Diana and I got home last night, she has bookings for Monday but I still have a weeks leave left so this morning I set off camping. I am going to spend two nights here on the edge of the Peak District and then off to Wales.
noodles and Chai tea
I got out before 8am yesterday – walking whatever the weather.
looking back at Scandinavian Village
I headed out from Scandinavian Village across the Rothiemurchus Estate to Loch an Eilein. Looped around the Loch and came back in the Old Logging Trail.
The rain showers stopped after a couple of hours and let the midges come out – but that did not stop it being a good walking day.
The breeze picked up just enough in the afternoon so when I stopped for tea the midges were kept away.
heather honey being made
Walking in the Cairngorm National Park Read More »
We got here in time to have tea outside in the sunshine. With no children, we left them at home.
Scandinavian Village Aviemore Read More »
“No,” he said, “look, it’s very, very simple … all I want … is a cup of tea. You are going to make one for me. Keep quiet and listen.” And he sat. He told the Nutri-Matic about India, he told it about China, he told it about Ceylon. He told it about broad leaves drying in the sun. He told it about silver teapots. He told it about summer afternoons on the lawn. He told it about putting in the milk before the tea so it wouldn’t get scalded. He even told it (briefly) about the history of the East India Company.
“So that’s it, is it?” said the Nutri-Matic when he had finished.
“Yes,” said Arthur, “that is what I want.”
“You want the taste of dried leaves in boiled water?”
“Er, yes. With milk.”
“Squirted out of a cow?”
“Well, in a manner of speaking I suppose …”
― Douglas Adams – Arthur Dent describes tea, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Douglas Adams – describes tea Read More »
I am busy today reviewing the all the client back ups – so not much time for walking but I did get an hour or so across the fields near the village.
The photos today are for my web site as I have updated the brew kit. To get a good shot that was not over exposed or with too much reflection, I found a shaded area under some trees.
…and here is the link to the page about my Backpacking Brew Kit
Tea Kit – short walk round Branston Read More »
First thing at Woodhall Spa – I had early morning coffee at this camp instead of tea
Weight 750g
Lunch
Tinned Mackerel in Teriyaki sauce
Crackers
Cereal bar
Tea
Arrival at Woodhall Spa Camping and Caravan Club site
Milicano coffee stick and cakes (the warden gave me some milk as they had sold out of 1 pints – otherwise I would have bought some)
Dinner
Sesame flavoured Japanese noodles
I let the noodles cool down then I added a small packet of mixed pitted olives in herb oil and a salad dressing sachet that Mum had left over from her dinner on Friday
Chinese sesame dessert
Peach tea (cold)
Milicano coffee
Tea
Early morning
Tea and breakfast biscuits
Breakfast
Apple Pop Tarts
Dried fruit
Fresh coffee and more tea
Elevenses
Nescafe 2 in 1 coffee
Nutrigrain breakfast bar
Extras
2x decaf coffee sticks
Nutrigrain bar
Hot chocolate drink
I also had my Backpacking Brew Kit, packet of glucose tablet and some SiS Go Hydro tablets.
lunch in the pouring rain – getting a little shelter under the trees
I got this from a local Asian supermarket – there is no other way to describe it, it is black custard. It is very sweet and tastes strongly of sesame. I like it as an alternative to instant custard.
It was a warm humid weekend so I carried 2.5l of water and used nearly all of it. I carried a pack of SiS Go Hydro tablets, which I made up in my 500ml bottle, which I refilled as required from one of my other bottle – I had three bottles of the electrolyte drink. I made tea at lunch and drank nearly all the rest of the water – and it was probably just enough for the conditions.
Once I was at the camp site I was aware how much fluid I had lost during the day so I made sure I had plenty to drink – stoping to make a drink before I even put my tent up.
I walked until about 1pm on Sunday I carried 1.5l of water. I used one of my electrolyte drinks, made hot chocolate whilst I waited for Diana to arrive and drank most of the rest.
Read about my water choices here.
This is the first full weekend away using this “retired” mobile phone as an MP3 player to replace my iPod Nano. It worked really well. I listened to an audio book all day Saturday and Sunday morning whilst I was walking and at the campsite I read for an estimated four to five hours. The 2.5Ah battery gave out about 20 minutes before Diana picked me up on Sunday, so it lasted the weekend. I had the original 1.2Ah battery with me so I swapped them and carried on reading. If I am away for any longer I will need to take my 20Ah Power Pack with me to charge the HTC. (Read my Backpacking Geek.)
I still used my iphone for my photos, photo editing, blogging, navigation etc, but not using it to read my books on meant that I only used one of my 2Ah emergency iphone batteries. I have used both of them on previous weekend trips.
Notes from my Woodhall Spa weekend Read More »
I took the opportunity to walk to Woodhall Spa today and camp overnight even though the weather forecast was predicting interesting weather.
I walked through three thunder storms of which this one, during my break for lunch, was the most intense. It was close with the thunder rolling on sounding like a jet engine and plenty of rain. But it only lasted twenty minutes and by the time I reached the camp site at least I had dried out.
The wardens at the Camping and Caravan Club site at Woodhall Spa were as welcoming as ever. The site was full – there is a WWII event on in the village this weekend – but they still had space down by the lake for my one man backpacking tent. They even gave me enough milk for a couple of mugs of tea as they had sold out of 1pint bottles.
lunch spot on Memory Map
The weather at lunch time Read More »