Summer, June break.

Started off as a very warm and sunny summer, warm enough for us, we were able to stick to the UK. First stop was the Pembrokeshire coast, St Davids. The campsite was pretty good as a point for walking and cycling with a little geocaching off course.
This holliday turned out to be a bit of a twitching / boating break, with a visit to the Isle of Ramsay an RSPB reserve. On there we caught a fleeting glimpse of a Manx Shearwater and a pair of Choughs. We extended our visit with a boat trip around the Island which was quite exciting. We were quite taken aback by the attituded of the walkes we met whilst out and about, blanking you or not even relpying when greeted, guess they were just cold southerners.
Went fishing off a rocky point in Whitesands bay, no luck.

RSPB Ramsay

We left South Wales and headed for The Norfolk broads but not before calling of in that there London for a few nights, this was one of our better ideas and we will do it again when the opertunity arises. Visited the The Natural History Museum, mostly looking at the minerals collection, on to the Saatche Gallery and took an open top bus tour, again an aquatic flavour as we took a boat trip down the Thames to Grenwich where we has a pub lunch before heading back to the campsite. Managed a geocaching walk along the river taking in The Tower of London & Tower bridge.

Saatchi Gallery

Another day visit and we did the tourist thing, Trafalar Square, Buchingham Palace and the Houses of Parliment.After trying to muscle in on the TV interview with Michael Fallon outside the Houses of Parliment, I spotted John Prescott, I did ask him if it was ok for the photo but he got a little upset when I complemented his work on ‪#‎HIGNFY‬. After that I went around seeing how many tourist photos I could photobomb until Di told me off !

John at the Houses of Parliment.

Then off again and on to the Norfolk Broads, somewhere we had both always fancied visiting, a bit flat and boring for my tastes but we hired a boat for the day and had lots of fun with that.

Diane driving the boat.

 
It was all pretty enough, great for walking and the bikes but dont think I would go again. Had a day out at Great Yarmouth, fishing off the pier and caught 3 whiting, a first for me.

The Norfolk Broads

 
The long hot spell was broken by thunder and lightning storms but only at night, never spoiling our days. We returned home calling in to see the kids on the way, I went to the South Gare off Redcar and caught a couple of good sized Mackerel. Di was eager to get back and pick up Princess ?

Substitute

On the banks of Loch Ness

Since the campsite at Cullen on the Moray coast went over to the dark side ( statics only ), we have been looking for a substitute, we loved that site. We found Banff links, right on the beach with a fish and chip shop close to and  a do able dash on a Friday evening after work from Aberdeen.

October break took us to The Lake district, weather was terrible, raining most of the time, but I did manage a good walk out of the C&CC site at Keswick onto Skiddaw.

Once the dark nights came in and the fact that most sites close after the October hols, we moved our weekend get away to Stonehaven, the new Caravan Club site there is very good. Its a plan for next year to hopefully see the fireballs celebration there next year.

Christmas break was at another new site at Loch Ness, again very wet weather kept us in doors a lot of the time, but good views of the Loch. A very scary drive home in extremely wind conditions.
A few days at home over Christmas itself  before taking off for the New year on Teesside.

Lower Falls of Foyers, nr Loch Ness

New year on Teesside a bit of geocaching with the kids, before returning home, again calling in at Mortonhall to break the journey up. Had the opportunity to go into Edinburgh and partake in the last few days of the festivities, as well as having a bit of fun on a ghost tour.

We went on the big wheel.

That's it 2013, I have had trouble keeping up to date with this blog so to try help I thought I would make a travel journal for 2014.

Collaged Travel journal.

Third year with the motorhome.

Skyscape

Well we have had the camper for 3 years now and still enjoying it. Friends of Carlotta get a silver medal from earthcache.com.
Easter and we took off to see the kids, stopping off a Kielder in Northumberland for a week, the site at Leaplish was quite nice, quiet to start with until the schools in England finished, then folks started to arrive. Highlights of the visit was a walk along Hadrians Wall and Skyscape, all made better with the good weather.
We arrived in pouring rain and that stayed with us for a few days, we did some  drive by caches and the weather started to clear a little allowing a bit of walking. Needed to get some supplies in, so went into Bellingham, seeing  the weather was looking better off into the distance we kept driving till we hit the sun around Hadrians wall, went for a good walk finding a number of caches.
The campsite was not too bad it had a restaurant and bar, beers were a bit limited and the food was nothing out the ordinary, good pub grub. Lots of bike trails in the area I think there is now a completed  one right around the reservoir, the largest manmade lake in northern Europe, the good weather stayed around.
Kielder has an Arts & Architecture initiative in the area, we visited a few pieces one of the most impressive was Skyscape, I had lots of fun photographing it.


Then off to see the kids for a couple of days. We took then on a geotrail around the village of Bishop Middleham, in the Land of the Prince Bishops, County Durham. One of the best geocaching day we have had due to the innovative nature of some of them, kids were a bit none plussed as they werent all big boxes of booty.


Then off back up to Aberdeen calling off at Edingburgh. Visited the exhibition of photographs by August Sander, before walking into town taking in a few DNF's from our last visit. Stayed at Silverknowles site within easy reach of South Queensferry a quaint little village then onto the sometimes an island of Cramond, made a video of our geocaching adventure, next day off home. Left April 3rd returned on the 16th and somewhere along the way I had a birthday.