We took a very pleasant 5 mile stroll along the Thames Path. There is always plenty of activity both on and off the river, and the town of Abingdon was equally busy. Of course, the sunshine brings the crowds, and many tourists want to either walk beside the river, or rent a boat, and get afloat. Either way, solitude is not something they will be experiencing.There are some very large boats moored near Abingdon, and we wondered just how they manage to get underneath the bridges. Read Full Story

I should really start this entry with an apology, because I have no idea why some of my photos are on their sides, or how to fix it! Perhaps a quick fix of Chufi is needed in the system. It's my weak spot, I can't resist chilled Chufi and I was a lost cause when I spotted a large chilled display just full of Chufi in the supermarket.Of course I need the full-on version, the low calorie one just does not taste right. So there I am swigging enough calories to keep me fed for a week in o... Read Full Story

It's April, and I'm skiing the end of season weeks in incredibly hot weather. I suppose the term hot is relative, but for skiing, it felt way too warm. I had arrived by train and then Postbus, and Sierre was baking hot. I was beginning to understand why vineyards are big business in Valais.My skiing experience was that of very hard surfaces in the mornings, followed by soft slushy snow after lunch. The resort was pretty busy over Easter, and I worked hard to avoid the queues for the l... Read Full Story

I have recently travelled on Swiss Trains. Not an exceptional activity by itself, though I did use a Swiss Transfer Ticket, available only to foreigners, and valid for two journeys in one month.As my first journey was the 6th of April, I filled in the travel document on the day. The form is arranged vertically, so:Day 6Month 4When my ticket was inspected, I usually get a stamp, but not this time. The inspector gets out her pen. She carefully inks a 0 (zero) in front of the 6. This I can under... Read Full Story

An amazing two weeks, skiing more fresh snow than I have ever encountered before. Day after day the snow was topped up, and I hope I might just have improved my skiing!Met up with Ian , his girlfriend Julie and her brother Jason, who happened to be riding the same lift, and had a glorious day on and off piste in dry fluffy snow.As usual, I'm playing catch up, but I did get a good opportunity to try out my new Scott Punisher skis, and I was pleased to be catching up on the flat sections!An... Read Full Story

A pre Christmas getaway to Grimentz saw me arriving by rail at Sierre to be met by the Postbus which was on chains. This was the first time I had seen a bus in the valley on chains, and on arrival in Grimentz it was easy to see why they were needed.Of course, the path to the apartment had not been cleared, so I was soon knee deep in snow. Next day the snow continued, and once I had dealt with some admin matters, I decided that I would try snow shoes for the afternoon. Visibility was quite poo... Read Full Story

Making a late decision to head out to Zermatt and test some skis, I stopped off in Grimentz to collect my kit en-route and was on my skis for 11am on Friday morning. A beautiful sunny day, and perfect to settle down on my Stockli's, before testing some skis over the next two days. The ski area was quite busy, and the cable car up to Furi was quite a squeeze. I had left behind my Transceiver to ensure that I stayed away from the early season off-piste. That resolution lasted a whole one ru... Read Full Story

I headed out to Spain for a week or so. I knew about the weather forecast before I set off, and it is Gota Fria season after all. Most folks understand the need to stay home when the rain comes, though, some of the locals decided to take their chances on local roads as the rainwater makes it's way to the sea. I turned on the local TV station to see some of the results.This is on a local road, and it's between me and the supermarket, good job I had plenty of food in the fridge. Of cour... Read Full Story

Things were going so well. I just knew that when I heard those words shouted up the stairs by "the builder" that something had gone wrong, and it was going to cost. Well, this is part of my lounge wall, and it's not meant to look like that.It is meant to look like the other side of the hole, because it was time to replace front and back doors on the house. A visit to a handmade brick supplier was then organised to get the matching bricks and the wall was rebuilt. Just my luck, w... Read Full Story

I purchased some new skis back in the spring. It was a bit of guesswork, not sure if I would like them, or if I had purchased the correct length. I was over in Milton Keynes Snozone to meet up with a couple of friends, so took the chance to get some bindings mounted on them, and give them a try out. The staff in the nearby branch of Ellis Brigham were most helpful as ever and had the skis ready in around an hour.One minor flaw in the game plan was that my ski boots are out in Switzerland. Tim... Read Full Story