We had a few adventures. First, although we were booked on the ship, it appeared that our car was not. As we are on our way to New Zealand (r what will be largely a walking holiday) and will not be back until the end of April, we could hardly leave it at the port. We sorted that out eventually. Fortunately, the same computer system that had forgotten about our car booking could not now be persuaded to charge us, so the car travelled free.

Then we were woken up three times after we had gone to bed because the same computer system was showing us twice on the ship's manifest, once without car and again with the car.

Mid-morning on Thursday (this was a 20-hour ferry) came the "abandon ship" incident. I have been on ships many times, used to work on them, but this is the first time I have ever heard the words "Abandon Ship" broadcast over the tannoys. It was preceded by "This is a drill", but not very clearly. In fact, most of the passengers had not even understood that there would be an emergency drill, despite it having been trailed at 60 minutes, 30 minutes, 20 minutes, 10 minutes and "now". They just sat there watching the 4 tvs which were running in the bar.

They didn't even use the words "abandon ship" or even "emergency" when I was on a ship which ran straight onto a reef in the Sulu Sea, then reversed straight off again without checking for what turned out to be a 35-foot hole in the hull below the waterline. That was quite exciting.

The above (about ship's boat drill) may all seem very amusing, but this very morning, safe ashore, I have switched on the computer to find that a cruise ship has run aground on the coast of Italy. 4.200 people have had to abandon ship and lives have been lost. Evacuating so many people via the boats takes some organising, and some practice. Those passengers on our ship really should pay more attention to the boat drills. They are for a reason. Stuff happens!

The cruise ship left only yesterday from Civitavecchia, the port where we arrived on Thursday. We may even have been parked next to her.

By the way, there was no mention of lifejackets in our drill - or any sight of them, except those the crew were wearing.

Sale Time For Vic's Big Book!

2012-01-07T11:34:00.000+01:00

It's sales time!

Amazon have reduced the price of my book for a period.

On Amazon.fr it has been reduced from €3.58 to €2.49.

So it costs the same as one cup of coffee.

On Amazon.com the reduction is from $4.51 to $3.23.

I am not sure what the price is on Amazon.co.uk because they won't tell me because the book is only available to UK purchasers! But I think there will be a similar reduction.

Don't forget all proceeds go direct to pancreatic cancer research. So you make a small donation to charity and you get a well-reviewed book. And do without one cup of coffee.

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T15:57:00.001+01:00

Nothing to do with running or walking, writing or reading.

Just a special picture of my youngest grandson, Alessandro, aged 7. He lives in Italy and we saw him only once last year. In a few days time we shall be with him and he will be able to demonstrate how he is getting on with his guitar lessons, recently started.

As always, you can double-click the picture to enlarge it.

Happy New Year, everybody.

Kindle For Christmas?

2011-12-25T16:07:00.000+01:00

Happy Christmas, readers.

It has been a wonderfully sunny day here today. But for the lack of leaves on the trees and the shortage of degrees on the thermometer, it could have been mid-summer.

Our local market was open. There were only 3 stalls, but they included the all-important fresh veggie stall and the baker. We had a light lunch, a leisurely stroll in the glorious countryside, a glass of mulled wine with mince pies and continue with a quiet, leisurely day.

I know millions of people have had Kindles, iPads, and other e-reading devices for Christmas. I was happy to see that at least some of these had been downloading my book overnight instead of peeping out for Santa. Good move. The reviews tell me it is a decent read, which you get at the same time as contributing to the search for a cure for the serial killer which is pancreatic cancer. And it is inexpensive. Top right on this page is where you can find out where to get the book. Do it now!

Precipitation

2011-12-23T11:37:00.001+01:00

A brilliantly sunny day today, but what a difference a few days of rain or snow has made!

We have had a bit of rain in the past few days, after most of the year has been pretty dry.

This weir was almost non-existent for months, but now it is in full force, as are a number of waterfalls round about, including one we can hear from the house.

The local ski stations have been totally devoid of snow and unable to open. The rain we have witnessed has fallen as snow higher up the mountains. Again, we have been able to see some on the hills in front of our windows. The bit peaking over Lavelanet market in the picture is actually much nearer to skiing. A limited number of runs have been able to open.

Importing Bones

2011-12-20T13:32:00.000+01:00

The winter has arrived at last, but hardly in full force. This time last year we were skating around on snow which had melted a bit then frozen again - very nasty stuff. For the last couple of days we have had a bit of light rain and temperatures under 10 degrees.

On our morning walk today we saw some white herons, which seem to have been around for a few days. I tried to get a picture of one as it was flying over us but it was too quick for me. That would have been nice to show you.

Gay picked up a bit more information this morning on the human bones found in the woods here recently - as I reported a couple of weeks ago. Apparently they are recent, female, and about 50 years of age. That is all that is known so far. How do the police go about finding who they belonged to, especially if they have been "imported". There was a case in the papers recently. A body had been found near Perpignan about a year ago. Now a man in Germany has been arrested. He is charged with committing a murder in Germany and dumping the body more than 1000 kms away, near Perpignan, on his way to Spain.

Warm Walk Work

2011-12-12T15:29:00.001+01:00

Little to report. The running experiments have continued and are reported on in the other blog (click here). There is a slight setback to report, but nothing too serious, I hope.

But the walking rehabilitation has continued. I am now taking regular walks of about 6 kms. I am encouraged in this by the magnificent autumn and early winter weather we have been having. A report in the local paper the other day told us that November was the warmest for 63 years in these parts, by a factor of almost 4 degrees Celsius.

What Big Teeth You Have, Sleepy Hollow

2011-12-01T16:29:00.003+01:00

As I set off for my walk today, I was not 300 metres from the house when I saw a couple of these lovely critters - wolves. These are not my pictures because unfortunately I did not have a camera with me.

We were told only a few days ago that the person who now owns Puivert castle has some wolves there - I assume the two I saw had managed to get out for a walk of their own.

We are told at the wolf sanctuary not too far from here in the Pyrenees that it is a complete myth about wolves attacking humans and that there is no known case of it happening. I am always telling people this but was still a little trepidatious to be faced with a couple.

It seems that the activity I came across yesterday in the woods - multiple gendarmes and sounds of machinery in action - was related to some human bones found up there. Some hunters at the weekend discovered part of a human skull and now the police investigation has found some more bones. The machinery I heard was probably something being used to sift the soil.

Isn't life exciting here in Sleepy Hollow?

Don't forget to have a look at my other blog, about the hopeful resurrection of my running career by casting cushioned shoes to the wind. Click here

To The Woods

2011-11-30T16:39:00.004+01:00

Today I had my longest walk for some time - about 8 kms. This involves walking directly upwards on the road which goes past the house, towards Esperaza. After about 4 kms I turn into the woods and come back a far more testing way.

While I was still on the road I was passed by a Gendarmerie car and another which I took to be an unmarked accompaniment. Then just before I turned into the woods I saw these two vehicles parked up, with two more, a bunch of gendarmes, a fellow in camouflage, and a sapeur pompier. In the woods was the sound of much activity with a mechanical saw which sounded as if it was sawing wood.

I fully expected that when I was in the woods I would be turned back by more gendarmes because obviously something big was going on. As it happened I passed well on the other side of the activity but I could hear the sawing, almost continuous, for a good three-quarters of an hour.

What could be going on? Gay speculated that somebody was trapped under fallen trees but there seemed to be far much sawing for that, and too non-stop.

We have been having some lovely weather lately as the photographs, taken today, show. Don't forget it is the last day of November. Long-lost Fred emailed me from Cheltenham yesterday and said that it was nearly dark there at 1530. That is the same time at which I took these photographs.

'Tis The Season

2011-11-27T15:10:00.001+01:00

Today's picture from Walker's (I nearly put "Runner's" but that's my other blog) Heaven HQ. We are having some superb autumn weather. Did I mention that the tree in our courtyard, which lost all its leaves in August, now has a full set of leaves again? When the winter sinks its teeth in that is going to be one very confused tree.

After a break of several months due to injury I have at last commenced a program of walking - at the moment a 6 kms walk every other day. Whether it is a good idea to also introduce a short burst of running (at the moment 5 minutes, but going up in increments of an extra 5 minutes every third run, for one run out of 3 if you know what I mean) we shall see.

Mike Comes Up Trumps Again

2011-11-24T09:29:00.003+01:00

Brittain's,

We spent the weekend in Provence, which involved a drive of over 1,000 kms. We had two objectives. One was to spend the weekend with our good friends the family Scriven, Americans who live temporarily (intention 2 years, now going on 5) in le Rouret, near Nice. We had a great time with them, including spectating at our first ice hockey match in Nice.

Our other aim was to attend the monthly quiz and fish supper at Brittain's Salon de The and Restaurant in Valbonne (superb fish and chips). Mike Preston organises this quiz and each month the money raised goes to a different charity.

I met Mike before Vic's Big Walk, as a result of his own personal donation and excellent support of my project. Also, just before the start of VBW, Mike's monthly quiz made a substantial donation into my JustGiving fund for pancreatic cancer research. We have kept in touch and now we even have a mutual friend, Rose Mary Boehm, in Lima, Peru.

We nearly won Friday's quiz. We came joint first and lost a tie-breaker. Before this I had been required to stand up and say a few words about pancreatic cancer and the urgent need for some progress with this awful disease. The first, second (us) and third prize winners returned their prizes to the pot and it was agreed that the total takings would be donated to my JustGiving page. This amounted to the equivalent of £150, plus £37.50 in Gift Aid (tax rebate).

The fund is still open and well above the target of £7,000 which I originally set (although the displayed link seems to be stuck on 100%). You can donate by clicking on the JustGiving symbol on this page.

Once again we shall not be sending Christmas cards out this year, but will instead be putting the equivalent amount into the fund, where it will do much more good.

And - just a reminder - don't forget that all the proceeds from my book also go direct to pancreatic cancer research. So you do some good at the same time as - according to the reviews - you get a good read.

Big Walker, Barefoot Runner

2011-11-20T12:42:00.004+01:00

As demonstrated in the pictures, a couple of posts back, of me in the Man versus Horse Race, I used to be a runner. My genes think I still am a runner.

I am about to start a tentative program of rehabilitation and shoe-dispensing which may see me become a runner again. There is a new link on the right hand side of this page which will connect you to my second blog - Big Walker Running Barefoot - which will chronicle the reasons for this, and my progress, if any. Or you could just double-click here to take you to Big Walker Running Barefoot.

Book To Save Lives

2011-11-11T11:37:00.002+01:00

The first cheque has gone to Pancreatic Cancer UK from my publishers - the first of many, I hope.

And as Pancreatic Cancer said to me yesterday,

"Fantastic that the book is starting to bring in funds – you must be really pleased. And as we all know its not just about funds but about raising awareness of Pancreatic cancer and your book sales will be doing just that."

To remind you, ALL the proceeds from sales of my book go direct to pancreatic cancer research.

New Angles

2011-11-09T14:27:00.003+01:00

We have just driven to Les Angles, which is a ski station in the mountains. Never been there before but will go again, if only for the beautiful drive. It is only 75 kms but takes ages because it is all narrow gorges and twisty roads. Passes several hydro-electric plants and is at 1600 metres. Very nice up there. Cafes, restaurants, shops selling outdoor stuff, especially skiing of course, a big lake.

And it would also seem that the Tour de France passes through sometimes. The mountain stages frequently finish at a ski station because of the availability of accommodation.

The reason for our journey was to buy some running shoes. As the last post said, watch this space.

Is It A Man .... Or A Horse?

2011-11-06T17:04:00.006+01:00

Just to prove I haven't always been 71 years old and a plodding (and for the last few months injured) walker.

Gay has been sorting out some old photographs and scanning them into her digital photo archive.

These photographs were taken in 1993 during the Man versus Horse Race which takes place annually in mid-Wales over almost marathon distance and hilly, cross-country terrain.

Those were the days!

But watch this space.

Hallowe'en

2011-10-31T15:44:00.002+01:00

Hallowe'en is gaining ground here in France, just as it is in the UK, although we are somewhat behind, and of course we are all well behind the USA.

When we were in Indiana 3 years ago, at the time of the presidential election, it was amazing to see the profusion of stuff in gardens as we went out for our morning walk.

There were election posters, Hallowe'en things, Thanksgiving things, and even one or two early Christmas symbols. There were full sized graves, bones and skeletons, ghoulies and ghosties, inflatable turkeys bigger than ostriches, enormous plastic pumpkins, Vote-this-that-and-the-other exhortations, and a few tasteful Santas and wreaths.

It will all be here soon. I blame the television.

Yes, of course we have the bags of chocolates ready!

Steve Jobs And Pancreatic Cancer

2011-10-28T11:19:00.003+02:00

I really expected that the sad death of Steve Jobs would have raised the profile of pancreatic cancer and publicised the need for more money for more research in order to get some progress with this disease. There is a desperate need for a cure and for earlier diagnosis.

But in the acres of newsprint and the terabytes of cyberspace devoted to him, I have seen little mention of the illness. And I have seen no mention of any of what must be his vast fortune being diverted to help conquer the serial killer that ended his life too soon - maybe that is in the pipeline.

Of course all other cancers need attention - and I speak as someone who has recently lost a younger brother to brain tumour and who has seen a daughter, in this same year, have to fight cancer of the thyroid. But with most cancers, including those two, there has been immense progress over the years. With pancreatic cancer there has been no improvement in survival rates during the past 40 years.

What can we do? We can continue to help raise funds and awareness. Once again I will be sending no Christmas cards this year but will be placing the equivalent money into my JustGiving account which feeds directly to pancreatic cancer research. I will continue to publicise my book, all proceeds of which go direct to pancreatic cancer research. And I will continue to ask readers of this blog to do the same - you can make a donation via the blue JustGiving button on this page or you can buy the book via the "How to find ..." button on this page. I would also ask you to email, Facebook, Tweet, and use other social media to invite your friends to do any or all of the above.

Anybody Seen Will Fricker?

2011-10-20T08:15:00.007+02:00

Vic's Big Walk was conceived in 2008. My preparations and training started then. So did this blog. In November of that year I posted here about John Hillaby, a famous walker from days of yore.

In July 2010 I completed my walk. In October 2011 - in fact yesterday - a gentleman - a mere stripling of 59 called William Fricker put a comment on my blog, attached to the 2008 John Hillaby item, giving me the advice which is below in italics.

If anybody sees William Fricker, can you please tell him that my walk is over and done. I finished on my 70th birthday, last year. It is I, with the experience of walking 17.5 million steps during the whole project, who am now ready and willing to advise him about his projected walk. I would start by agreeing with him about not wearing boots but something sturdy but lighter. I would go on to point out that if he walks from Land's end to John o' Groats he will find himself tripping over many other people doing so, which may dent his sense of achievement. Much better to set himself a unique, personal target and to plough his own furrow. But to follow in other people's footsteps is of course better than to do nothing at all.

He could learn much by reading my book about Vic's Big Walk. If, reading this paragraph, he swivels his eyes to the right, he will see where he can find the book. All will be sweetly, he will learn from my mistakes; have, I am told, a good read; and he will be content in the knowledge that he will be doing good as he reads because all proceeds go direct to pancreatic cancer research.

This is what Will had to say:

I wish you good luck and strong feet. I am 59 and plan to walk next year from Land's End to the tip of Scotland, too, and to prove that life can be fun at 60! I managed a 3,500 trek 30 years ago to Greece, returning on two wheels via North Africa. I can tell you walking is much easier than cycling (with luggage). I suggest plenty of liquid, a plentiful supply of chocolate (it boosts your energy levels at low periods), a comfortable rucksack and knowledge on how to pack it, a walking stick and a dog (two necessary companions). I agree with Hillaby that a light tent is essential for it provides independence, and you can crawl into it when the weather is forbidding. As to footwear, I phoned Hillaby before I set out on my trek and woke him from his siesta (Grumpy)....I started it out with light boots but chucked them after a week (10 blisters per foot) and resorted to adidas leather trainers (3 pairs). You can skip and trot with light footwear. The secret is to be as light as possible and to remember that you will, at times, go mad, and that you will also meet a lot of bores, too. Bon viveur!

Will Fricker

The picture shows John Hillaby's famous book "Walking Through Britain

Stress Testing

2011-10-16T11:13:00.003+02:00

I went for a walk yesterday. So what, you say, are you not the Big Walker, of VBW? Do you not gallop 30 kms before breakfast? Or rather, say the closer followers, 30 kms including ideally two stops for coffee?

Well, yes, I am or was that man. But since early this year I have been plagued by plantar fasciitis - the dread of any runner or walker. In July and August I flew to England 4 times for other reasons, but while there had my pf zapped 4 times by Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy, in the hope of ridding myself of this affliction.

The last treatment was in August. I was advised that it would be 4 to 6 weeks before the benefit fully arrived at the end-of-my-leg thing. But I could cautiously try a bit of walking. I tried a couple of times and detected no improvement. I waited until the six weeks were up. At the time I was doing some incidental walking at altitude - 2 or 3 miles up in the sky in Peru. It was impossible, because of the thin air and the lack of time, to essay an actual hike. Nevertheless I had, especially first thing in the morning, because that is when fp manifests itself, pain in the afflicted part. I contacted the physio who applied the ESWT. He advised that maybe another 4 to 6 weeks should do the trick. I was a little cynical about this response.

So you can imagine my pleasure when I accomplished 6 kms yesterday, with a bit of climbing up to our local chateau, and arrived home with only a slight twinge in the heel. More stress testing will ensue. Watch this space, but please cross your fingers.

The Force Is Not With Us

2011-10-12T13:21:00.004+02:00

A huge relief this week. At last we have sold V-Force One, the campervan we bought solely for the purpose of being our base during VBW. The walk finished in July last year, but it has taken until now to sell the vehicle. We have made a huge loss, but at least we no longer have the anxiety of wondering if it would ever be sold.

It has become obvious to us, through various comments made, that there has been a widespread impression that the vehicle was donated to us by our sponsors Columbia. No. Columbia very kindly designed, manufactured and fitted the "adhesiveage", incorporating the "Vic's Big Walk" logo and websites, the Satmap logo, and, rather mdestly, I thought, their own logo. But the vehicle was purchased and owned by Yours Truly and of course Mrs Truly. It was a lovely vehicle but we had no further use for it and have been embarrassed by our continuing ownership of it. We are happy to say goodbye. And so is our bank manager.

Is It Worth It?

2011-10-10T16:10:00.003+02:00

This is me from now on.
As I was lying on my couch pondering the problems of the WORLD,
I rapidly realized that I don't really give a HOOT.
It's the tortoise life for me! (Read on...)

HEALTH MESSAGE:

1. If walking/cycling is good for your health,the
Postman would be immortal.
2. A whale swims all day, only eats fish, drinks
Water and is fat.
3. A rabbit runs and hops and only lives 15 years.
4. A tortoise doesn't run, does nothing ...yet lives
For 450 years.

AND YOU TELL ME TO EXERCISE!
(I DON'T THINK SO)

I'm retired, go around me!

I am indebted to kind friend Bob, who sent this to me. It seemed so opposite to my life that I just had to appropriate it for my blog.

Fitness For Cancer Patients

2011-10-05T16:01:00.007+02:00

This blog is principally about me walking (and writing) to help sufferers from a particular type of cancer. But exercise can help cancer sufferers themselves.

David Haas is an advocate for cancer patients and wants to make a difference in their lives because cancer has devastated so many people in this world. The following is a guest post from him because recently he has been researching and writing about how beneficial cancer support networks and also staying physically fit is to people going through treatments, in remission, and even family members of cancer patients.

I have also added a link to David's Blog "Haas Blaag". This can be found on the left side of this page.

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The Best Exercises For Cancer Patients

What is the best exercise for someone with cancer? Generally speaking, most people can engage in any physical activity they like, within limits. While surgery may limit a breast cancer patient from certain types of exercises, and conversely, breathing difficulties may affect those in mesothelioma treatment; most cancer patients can benefit from gentle or moderate exercise.

There is not one best exercise for every cancer patient. The right exercise for any patient depends on a number of factors, including personal fitness level, cancer treatment type, and general health. The important thing is to choose an enjoyable activity and stick with it.

Determining The Best Exercise

The American Cancer Society (ACS) suggests several ways to choose an appropriate physical activity. For example, cancer patients should ask themselves if they enjoy socializing with others or prefer time alone. Do they need an energy boost, or a way to reduce stress? Do they require structure in their exercise programs, or do they thrive best with a flexible routine?

These questions can help patients determine the best exercise for them. Once they have chosen their game, it is important to engage in the activity on a regular basis. The ACS suggests 30 minutes of activity, five or more days a week. Patients should start with gentle or moderate activities. In time, they can slowly increase the exercise intensity, frequency, and duration according to their fitness level.

Fitness Programs Versus Daily Activities

People who want to follow an exercise program should include aerobic activities as well as flexibility exercises and resistance training. Walking, running, bicycling, and swimming are examples of aerobic exercises that work the heart, lungs, and large muscle groups. Stretching, yoga, and Pilates are common flexibility activities for cancer patients. Weight training and isometric exercises are good resistance activities.

For cancer patients who are not enamored with fitness programs and gyms, there are other ways to stay active in daily life. Gardening, dancing, bike riding, stair climbing, walking in the garden or down the street -- even vigorous housework -- can provide adequate exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Fitness Benefits For Cancer Patients

Research shows that physical activity reduces the risk of developing some types of cancer, and it may also reduce the risk of recurrence. Certainly, it helps cancer patients cope with the symptoms of their disease, as well as the side effects of cancer treatment.

Whether someone is facing prostate cancer, skin tumors, rare mesothelioma, or another illness, they can benefit from staying active through exercise. However, some activities are not recommended for people with certain types of cancer. So it is important for cancer patients to talk to a doctor or therapist before starting a fitness program or engaging in a physical activity.

By: David Haas

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My book "Vic's Big Walk" can be found on Amazon.com (Kindle) or Amazon.co.uk (Kindle), Barnes&Noble Nook or Apple iBookstore (also soon from Sony Reader) for less than the price of a couple of coffees. All proceeds go direct to pancreatic cancer research.

Visit Machu Picchu With Us

2011-10-03T15:33:00.005+02:00

Today we leave Peru after a most memorable and enjoyable holiday.

If you would like to share our experience of visiting Machu Picchu, double-click here for an amazing 360 degrees panorama. You will think you were there.

For details of where to find my book "Vic's Big Walk from SW France to NW England" double click on this.

Machu Picchu - A Dream Come True

2011-09-30T15:35:00.012+02:00

Yesterday we visited this fabulous place, which the Spanish never found. News of its existence was broadcast to the world exactly 100 years ago, in 1911, by Hiram Bingham, of Yale.

I have waited almost as long - 60 years in fact - since I first read about it and saw the pictures and decided this was a place I must vist. And it was worth the wait. It is magic. I only wish my photography was up to it - but if there is one place of which you will easily find good photographs elsewhere, Machu Picchu is it.

And if you are puzzling over the picture which is lying on its side - so am I - it is the correct way up in my computer. I will leave it there to intrigue you - and to demonstrate my incompetence.

For details of where to find my book "Vic's Big Walk from SW France to NW England" double click on this.

Inca Technology

2011-09-29T00:18:00.005+02:00

I have been interested in the Inca civilisation for most of my life, but to see it blows the mind. The astonishing architecture, using massive stones in impossible places, cut and fit with an amazing precision, built by a people who knew neither steel nor the wheel, is everywhere and difficult to comprehend.

But their use of technology is also a real eye-opener. I have been reporting on only a few of the sites and sights we have seen. Sometimes, as today, we visited 5 or 6 places. One of today's stops was at Moray, where we saw the pictured perfectly circular terracing. This was designed for testing and developing new crops and plants. At each level there was a different temperature. The irrigation ran down cleverly from one level to another, which is not surprising, but no water collected at the bottom. Drainage, which presumably involved a tunnel through the surrounding mountains, removed the water to be used elsewhere.

For details of where to find my book "Vic's Big Walk from SW France to NW England" double click on this.

The Road To Machu Picchu

2011-09-28T02:00:00.007+02:00

Today we left Cuzco for 3 days, leaving our large luggage in the hotel there, and taking a smaller bag each for the next 3 days. We have moved into the Sacred Valley, visiting such places as Pisaq and Ollantaytambo. We have ended up in the magnificent Libertador Tambo del Inka (Google it and have a look, it is stunning) at Urubamba.

Tomorrow we have a look at some Inca roads and grain stores above Ollantaytambo, coming back again to the Tambo del Inka. Thursday we go on the train to Machu Picchu (there is limited luggage space on the train, which is why we are down to hand-baggage), then stay in a hotel at the foot of the "lost city".

Machu Picchu is of course the higlight of the trip for everybody, yet we are all subdued. One of our number suffered what seemed to be a stroke when we stopped for lunch, and had to be ambulanced off back to hospital in Cuzco. Our tour leader Bill went with him. The good news is that Bill telephoned from Cuzco to say that the patient is already showing signs of improvement and has his speech back.

For details of where to find my book "Vic's Big Walk from SW France to NW England" double click on this.

Wayne Rooney

2011-09-26T23:19:00.011+02:00

I forgot to mention, when talking about our visit to the community on the reed island on Lake Titicaca, that these people, who are so cut off from the rest of the world, are fully aware of international sporting “celebrities”. When one of our party was asked where he came from and replied “England”, the instant response from the Indian was “England – Wayne Rooney!”.

Saturday we visited the ancient ruins at Tihuanaco, high in the Andes and not far from Lake Titicaca. Then Sunday we flew from La Paz – which has the highest airport in the world, with a runway which has to be 4 miles long instead of the usual 2. This is because there is 40 percent less oxygen in the air than at sea level. We flew from there to Cuzco, the ancient capitals of the Incas.

The Spanish conquerors destroyed the wonderful Inca civilisation, being interested only in gold and conversion to Christianity. They did their best to also obliterate the wonderful buildings which abound. This morning we went to Sacsayuaman, just outside the city. Despite the Spanish depradations, the ruins there are still a marvel. The walls are built of huge stones, some over 100 tons in weight. And the Incas, who had not discovered steel, managed to cut these huge rocks so perfectly, and fit them together so finely, that a piece of paper can not be inserted between the joints – which do not even use mortar.

For details of where to find my book "Vic's Big Walk from SW France to NW England" double click on this.

Lake Titicaca

2011-09-23T14:34:00.006+02:00

Bolivian Woman in traditional bowler hat

Uros Girl

Wednesday we had another long drive from the Colca Canyon to Puno, on Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. After checking into the hotel we had a boat trip out - after a breakdown - to the extraordinary floating reed islands. Here the Uros people spend all their lives on small reed islands, which they make themselves, living in tiny reed houses and living mainly on fish.

Thursday it was on across the altiplano to Bolivia. Here, after the chaotic border formalities, we embarked again on Lake Titicaca, this time on a hydrofoil, where we visited the Island of the Sun, where we had lunch, then the Island of the Moon. At both places we visited archaeological remnants of the Inca and pre-Inca civilisations. More time on the hydrofoil, then a bus trip into the heart of Bolivia and to its captital La Paz, the highest capital city in the world.

We are all very short of breath with any activity. Our altitude is varying between 3,500 and almost 5,000 metres above sea level.

For details of where to find my book "Vic's Big Walk from SW France to NW England" double click on this.

El Condor Pasa

2011-09-22T01:38:00.006+02:00

Condor

Pre-Inca Terraces

Vicuna

Monday we left Arequipa and travelled by coach up onto the high altiplano. The highest point on the way was 4,900 metres but we finally ended up at the Colca Lodge at 3,400 metres. On the way we saw llamas, alpaca and vicuna.

Yesterday we arose before the crack of dawn - we seem to have done that several times on this trip, which is very hectic - and made a two-hour coach trip into the Colca Canyon. We stopped at a viewpoint where the drop was greater than any other canyon in the world. It was well above 1,000 metres. Many people were gathered there to see the condors, which nest nearby and seem to get up much later than we did. They circle round for a bit, put on a bit of a show, then go off to find meat which as conveniently dropped dead somewhere for them.

On the way to the canyon we saw many fine examples of the stunning pre-Inca agricultural terraces.

As always, double-clicking will make the pictures bigger.

For details of where to find my book "Vic's Big Walk from SW France to NW England" double click on this.

Flying By

2011-09-18T22:17:00.019+02:00

The year is certainly flying by quickly. And so am I. Yesterday I made my 26th flight of the year. It was from Lima to Arequipa in Peru. Earlier in the day Gay and I had flown over the famous Nazca lines.

I have wanted to visit Peru and see the ancient structures and other remnants of Peruvian cultures, ever since, at the age of 10, I somehow managed to get hold of William Prescott's famous book The Conquest of Peru.

The Nazca lines are immense carvings in the floor of the Nazca desert. The hundreds of individual figures range in complexity from simple lines to stylized hummingbirds, spiders, monkeys, fish, sharks, orcas, llamas, and lizards.There are many geometric designs and representations of humans and animals. The great mystery surrounding them is that they can only be seen from the air. If you were on the ground you would not be able to see them. Some of the lines stretch for miles. So how (and why?) were they carved in the desert so long ago? They were constructed by the Nazca culture between 400 and 650 AD

In an action-packed first four days we have also seen the pre-Inca ruins at Pachacamac, The museum at Ica, the oasis and immense sand dunes at Huacachina, and made a boat trip to the Ballestas Islands, with unbelievable numbers of cormorants, pelicans and blue-footed boobies -so many that guano collection and removal is a very visible industry there.

For the Nazca lines we flew from Pisco, a town largely destroyed by a recent earthquake in 2007. We stayed for two nights at a very splendid resort at nearby Paracas. It was very reassuring to know that this resort had been completely demolished in the earthquake, which had resulted in the rebuilding to a much higher standard. That would have been a great comfort if another earthquake had come along when we were there.

Pisco airport is clearly also a military base. It was very interesting to see the pictured Canberra aircraft there - a wonderfully versatile aircraft built by English Electric, now known as British Aerospace or BAe, the company my son-in-law Kenny and my granddaughter Alexandra work for. The Canberra was retired by its first operator, the Royal Air Force (RAF), on 23 June 2006, 57 years after its first flight. NASA are still using some of the American version for meteorological work. There were others dispersed around the airfield.

We are now in Arequipa at well over 2000 meters, on our way into the high Andes for visits such as Lake Titicaca and Machu Picchu.

For details of where to find my book "Vic's Big Walk from SW France to NW England" double click on this.

Thanks To You All

2011-09-09T16:04:00.002+02:00

Perhaps provoked by the publicity surrounding my book (and there has been quite a lot), donations have started up again on my JustGiving page (click here to go there. No donation would be too small.

Total donations to pancreatic cancer research through my page now stand (against a target of £7,000) at £8255, with a further £1443.76 chipped in by the UK government as a tax payback for donors who pay tax in the country. So the total I have raised for this cause is approaching £10,000, plus a small donation from every copy of my book sold. Thank you to everybody who has helped with that.

Amongst websites featuring my book is the official Mark Knopfler website - click here to view that. The connection is "The Walk of Life", a famous Dire Straits tune, which was played by BBC tv in the news item covering the finish of my walk. If you want to see that excerpt from the news, just search my name - Vic Heaney - on YouTube.

Also the Rohan website - click here for that.

For details of where to find my book "Vic's Big Walk from SW France to NW England" double click on this.

What A Heel

2011-08-29T11:52:00.003+02:00

I mentioned a few days ago that I went for a 6 kms walk, having been given the all-clear to do so by the physios who have been applying the ESWT to my afflicted part. I have to report that the pain after the walk was much the same as before I had the treatment.

I left it for more than another week then did the same 6 kms walk yesterday (there isn't a big choice of flat walks here in the foothills of the Pyrenees). Result, the same pain.

They did tell me that the results of the treatment, which makes things worse before they get better, will kick in 4 to 6 weeks after the 4th treatment, so I am keeping my fingers crossed about that, but the signs are not too good just yet.

And did I mention that 4 to 6 weeks after the 4th treatment will see me deep, or rather high, in the Andes?

For details of where to find my book "Vic's Big Walk from SW France to NW England" double click on this.

5-Star Boy

2011-08-24T18:29:00.003+02:00

There have been some good reviews of my book on Amazon, but I am particularly chuffed with this one from an 11-year old boy, Charley Peacock:

"5.0 out of 5 stars Vic`s Big Walk, 23 Aug 2011
Well, I have to say, I am only eleven years old, but I think this book is simply outstanding. I first actually met Vic Heaney on a plane back from the south of France. He told me he wrote this book, so I downloaded a sample as soon as I got home. And I have to say, I am not dissappointed. A brilliant beginning to a story to what probably is a memorable ending. A brilliant story, an will most definitely buy the full version. :))"

The picture is of Charley, on the left, with his friend James on the right.

For details of where to find the book "Vic's Big Walk from SW France to NW England" double click on this.

Nostalgia

2011-08-22T20:36:00.001+02:00

Trampships Tankers and Polite Conversation: Experiences of the Merchant Navy during the 1950's And 1960's by John Lee

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My daughter Nicola suggested that this would be a welcome birthday present for me.

I can't imagine why - it is about a teenage boy going to sea as a junior officer in the Merchant Navy in the 1950s. Wait! That sounds familiar!

I have only read the first couple of chapters and already the nostalgia is flowing, the lamps are swinging and the weevils are popping out of the hard tack.

Excellent

View all my reviews

Jackie A put a very kind review of my book on Amazon today. For details of where to find the book "Vic's Big Walk from SW France to NW England" double click on this.

The Summer's Gone And All The Flowers Are Dying

2011-08-19T11:51:00.005+02:00

I have emerged, punch-drunk, after flying to UK every week for the past four, having had 4 ESWT treatments for my heel spur/plantar fasciitis. I think I mentioned before that this treatment makes the pain a bit worse before it gets better. What should happen now is that in about 4 to 6 weeks the pain should go and everything will be back to normal.

But the really good news is that I can now go for a walk, for the first time in 3 months. But I can only walk on the flat, which is a bit of a tall order in this area. I went for a haircut in Quillan this morning - something which was a couple of weeks overdue because of the travelling - then Gay dropped me off at Nebias, just next to the gendarmerie operating their speed camera. Most of the walk from there is flattish, except for one promontory which I did my best to ignore.

I had no trouble while walking, although the heel was a bit sore afterwards - I think this is normal. But it was very noticeable that the crops on either side of the track were well past their grow-by dates. The sunflowers have lost their bloom and the maize is loaded with the seed heads. Not to mention all these rolls of hay which were clearly made months ago. All this while I was not there. I have missed the summer, or at least my feet and legs have.

And autumn is really approaching faster than usual. The grape harvest has started in the Blanquette de Limoux area, or, as it says in the local paper, the vendange is precocious. And almost all the leaves are already off the centenarian+ conker tree in our courtyard.

And yet the temperatures have soared into the mid-30s for the first time this year. We are promised 39 degrees for tomorrow! I can't believe that some people like these temperatures.

For details of where to find my book "Vic's Big Walk from SW France to NW England" double click on this.

Flying Visits

2011-08-14T11:37:00.004+02:00

Life is a bit hectic, what with all this commuting by air backwards and forwards over more or less the same route I walked last year. But I am managing to spend some time promoting my book. I am also getting some very good feedback from people who have read it.

It's difficult to be objective about your own work, of course. And when friends tell you how good it is, or that they have enjoyed it, there is a tendency, even though they are obviously sincere, to take it with a pinch of salt.

But when strangers contact you with praise - then you begin to take it seriously.

Here are some comments received in the past 24 hours:

"Vic, thoroughly entertained reading your book."

"The book is so funny in places, it makes me laugh out loud."

"I also really enjoy the evocative descriptions of rural France."

"Hard to say this without it sounding patronizing but I think you have done a great thing. After nearly 30 years in the *** I am conscious that my contribution to the greater good of society is not what it should be. Taking early retirement (in December) is providing the opportunity to rectify that, and your epic adventure has provided the impetus. Thanks so much for that Vic."

For details of where to find my book "Vic's Big Walk from SW France to NW England" double click on this.

Getting Rid Of Heel Pain

2011-08-06T17:28:00.003+02:00

Far from doing any Big Walking, for the past few months I have done no walking at all, except for the normal day-to-day bobbing about.

I have mentioned before that I have a heel spur, or plantar fasciitis. It is difficult to distinguish between the two because they give pain in the same place. And whichever pain it is, it is very difficult to get rid of.

I had it once before, about 10 years ago, and successfully divested myself of it by undergoing a course of ESWT (Extra-corporeal Shock Wave Therapy). As you can see in the picture, the physio holds a device which looks something like an ultrasound scanner. It is applied to the afflicted part, in this case the heel, and produces pain which, like a good thrashing from a parent in the olden days, is good for you. I understand that this gadget was developed for breaking up kidney stones, then somebody discovered that it was good for tennis elbow and heel spur/plantar fasciitis.

10 years ago there were only 2 places in UK where you could get the treatment. I was having to spend some time in UK just then so elected to go into central London for the treatment, much though I loathe the place with a burning malevolence. 3 treatments were enough to clear up my problem, although the benefit comes some weeks after the third treatment. I have to admit that it gets worse before it gets better.

This year I knew that it needed doing but I have been putting it off. I didn't want to fly to England four times, even though the availability is far more widespread now. I could have it done in France, probably even have it paid for by the health service, but I would have to drive hundreds of kilometres each time.

Things played into my hands in a rather unfortunate way. A close member of my family is seriously ill and I am commuting to NW England to visit him. So I took the plunge and on each trip am having the ESWT treatment in Altrincham, where we used to live. I am hoping to be back on the road in a more serious way before the end of the year.

For details of where to find my book "Vic's Big Walk from SW France to NW EnglandW" double click on this.

Vic Vic's Book Book

2011-08-01T11:49:00.004+02:00

Vic's Big Walk is selling quite well on Amazon. I don't have actual figurhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifes, but I do have a ranking. They all go up and down a bit, but at one stage on Saturday, my book was at number 6 in the category of travel books about France, outselling many established books and authors.

It is now available not only on Amazons .com and .co.uk, but also at iBooks and Barnes and Noble Nook. Unfortunately, Barnes and Noble have me listed as Vic Vic Heaney - which sounds like a headhunter from Borneo, and they have only a picture of the book and not the description. Hopefully both of these things will be rectified today.

I am still awaiting publication on Sony Reader.

Double-click here to find out where to get the book.

It's Here! Vic's Big Walk, The Book

2011-07-28T17:45:00.020+02:00

Last year I walked almost 2,000 kms, at the age of 70, to raise funds for pancreatic cancer research. You gave me great support and my blog seemed to keep many people entertained. There were demands for a book. Now that book is available.

The title of the book is the same as this blog, "Vic's Big Walk". At the moment it is only available as an e-book but there should soon be a paper version. If you want to be kept informed of when that happens please email me at vicngay@gmail.com.

The e-book is available on all major platforms such as Kindle, iBooks, Nook, Sony and Kobo. Just search on any of those for "Vic's Big Walk" or "Vic Heaney".

Join me in reliving my great adventure. And feel good about it - all proceeds are going to help conquer pancreatic cancer.

The price of the book varies a little from supplier to supplier, but is less than the cost of two cups of coffee. The price has been kept low to encourage wide readership and to help fundraising. DON'T FORGET - ALL THE PROCEEDS DO NOT COME TO ME - THEY GO DIRECT TO PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH.

Get your copy now, live the walk with me, and help to beat the appalling scourge which is pancreatic cancer. And please pass this information on to all your friends. E-mail them, tweet them and rattle their Facebook cages.

Illustrations for the book are online. You can view them by double-clicking here

Kindle

2011-07-23T22:21:00.003+02:00

Today is my 71st birthday, and therefore the first anniversary of the finish of Vic's Big Walk. I had hoped that the Kindle version of the eponymous book (like the walk, to raise funds for pancreatic cancer research) would be available from today but is not. My own fault - I didn't give the publishers time to get that done. They have a laid down schedule and I gave them the data after the due date but I hoped that it would still get done,

It will surely be up and running within the next few days.

You will be the first to know.

New Eye Treatment

2011-07-21T08:32:00.002+02:00

Some potentially exciting news for me. I have mentioned that I have an incurable eye problem called pattern dystrophy, which means that I am in the process of completely losing my central vision. It is already making life difficult for me, and did so during the big walk.

Well, maybe it is not so incurable. My daughter Nicola texted me from Italy that a friend of hers had been in touch. The friend's father is a surgeon and he has come up with some news about a treatment which is being trialled in Pisa. This possibly involves the use of stem cells. I know that miraculous results have been achieved by injecting stem cells into the eyes of mice but this is the first I have heard of the procedure being used with humans.

I am awaiting more information about how successful the Pisa procedures are, and when and whether they will become more widely available. And I know that the use of stem cells is highly controversial.

Watch (no pun intended) this space.

---------------------------

On a different subject, the book is imminent. Again, watch this space.

Coming Soon, By Popular Demand - The Book OF The Walk

2011-07-16T15:02:00.005+02:00

This time last year I was approaching the end of my 70 day walk, also the end of a 3-year project which had me walking 17.5 Million steps.

Thousands of people read, and apparently enjoyed, my blog. There were many suggestions that I should publish the blog as a book. I have done much more than that. The blog contained maybe a couple of hundred words per day. But also each day I was dictating a couple of thousand words of notes for a potential book. I transcribed them each evening.

The walk finished on 23rd July 2010, my 70th birthday. Well, it is almost the first anniversary of that event and I hope that on that same date this year, Vic's Big Walk - the book will be available for purchase. Every penny of the proceeds will go direct for research into a cure for pancreatic cancer, the same cause I was walking for last year.

Here is a sneak preview of the cover, designed by my good friend Peter Labrow, of Labrow Marketing.

Free Guitar Lessons

2011-07-07T13:56:00.002+02:00

There is no con here. The lessons really are free. I have used some of them myself. Mike and his friend Jerry are very good teachers and give away an amazing amount of free lessons. There are some you can buy as well, if you want to, but the free lessons will get you a long way and cover a lot of tunes.

Perhaps this is why Mike has 180,000 subscribers worldwide.

Vic's Big Walk - The Book

2011-07-06T13:12:00.003+02:00

Unable to walk much at the moment because of injury, I have taken the opportunity to paint the shutters on the house. They now look magnificent. I'm glad about that because it was a big job. First they have to be removed. This involves a man, who will be 71 years old in a few weeks, climbing through the window from the inside, sitting on the window sill with feet beneath the shutter to take the weight, lifting it at arms length, heaving it back through the window to Gay. Well, that didn't work, they were stuck, so I had to get friend Colin to come and remove them for me. Colin used to be a steeplejack and, using a ladder, had all the shutters removed within about 20 minutes.

Next step was to strip the shutters back to bare wood because I wanted to remove not only the old varnish but the dark stain which the builders, who renovated our house, applied to the shutters without asking if we wanted it. Then three coats of good varnish. 18 shutters in all.

The shutters were then refitted by the "sitting in the window" method. I was ably assisted in this by Gay and my youngest daughter Nicola, who was visiting from Iddly with wee Alessandro. I don't think I will be doing the shutters this way again - I must be much less supple than last time I did it - the main difficulty being getting back inside the window again. And next time the need comes round, I will be 74.

My other main task at the moment - which can be illustrated by the same picture if you imagine it as evocative of a writer in the garret - is getting the book about my walk ready for publication. I hope to have the e-version of this available for Kindle, Sony E-reader, Barnes and Noble Nook, and iPad, in time for the anniversary of Vic's Big Walk - in other words, my birthday on 23rd July.

Pancreatic Cancer - Searching For A Breakthrough

2011-07-01T07:08:00.004+02:00

We are, of course, constantly scouring the world to bring you news of developments in the treatment of pancreatic cancer, which is ultimately what this blog is about.

Our Edmonton correspondent, Margaret Gregson, has sent me an interesting item from the Edmonton Journal. It is about research being conducted locally into finding protein markers in the bodies of patients, markers which would enable treatment to be more closely tailored to the individual, reduce suffering and hopefully extend lives.

You can read the item by double-clicking here

This is a fine example of efforts going on all over the world to get on top of this appalling illness. If you have known a sufferer from pancreatic cancer, you will understand the need to find a cure or an effective treatment. Don't forget you can help by clicking on the "donate" button on this page.

Fine Tomorrow

2011-06-23T09:30:00.006+02:00

Not much being done in the way of walking at present. I still have a foot injury - plantar fasciitis or heel spur, I'm not sure which.

And the weather has been a disincentive as well. During VBW and also while I was training for it, I had to ignore the weather and just get on with it. No such obligation now.

For over a month the secheresse, or drought, has been well and truly put to bed. We have not had two dry days to rub together. If there was a fine day, it was followed by one, or more likely several, wet ones. The forecast has been promising a run of sunny days, but always next week.

Monday was fine. Tuesday really boiled up, much to the pleasure of the 3 Australian young men staying next door. But the humidity (because the ground was so wet?) mounted to the point where we could have been in Singapore or Brisbane. Then the thunder and lightning struck - and continued to strike for the next 12 hours. And it brought the rain, which is with us still. It will be OK tomorrow ...

The photographs are some I managed to snatch during the rare sunny intervals. The first two are in Quillan, the others in Mirepoix

You Can Save The Life Of A Child

2011-06-14T15:54:00.004+02:00

Yesterday Britain, together with several other countries and Bill Gates, clubbed together to raise 4 Billion dollars, pounds or euros, to ensure that children of desperately poor families in the Third World will get vaccines to protect them from diseases which are not known in our affluent society, and to save their lives.

Remember, we are talking about the lives of thousands of children who would otherwise never grow to adulthood. So it was particularly sickening to see vox pop on the BBC saying that this was a bad business -sending money overseas to save lives - and that charity should start at home. Even when home, even for the poorest people there, is immeasurably richer and healthier than for these poor kids who, if they survive, will be living in conditions worse than those experienced in Europe during the Dark Ages? I just hope the talking heads I saw were not representative of the general populace.

We can and should do more. And we don't need to wait for governments to do it for us. Do you know that today - and every day - 4,000 children will die because they drink dirty water. £2 a month from you will save one of those children.

I know times are hard, but they are not, and never will be, as hard as they are for these poor people. You could give up a pint of beer per month, or walk a little and save a couple of litres of petrol (and benefit your own health). Can you imagine what a buzz you will get from knowing that you have saved the life of a child?

WaterAid has one objective - to provide clean water to communities who otherwise never see any. You can find their website by clicking here

Snakes On A Plain

2011-06-07T11:03:00.004+02:00

I was out for a walk yesterday when I almost stepped on one of these. I didn't take the picture because I had forgotten to carry my camera. I borrowed the pic from here

I have a bit of a history of stepping on snakes, as various friends will testify. An adder in UK, an unidentified critter in Cyprus, I (almost) stepped on a copperhead in the Audubon National Park in Kentucky - Lorenzo caught my arm and halted my step just in time - and have had various adventures here in France. We have even had vipers in the house more than once and we now have an implement specially for picking them up and removing them to outdoors - the fly whisk just seems to make them angrier, I can't think why.

Fortunately this one, which slipped into the river and swam across as I watched, was a harmless grass snake - identified, after the event, by the lovely yellow band round its neck. And it was only a baby - nowhere near as big as this varmint.

What Is Happening To The Weather?

2011-06-02T10:05:00.004+02:00

The picture is of a dust storm during the Great Depression in America - reminiscent of "The Grapes of Wrath". Huge amounts of agricultural land in Oklahoma became a dust bowl and unusable, leading to starvation, appalling poverty and mass migration to California.

Is this what we are heading for? Here in France there have been pictures in the newspapers of farmers demonstrating their crops which are dying shortly after birth because of the lack of rain. In UK we hear it has been the warmest spring for donkey's years. Yesterday we had two emails from New Zealand saying that it had been the hottest May (autumn there) for 100 years. And one from Australia telling us that it has been the coldest May for 40 years. The wheat crop failed in Russia last year. There are fears the same is happening in Texas now. The tornado count in USA has dramatically increased this year.

Clearly weather patterns are changing all over the world. It is difficult to visualise what the future holds in this respect. Mass migration from one country or continent to another as new deserts form?

The good news, for us, is that, at last, after very little rain since the beginning of the year, we have had little else for the past few days. And the next few, it seems.

Quillan Sights

2011-05-21T15:19:00.006+02:00

Today we had our first decent walk since arriving home two weeks ago. 4 months worth of tasks have been claiming much of our time.

It was the old familiar route down into Quillan and up again, divided by a coffee. It took over two hours and it was hard and it was hot. A fall and climb of over 350 metres over rough, some say "nadgery" ground

The sun was shining nicely through this fountain in Quillan, which I have been meaning for some time to photograph in such light.

The building is the old bath house. There are people of my generation living hereabouts who, when they were young, whichever town they lived in, had to traipse along to such a building for their regular, or in some cases irregular, baths. Evnen our friend Josette, who lived in one of the large hotels in Quillan, had to take her turn - no chance of an en-suite then!

The man lurking behind the fountain is, in statue form, the priest Felix Armand, who led the effort to force a road through the Gorges de Pierre Lys, which start just outside Quillan, and which were impassable by vehicle until old Felix took up his pickaxe in 1776.

The Gorges now hold the road to the coast, and are pretty awesome to drive through.

The first picture is the view, taken on our walk back, across Quillan and straight down the Gorges.

IMF Crisis

2011-05-19T07:35:00.002+02:00

Here is the person I nominate to be the new head of the IMF. But we would have to see his birth certificate.

The Start - One Year On

2011-05-15T13:50:00.002+02:00

As Celine Dion sings "It's all coming back to me now".

One year ago today I set off into the unknown - to walk roughly 2,000 kms, mainly on my own. 70 days later I would celebrate my 70th birthday, and hopefully, arrival at the house where I was born.

I had never undertaken anything of this magnitude before but was confident - on very little evidence - that I could achieve all this. I had done my best, including 12,000 kms of training over two years.

The weather was not encouraging. A week earlier we had been deep in snow. This had cleared, but the day (along with most days during the walk) was somewhat cool. Unlike most of the rest of the trek, it was at least dry (at the start).

This year's weather would have been much more favourable - or at least I thought so until yesterday. Since the beginning of the year the weather here has been mild. Since we came home from our wanderings a week ago it has been mainly sunny and warm. But just to remind me, today is cool again.

Happy memories.

Vote For Pete

2011-05-12T14:01:00.001+02:00

My good friend Peter Labrow has made a very short but very professional video advertising his book "The Well".

The video has been entered for the International Movie Trailer Festival award. This award is a big deal and could really help Peter to promote his book in a massive way.

As I write this, "The Well" is lying second in the book category. If you take a look at the video you will be able to cast your vote for Peter. Watching the film and voting takes less than two minutes.

1: Go to:

http://www.internationalmovietrailerfestival.com/imtf/index.php/trailer-2011/

or double-click here

2: Scroll down to 'search trailers by any or all of the following methods'

3: Enter 'The Well' in the title

4: Click 'watch the trailer'

5: Click 'vote for this trailer'

Then just get your friends to do the same.

p.s. 2 days later the book is well clear in the book category and if we can all spread the word and round up the votes, Peter could go to the top overall. He is already on the front page of the listings. He is competing against professionally produced trailers - Peter has not only written the book he is promoting, he has, with the help of his son David and David's friend, produced his own video trailer.

A Tragic Epidemic Which Has No Survivors

2011-05-09T21:39:00.003+02:00

Recently, Gay and I were shocked to be told that an old friend from our running club had died from Alzheimer's, at the age of 55. Perhaps even more shocking was that he had been so stricken with this illness, so young, that he had been in a home for 5 years. The last time we saw him, he was a fit, and fast, man in the prime of life.

We thought this was something which only affects old people.

Of course, old people do get Alzheimer's, but more and more people are moving into the "old" category.

This year, the first of the Boomer Generation turns 65. To bring urgently-needed attention to the risk facing the Boomers, Alzheimer's Association recently released a groundbreaking study Generation Alzheimer's: The Defining Disease of the Baby Boomers.

They have put together a microsite about this. You really should look at it. Here it is:

http://alz-news.org

Alzheimer's does not only affect other people. This year, an estimated 10 million baby boomers will develop Alzheimer's in the USA alone.

We can change that.

A Tale Of A Toe

2011-05-08T15:24:00.004+02:00

Not a pretty sight, is it?

I realised this morning that my toenails need cutting - all of them. Not the sort of thing you would normally read in a blog, is it? I bet you wouldn't get that amount of detail in the Huffington Post. But this is a bit of a milestone for me because for the past 12 months I have only been trimming 9 out of the 10. And this has made me realise just how long toenail replacement takes.

Bear with me - if you are a walker or a runner, this is useful information.

I damaged the nail on my left big toe a couple of weeks before starting my Big Walk last year. The walk started on May 15. Since then, the nail blackened up, died, and was gradually pushed off by the new nail which grew underneath. This has happened to me before, especially when I was running and racing regularly. But I never had a specific date to remember so did not realise just how long the process takes. Much better to avoid the problem in the first place by having shoes with plenty of room for the toes - and to tie your laces properly.

We passed through England like a couple of rockets, then drove home through England and France, which made me realise yet again just how far I walked last year. We arrived yesterday afternoon and now face a mountain of post, a jungle of a garden and all the other prices one pays for 4 months away.

More Kennedy, Less Whales

2011-04-26T20:24:00.002+02:00

A week after visiting JFK's grave at the Arlington National Cemetery we visited the President Kennedy Library and Museum here in Boston.

There were many splendid exhibits and films of events from the era of Camelot, 50 years ago. There was plenty of coverage of the Cuban Missile Crisis, which made me realise for the first time that I played a very part in JFK's story. Much smaller, of course, than his effect on my life.

Today was supposed to be whale-watching day. Scheduled sailing time was 10 am but at 8 am visibility was 400 metres so we took a mist-check and went for a walk around Harvard instead. By coincidence, another connection with JFK.

Jan's Great Adventure

2011-04-26T20:18:00.002+02:00

I mentioned a few weeks ago about Jan's forthcoming walk on the South West Coastal Path. At the time, I thought she was going to start on April 5th.

Well, it seems that job-hunting forced a postponement but Jan is now all set to start the first section of the SWCP on May 5th. She has been for some serious walks in preparation and there is now plenty to read on her blog which you can find by clicking on "My Great Adventure" below and to the left on this page.

The Streets of Baltimore

2011-04-21T20:08:00.006+02:00

We have now completed our hectic week in Maryland. Sunday we went to Annapolis and had a splendid sail in the pictured 74 foot schooner Woodwind II, operated by the Kaye family. Highly recommended.

Tuesday I set foot on the streets of Baltimore for the first time since 1957, when I was there as a young radio officer in the Merchant Navy. Since then, Charlie Pride has recorded an excellent song called "The Streets of Baltimore". Amazingly, Joni and Les had never heard the song. You can avoid the same mistake by clicking on this YouTube address:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPD1yKPTzGM&feature=related

The police station pictured above is one specially created for the TV series "The Wire" and is the only rough-looking building in the street. In truth, Baltimore has been cleaned up, renovated and re-built out of recognition since my last visit.

Wednesday, we spent all day travelling to Boston. It is a one hour flight, but not if the aircraft you are supposed to be boarding is severely out of action.

Still, we arrived here yesterday evening and were met by Samantha and Matthew at Logan airport, then whisked first to an excellent pizza, finally to Samantha's apartment in Braintree.

Washington DC

2011-04-16T15:02:00.002+02:00

On Wednesday we transferred from Indiana to Washington. Jane and Lorenzo drove us to Nashville, where we enplaned for Washington Dulles. There Joni and Les picked us up and drove us to their home in Maryland, midway between Baltimore and Washington DC. We have deer virtually peering in the window.

Since Thursday morning have been immersed in a whirlwind of activity. Thursday we went to Arlington cemetery, where we stood by the gravestone and eternal flame of John F Kennedy, whose oratory and dynamism, along with that of Jo Grimond, awakened my political interests long ago.

Yesterday we had a tour by car of Washington itself, where we saw the White House and then had a tour of the Capitol building, including a brief visit into the observation gallery of the House of Representatives. A few minutes before entering the chamber we virtually brushed shoulders with Speaker Boehner.

Today we have been into Washington again and have spent several hours in the Spy Museum, which was very interesting. There were pictures in there of some buildings in which I have worked.

Joni and Les are killing us with kindness. Tomorrow we are to go to Annapolis. If the wind subsides we are booked on a schooner cruise on Chesapeake Bay.

The only walking being done is between the above places and the car and various eateries.

Groundhog Day

2011-04-11T14:58:00.003+02:00

We have been walking each day in the park which surrounds the State Hospital here in Evansvile. Just 7 kms a day, to keep our systems ticking over, For the past week, temperatures have been unseasonably high, beating records for the time of year. Yesterday, we were in the high 80s Fahrenheit, which is equivalent to 30 or so Celsius.

So it is not too surprising that we saw a groundhog in the park, emerging from its winter hibernation. But strange that the day we observed him studying the weather conditons was early one morning, just before the hot weather arrived - a day which started off at not much above freezing point.

Blackpool Mini-Munt

2011-04-02T23:29:00.004+02:00

There was a report in the newspapers yesterday that an earthquake had occurred yesterday in Blackpool. Blackpool was my birthplace and of course the finishing point of my big walk from the Pyrenees last year.

The reports said that the quake was only 2.2 but it toppled traffic lights and cracked a bridge. Despite the date (April 1st) this was a genuine earthquake, which are not as uncommon in Britain as one may think. We were in England for 5 days at the beginning of this year - during that time there was an tremor of 3.7 in Yorkshire - a few days earlier there had been a similar sized one in the Lake District. Apparently there have been 5 in the country during this past week. In 2008 a quake of 5.8, centred in Lincolnshire, was felt over much of the country.

But earthquakes are not so common in UK that they will change the language, as they have done in New Zealand. Christchurch has had so many quakes and aftershocks in the past 6 months that residents can generally tell you the value of each one as it happens.

The word "munted", meaning, to be polite, damaged, existed already. But now it is common daily parlance in NZ, along with its newly-minted (or was that newly-munted) derivatives "mega-munt" and "mini-munt". All three words being used to grade damage to buildings. Mega-munt is really bad news.

We are now far from Christchurch, having transferred, via Auckland, Vancouver, Chicago and Nashville, to the home of Lorenzo and Jane in Evansville, Indiana. This took us two Wednesday (because of crossing the International Date Line), an overnight stop in Vancouver, and a Thursday.

Jan's Big Walk

2011-03-28T23:07:00.005+02:00

I have added a link to another walk blog. You will find the link to "My Great Adventure" on the left hand side of this page, but here is the address so you can go directly to it.

http://jan-mywheniam50list.blogspot.com

Jan recently turned 50 and discovered walking. She took on one challenge, demolished it, turned to a far bigger one, and is due to start that on 4th April. The fact that she calls me a guru is not the only reason why I am encouraging her and will be following her with interest as she attacks the 600-mile South West Coastal Path Walk (in the UK). Her story is inspiring.

In 2007 she found herself facing the future with no partner, young adult offspring still living at home, and a home that she liked but did not feel was her own. I get the impression that the future looked a little frightening and that, like many women and men in such a situation – starting out on a new life in her middle years - she doubted herself and her ability to cope.

Her experiences working with young people and the realisation that she was not too afraid to face new challenges (such as rock-climbing!) started to boost her confidence and encouraged her to face her fears.

She listed things she wanted to do as she passed 50 last year. One of these targets was to walk 50 miles to celebrate her birthday, although she had never done anything so strenuous before.

So on 4th April 2010 she set off to walk from Faversham to Folkestone following the Saxon Shore Path. The walking bug claimed a new victim – not only did she reach her target but decided to complete the 160 mile route. She did this later in the year.

While researching the Saxon Shore Walk she came upon details of the South West Coast Path Walk and decided this should be her next challenge. She will walk from Poole to Minehead, probably in instalments. She has lost her job in the South-East and had hoped to gain a new one in the South-West, which would have given her the ideal base for her challenge. However, that job has fallen through. As some have pointed out, there are not 600 miles between Poole and Minehead – if you drive – but Janet will be walking round the coast, which is extremely indented. The official website divides the walk into 53 one-day sections.

Janet says she weighs 17stone and is very unhealthy. She loves food and is a bit of a fair weather walker. Her map reading and orienteering has, up until this point, consisted of an OS walking book and good friends. She has never carried a rucksack and is a very slow walker.

She has considered doing the walk for a charity but as she is “not technically doing it all in one go and it is purely for me to discover and confirm the real ME I feel that any suggestions for sponsorship would be misleading and hard to prove/verify”. She adds “BUT if you enjoy reading my blog and want to follow it and think I should do it for a charity then feel free to put some coins into a collection box of your choice when thinking of me!”

Please add Janet’s blog address to your favourites and follow her progress, encourage her with comments to her blog, and applaud her as she steps out on another adventure in her new life.

The picture is from the official website for the South West Coastal Walk Path

Godzone

2011-03-23T02:09:00.004+01:00

One week today we leave New Zealand, after a very pleasant 3 months punctuated by a one-week trip to Tasmania, a catastrophic earthquake in Christchurch.

Our walking, or rather mine, was interrupted by a damaged heel, but is now back to normal. We left Alexandra 10 days ago, spent one night in Christchurch, 5 in Akaroa - where we managed several strenuous Round the Mountain walks, and we have been in Hanmer Springs for 4 days. The weather has been closed in here, so we have so far accomplished only one Waterfall Walk (800 metres altitude).

As usual, we shall leave New Zealand with the feeling that this is, as they say here, Godzone (God's own country), and we shall certainly be back next year. Christchurch is largely in ruins, but it will be fascinating to see it rebuilt. And there is so much more in the country to see and experience.

This is the place to be.

On The Road Again ..

2011-03-10T00:50:00.005+01:00

... in two ways.

I mentioned that severe heel pain stopped me walking. We went to the Catlins for a week, staying with Lyn, Selwyn and Otto at Cardno's accommodation, as usual. Another thing that is usual there is that we have a daily morning walk from Kaka Point to the Nugget Point lighthouse and back - about 18 kms - which sets us up for the day. This time, not a step was walked. Gay managed to get a few runs in while I slothed around the house. Nevertheless, we had a wonderful week with the Cardno's, who have become very good friends. They are going to visit us in France next year, and we are even going to Paris with them - a place we have never been. This will be only their second trip overseas.

Last Friday we came back to Alexandra. Before leaving for Kaka Point, I had ordered some heel spur support cushions from Amazon. I asked for them to be delivered to Alexandra and when we returned after 7 days, they had already been here for several days - pretty impressive, over 20,000 kms.

The cushions, from LP Support, are made of gel and the bit directly under the heel bone is a void. I put them in my shoes and started walking. Since Sunday morning I have walked 100 kms in 5 days, and the heel has been better each day. I recommend these to anybody with heel pain.

And the second point about "On the road again"? Having just (more or less) got to grips with "Always on my mind", I am about to start learning to play this other Willie Nelson favourite on the guitar.

Crazy Colonel

2011-03-05T08:46:00.004+01:00

My foot injury is keeping me off the roads at the moment. This gives me more time to consider the odd things and strange people which seem to people much of the world.

And they don't come much stranger than Colonel Gaddafi, with his wild collection of designer frocks.

I have only ever met one Libyan. I was sitting next to him on a plane. We were speaking together of things Libyan, so I asked him what he thought of Gaddafi.

There was no hesitation. "He's a lunatic. Everybody in Libya thinks he's a lunatic".

But he has ruled Libya for over 40 years.

New Zealand Is Srill Open For Business ...

2011-03-02T05:01:00.002+01:00

... and so is my foot. I have made arrangements to see my podiatrist in Christchurch in a couple of weeks time. Not in the Central Business District, which is cordoned off to all visitors, on account of the continuing recovery effort and the danger of falling masonry. Over 750 buildings in the CDB will have to be demolished.

I think Nick will have to adjust my orthotics because, strangely enough, the problem which caused me to need them seems to be correcting itself. In the meantime he has given me some advice which - hooray - means that I can go for a walk tomorrow morning.

It is important to realise that, appalling though Christchurch's earthquake tragedy is, most of New Zealand is unaffected. It is still the most beautiful country on earth, with the most friendly people. Tourists should not stay away. In fact they need you more than ever. The cost of renewing Christchurch will be immense - 20 billion dollars being the starting point - and they need your money. And you need the balm for your soul which is provided by sights such as the above scene in Doubtful Sound.

Not Putting My Foot Down

2011-02-27T21:30:00.005+01:00

This walking holiday has suddenly turned into a cycling hol. I have a very painful heel. This is probably plantar fasciitis or, even worse, a heel spur. So I am unable to walk very far without a buildup of pain and increase in hobbling. It's a good job this didn't happen during the Big Walk last year.

I have a very good podiatrist in Christchurch so I would normally plan to visit him about my foot next time we are anywhere near the city. He operates from several different buildings. One of these is outside the city centre and was already condemned as a result of September's earthquake. Unfortunately, one of Nick's other bases is bang in the city centre, near the cathedral and the Grand Chancellor Hotel, now both in ruins. Naturally, even more than needing to see Nick professionally, I am very concerned for his health and welfare, but have been unable to contact him since last Tuesday's quake. We have our fingers crossed for him.

We are currently at Kaka Point in the Catlins. The photograph is of the Nugget Point lighthouse, visible from our window, although the camera is in this case 9 kms from that same window.I have to confess that Gay took the picture last year - because of my foot, I have not been able to walk out to the lighthouse this time.

Later. I have now heard from Nick, who was in the City Centre when the earthquake struck. Naturally, he says it was scary. He is now operating from the suburbs. I hope to see him in a couple of weeks, when we head north. Another problem will be getting accommodation anywhere near Christchurch. All surviving accommodation in the city is taken up with the task of accommodating the hundreds of volunteer police and rescue people who have come in from other parts of NZ and from abroad. Or with people made homeless by the earthquake. Many other towns have their accommodation full of Christchurch residents who have fled the city.

Christchurch Earthquake: Citizens Last To Know

2011-02-23T23:51:00.003+01:00

The dreadful news continues to pour out of Christchurch. Most of the city is still without electricity, so the population there have no access to news media or Internet. So they are mainly unaware of the size of the catastrophe.

They know what has happened to themselves and their immediate surroundings. They do not know that their city has been largely destroyed and that that there are multiple deaths.

The power should be on again within a few days, but the water supplies will take much longer. The sewage system is completely broken and will take weeks, months, or even years, to fix. In the meantime, they are not allowed to flush the toilet and will have to find other ways to dispose of their waste. There is obviously a great danger of cross-contamination between the broken sewage system and the water supplies, with consequent risk of disease.

One thing we, who hail from areas of the world not prone to earthquakes, are not aware of, is liquefaction. Solid ground turns to liquid mud.

And doesn't it warm your heart and renew your faith in youth, to see hundreds of students volunteering to help clear up areas badly affected by that liquid mud?

Taking A Bath

2011-02-23T00:13:00.002+01:00

It is odd, is it not, how often one can be discussing something obscure, only to have that same thing pop up before your eyes, maybe for the first time in years.

Recently, Gay and I were talking (for some reason) about bath-chairs. You know the sort of thing – a cross between a chaise longue and a wheelchair. Neither of us has ever seen one, but they frequently featured in cartoons, usually containing a crusty colonel in plus fours, wearing a scowl, a monocle, a cigar and (so that you would be in no doubt of his gout) a bandaged foot.

This week, our regular morning walk of 25 kms takes us past the pictured item, which can surely be described only as a bath chair. It is by the side of the river track from the Alexandra bridge over the River Clutha to the Clyde bridge over said river.

Is it a work of art or a place to rest awhile? Presumably both. Certainly not a place to keep the coal.

New And Worse Christchurch Devastation

2011-02-22T07:07:00.002+01:00

Today there was another earthquake in Christchurch. Unlike the one on September 4th last year, which was at level 7.1 (followed by thousands of aftershocks), this one was at 6.3, nearer the city centre and much nearer the surface. So the damage is much more severe. Many large buildings in the city have totally collapsed. Again unlike September's earthquake, which was in the middle of the night, this one was plumb in the middle of the working day.

So not only is there huge damage to buildings - including the cathedral, which has largely collapsed - but those buildings and the streets were full of people. The prime minister has already called this New Zealand's worst day. Although it is only a few hours since the quake - and already there have been many massive aftershocks, each one adding to the damage - 65 deaths have been announced. Experience from other earthquakes tells us that this will likely be only a fraction of the total.

It is appalling. Our friends and family around the world will be relieved to know that we are several hours drive from NZ (although the quake was felt here) so we are physically unaffected. We have many friends in and around Christchurch and so far we have heard from only some of them, who have damage to property but personal safety. We are worried about the others, of course.

Well, This Is A Bit Embarrassing ...

2011-02-21T05:14:00.002+01:00

... but totally my own fault.

In January, a gentleman whose name I can not remember e-mailed me. He said that we had met while I was doing my Big Walk. He had been inspired and had now decided to do a major walk of his own - I think it was the Pilgrims Way.

He asked if I had any advice to give him. At the time, being away from home, I had limited Internet access and a lot of e-mails to reply to. So I gave him one or two pointers and said I would get back to him when I was able to do so.

I am still away from home but at the moment have much better I-access. So I sat down to make contact with a view to offering more help. But I seem to have accidentally deleted his message and my reply.

So, if you are still out there, I apologise profusely and ask you to contact me again, I learned a lot during the 2,000 kms walk and the 2 years of preparation, and would be very happy to help in any way I can.

Genesis

2011-02-19T02:44:00.004+01:00

We are back where it all began - Vic's Big Walk, that is.

We are in Alexandra, Central Otago, South Island, New Zealand. In the summer, very often the hottest place in the country. In the winter, sometimes the coldest.

It was while walking in this area, and particularly on the Otago Central Rail Trail, in 2008, that I had the idea for my epic walk from the French Pyrenees to the North of England.

And here we are, doing the same thing - this morning we walked from Alexandra to Clyde, along the river trail, paused after 16 kms for my breakfast of one date scone, in the Post Office cafe at Clyde, then walked a further 10 kms back to Alexandra along the first section of the Rail Trail which then continues another 150 kms or so to Middlemarch. We have cycled the full length of the trail in previous years.

In 2008 I did not regard myself as a walker, but as a runner recently retired through injury, and suffering from withdrawal symptoms. Since then, I have walked approximately 15,000 kms. So I suppose I am now a walker

The picture, borrowed from the Rail Trail website, is of Muttontown Bridge, which we walked over this morning as we left Clyde. We believe the bridge is sponsored by dentists, who must get a lot of business from cyclists who have ridden over the bridge and had all their fillings shaken loose.

Pole to Pole

2011-02-12T05:00:00.002+01:00

After a week in Tasmania, we are back in Oamaru, New Zealand. While we were away, temperatures of over 40 degrees were recorded hereabouts. Now that we are back, we are gnashing our teeth because our favourite walks are blocked off because of logging activities.

Gay took the picture of these 300-metre vertical cliffs, which are on the southern edge of Tasmania. The boat we were in was the only thing between the cliffs and Antarctica, several thousand miles south.

We were accommodated in Hobart, the capital of the state. In Hobart they make much of being at 42 degrees south, as if that is near the pole. By a strange coincidence, our home is at 42 degrees north – that is near the French-Spanish border, which is not generally regarded as being in the Arctic regions.

Walk 6 Miles A Week And Keep Alzheimer's Away

2011-02-04T04:44:00.005+01:00

Greetings from Hobart, Tasmania. We have popped over here for a week to meet Gay's sister Dana. Then we are back to New Zealand until the end of March.

This morning I received an e-mailed newsletter fro Go4awalk.com, which is a site you should look at if you are interested in walking.

One of the items in the newsletter is about extensive research, conducted over 20 years at the University of Pittsburgh, which seems to show pretty conclusively that regular walking, or other types of physical activity, will preserve brain volume and keep Alzheimer's at bay.

The complete article from go4awalk.com follows.

It's official - walking is good for your memory

It's official - walking is good for your memory

Researchers working at the University of Pittsburgh have studied 426 elderly individuals over 20 years to see if regular physical activity could preserve brain volume and so reduce the risk of Alzheimer's.

During the course of the study, Dr Cyrus Vance* from the Department of Radiology at the University of Pittsburgh investigated the relationship between physical activity and brain structure in two groups of adults. One of these groups was comprised of healthy adults with an average age of 78. The individuals in the second group were cognitively impaired with an average age of 81. The distance walked by each patient every week was recorded.

Brain volume - which shrinks in late adulthood leading to impaired memory and an increase in the risk of dementia - was measured for each participant using MRI scans. As well as this, each participant undertook a Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) which is used to screen cognitive function. Walking activity was then correlated with brain volume measurements and MMSE scores.

The results were very encouraging - the researchers found that in 300 individuals walking at least 6 miles a week preserved brain volume and reduced risk of Alzheimer's by 50%. Furthermore, in people who already had the disease, the progression of cognitive decline, brain degeneration and memory loss symptoms were reduced by 50% over 10 years.

The researchers have concluded that it is really important that people with Alzheimer's and ageing - but otherwise healthy individuals - engage in physical activity such as walking on a regular basis.

By way of explanation of these results, Dr Raji says there is an important ' mind-body' connection involved in this ....physical activity improves flow of blood to the brain so brain cells have more oxygen and nutrients that help them stay healthy.

In a slightly different study** undertaken by another team also at the University of Pittsburgh, researchers studied a slightly younger (60s) group of healthy individuals. In this study the researchers were also able to show an increase in the hippocampus (the area of the brain associated with memory) and an increase in performance in memory tests associated with regular walking for just 40 minutes a day, 3 days a week.

Given the scale of the problem envisaged as our ageing population grows and therefore the number of people potentially with Alzheimer's increases - it's vital that there is a way of slowing the progression of this cruel disease. These studies appear to show that activities such as walking are a safe, effective ... and economic way of achieving this. And that has to be good news!

* From an interview with Dr Cyrus Raji from the University of Pittsburgh first broadcast on the BBC World Service on 30 November 2010. Study subsequently reported in Radiological Society of North America (2011, January 2).

** Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, January 31 2011

The King's Speech

2011-01-30T21:14:00.004+01:00

Just over 6 months ago, on the penultimate day of my big walk from the Pyrenees to Northern England, I walked past my old school, Baines’ Grammar. Of course this provoked many memories.

“Yappy” Yates was the Canadian who took us for PT and Hygiene. On February 6th, 1952, we had just finished a PT lesson. We were all in the changing room at the gym, in various stages of undress, some boys still in the shower. The school secretary, Mr Kirwin, came in and had a quiet word with Yappy (who was of course still dressed, in his white cricket trousers and a white t-shirt – the only t-shirt, at the time, that I had ever seen). They both looked shocked. Mr Kirwin then scurried off to pass the news on to another teacher. Yappy said, “Pay attention, boys. The news has just been announced that King George the Sixth passed away during the night. The King is dead, long live the Queen! You will all now stand to attention, and there will be two minutes silence.” Picture the sight of all these eleven and twelve year old boys, standing stock still, some dressed only in their socks; some still naked and shivering under the showers, which had of course been switched off as a sign of respect; some fully or almost dressed. And Yappy, dressed in the pseudo-athletic kit which he donned to watch others take exercise, rigidly at attention and holding in his stomach. Kings and Queens were still taken very seriously in those days.

The other day Gay and I went to see the film “The King’s Speech”, about the same king and his inability to speak in public. We came out of the cinema amazed at all the hype and the fact that this film has been nominated for numerous Oscars. It is a very average film. In the old days it would have been a “B” movie. In these days it should have gone straight to video. Save your money.

Last night we went to the wonderful small cinema at Akaroa here in New Zealand. The film was “The Ghost Writer”. We hadn’t heard much about this one but it was excellent. Much better than the other one. And the really good news is that Piers Brosnan was shot – something which should have happened when he tried to sing in “Mama Mia”.

It's A Mess

2011-01-24T23:43:00.002+01:00

We are getting some good 14 or 15 kms walks in, here in Hokitika on the New Zealand South Island West coast.

Many people think NZ is just off the coast of Australia, and as we gaze out to sea here, Australia is the next stop. But it is roughly the same distance as Manchester to North Africa. Not many in Manchester think they are just off the coast of Tunisia, do they?

And what mayhem is going on over there, weather-wise? Not to mention that on the other side of this island, Christchurch is still rocking with the earthquakes which started on September 4th last year - about 4,000 of them so far. NZ is a land of many earthquakes but until that date, Christchurch thought it was immune. The north of NZ has just had a weekend of flooding, caused by torrential rains and "king tides". The northern hemisphere seems to have been buried under snow for much of the past few months. What is going on?

Exterminate!

2011-01-17T02:22:00.003+01:00

We are now well-established in New Zealand, where, apart from a one-week trip to Tasmania, we shall be until the end of March.

On Friday we had our first cycle ride for about 18 months. While I was training for the big walk the cycles were surplus to requirements because, with several hours a day on foot, there didn’t seem to be much energy or time left for the bikes.

At over 30 kms, some of it quite hilly and half of it against a strong wind, the ride was a bit of an eye-opener.

As was this morning’s waterfall walk at Hanmer Springs. This takes about 3 hours, out and back, and rises from 340 metres to 800 metres, on pretty nadgery tracks. Our legs were fair wobbling on the way back. Last year, at about this same time, we did the waterfall walk every day for a week. I suppose that shows how fit we were then.

This is a land with no natural mammals, except for one type of bat. Of course since man, especially European man, came to stay, he has stocked the country with all sorts of domestic, farming, and predatory creatures. Most people associate New Zealand with sheep, but the animal which always catches our eye is the wapiti or American elk, which is farmed in large numbers here. Of course there are plenty of cows, a growing number of llamas and alpacas, but never before this week have we seen American bison. We haven’t even seen them in the US, where Buffalo Bill and his like reduced them from herds of multi-million animals to near extinction.

Unfortunately we didn’t get a picture of the bison because they were on the far side of a field, but we did get this snapshot of Dr Who’s Tardis and one of his Dalek arch-enemies, in Oxford.

Of course the Daleks and Buffalo Bill have battle-cry in common – “Exterminate!”

Step Change In Stepping Out

2011-01-05T17:20:00.005+01:00

We are in transit, our annual migration to Down Under. We drove up through France and stayed overnight with Pam and Bob, who we met through VBW. The next evening, before boarding our ferry at Ouistreham, we had dinner with Dale and Thérèse, who we also met because of the walk.

We have made a few visits in UK, including a couple of days in Ambleside with my eldest daughter Karen and her husband Kenny - they live in Saudi Arabia so we have not seen them for months. Tomorrow morning we fly with Singapore Airlines and the above lovely ladies to Singapore on the way to New Zealand. In Singapore we shall exchange the current European temperatures of just above freezing for roughly 30 degrees and v.v. humid. By Sunday we shall be in Christchurch, where they are still experiencing big aftershocks from the recent earthquakes. All part of life's rich pattern, as Beryl Reid used to say.

Walking has been a bit limited lately by colds, bad backs, snow and ice, and travelling. We expect a step change in activity levels, very soon.

Hats Off

2010-12-31T11:21:00.003+01:00

And so ends the year of my big adventure.

I was very surprised by the number of people who said to me, both in print and face to face, "Hats off to you, sir!", when they knew what I was doing. This seems quaint and old-fashioned, but I like it.

Similarly, in France I have frequently had the word "Chapeau!", which means exactly the same thing.

I am a hat-wearer myself and have a bit of a collection. It seems a shame to me that hat-wearing went out of style. It is particularly a shame in the area where we now live. Our local market town of Esperaza at one time had 36 hat factories. There were others in nearby towns. Now there are none.

But have you noticed that the wearing of hats is on the increase? Shops and market stalls have piles of hats. This very week we have seen people queuing to try on hats at Mirepoix market.

Tom Mix (above) would be pleased.

Well, Well, Well!

2010-12-27T08:20:00.004+01:00

Our old friend Peter T Labrow has been busy lately. Not content with putting in a full day and more at the coal face of his marketing business and watching his massive collection of DVDs, he has been writing his first book.

The Kindle edition of "In The Well" is now up and running on Amazon. The print version will be coming soon.

What is it about? Amazon has this to say:

Trapped. Missing. Cursed. Fourteen-year-old Becca Edwards and her stepbrother have fallen to the bottom of an ancient well. Their parents are away; they won't be missed for days. The predatory man who had been stalking Becca now switches his attentions to her best friend. Two women who know where Becca is trapped are desperate that she should never escape. Over the course of a week, family, friends and strangers are drawn together by a terrible shared fate - from which not all will escape.

'The Well' is a darkly gripping tale about how we respond to the hand fate has dealt us - and the consequences of our choices.

Set in Bankside, a quiet Lancashire town that hides many secrets, The Well deftly intertwines a story of supernatural horror with a tale of one of the greatest fears of modern life. As the book progresses, the two stories become one- driving relentlessly towards a single, thrilling finale. The Well is a fast-paced, riveting story that will grip you - and keep you guessing - until the very end.

Do you want to be in at the beginning of a new publishing phenomenon? You will find the book here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Well/dp/B004HB1XHM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=digital-text&qid=1293396173&sr=8-2

p.s. Peter points out that I have neglected to point out the role of my very own wife Gay, who test-read two earlier versions of the book. He says "all the test readers really helped to refine the book and give it much more depth, Gay's input was excellent."

Click Here

2010-12-25T09:16:00.000+01:00

Happy Christmas everybody.

Click here for a bit of fun:

http://gpsinformation.info/main/merryxmas.swf

End Of The World Part Three

2010-12-22T17:19:00.003+01:00

Our friend Valerie, who lives at Bugarach, is quoted in the Telegraph article mentioned in my last post.

She has now been approached by the Norwegian news agency, and is being interviewed on BBC Radio Five Live at 1725 GMT today.

With BBC iPlayer, you can listen to the programme (5 Live Drive) on your computer for the next 7 days.

You will find the programme here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/5live/programmes/schedules/2010/12/22

To use BBC iPlayer outside UK you must first download Expat Shield from here:

http://www.watch-bbc-iplayer.com/?gclid=CI_B5YGjgKYCFUENfAodllw3qQ

End Of The World Part Two

2010-12-22T11:28:00.004+01:00

The Daily Telegrarf has now got hold of this story. under the headline "
French village which will 'survive 2012 Armageddon' plagued by visitors".

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/ufo/8217001/French-village-which-will-survive-2012-Armageddon-plagued-by-visitors.html

The fame of the tiny village and the mountain of the same name spread. I am not sure the inhabitants will welcome this. It is likely to have the effect of attracting even more Noahs.

2012, December 21

2010-12-20T09:31:00.008+01:00

The Pic de Bugarach, at 1230 metres, is the highest summit in the Corbieres region of the Midi. It is roughly 20 kms from our home, as the bird flies. We can see it by walking up the hill to the Puivert castle.

There is something very strange about Bugarach. In fact there are many things very strange about it. The most obvious is that it is upside down - the oldest geological layers are on the top, which should not happen.

Many people believe that there is a colossal cavern under the mountain, with a huge lake, and a civilisation, earthly or otherwise, fully equipped with flying machines. Mysterious lights are to be seen hovering around the mountain at night. There are tales of close encounters.

The tales really are many and varied, but Bugarach has been hitting the news lately, at least in the local press, because it is featuring largely in the growing apprehension about 2012. I am sure you know that, according to some interpretations, the Maya predicted that the world will end in December of that year. A slightly less apocalyptic version is that the world as we know it will end, and a new era will begin.

Well, it seems that you should come to Bugarach, where you will be safe. It is one of the few places in the world which will be exempt from the destruction involved. This whole area is already home to many alternative, hippy types, attracted by the various Rennes le Chateau, Templar, Visigoth and other histories and mysteries. We are knee-deep in these people at the Sunday morning market in Esperaza. Strangers there have tried to engage us in conversation about 2012.

Now groups of believers are to be seen on the mountain, robed or sometimes completely disrobed, holding ceremonies and muttering imprecations. There are walking paths up, down and around the mountain but walkers are having to take unexpected breaks until the chanting is done and the paths cleared. A local information centre reports that 70% of those calling in to their office were randonneurs or walkers - now 70% are of a mystical persuasion. M. le Maire has been quoted extensively in the press, expressing his concern about the effect all these people are having on his area. Even the local housing market is being affected as, believing that Bugarach will be safe from the worldwide disaster, believers buy up houses so that they can move into this haven well before the due date.

The Emperor Strikes Back

2010-12-15T14:28:00.003+01:00

Vlad the unsmiling Czar of Russia (did you notice that he didn't even break into a smile while singing "Eye find meye treel on Blurbirry Heel", which flashed around the world's television screens this week) has been troubling me again.

You may remember that during my walk, he was sending his Siberian winds to shorten my stride (on my blog here and here).

Today he really outdid himself, probably because we all laughed so much about him "singing the blues". I think he is no stranger to retribution.

I walked home from Quillan. The temperature was minus 2 degrees Celsius. When I arrived at the Col du Portel, after climbing 320 metres, I also emerged from the woodland which had been protecting me from the wind. And the wind-chill factor.

The effective temperature must have dropped to minus 12 or so. I was wearing thick mittens, but completely lost the feeling in, and use of, my fingers. At some points the wind stopped me in my tracks. When I arrived home my legs and even my stomach were bright red, even though they had been protected from the wind by several layers of clothing.

This was one of the toughest walks I have ever undertaken. I am really glad I was walking only 18 kms and not 30 or more.

Brilliant In Provence

2010-12-14T11:13:00.011+01:00

We arrived back from Provence yesterday. Brilliant sunshine all the time, but very cold after the first amazing day at 19 degrees.

I am under strict instructions from "Tales from a Garden" to show photographs from our trip, so here they are.

Ups and Downs, Terrain and Temperature

2010-12-07T14:56:00.003+01:00

I haven't walked for a while because I have had a bad back and a cold at the same time. These aren't things which go together, as you find out when you sneeze.

So it was a bit of a weakened Vic who today walked home from Quillan. We drove there, of course, I had the usual coffee and tabnab, then I walked along to the barber's. We had seen Pierre in the cafe - he did seem to be dashing about and carrying things. I had been standing outside his shop for a few minutes before I saw the sign saying he would not be open today until 9.30. Being my normal early self, it was still not yet 8.30, the usual opening time. Gay by this time had driven home. I didn't hang around.

I am quite habituated to the 18 kms walk, with it's initial 6 kms climbing from 290 metres to 600 metres. I had to pause on the really steep bits, but it was the effort required for the small hills at the end of the walk which made me realise (yet again) that a cold can really take it out of you, not to mention that a bad back can be quite debilitating.

We were covered in snow a few days ago, but two or three days above freezing have cleared it away completely. Today the temperature is 15 degrees and tomorrow it is forecast to rise to 17, although it will plunge back to 5 or so on Thursday.

We are off to Provence for a few days, so it is likely to be even higher than 17 where we are going.

I Can Still Read

2010-12-03T10:33:00.001+01:00

I was talking to Bob Lim last night on Skype. He asked about my eyes. When I told him the latest he reminded me that I had not mentioned this on my blog and that people could be interested. He's right.

To remind you, last November I went along, I thought for a new pair of specs, only to find myself sent to the eye hospital for a diagnosis that I am in the process of completely losing my central vision. I will reach a stage where everything looks to me just as it does on the tv screen when they have blanked out faces to preserve anonymity. I will not be able to see faces and, appallingly, I will not be able to read. My eyes are pretty much well down this road due to a condition called pattern dystrophy. I have had the condition for a very long time and it is just now approaching a serious level. I mentioned it on my blog because there was a possibility that it could seriously affect the Big Walk - and in fact it did so because I could not read maps and my ability to walk on rough and uneven ground was severely compromised.

I went for a checkup this November and found, to everyone's surprise, that there has been no measurable deterioration since last year, which is better than the best possible expected outcome. A year ago I was told that not only is there no treatment, but that the only thing which coould "possibly" slow down the rate of deterioration by "up to" 40% was the consumption of Omega 3 in quantity. Since then I have been taking some special Omega 3 eye tablets and also have retreated from being a strict vegetarian and have been consuming fish. This, or something, has done the trick, although I understand that I should not expect the problem to have stood still - it is just having a rest before resuming the onslaught.

Biology Lesson

2010-11-24T15:43:00.007+01:00

We arrived home from Cyprus in the wee small hours of this morning. Temperature yesterday was 27 degrees, today it is 3 degrees, but a lovely sunny day.

These extraordinary photographs are some which Gay took during a walk in Polis Chrysochous while we were away. I didn't have a strong enough Internet connection to show them before.

I know that biologists need to pickle creatures in formaldehyde to preserve them for study, but I have never seen specimens hanging on a fence before. They include are all sorts of giant insects and many varieties of snake.

Of course I am not sure that they are in formaldehyde. They are probably preserved in the all-purpose Cyprus alcohol zivania, the equivalent of Italian grappa. In Cyprus it is used for drinking, cleaning windows, rubbing on afflicted bodily parts - so why not for specimen preservation and display?

Greetings from Cyprus

2010-11-21T10:10:00.003+01:00

We are in Cyprus for a week. Most of our walking is being done between Polis Chrysochous (where we are staying) and the harbour at Latsi. We lived in Polis for 8 years and it is also 8 years since we left. There have been many changes in that time, notably in the amount of building going on, the price of houses, and the price of eating out. Still, we have spent a happy week renewing old friendships and wallowing in nostalgia.

The weather is excellent, about 27 degrees every day so far and set to remain so until after we leave on Tuesday.

This picture was taken in Paphos during our journey from the airport. Cyprus has entered more and more into the Christmas spirit every year since we first came here on holiday long ago. Santa looks a little incongruous among the palm trees, does he not? Especially at eight feet tall and being particularly grimy - that beard and the white trimming on his suit were not made for such a dusty place.

Al's Big Walk

2010-11-13T15:05:00.003+01:00

I am a bit late with this photograph.

Nicola has just emptied her camera for the first time since the summer.

This is one of my grandson Alessandro, who one day decided that he was going to join me in VBW, and dressed appropriately. How wise of him to wear two caps, and to put the rucksack on his front, where it is much easier to get at the goodies within.

As always, you can increase the size of the photograph by double-clicking on it.

A Tale Of Two Haircuts

2010-11-11T14:20:00.005+01:00

The pictures were taken in Chalabre this morning. Nice day, isn't it?

Yesterday was much gloomier, in more than one way. We drove to Quillan, to visit the market and for me to have a haircut before I walked home to Puivert (18 kms).

There was not much market because it was very wet.

I have a haircut about every 3 weeks. Last time, my friendly barber Pierre told me that a friend of his had just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Yesterday I asked Pierre how his friend was doing. "Il est mort," he said. Pierre was obviously very upset about the death of his friend and how quickly it had happened. Indeed it is very sad. Unfortunately it is the norm.

Pancreatic cancer is swift and savage. This is why it is so vital to fund research to find a cure and/or early diagnosis. And why I would like you to divert some of the money you would otherwise waste on the Annual Shopkeepers' Festival, as Clive James called it, and to put some instead into the fund I have set up for that purpose. The money arrives very swiftly with Pancreatic Cancer UK, where it is applied to good effect.

The Recession And Carcassonne

2010-11-09T17:24:00.006+01:00

Not getting much walking done this week as we still have Jean visiting.

The weather hasn't been too brilliant, but this morning was lovely and sunny so we took the opportunity to go sightseeing in Carcassonne. For those who don't know, this is a complete mediaeval walled city and one of the major tourist attractions in France. But we have never seen it so quiet as we have today. This confirms what we have been hearing from other sources, that the recession is really biting and local businesses are reeling. None of this will have been helped by the recent spate of strikes over the increase in pension age. For instance, foreigners have been reluctant to fly here because they didn't know whether they would be able to get home. Even people already in France and with an inclination to travel have been frightened of ending up far from home with a dry petrol tank.

An Early Bath

2010-11-07T17:35:00.002+01:00

We have been away for a quick visit to England to see Mary Chapin Carpenter in concert in Buxton. I used to live not far from there and frequently drove through Buxton, or rather round it. I have never before walked into the centre of town and was very pleasantly surprised. A lovely little echo of Bath.

Mr and Mrs Septimus joined us for the concert and for an overnight stay in the quirky Buckingham Hotel, with its amazing breakfast (for example, a choice of 35 cereals), and its 5 minute walk to the splendid Opera House.

The next day, Gay and I went up to the North East to spend a few days with her two brothers - or rather the two who live in England.

When we came back to France on Friday, we had Jean Dolan, a friend from the running club, with us. This is why, for a change, we had company as we did our now traditional Saturday morning walk to Quillan and back.