San Martino di Castrozza - Day 1

Today we started our 3 day backpacking and via ferrata tour of the Palo di San Martino Sud section of the Dolomites. It was a bit drizzly as we set out, and misty once we got up to the top of the gondola, but otherwise it was a great day weather wise. We started with a fabulous breakfast at our hotel.

Then we walked to the gondola entrance and skipped the whole "hike up to the top of the mountain part".

It was a really impressive day with some very dramatic sections of walking and climbing!  We were pretty tired by the time we got to the refuge at the top of the plateau, and very ready for some food, drink and rest!

Dolomites, here we come!

Finally, now that the summer is nearly over, its time for us to go on vacation!  Yaaay! We are taking the bus to the train to the airport and then fly to Venice, Italy, where we will rent a car and start our adventure!  Here we are walking out of the driveway to the bus stop.

By the time we got to Venice and checked into our hotel near the airport, it was pretty late at night.  We didn't see any of Venice (saving it for the end of the trip) and just went straight to sleep.  Today we had breakfast and drove into the mountains, up to the town of San Martino di Castrozza which will be our base for the hut-to-hut backpacking and via ferrata tour we have planned.

We are staying at the Romantic Hotel Regina, and it has the most wonderful hot tub terrace looking up to the mountains that we will go play in tomorrow!

We checked in and went exploring around town, buying bits and pieces ahead of our hike tomorrow.

Day hike with Frank

Today was a lovely warm summer's day and our neighbour Frank was heading out for a training hike, so Annie and I joined him.

Eastern Croatia

This was new to me! Going to Zagreb in cerntal eastern Croatia for work.  I was really looking forward to this geothermal project starting in hopes that I would get to go to the field, and I did. I was pretty nervous about it beforehand, of course, but it turned out fine.  I got on really well with the client "T".

The field area was right on the border with Hungary, in a big cycling area that looked beautiful.

Lots of fields and trees, and we had a lovely and interesting drive around the field area.

Guernsey weekend

Rhods and I have friends who come from Guernsey, and moved here for a few years, then moved back to Guernsey. They've invited us over the years to come visit, and so finally when some our plan to go up to visit Nain and Taid for their anniversary and birthday fell through, we made the decision to finally get out to visit this place.  It was so fun traveling just the two of us and take the bus and train to Gatwick airport and then fly to this gorgeous place in time to kick off the weekend with Gemma and Ady!

We had a lovely Friday evening at the Rockmount in Cobo beach area, then went back the next day for a swim and then a gorgeous coastal walk.  

We stopped at the Renoir Tea Garden, which was so beautiful, tucked away in a little gully cove.  We had a late lunch here surrounded by flowers and stunning views. Wow.

Then we headed back home and had a dinner party with some old friends of theirs, along with their kids.

On Sunday morning we went for a swim at the sea pool complex, then went to the WW2 history museum, and finally to the airport to fly back to reality.

Summer time

Summer is definitely here, and we've each been doing fun stuff.  Tryfan went to the Boardmasters Festival down in Cornwall; Rhiannon went out to visit Drew in Michigan and also met up with Lydia, and Rhods, Tryfs and I all went for dinner one night with Eva's parents and brother. Good stuff

 

Gong bathing

Today after work I met Cat and Sasha at the Dunnings Mill pub in East Grinstead to have some good before going to the nearby Gong Bath for the evening.  What a great event this was, actually.  I definitely want to go again. I didn't take any photos of the actual gong bath, but it was upstairs in a large room, and it was wonderful. I felt so good afterwards. 

The first week of August

This month has started out well! We had a visit from Nia and Cris on their way to a wedding in the area, then Rhods and I went to the wedding of our new friends Alisdair and Jo on Monday night in Tunbridge Wells, and we've had some gorgeous weather in the meantime.  We were looking after Albie this week as well, which is extra fun.

Jo and Alisdair had a wedding cake made of cheese!

Good dogs sitting so nicely!

More DoE excitement

This weekend Tryfan went on his Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award adventure.  He went with 5 of his buddies up to the Peak District.  I don't know all the shenanigans they got up to over the course of the weekend, but they emerged intact and without injury, so we will take that!