Autumn Activities 2023
With summer now behind us, we looked for activities to keep us out, about and busy whenever the weather allowed.
With summer now behind us, we looked for activities to keep us out, about and busy whenever the weather allowed.
It’s been 5 years since the “Smith Boys” got together.So what better time to do this than to Celebrate a Birthday.
(with the Last of the Summer Wine riders)
We had a week in Santiago de Compostela after we had finished our Camuno
The weather started to clear up as we headed away from Portomarin for our last few days on the Camino.
The days are starting to merge and recalling the names and places becomes more difficult.
Quote “The Meseta is the central Spanish tableland, which intersects the Camino Frances between Burgos and Leon. It is a part of Spain known among pilgrims for its wide skies, dry heat and flat lands, all of which mess with perceptions of time and distance.” This is all true. We were pleased to be riding … More Camino days 7 to 10. – Burgos to Leon (The Meseta)
3 days and 136 km across Spain. This is a lovely country to ride through. (The nice weather helps.)
We had one of the best Pilgrim meals so far. It consisted of a salad and bread followed by a whole roast chicken (for two). This included a bottle of wine and ice cream for dessert. Total cost €12 pp. The goal today was to get up Alto del Perdón “Where the path of the … More Camino day 3 – Larrasoaña to Cirauqui
The day started wet although it wasn’t cold as we headed out from the Monastery. It did get better as the day progressed we only cover 30km in 4:5 hours of riding. The track was quite rough in parts where we had to walk our bikes
The day was overcast as we headed away but the sky cleared as we headed up the Pyrenees. We chose to take the more difficult Nepoleon route which climbs to 1,400 metres in a very short distance. We had deviated off the track at the recommendation of the casino cycling guide. Some of these were … More Camino day 1 – St Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalle
When the opportunity came to cycle the Camino we jumped at it We had previously cycled the Portuguese Camino back in 2018 and enjoyed the whole experience, so when our time in the UK had come to an end we set our sights on a new challenge. Cycling the 790 km French Camino from St … More Canal boating in France
It’s been awhile so thought it was timely to post a few more photos of what we have been up to over the past couple of months
We decided to treat ourselves to a week off, so we contacted a travel agent and booked a week in Tenerife through Tui Holidays.
We had a day off when Noel & Gillian Humm popped in for a couple of nights
The Queens Platinum Jubilee weekend here in the UK was a huge event. We were fortunate to be able to partake in several activities not only in Pradoe but also at Youlgrave in the Peaks District
We were invited back to Pradoe for another four months helping to look after the gardens around the house. We were last there in 2018.
While 2021/22 was a year of lockdowns and restrictions, we did manage to get out and about, albeit being careful about social distancing and mask-wearing.
I have tried something different with this post. I have attached links to the best rides we did while on our 7 weeks sojourn in the South Island over February, March & April.In total we biked over 1,100km. We chose to ride the best bits of the plethora of tracks on offer around the parts … More South Island Road Trip 2021 (#2)
With both of us now having the well-earned title of “Retired,” we have started our relatively itinerary free road trip to the South Island. We packed up the caravan on the 25th of February and headed south to catch the Bluebridge Ferry to Picton We disembarked the ferry at about 6.00 pm and travelled 25km … More South Island Road Trip 2021 (#1)
I read and hear all the time how 2020 is a year like no other….. and I like that. Sure it has been challenging, hard and for some totally discouraging. I think as a Nation we have pulled together, encouraged one another and made the best of the situation that was beyond our control. Ann … More Smith’s 2020 Highlights
The home we built in Taupo has an old 40 sq meter double garage that was the original garage on the property prior to the section being subdivided for development.
This is a time to value family and friends to remember the fun we all had together over summer before we had to retreat into our individual bubbles.
December is the time to relax and get out into the sunshine and catch up with family and friends.
With the weather warming up we started to get out and about.
Although there have been only a few really nice days so far this spring, we made the most of them and got out and about with family and friends who visited over the school holidays.
Weather-wise this winter has not been ideal for getting out and about, but we made the most of it.
We have had a number of fun family events over the past couple of months. Here are a few highlights.
We made the most of the fickle weather that arrived in May.
Here is a summary of what we got up to during April.
We said goodbye to the new neighbours at the Belmont apartment. They had made us feel very welcome in the short time we were there.
This is a snapshot of how we spent the summer holidays this year.
What an amazing year.
So this is what recovering from a brain injury is like. Looking from the outside it’s sitting in the sun with a coffee, a good book and an amazing vista from the cliff top over to Rangitoto Island.
We were invited by a lovely Dutch couple, who had been following us on our blog, to spend a few days in Utrecth in the Netherlands with them. This time in Utrecth was one of those connections you couldn’t plan.
Paris: What an interesting place. The first thing we noticed after the solitude of the Camino were the people. More precisely tourists, into which category we fitted.