This is my all-time favourite scene and song from a movie…EVER!!! Mary Poppins is my absolute favourite film, without a doubt its what inspired and delighted me in my first hours in England; the chimney pots, and prompted me to exclaim “I could live here” – I’d been in England for approximately 2 hours when I said that, and I’ve never looked back or changed my mind…except for occasionally threatening to move to Italy or Portugal on shitty weather days – like today 🤔 😅
I’ve sat on the steps of St Paul’s cathedral, in as close to this position as possible and had my hot chips, on one of my many forays into the city. I can never get through listening to or singing this song without crying. Even as I think about it, it brings tears to my eyes. And I’m not even sure why…coz I don’t like pigeons😳 😂😂😂
Time is such a weird construct! It feels like yesterday I posted my previous blog, but it’s been absolutely months!!! It doesn’t feel that long, and yet so much has happened in the past 9 months that I can hardly comprehend it. Starting with current events; my daughter’s father passed away on Saturday 20th and although he and I have not been in a relationship for over 43 years, his death has raised all sorts of emotions. My daughter is absolutely exhausted with crying and feels bereft at his loss. There are so many emotions it’s difficult to untangle them all. Sadness because she hasn’t had a very long or close relationship with him since they first met in 1995. Sadness because he lived in South Africa and for the last 20 years she has lived in the UK with only the occassional trip back to SA to visit. Sadness because he will now miss all his grandson’s life events…like first day at school. Frustration and a bit of anger because he chose to not have treatment when cancer was diagnosed. Although she obviously respected his decision, it was frustrating because he chose some quackery treatment instead of treatment that could have given him many more years….or maybe not. And there is the sliding door. We just don’t know. The grief of losing a parent, even if they’re not close. The sudden realisation that one of her parents has died…it’s the next level. Grandparents die and then parents. That raises all manner of fears.
We had a replica Spanish Galleon visit our little harbour recently. It is just magnificent and I was really sad to see it go. We boarded for a visit and loved exploring. My grandson was full of questions about everything and took it all in.
Just over 3 weeks ago I camped out on The Mall for my first ever coronation. Not that I am a supporter of Charlie and his ex-mistress, but I am a fan of the British pomp and pageantry that they do so well. Oh my gosh, those bands and the horses. Amazing. And the coach was fabulous. I’ll do a blog on this fab fab event at a later stage.
I have two additional ‘grandson’s in the form of new kittens that my daughter and family have adopted!! They are just so cute! One is ginger and the other pitch black. They are so cuddly and my human grandson just loves them to bits.
I have just come through what has to be the most unbearable winter I have ever experienced. I moved into a new flat last year in April and had the pleasure of enjoying summer and my garden….although that didn’t last too well in the summer heat last year and much of it was obliterated in the heat. The only saving grace I had is that I work away as a live-in Carer for 2 weeks of every month…somehow that helped me to cope… by God it was cold. I spent most days in bed with the electric blanket on just to get warm! Some days it was so cold that I could see my breath even though I was in bed with the electric blanket on! I would not have coped if not for the government handout for those awful 6 months. My flat is semi-basement and has little to no insulation.
My daughter and I were in the papers…not national news, but a small article about having a ‘cheap as chips’ (my expression, not the reporters!) funeral plan. I had recently (last year) decided that when I die I do not want a fancy smancy funeral that costs thousands of £s.
But wanted the cheapest possible exit. So to that end I did some research and discovered the cheapest plan; what they refer to as a direct plan, and coincidentally a reporter was looking for people who had decided on that route to interview. So I contacted her and we got our/my story into the papers. Frankly I’d much rather my daughter got as much of my money as what I have left, than it goes to a funeral home for what? flowers and a fancy coffin, hymns etc etc…no they can have a private memorial service/get together/knees up Mother Brown type affair afterwards if they wish. But no funeral. I can’t imagine anything worse!
The Queen died last year in September. It threw me into a massive spiral of grief. I attended her lying in state to say my good byes and attended her funeral. The Queue as it became known was incredible. The spirit of goodwill was impressive and made the hours of standing bearable. Entering the Great Hall and seeing her coffin on the dias was almost overwhelming; the atmosphere was reverent and respectful. Camping out on The Mall for the funeral was just extraordinary, and when her coffin came past you could have heard a pin drop it was so hushed.
I’ve semi-retired myself now LOL and try to not work more than 2 weeks of each month but it does require quite a lot of sacrifice…. like no long distance walks or spontaneous trips away. But the upside is that I get to spend a lot more time with my grandson, and when I’m home, I have him for the day on Monday and Thursday. I take him to his activities, and once a month, I take him for horse-riding lessons. He loves them…and is so very confident on the horse, it’s an absolute delight to see.
I’ve finally started writing my memoirs. This in itself has raised all manner of emotions that I’m grappling with. I think it’s going to be a fairly long-term project, but after the death of my daughter’s father, I feel the need to hurry it up. So to that end I’ve been writing away like mad, and the last few days I’ve been compiling a list of all my favourite songs from when I was about 9 years old, till more recently.
I’ve travelled to some amazing places in the last year for work and added to my growing list of Domesday Book places visited. I’ll have to write a few blogs about these places for sure. Some of them are so beautiful. I also had the joy of working in Richmond for 2 weeks. Although the job itself was quite challenging, being able to take a long walk through Kew Gardens and along the banks of the Thames from Kew to Rochmond was blissful. I used to love walking that route when my daughter and I lived in Richmond….many years ago.
I’ve now completed 26 Conqueror Challenges and am slowly working my way through another 3. It’s been more of a challenge lately due to my flat….having a place to call home has been so amazing that I can hardly tear myself away, and my walking has fallen by the wayside.
Talking of home; I’ve taught my grandson how to make pancakes LOL and now whenever he spends the day at my place, we have to make pancakes. He is so proud of himself for remembering all the equipment and all the ingredients. It’s such fun!
So yeah, life has been both eventful and normal. The years are flying by and I’m 2 years closer to 70 than I was last year. Going forward, I had been planning on walking the Portuguese Coastal Camino for a 2nd time in September with one of my younger sisters.
But…it seems that she may not be able to do it after all….even though we’ve been planning it for the last 2 years. So we shall have to wait and see. If however we do not walk it, I’m going to do the South Downs Way instead. My grandson starts school this year (dear God, he’s far too young) and life is going to change quite a lot when he is on a Monday to Friday schedule. I’m definitely going to keep his school breaks for planning trips and adventures and have already diarised the whole school year’s trips into my diary.
I have a new computer now and hopefully once I get all my photos sorted (over 5,500 still on my phone LOL) I’ll start blogging in earnest again. Sorry I’ve been away so long, I truly do not know where the days go! and some days I think my father was right….time goes quicker the older you get. Is it maybe something to do with our mortality? We are racing towards the end of our time on this planet, and as the years go by, you start to realise that actually….the sands of time are running out.
Hello 👋👋 I’m back. And it done. Yes, I reached Banks at Fort Maia (aka Bowness on Solway) at 15:14 yesterday 21.09.21 😀
Banks at Fort Maia
The first thing I did was phone my daughter and sob 😄😄 We had a lovely long chat and she did a photo of me at the hut via WhatsApp video. Technology eh!!
Crazy lady via WhatsApp video 😁😁 it looks like I’m holding the hut up!! 🤪🤪
So I guess this post is jumping the gun a wee bit since I haven’t really posted much about my journey since 1st September when I started my journey at the Scottish border near Berwick Upon Tweed…but I really wanted to share this with you now, and later I’ll jump back in time and update you on my adventures.
In summary it’s been an amazing experience. Hard at times with days when I hit a wall of exhaustion, but other days that were a sheer joy.
Oh the things I have seen and the places I have been….every day a new door to open on vistas and adventure. And have I had some amazing adventures….but all will be told in time.
Meanwhile, here I am at Banks at the end of the 84 miles National Trail of Hadrian’sWay, and finally I can legitimately wear my cap 😁😁 ‘I’ve Walked Hadrians Wall’.
😃😃
I have to give a shout out to Gemini, my walking poles. Without them I would not have been able to complete the walk. They saved me from stumbling (many times), helped me haul myself up inclines, and steadied me going down vertiginous descents. They kept my balance on rough paths and helped me jump over muddy puddles. They are invaluable and I am so grateful for their constant presence…they are like an extension of my body now, and we’ve been walking together for 5 years. Unlike me, they’ve had 3 sets of new feet and still going strong.
I’ll get onto my laptop soon and catch up….from the Scottish Border near Berwick Upon Tweed on the east coast of Northumberland, to the west coast of Cumbria; Bowness on Solway – 421 kms (263 miles) North to South along the Northumberland Coast Path and East to West along Hadrian’s Way.
Done and dusted (except for 12kms between Craster Harbour and Alnwick…but more about that later 😄😄
Day 1 done and dusted 😁😁 I had a completely uneventful journey, ever so quick from King’s Cross to Berwick…and boy are those trains fast!!
Arrived in Berwick to the most glorious weather and scooted quickly over to the castle ruins. I didn’t go right into the keep coz it closes at 4pm and I got there at just on 3.54…but I had a good look around and then headed back up the million steps I’d just walked down 🤪🤪 Google maps doesn’t show how steep some places are!!
The River Tweed Tweed Castle The Royal Bridge
The Airbnb is lovely and the host is amazing…there’s a gorgeous ginger cat and a beautiful golden labrador, so I have had lots of kisses and cuddles.
My bed for the next 3 nights
As soon as I had dropped off my backpack, I grabbed my day pack and headed north yo the Scottish border. OMG what a path!! The views were spectacular but the path was hell!! For the most part it ran right along the very edge of the cliffs with just a tuft of grass between the walker and the vertiginous cliffs that fall 100s of feet down to the sea. The North Sea in case you wondered.
Spectacular. The weather turned soon after and the clouds came inPart of #notthecoastpath 🤣🤣
A local suggested I walk along the above ‘path’ because the real path “is a bit rough, and this is a lovely wee walk” – well he wasn’t wrong about the path, but this was no better and I crossed the edge of a potato field to the path as soon as I could. I’m thinking he’s never walked to the border before…
Now this was more like it…leading away from the Scottish border, it was a joy to see this…if only the whole route had been the same
However, despite the awful path and the daunting propect of a twisted ankle on a very narrow and uneven path, and the fading light, I’m so glad I made the effort to walk up to the border and back
Welcome to Scotland 😁😁English borderIt was so cool to cross through the gate into Scotland
The views are absolutely spectacular.
I’m standing on the path!!! A twisted ankle or a trip and you’d be in for a swimLiterally right on the edge
Once I got back to town I had a quick whizz around and walked a small section of the town ramparts, which are just amazing with awesome views of the river and estuary.
Town wallsWalking the ramparts Fantastic viewsGuarding the town
I got back to the b&b at just on 9pm and having missed the fish and chip shop, I had 2 cup a soup and a cup of tea.
In all a terrific start to my Northumberland Coast adventure. Just on 17kms covered.
My walk
I’ve added some of the history of Berwick in case you’re interested 😉
Berwick is just four miles south of the Scottish Border, but during the last 300 years, control of the town swapped 13 times between England and Scotland. Berwick’s Elizabethan town walls are the most intact in England, and were Elizabeth I’s biggest and most expensive project during her reign to keep firm control of this key town.
Situated at the mouth of the River Tweed near the border of two kingdoms, the town of Berwick suffered centuries of conflict, as control of the town passed back and forward between England and Scotland until the late 17th century. Each crisis brought repairs and improvements to the fortifications, culminating in the great artillery ramparts begun in 1558. These survive largely intact and make Berwick one of the most important fortified towns of Europe.
Berwick’s town walls are its most famous piece of architecture and still stand strong today, hundreds of years after they were built. Berwick actually has two sets of walls, the first set (of which only fragments now remain), commenced by Edward I, was two miles long. The later Elizabethan Walls (which are still complete) are a mile and a-quarter in length. The ramparts completely surround the town, with four gates through which entry to the town is enabled.
Berwick’s Elizabethan Walls are the only example of bastioned town walls in Britain and one of the best preserved examples in Europe. When built in 1558 – designed to keep out the marauding Scots who regularly laid claim to the town – it was the most expensive undertaking of England’s Golden Age.
I’d like to extend a massive, humongous, enormous 😊😊😊 thank you to every single person who has stopped to read what I have to say. You are all very much appreciated.
When I first started blogging nearly 12 years ago, I had no idea what to write about and no idea of the journey I would go on.
It’s been fits and starts with massive gaps inbetween where I just didn’t get to write, and other times when I’m able to write every day.
I first started this blog on 21 October 2009, my sister’s birthday as it happens, although the coincidence has no relevance, it was just the date I started.
I had another blog before this one, but I really can’t remember what happened to it 😅😕
Over the years I’ve developed a passion for walking, so of course those adventures have become my main theme. Travel too, and there are loads of posts about my travels over the years. I also, unbelievably, have 143 posts in draft 🤔🤔🤔 Most of which are probably quite irrelevant by now.
Some of my posts have passed under the net unnoticed and unread, but others have garnered a substantial number of views.
The all time favourite seems to have been Twickenham on a hot summer day written on 11 July 2010, and still gets views all these years later. Weird.
The most popular day was 26.12.2012, and I still have no idea why!! I’ve written 956 posts 😮😮 some verbose, others just a brief jot, and 52,000 people have visited my site…quite accidentally I’m sure 😁😁 and headed out quicker than a jack rabbit. But many have stayed, read a while and left comments (which I totally love ❤❤) and I thank you for that. I’ve also had to block quite a few nuisance callers, and once I installed akismet, it reduced the huge volume of spam comments I used to get 😱😱😱
Although I’ve learned a lot in the interim, I still haven’t quite come to grips with keywords, key phrases and ranking. Possibly because my posts are mostly so random with no real theme, order or organisation. My biggest beef is the developers that keep ‘improving’ their programmes and when they do that, I’m left back at square one trying to relearn everything. Drives me mad. I’m not a fan of the current upgrade, and a few choice words fall like pearls from my lips from time to time 😁😁😁
Since I started the blog I’ve become a granny, seen my daughter married to an amazing man, moved to the coast, travelled extensively around the UK, both for my job and my personal desires, been to a royal wedding, become a British citizen, met new friends, become an aunt to 7 kiddies, attended the 2012 London Olympics and lived through the insanity that was/is Brexit, flown in a helicopter and a Spitfire, attended the 2016 400th anniversary of the Great Fire of London and the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, amongst much else. But those are the highlights.
My passions are the same, I’m 12 years older, albeit not much wiser…and my bones creak at lot more than they did back then!
Thank you all for dropping by and visiting, I appreciate you one and all. 😊😊
Reading through this information, I’m left thinking that some people need their heads read!! I know I push myself and I’ve done some crazy shit when on my long-distance walks, but I would not want to do any of this. Thank the lord it’s a virtual climb and I don’t ACTUALLY have to do this 😁😁😁😄 instead I was whizzing around Salisbury
Exploring Salisbury – far more my style ☺
Starting out with an easy hike, I nearly missed the iconic yellow and red sign against a huge boulder simply stating “Way to Everest B.C.” with a big red arrow beneath the words pointing towards base camp. At least I was certain I was on the right path.
After what felt like hours of trekking, the treacherous Khumbu Icefall loomed into view spilling its way down the valley between Everest and Nuptse. Khumbu Icefall sits at the head of Khumbu Glacier, a constantly moving sheet of compacted ice. As the glacier makes its way down the valley it fractures, creating deep crevasses that are always in motion and large towers of ice called seracs that are known to suddenly collapse. Making the final ascent I arrived at the cairn adorned in prayer flags with its rudimentary sign signalling that I have arrived at Everest Base Camp (17,477ft/5,327m). It was located on a scree-covered section (loose broken stones) at the foot of Khumbu Icefall. I settled into one of the yellow tents and mentally prepared for the high altitude acclimatisation process I would begin to endure.
As sea-level dwellers our bodies are not designed to live at high altitude but we are certainly capable of adapting to it through appropriate acclimatisation. The higher we go, our bodies go through physiological changes by producing more red blood cells in order to carry more oxygen to our muscles and organs whilst combating the thinner air.
The acclimatisation process on Everest is lengthy taking up to a month and done by exposing the body to higher and higher altitude then descending to sleep, recover and overcome any signs of acute mountain sickness due to sudden changes in altitude.
High altitude sickness can affect any person regardless of fitness or age. Ignored or left untreated altitude sickness can have serious consequences including fatality by developing either into cerebral oedema or pulmonary oedema which is fluid build-up in the brain or lungs. Some of the immediate ways to treat altitude sickness is by taking specific medication, supplemental oxygen and/or descending.
During that month I climbed and returned to base camp three times with each climb going higher. It looked something like this: 1. Base camp to icefall, return to base camp. Have a day of rest. 2. Base camp across icefall to Camp 1 and stay; then Camp 2 return to Camp 1 for sleep; then Lohtse Face return to Camp 2 for sleep; and descend back to base camp. Have four days of rest. 3. Climb to Camp 1 and stay; then Camp 2 and rest the next day; then Camp 3 return to sleep at Camp 2; and descend back to base camp. Have five days of rest and wait for the right weather to summit.
The anticipation was over and the much awaited good-weather window presented itself for the final part of the expedition: Summitting Everest.
Starting in the wee hours of the morning, geared up and harness on I negotiated my way through the camp under the light of my headlamp to Crampon Point and attached my crampons to my boots.
Staring out at Khumbu Icefall with a good dose of mixed emotions I began the perilous yet now more familiar climb across. Crevasses were crossed on horizontal ladders and towering ice blocks on vertical ones. Some crevasses were so wide that more than one ladder had to be tied together to bridge the gap. For safety I was clipped into fixed lines. If I was to lose my footing on the ladders and fall the fixed lines would help break my fall. Climbs in some areas fluctuated between 20 to 60 degree angles but there was no time to dwell as the ongoing shifting and settling of the glacier and icefall was a constant reminder how unsafe the area was and moving quickly was necessary.
Several hours passed crossing the icefall till I made it to a large flat expanse of snow with more ladders to climb all the way to Camp 1. Situated at 19,390ft (5,910m), Camp 1 was in the middle of the Western Cwm (Cwm is Welsh for valley), a broad and flat glacial valley. From here I could see the Pumo Ri Mountain to the west and Lhotse Face straight up the valley. I then climbed on to Camp 2 about 1.74mi (2.8km) further up from Camp 1. Located at the base of a gully on scree, Camp 2 was well provisioned and is often considered as Advanced Base Camp. I stopped for a day of rest.
Early next morning I began making my way across the Western Cwm to the base of Lhotse Face where I had to cross a short ladder over a bergschrund (a deep crevasse where the steep slope meets the glacier). Lhotse Face is a 3,690ft (1,125m) glacial wall of blue ice. Sections of Lhotse Face average 40 degrees incline thereby needing to kick my crampon points into the ice to secure my footing. Throughout this climb I was clipped into a fixed line which was attached to the face with ice screws and anchors. I could feel the altitude change, my breathing labouring as I slowly and steadily climbed my way into Camp 3. I was now at 24,015ft (7,320m) gaining an elevation of 6,538ft (1,993m) from base camp. There were several camping spots here, essentially wherever one could find a flat spot to pitch a tent. I remained fixed to my safety line. The sun was up bestowing me with glorious views of the valley below, the peak of Pumo Ri and the others beyond.
Quite honestly, that all just sounds like a lot of hard work – so for me, its a no thanks. I’ll stick with my virtual journey and leave this to someone else. Seriously?? Why would anyone want to do this??
I finally found a bit of space to start reading up on the Mt. Everest virtual challenge which I completed last month, and although I had decided to not post any further posts about the various challenges I’m following, this was so very interesting that I changed my mind and so here we go….I hope you enjoy reading more about Everest and what the climbers who actually go there experience. So often we read or hear about climbers and teams of people who climb Mt Everest but we seldom read about the finer details. So this has been really interesting.
I actually started the challenge in Ramsgate on the 10th February on the tail-end of the ‘beast from the east’ snow storm. So this is a bit behind the actual times 😉 But since it’s not real anyway, it doesn’t really matter…anyway, I hope you enjoy reading these posts…
Where I actually was….pretty realistic really
Flying into Kathmandu is a walk in the park when compared to Lukla. Dubbed as the most dangerous airport in the world, Lukla’s runway is a mere 1,729ft (527m) long, with mountainous terrain to the north and a steeply angled drop to the south. It is built on a 12% uphill gradient to help planes slow down. There are no go-around procedures if the planes miss their approach, as such only highly experienced pilots with short-takeoff-and-landing missions under their belt, experience in Nepal and ten flights in Lukla with a certified instructor, are permitted to land at the airport. In a nutshell if climbing Everest doesn’t cause prickles on the back of your neck, then a high intensity landing in Lukla certainly should.
Where I wasn’t really 😁😁 Stage 1
In 2008, Lukla airport was renamed Tenzing-Hillary Airport in honour of Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, the first climbers to reach the summit of Everest. Hillary was instrumental in the construction of the airfield in Lukla, building an unsurfaced airstrip on a mountain shelf in 1964. It took 37 years to finally asphalt the runway.
Home to 1200 people, the village sits at 9,383ft (2,860m) above sea level, nestled on a small plateau amongst the awe inspiring mountain peaks of the Himalayan Ranges. The nearly 40mi (64km) trek to Mount Everest, skirts steep mountainsides, through deep valleys and over alpine glaciers. The hike travels through small villages and teahouses, past prayer wheels and fluttering prayer flags to the memorial site honouring mountaineers and Sherpas who lost their lives climbing the mountain, continuing to Base Camp and then the final summit climb. Leaving the viewing platform of the Lukla airport, I made my way through the centre of town on a narrow street that was sometimes cobbled and sometimes just compacted soil. Double-storey buildings lined the street filled with shops, teahouses and lodging services.
Shortly after leaving the village I passed through the National Luminary Pasan Lhamu Memorial Gate which was built to honour Pasan Lhamu, the first Sherpa woman to summit Everest in 1993. It is the gateway to the Khumbu Region that encompasses the Sagarmatha National Park and the Nepalese side of Mount Everest.
It was a gradual downhill hike, passing through a forest on narrow paths with the colossal mountainside ever present to my right. I continued on this downward hike, on a trail that wound itself up and down, passing through villages with teahouses until I reached Phakding, a small village that lies in the Dudh Kosi river valley. Here was the first of many suspension bridge crossings. The bridge, about 100ft (30m) above the river, stretched across what seemed to be an old landslide with large boulders and debris settling beside the river. As the bridge swayed and moved beneath my feet, I pondered about those whose fear of heights may find the crossing challenging. This isn’t the tallest suspension bridge on this trek, that is yet to come.
Finally reaching the small village of Benkar with its tin-roofed, brightly painted window frames, four-storey residences/storefronts, I settled into one of the teahouses for a meal. Known to aid with altitude adaptation I had garlic soup with Tibetan flat bread. Between the warmth of the soup and the crusty on the outside, fluffy on the inside bread, I filled my belly and finished with a Tibetan tea. Rested and fed, I resumed my hike crossing another suspension bridge. Soon I reached the entrance to Sagarmatha National Park. A UNESCO listed site since 1976, the 1,148km² park is home to the Sherpa people, rare species like the snow leopard and several mountains including Mount Everest.
After obtaining the necessary permits to enter the park, I walked through the Jorsalle Entrance Gate, a concrete structure with Buddhist artwork on its interior walls to a set of steps that began a steep descent into a gorge, onto Jorsalle village, alongside the thundering Dhudh Kosi river and over two more suspension bridges.
However, what goes down, must come up and it wasn’t long before I engaged my hiking poles to start the steep ascent onto a woodland path until I reached a wide open low lying land beside the river filled with stones and boulders making trekking through it unstable and difficult.
But nothing prepared me for the next suspension bridge. Like all the others, Hillary Bridge was made of galvanized steel cables that’s connected to the grated deck by interlinked wire fence. An old version of the bridge was right beneath this one just hanging, blowing in the wind, no longer in use. At 410ft (125m) above the Dhudh Kosi river, this 459ft (140m) long bridge was exposed to the elements swaying laterally and vertically as the strong wind blew through the valley. It was a heart thumping, adrenaline spiking exercise that on this trek one could do without. I was grateful to reach solid ground.
If I ever entertained even the slightest idea of ACTUALLY doing this ‘walk’, reading about that bridge has pretty much scuppered any possibility 🤣🤣🤣 I don’t have a fear of heights and I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie, but I have my limits 🤪🤪
So, no go for me thanks, virtual suits me just fine.
Wow, time sure does just fly by, and thank goddess for my ‘keeper of memories’ – my daughter 😍😍 who reminded me that it’s my citizenship anniversary today…5 years a good Citizen of the UK 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧 I’m not sure about the ‘good’ part, although I do try, oh and I pay my taxes 💷💸💸💸
So wow, how amazing. Although my citizenship ceremony was on the 25th of February, I received the official letter in the post on the 13th. Coincidentally, and 7 years earlier, was my daughter’s citizenship ceremony on the same date; 25th February. At the time the letter arrived I was working in Bexhill-on-Sea and had to wait a few days to actually hold the document in my hands. I was also very lucky to get a place for the actual ceremony on the 25th due to a cancellation. Otherwise I would have had to wait a few months!!
Presents from my chica
The ceremony took place at the Bishop’s Palace in Maidstone, and what a beautiful place it was too. Lucky me.
The Bishop’s Palace in Maidstone
On the day we dressed up in our finery, and headed over to Maidstone by train. Very early, we meandered around the town and took loads of photos…all of which, except for a few Instagram images, were lost when UPS lost my hard drive a few years ago 😠😠 along with 10 years of photos…thank goodness I have a habit of saving my Instagram images to dropbox, at least I have some photos saved.
The Palace was absolutely stunning and although I would have loved the Queen to preside 😁😁👸🏻 I believe she was otherwise engaged and sent her apologies 😉
Queenie, I was depending on you to be there!! 😏😏😏 and yes, copyright of this image belongs to the BBC 🙄🙄
We had a superb day, and were amazed at how many different nationalities were swearing their allegiance to the Queen and new country. There were a number of South Africans, as well as people from Russia and the USA amongst a whole world of other nations.
Me and my girl ❤❤The ceremonial ‘room’
After the ceremony which frankly passed in a blur of nerves….we went off and celebrated the only way you should, and how we celebrate best….with pancakes and ice-cream 😋😋🤫🤫
The only way to celebrate..pancakes and ice-cream – is there any other way??
Once the official stuff was out the way I could apply for my UK passport, and as soon as I received it….
Received my passport in March 2016 and should have said 15th anniversary 🤣🤣🤣 never mind, I’m still here 5 years later, so somewhere along the way I had my 17th anniversary 😁😁
….the first thing I did was book a trip to France on the ferry so I could see the White Cliffs of Dover for real.
Just noticed that I inadvertently captured that lady in my photo 😂😂😂 doesn’t she look pleased!!
There was nothing stopping me from taking the trip before, but it just made sense to do it then. And so it was that on the 2nd April 2016 I set sail for France!! Doesn’t that sound so adventurous!! ‘Set sail for France’….invokes images of days of yore when boats had sails…in reality the ferry had engines and we didn’t ‘sail’ so much as chuggg across the channel (which I’ve now swum – virtually of course 🤣🤣🤣)
On the ferry to France 🇨🇵02.04.2016 and I finally saw the White Cliffs of Dover from the sea 😍😍
I’ve since seen them from the air from a Spitfire flight my daughter gifted me for my birthday in 2018, and walked across the top last year in September.
I had a marvellous day meandering the streets of Calais and explored every nook and cranny I had time for, and then I bought some French pastries and headed back to the ferry…UK bound once again. I thought Calais was charmingly tatty….and really interesting.
The cream always looks more yummy than it tastes 😝😝
Later that month my daughter and I took a trip on the Eurostar to Paris for the day.
I love Paris in the spring time…24.04.2016
It was so exciting to use my passport for the first time as a bonafide EU citizen, although sadly it’s now redundant.😪😪
Hmmmm 🤔🤔🤔🤔
And now my daughter is my keeper of memories and reminded me that it’s my 5th anniversary today….🥂🍾
And if you can bear it, a video of the White Cliffs from the ferry….I was just a tad emotional 😂😂😂☺
The White Cliffs of Dover 02.04.2016
And at the rate the east coast is being eaten away by the sea, it won’t look the same when my grandson reaches the age of 61!!!
And with one final push, I completed the Mt. Fuji, Japan Conqueror challenge on the evening of the 29th December. After my walk earlier the day I noticed I had only just over 1km to go, so off I went 🚶🏻♀️🚶🏻♀️🚶🏻♀️
This final stage took me to the summit of Mt. Fuji, and apparently some of the best views….wish I was there for real 😉🏔🚶🏻♀️
I’ve enjoyed several days exploring the lakes, the forest, the ice caves and seeing Mount Fuji with its perfectly shaped cone from all angles but today was the day for the final climb to the summit.
Shortly after leaving the 5th Station I reached a fork in the trail. To the right was the trek to Fujiko. Heading left, I soon arrived at the Komitake Shrine, named after old Komitake Mountain which is now buried deep beneath Mount Fuji. The Shrine is important to many worshippers who each year on 1 July attend the Kaizansai festival and celebrate the opening of Mount Fuji.
From here to the 7th Station the trek weaved its way through a shady and dense forest. On hot summer days the forest provides a welcoming relief. The path itself was narrow and rough with rocks jutting out and tree branches stretching across the pathway. As with any climb sure-footedness was essential alongside some duck and weaving around branches. There were trail sections resembling carved out channels instead of just flat paths. I can imagine on foggy days this trail would be quite challenging with low visibility and for those who climb at night in order to catch the sunrise at the summit could run the risk of getting lost if not careful. Thankfully ropes line the route providing guidance and assistance up the mountain. Occasional openings in the forest canopy gave me glimpses of Fuji’s peak, like small teasers of what is yet to come.
Leaving the forest zone behind, there were no more trees, just very low shrubs with small white flowers. The ground became more rocky and gravel-like, making it looser underfoot. It makes me realise that although Mount Fuji is not a technically difficult climb, it does however, present its own set of challenges such as a sudden change in weather, the steep inclines, long switchbacks and more importantly the potential for altitude sickness because the oxygen density is only two-thirds of the normal oxygen thereby making it more difficult to breathe.
I forged my way onto the 8th Station where my trail merged with the very popular Yoshida Trail. As expected it became quite congested. Taking a slow and steady approach it was time for the final push. The terrain here was barren, vegetation seemed non-existent.
I knew the summit was near when I made my way through the white Torii gate, which stood proudly on a set of steps signifying that “heaven on earth” is within my grasp.
Reaching the summit though was not the end, yet. The final part was a walk around the crater on the Ohachimeguri Trail. The crater has a 2,560ft (750m) surface diameter and a depth of 790ft (240m). With its jagged edge, the crater is encircled by eight sacred peaks, each with their own name: Oshaidake, Izudake, Jojudake, Komagatake, Mushimatake, Kengamine, Hukusandake, and Kusushidake.
My quest ended at the Kusushi Shrine near the last station. Here I stood to absorb the aerial views, reflecting on my journey and contemplating my descent but that’s a story for another time.
On a final note, did you know that the top 1,312ft (400m) of Mount Fuji is actually private property? Here’s an online excerpt explaining how this ownership evolved:
“… belongs to Fujisan Hongu Sengentaisha, a Shinto shrine. The land originally belonged to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Edo Shogunate (1603 – 1867), and the area of Mt. Fuji from the 8th station to the top is said to have been given to this shrine as a gift by the Tokugawa clan in 1779. The land was re-designated as national property for a time after 1871, when the Tokugawa Shogunate relinquished power to the Imperial Court, but has since been returned to the Fujisan Hongu Sengentaisha. The Hongu (Main Shrine) of the shrine is at the foot of Mt. Fuji, and the Okumiya (Rear Shrine) is located at the mountain peak.”
So there you have it, my 5 Stages of the Mt. Fuji Conqueror challenge. 👏👏👏 I hope you enjoyed the journey, as well as all the information, and the amazing history linked to this iconic mountain…instantly recognisable. Who knew the top of Mt. Fuji was private property? 🤔🤔🤔
Hoorah!! 4 days to virtually ‘climb’ Mt. Fuji
Immediately after finishing this challenge I got started on the Alps to Ocean challenge in New Zealand (289.7kms). Nothing like putting a bit of pressure on yourself then Cindy 🤣🤣🤣🤣 But of course, starting that challenge/walk is taking a wee bit longer to complete because not only is it much longer, but I started my next booking on 4th January and my free time is limited to 2 hours a day, weather permitting. Still, I hope/plan to finish the walk by 31st January.
Why not join me on one of the challenges https://www.theconqueror.events/r/CE1474 they are excellent motivation to get out and and walk, especially now that our wings are clipped by Covid-19 and lockdown.
“And beyond that he is, in my view, the most horrible human being who has ever sat in the Oval Office. In addition to being the worst president, he’s a terrible person. What a combination. I hope we’ve learned this lesson. This ought to remind all Americans what happens when you make a mistake with your vote.”
And thank the dear lord he’s on his way…..hopefully never to he seen again
Not Just a Granny 
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