The old year drags on

Feeling under the weather with a cold bug picked up in Morocco. This is the third time it has turned into a cold. Bring on the sunshine!

Next holiday ..Christmas

Perhaps not so much a holiday as a hurdle. Long dark nights, too much booze and cold temperatures last for a week or two at the end of December.

It's time to go away again soon......

Hooray

The bridge has been crossed by a car and now we can take the direct road to Tiznit instead of the mountain road. We are off to Agadir when the taxi driver arrives.

We ordered a taxi for six people and here we are in spacious comfort on our way Agadir for two days!

Lunch in agadir

Meeting the Pro Consul who had helped us earlier. This is her office!

The pro consul with Helen and Norma

Monday - things are getting better

The bridge has been built up enough for pedestrians to cross. Notice how low the wadi is now. 

We drove the other direction to see the bridge devastation near Mirleft. Two bridges down in this photo.

We are off to agadir tomorrow via a mountain road and flying to London on Thursday. 

Sunday evening

Today we have been watching the local attempts at making contact with the rest of the world on the damaged bridge. We now have three diggers bringing soil and stones to breach the gap. The wadi (oued) is still in spate so it's difficult to join it up as some of the stones are still being washed away. 

By the afternoon there were about sixty or so people plus cars and motorbikes lined up on both sides of the bridge. People standing around watching the machines at work. Not much health and safety as we were right beside the diggers. 

They managed to put up a ladder from our side to the other. Several men clambered carefully across with a safety rope attached and wearing a life jacket. 

I managed to speak to the Foreign Office Global Response  in London. I alerted them that we were stranded and just to be aware. Also requested additional medicine supply for Ann, who is running out. 

Helen had been given some bread by a young man who had received a large bag of bread. 

We met him again and he invited us to visit his house near the river in a village (Aglou).  We followed his motorbike and stopped at his house where he invited us inside. His parents are in France where his father works for Peugeot.  We assume that the father sent home money to build this large house. Triple garage, a large entertaining salon downstairs and an outside courtyard with a well, a crouch toilet, a place to cook the local bread and hang out the washing.  Upstairs we came into a large hall off which led 2 further salons,  a bathroom, three bedrooms and a kitchen. Past this is an upstairs verandah and a second kitchen. 

Sai-id and his aunt and nieces invited us to eat bread and drink tea. We dipped the bread into a choice of olive oil, orange flower honey or flower honey. the 9 year old niece was fascinated with the iPads. They have computers in their school - 3 in her classroom. 

Sai-id took us through the village to look at the effect of the flood. The same wadi goes through the village and it ravaged through Aglou  the water must have risen 10 metres. Normally the wadi is completely dry. About thirty cob houses were washed away along with cows, horses, goats and sheep. Luckily no one was killed because they had been alerted due to heavy rain further south the previous week when 32 were drowned.  

Aglou village on Saturday. maximum flood

The water supply and the electricity was cut due to the storm, we heard that anything from 62mm to 200mm fell over the two days so we aren't quite sure how much rain fell.  What we are certain of is that nothing like this has happened within living memory.  

Post script 

With having no electricity in their village we offered to charge Sai-ids dead phone in our villa. He came with us so that he could fetch the phone later. The guardian absolutely refused to let us charge the phone or let Sai-id onto the premises. We were quite shocked at the lack of generosity in a serious emergency when his family had been so kind to us. 

 Pps

We are hoping that we can find a mountain route back to Tiznit that avoids the bridge. 

Monday update. We are trying to get out on Thursday via Easyjet. Bridge still broken people wading across river. 

Update

So yesterday was our return date from Agadir to Dublin. We knew the bridges had collapsed and we couldn't get to the airport. We still had wifi and spent most of the day studying Aer Lingus website for a phone number to ring them to no avail. Helen booked herself an Easyjet flight to London for Thursday. 

You've already seen the raging torrents. Today we went to look at the state of the bridge. Lots of people were standing on each side shouting across to each other. We can get 3G by the bridge so I was able to phone the Embassy in Rabat and report our details just to keep them informed that we are trapped. The embassy was shut so the phone went through to the Foreign Office in London. I spoke to Paul Huggins and he said he would pass our information on to the embassy. We reported that Ann's medication was low.

As we stood by the bridge we heard reports that the airports had closed including Marrakech, Agadir and Casablanca; that the whole of Morocco was going to be declared a disaster zone in an hour; that only Girl in in the south was a disaster zone.. There is a gap in the bridge of 15 feet where the river crashed through.. The water had even flowed over the bridge and twisted the railings. Some young men confidently predicted that it would be mended within an hour but we bought supplies for a few days because it would take at least a week to repair it back home.

People arrived with a bread, candles, plastic bottles with motorbike fuel and threw them across the chasm. Helen spoke to a man who had received such a sack from his friend and asked her if she wanted bread. He gave her three loaves!

The only way I can post this is to connect to 3G beside the damaged bridge.. 

If any of You can find out if the Agadir airport is open and whether Aer Lingus are resuming flights we would be grateful. We can't seem to get in touch with any Aer Lingus person. 

Our Moroccan mobile phone number is 0641301808 however we can only get a signal at the bridge 4 km away from the house. 

Electricity intermittent

What an adventure! We drove down against all advice to the local village. Warnings about stones and rocks and mud on the road. We covered the 3km carefully and stopped before the junction where the road was covered in mud and sand. The supermarket car park had sand burying two cars to their wheel arches. 

The supermarket was empty of bread and milk and eggs. Below is a local road turned torrent. We can't get to Tiznit because a bridge has collapsed and Tiznit is probably flooded anyway. A new bridge in agadir is also down. Couldn't get to the airport...next flight is in a weeks time.

Rain and gales

Facing the Atlantic isn't so good in a powerful storm. The houses aren't really waterproof and rain is seeping under the windows and doors. 

Here's a link to a video of the floods in nearby Old Aglou village 

Ouadi in full spate

Thursday in morocco

Helen found a link to chameleon rescue in Morocco. chameleons

I had a lovely walk on the beach today dodging the waves rushing up the sand and admiring the beautiful stones of pink granite, conglomerate, marble, quartz and pebbles of all colours. Bought a few small souvenirs at the pottery shop but I think the stones I shall load into my suitcase will be a more permanent reminder!

Hoopoe

The feathers are used for magic potions....oh dear.

Helen's observations from today

We were due to visit Peter in Sidi Ifni today but abandoned that plan in favour of another trip to the walled Souk in Tiznit. Unfortunately we were unable to contact Peter on the number he gave us, but we left him a message informing him of our change of plan. Sidi Ifni suffered quite badly in the recent floods and several people were killed and injured.

So, off to the Souk, where Bill & Ernie split away from us and went to walk the ramparts. Our 'friend' from our previous visit appeared out of nowhere and engaged Norma in conversation. Once again he accompanied us down the narrow streets, passing many small cobblers shops en route to the main market area.

We went to an Internet cafe where Helen's  boarding card was printed without any difficulties. They held up a bundle of boarding card photocopies to show us, so it must be a regular request.

Afterwards we paid a return visit to the traditional Berber medicine shop to have a further examination of the magical ingredients. This time the owner reached into a round woven straw basket and brought out the most beautiful little green chameleon which we were able to hold and admire. A chameleon brings good luck.

There were more items in his darkened room this time. A dead raven in full plumage, good for warding away the Devil. A dried fox, dried chameleons hanging from a string, a lizard with its ribs stretched open with a cut of wood. A hoopoe, seen above beside the shopkeepers hand and a sheet of newspaper on which he was preparing a potion for a waiting customer. This shop is one of the busiest on the street and it is mainly frequented by cloaked women.

Leaving there to make space for the waiting customers we moved on a few shops to the fishmongers where we bought a kilo of fresh sardines for 18 dirhams (£1.20) and then back to the potter to buy a clay barbecue and charcoal for 20 dirhams.

We just love the Souk at Tiznit with all its antiquity- the people in traditional dress, the colourful fruit and vegetable sellers, the tiny narrow alleyways with scuttling women and chattering schoolchildren, the men in their djellabas of many colours and the golden brown high turreted city walls.

Back home to sit by the pool whilst the sun shone and later to feast of sardines from the barbecue.

Bon appetite

Trip up country

Three of us left at 8:15 this morning to drive East into the Anti-Atlas mountains. Along the route were signs of the terrible flash floods that Elsewhere killed  at least 32 people over the previous two days. We have seen wadis turned into fierce and surging clay-coloured rivers sometimes brimming up to road level and sometimes cutting off the road. ...Rivers of mud. Today most of the waters had disappeared leaving pools and puddles and mud streaks on the roads. 

The stony ground sometimes hosting euphorbia plants and prickly pear gradually changed as we drove higher into the mountains.

We finally arrived at Tafraoute which gives the appearance of a frontier town. Not many tourists at the moment but it caters for seasonal visitors in hotels and camping grounds.

I found a Berber rug which took my fancy and we also bought a picnic lunch at the market stalls. Delicious oranges for 14p per kilo.

Back home for a delicious supper of beetroot hummus, potatoes cooked in garlic and spices, and tomatoes.

We've stepped out at last

We welcomed friends from Ireland last night after a full day of solid rain. They arrived at Agadir in horizontal rain and came to the house by taxi rather drenched. This is the first proper rain since 2009 and the farmers are delighted. The wadis that were empty when we arrived are filled with rushing clay-filled rivers sometimes flowing dangerously across the road. Driving is hazardous in this weather.  

We've had a day stuck inside but took a quick trip to Tiznit to look at the pottery and visit the supermarket. 

Today we've had a lunch stop in Mirleft At The 3 O'S (3 olive trees) Restaurant run by a Frenchman. with Richard, Sally and Peter. Dromedary for main course and then tarte au citron. Delicious. 

Offline due to powercuts

We have no phone line due to storms. I'm using the 3G mobile system to access web. Rain has cooled down the air, people are walking about in their overcoats yet the temp is about 18. 

We are in darkness

Today we visited Tiznit. The silver market by the butchers held various jewels and silver work. We had intended eating but couldn't really find a restaurant selling light food.  Met a man inside the walls of the old town who said beware of touts and guides. Then he took us to his shop!  On the way he showed us the Blue Source which is the old water tank of the town being restored to beautiful public gardens. 

On the way back to the car we met another man (Tai-eeb) as Helen wanted to find some pottery. All the tagines are too big for a suitcase on the plane. He took us on a walking tour to another's silver/carpets/pottery/ shop. We discovered that all Moroccans believe in the power of magic. He explained the shops we had seen selling traditional Berber medicines. There were gazelle heads, skins, hedgehog, baleen whale vertebrae, dried animals, an Egyptian vulture (dead). All these treatments help to make people stronger and work alongside western medicine. You can get sick if someone gives you the evil eye and you might need medicine to make you better. It's a different mentality. We say "we'll come back tomorrow" they say "we'll come back tomorrow, Inshallah" which qualifies everything  they talk about in the future. We have everything in our grasp, they only have it if Allah permits it. 

The Jetstream  forecast since last week brought  a storm to Africa and this afternoon it arrived with dark clouds and thunder. Eventually the rain and lightning hit the house. One of the sockets was wet with streaming water! Two hours ago the power went off. Luckily we had already bought candles so we played Scrabble in the gloom. 

Bed at 9:15 pm since we can no longer connect to the Internet. We are plunged back to ancient times with only candles to light our way....

Another good day.

Sous Massa park 2

Rachid brought us through his village and down a very sandy track past his house. He brought us in to have green tea with fresh absinthe herbs. 

Souss Massa national park

This morning sis and I left at 7:30 am to drive to souss massa park along the valley of. The river (Oued ) Masse. This is a lush well watered  valley where Lucerne is grown for  cattle. People cut the lucerne and carry it to the cattle housed at the back of their houses.

We hired a Guide who Climbed in and directed us to the seaward entrance of the park. We saw osprey, pink flamingos, dunlin, common sandpiper, moussiers redstart, Moroccan cormorant, Mauritania magpie, little owl, southern grey shirke, Kentish plover.

Then Rachid took us to the top of the hill for a panoramic view of the valley from the Atlantic to the anti Atlas Mountains. 

 Looking out to the Atlantic.  That's euphorbia in the foreground.

Tuesday

The view was hidden by sea mist on Sunday but today it seemed a clear and glorious day.. As we drove back to Mirleft a single swallow flew past. This was our day for the Hallam at Mina's. We were handed paper thongs and invited to strip off  and lie on the hot slab. A firm abrasive mitt is used to peel off the top layer of dead  skin. Our masseuse was also shipped down to bikini bottoms so we didn't mind seeing her body, like ours, with rolls of fat. After about an hour in the Hammam we are wrapped in a towel and invited to cool off in the sitting area with peach tea. Another woman did the massage ...lots of pummeling and prodding! It was a very good two hours and I highly recommend Mina's. 

On the way home we saw an osprey feeding on a fish on the top of a pylon.

.

Later I walked along the beach.

Birds of the day

This morning about twenty spoonbills flew south past the window. Photo below belongs to Gibraltar ornithologist http://gonhsoutings.blogspot.com/2011_05_01_archive.html

we spotted about eight trumpeter finch sitting on a telegraph wire.  Any time I've gone to look for these birds it's been a hard slog up a mountain!

Monday 17th Nov

Leave no food or crumbs or you will be surrounded by ants as we discovered in the Lamb tagine that DID have a lid! 

The fridge is the  fortress protecting us from these little beasties.

Guess what? It is sunny again! Drove 33km south to Mirleft along the coast because it is Market day. Mostly men selling fruit and veg plus a few trinket sellers. Kathryn bought some bangles and we bought beetroot and bread!

Lunch at the Restaurant Tayrought (wave). They are attracting surfers. Barbequed fresh fish and chicken tagine plus freshly squeezed orange juice. 

View from the terrace

That's the Atlantic out there.

This is a cluster of new build villas built about ten years ago each with their own swimming pool. Today we met Linda who also has a house here and she invited us for lunch outside. 

We made a quick visit to Tiznit to get meat and vegetables. The carcasses were were being butchered in front of the customers - no chill cabinets. Live poultry in cages waiting to meet their maker. 

Bought executive lounge access

And enjoyed slurping home made tomato and pepper soup with Wheaten bread. Couldn't resist the free access to drinks etc. So we started the journey in comfort and then flew on a half full Aer Lingua plane to Agadir. There was our driver holding up a  plaque with our name. First I had to sign the car hire forms in the car park under the street light! I hired the car Local to the Villa, 100 km from the airport so it's all a bit haphazard. Hafid drove us to such an enormous supermarket that even has brand new motorbikes for sale beside the clothes aisles!

We were in a hurry but longing to study the range of fruit and vegetables  and spices attractively arranged. It's about a two hour drive to Val d'Aglou near Tiznit. We are facing the thundering Atlantic which is just a few yards from the balcony. Can't wait to see it all in daylight.

Leaving home again

I'm on the bus to Dublin. Booked online for £8 instead of £13.50 and qualify for priority boarding. This coach is competently Full. The sun is shining after days of heavy rain. En route to Dublin airport for flight to Morocco. And then the garda stopped us... Uh oh! Was the driver speeding? Two officers stepped out of a twelve year old Toyota Yaris and entered the coach. They asked everyone for ID. Apparently they do occasional spot checks.

Eyes

In the Spring I met a man who had a cataract operation to improve his sight. He didn't have cataracts but an elective operation to change the lens in the eye to one specially designed for him was a success. He enthused so much about his new sight that I decided to have the same operation.  Cathedral Eye Clinic in Belfast have a top class team. First op was done in July and the second on 4th October. I love my new vision! I can read and see far away without specs. I recommend it to everyone. 

Food festival day two

Thierry is a Parisian chef who has lived in Norway for years. He no longer works as a chef but he offered to cook for his friends. He gave us a seven course meal. Amuse Bouche of melon balls with bacon on top, fois gras with onion cooked in honey and served with a sweet white wine...delicious! Salmon and halibut served in pastry baskets, boeuf bourginon (the beef was marinated in wine for four days), chèvre and a blue cheese from north of the Auvergne, strawberries in rum with sabaillon?

The food was delicious and I'm glad it came after our rough and ready Irish meal!

Food festival

Everything was going along swimmingly. The house now has thirteen residents. Italians, Norwegians and Irish. I was making a butterfly net from grandmother's nightdress. Helen and Aslaug were preparing a treasure hunt and sorting the clues with shamrocks attached.  Karl was internet banking and practicing his Irish whistle. 

Thierry arrived and had a long discussion with Finn outside then departed.  Finn came inside and announced that Thierry had understood his food festival day was Saturday not Friday.  So 25 people were coming and there was no food to eat! So we decided at 1pm that we could prepare our food and be ready by 7 pm. 

Then we realized the three legs of lamb were still frozen!  Fast track defrosting without a microwave!  Baking four loaves of wheaten bread from flour we had brought over from Ireland. Making a chocolate and pear pudding which was the wrong recipe and took two hours to cook. We managed to burn out the mixer so had to handwhip the cream.   The wheaten bread didn't cook right through so we had to toast it before the smoked salmon was laid on it. 

We had two cookers on the go and by seven o'clock guests arrived.  We were ready. The guests loved the mint sauce with the lamb and enjoyed every morsel of food. The evening was rounded off by most people performing a party piece. Atmosphere was good and the last went to bed at 2pm.  I have a lovely sky to show you later......

The farm

We are well settled in at the farmhouse which has seven bedrooms, all occupied. There is Karl and Aslaug, helen and me, Finn the house owner, Anne line his sister and her Italian husband Guiseppe, their two grown up sons and Guiseppes brother  Guitano and his wife Daniela. Finns daughter and friend will also arrive.  Mealtimes require military planning. Helen, Karl, Aslaug and I are cooking for the food festival on Saturday for about 20 people. We will prepare an Irish meal of smoked salmon on wheaten bread, main course of roast lamb with roast potatoes, carrots and broccoli followed by pear and chocolate pudding.  Finally Irish coffee. By that time I'll be on the floor! However we'll also have Irish music which Karl is in charge of and probably a bit of a welcoming speech at the beginning providing a background about Ireland. 

I walked up to the forest,  saw hardly any birds until the return route when I heard squawking and screeching. I thought it sounded like a woodpecker. However this bird with chestnut outer tail feathers and similar colour on the wings was a new bird for me - a Siberian Jay.  Lots of fieldfare about, chiffchaff and a breeding pair of yellowhammers. 

Day 11 from Senja to Tromso

This morning we left at 9:30 and headed for the North of Senja. Said goodbye to Frode and Jane. The weather has improved and patches of blue have appeared. 

We drove north through the middle of Senja up a mountainside to a frozen lake then through a long tunnel. The highlight was a white sandy beach near the north end of the island. The sun shone and the sky was blue but the air was cold at 10 degrees. Apart from that it could have been the Caribbean. We ate lunch gazing out of the car window unlike the Norwegians who eat outside in all weathers.   I discovered at this point that I'd left my coat behind in Frode's house. I phoned him and he had it immediately packed and posted to the farm in Steinkjer where we are going.  

Photo here later......

Our Couchsurfing host in Tromso was away on an island and missed the ferry back. His housemate welcomed us in, took us for a guided tour of Tromso and then cooked us a delicious meal of Norwegian fish cakes in a tasty sauce with vegetables. Erling is also a fluent Spanish speaker. He suggested we return to Tromso in the Winter to see the magical Northern lights.  In fact everyone we spoke to said it was worth having the dark nights to gaze at the lights in the sky.   He is also convinced there are visitations from outer space. If you look up You tube and put in Tromso UFO you can decide for yourself.  Personally I think it's military devices.  

 

Day 10 Harstad to Senja

We spent last night Couchsurfing with Elza, a nurse, in Harstad. She offered us a bed at the last minute and we were so delighted.  She arrived in Norway eight years ago from Romania and trained  as a nurse. 

Now we're on the Hurtigrute Trollfjorden sailing to Finnsnes which is the closest stop to our next couchsurfer. 

We arrived in Finnsnes refreshed and drove to South Senja to find our host Frode and family. One of the sons has vacated his bedroom for us but Frode is building a room over his garage for guests. He enjoys hosting because giving something for nothing makes him feel good. Frode finds car maintenance fun and he is in the middle of completely stripping out and rebuilding  a 1988 Mercedes coupe and also a VW beetle. 

Jonathan, young German who has befriended that family for 10 years talked to us about being a Wandergeselle. He is a member of a guild and is a carpenter. He will be travelling all over the world doing carpentry. He is not allowed to go home for three years. You can read about them here.

wandergeselle

Frode told us about a few places to go nearby so we set off at 2:30. The weather is much milder than Andenes. 

He suggested walking up the ridge which is visible from the house.  "It will only take 30 mins...."

90 mins later we returned to the car!

Drove on down the peninsula. And came across an unimproved Rorbu on a jetty.  In most places these are improved and painted red which you will see in tomorrow's post. 

On the journey spotted two pairs of bullfinch. Met an elderly German man living in a camper van down a remote lane by the sea.  He didn't speak English but managed to tell me that he loves the fresh air and fishing.  I was informed that he has been living there for four months every year since 2000. 

Had a tasty meal cooked by June, Frode's wife' who is a teaching vice principal.  Lamb casserole and rhubarb with sugar syrup. 

Andenes Senja ...oops

Drove north to Andenes. Spotted Willow grouse on the raised bog.

Arrived in Andenes in time for the ferry to be told it was too stormy. Now we are reconsidering our plan to get to Senja.

We sat in the car and ate lunch whilst thinking. Phoned Hurtigrute boat to find out the time of departure. Eventually we decided to get Hurtigrute at Harstad and travel to Finnsnes near Senja. Boat leaves at 8am from Harstad so we needed to find somewhere in Harstad. It's the start of an Arts week so the hotels are full. Helen wrote to a couch surfing host. We drove south through wind and rain...mostly 5 degrees. 

Driving in to Harstad our phone rang. It was the couch surfer Elza offering us a bed at 5:20 pm. We were just about to try camp sites. Elza is a nurse from Romania. She trained in Norway. She is a lovely person and we squeezed into her daughters' bedroom, which was vacant. 

Facing the North Atlantic

Our Andoya accommodation is facing the sea which is about 100 metres away across bog, freshwater pools and swampy grassland.

Spotted breeding snipe, lapwing, whooper swans, teal, merganser, redshank, meadow pipit, starling, greater black back gull,  common gull, Sea Eagle, cormorant, herring gull, curlew. 

It's the best view yet, which is what I said about each of the previous views! Every single night we've had amazing views over water. Andoya is wild, and craggy  with peat bog and heathers. The west coast is dramatic in a different way from Lofoten. There is more low land between the high cliffs and the shore. This afternoon we watched at least 7 sea eagles within 1 km of shore line. John from Kaljord told us yesterday that they have become a bit of a pest as there are too many. They used to be allowed to shoot them.

We drove past a huge listening post facing the sea. Lots of masts and aerials and an enormous semi circular dish. There was a No Photography sign. 

About 10  or so camper vans passed us on the western coast road but otherwise it is very isolated and beautiful. Some brave and healthy cyclists struggled on against the bitter headwind. We snuggled even deeper into our comfortable, leather, Volvo, heated seats!

The place where we are staying is about to host 1000 daily next weekend as they host the Highland Games..World Heavy Events Championship. Our host is a strongman. They wear kilts whilst competing. You can read about it here. Www.marmelkroken.no  I think World Heavy events even has a Facebook page.  The farmer has just come out to cut the meadow between us and the sea. The huge tractor and cutting machine is disturbing the nesting places of the lapwing, snipe and curlew.  They are flying around highly agitated. 

When I get a faster connection I'll add a few photos. 

8th day - Kaljord to Risoyhamm

This a view from our window in Kaljord last night. Fresh snow on the mountains. 

A walk in A - late post from 18th June

The rain stopped for an hour so we wandered about the small settlement. 

Came across racks and racks of drying fish.

Helen found this one.

Thursday

We left A i Lofoten this morning in sunshine. Dropped Karl at the car hire spot in Moskenes. Drove north and spotted Killer Whales just off shore. Stopped to study them through the binoculars. There were about 12  fishing boats in the area too so there was lots of fish about. 

It was only 4 degrees so we stepped into the car shivering. Thankfully the Volvo has heated seats as well as being automatic. This was a very welcome upgrade by Hertz. 

Next pause was for the impressive roadworks where they continue to build boulder proof shelters  whilst blasting with dynamite  to clear loose rock. We were driving to Hanoy to catch the 4 pm ferry to Kaljord. Our landlord John had checked on the web to tell us the time. When we arrived at the ferry quay we studied the timetable to see that the only ferry left at 9:00 am.  Oh dear.  So we drove along the E10 through the tunnels and then on RV 85 and RV822 to Kaljord. Saw a sea eagle flying parallel with car. 

Met John who was apologetic about the wrong ferry info but it was the website. He showed us into a roomy attic bedroom with kitchen. John also showed us into a wee museum of local artifacts gathered together by local women. Spades for digging peat which were broad and quite unlike Ulster peat spades, a hand churn for separating cream from milk, carding paddles for preparing wool to spin, a rope twister used by fishermen, barrels for cod liver oil, a large, wooden, dough tray, a seamans kist (chest) for holding clothing and food for two months fishing in Lofoten, large, square, wooden snow shoes for horses! 

....And here we are...ready to go out for a late drive on an otter hunt.

Can't post photos because the internet is too slow here. 

Orca

Driving out of Reine we spotted a pod of Orcas close by the shore. Long dorsal fin with white below the chin. They were heading out to sea. 

On the road tomorrow

We had yet another wet day. Karl is staying in A whilst we drive North to Hinnoya island then on to Andoya. Lofoten is really beautiful. Lots of tour buses arrived here today taking the visitors to see the Stockfish museum and the village life museum. Last night we watched the German fisherman come back to the quay after 10 hours fishing. They had quite a huge catch - all on fishing lines. They gutted them and filleted them for the freezer. They'll probably take them back home when they leave. 

Bought 3 cinnamon buns and 3 bread rolls for £10 which would have cost £4 at home....ouch.

Roadworks

Just before we arrived there were massive roadworks on a two km stretch of the sea coast road. Huge machinery and lots of  yellow-coated people were repairing the road under the high cliffs. We heard that two weeks ago a one tonne boulder fell onto the road splitting it from side to side win a two metre deep chasm. The southern part of this island chain was completely cut off.

Heavy repairs with dynamite and cranes is ongoing before someone gets crushed to oblivion. I am impressed by the speed and quality of the local authorities' reaction.  You can see a rockfall shelter in the photo. One machine was creating this as it moved along the road.  There were about five of them in a 1 km stretch.

Day 3. Drive to A on Lofoten

Today we left Vesteralen by driving along the west coast. Took the ferry from Skagen to Stockmarknes. Interrmittent sun and showers made for an interesting drive through dramatic scenery. Graylag geese breed along the shores. 

Stock fish dries for about four months. Exported worldwide.

We are now in a small village called A at the south end of Lofoten. Pronounced Awe.  We are staying in a hostel on the quay with kittiwakes breeding on an old building opposite. The sea is totally calm. 

Day 2 Lapphaugen to Sortland

Sorry this posting is late. 

We took a walk up the mountain behind the campsite through birch wood and bog with spring flowers and patches of snow.

Then it was my turn to drive along the quieter roads instead of the E6 and E10. Took the ferry from Navsnes to Flesnes. We stopped along the way to spot rough legged buzzard and white tailed sea eagle. Heard a bird like a wood warbler call in slow motion.

Eventually arrived at our Couch surfing host, Svein Flaaten. He hosts international students on Exchange and this time he has a 17 yr old from north Italy and and 18 yr old from Indonesia. They've been with him for ten months and speak fluent Norwegian plus fluent English. Another boy from Greenland was also visiting. He is an Inuit who has hunted seals (with gun). He hopes to work in the EU. 

Svein's house has a most spectacular view over a lake and jagged mountains.  He cooked a traditional Lofoten meal of cod, salted for 3 hours then rinsed and cooked with egg bacon and cheese. Delicious.

Travelling and Day 1 to Lapphaugen

Karl, my brother and I travelled from Dublin by SAS to Oslo. We had a short transfer time to the next flight to Trondheim so we rushed to collect the luggage and pass through Customs. The next stop was Trondheim to Tromso via Bodo.  The connecting flight wasa held back for ten minutes until we raced on board. 

We arrived in Tromso 10 minutes early and met Helen. We had been upgraded to a Volvo v70 automatic estate ( from a Toyota Auris). Now we have it packed we think the Toyota would have been too small. 

The first night we stayed at Brigittesheim in Tromso. Rather expensive at £119.50. The sky was bright all night. Today it was raining. We bought a Data Sim for the dongle and one for the phone. Then we drove down the E8 and E6 as far as Lapphaugen Turiststation where we had booked a lovely little cabin with dramatic, snow streaked  mountains and tumbling waterfalls. 

We've just eaten A wonderful meal cooked by me! Smoked mackerel, cauliflower, tomatoes, rice and balsamic dressing.  Ring me up any time you need a cook!!

Please send me any camping recipes you have ...

Getting ready

Suitcase is open on the spare bed, waiting for the next adventure. Off to Norway on Friday 13th...

Bio blitz at Glenarm

This is a 24 hour event where scientists and volunteers try to find as many species as possible. We were competing with three other sites in Ireland. Glenarm Castle estate along the north East Antrim Coast was our venue.  It's a big estate in excellent order, we'll managed and with a formal walled garden for visitors to walk in from the popular tea room. 

Packed the car with moth traps and borrowed my son's two man tent. It's about 40 years since I slept in a tent on the ground! Was I looking forward to it? It was disappointingly cold, showery and windy. I helped set out 9 traps to complement the 40 further out along the river and up the hill. Hit the sack at 11:30 and woke at 5:30 to collect them. 

Not much improvement in the weather so on with fleece, waistcoat and waterproof coat. 

My new trap didn't have any moths so I must experiment with he placement of the light as I think that's the problem.  Back at base camp we gradually studied the catch. I took photos. Soup and sandwiches were very welcome for cold hands. People were specialists in moths, butterflies, fungi, lichens, water species, flies, bugs, grasses and botany, birds, and  molluscs. 

Au five pm a halt was called and our team won with 1,100 species found in 24 hours.  Hooray!

..as for the camping......yes I'd do it again in a flash!

Last day out west

We left the hotel at 8:30 and drove to sigri fields. Journey takes one and a half hours. They are Improving the road because permission has been granted for a fast ferry from Athens which will increase tourism. 

We spotted lots of birds including a broad billed sandpiper, pair of rufous bush robin and icterine warbler. 

At the old sanatorium we had redstart but missed a wryneck and the red breasted flycatcher. 

What a lovely time we had on lesvos and today we are off on our long journey home.

Thursday

We were away at 8 am on Thursday to see the little Ruppells Warbler which we missed yesterday. We had waited for two and a half hours the day before. Arrived at the spot and saw it within 20 minutes.  Hooray!

Down the hill to Patra for a bit of culture. Looked at an old house from 1700 and then into the  st Nicholas church with old frescos including st George and the dragon. 

Bought some spinakopitta and a custard pastry for lunch. 

Then set off for a fruitless olive tree warbler hunt. Decided to return to the Tsiknias river along the east bank. Loads of yellow wagtails, both grey and black headed, bee eaters and squacco herons. 

At the river mouth was a collared pratincole posing nicely. 

Collected a few pieces of driftwood off the beach for memories. 

Back to Dionysis Restaurant for dinner. Imam is the choice for me...ie aubergines, tomatoes and onions stewed for a long time. 

Here's a European bee eater. 

High and rough!

Today we visited Ipsilou monastery high up on a peak above the ridged valleys. We struggled up through a track and almost stepped on a brown snake which wriggled away. 

Wood warbler, golden oriole and beautiful butterflies. 

North coast

Today we went north for the Ruppells warbler. Joined about 20 others waiting for this gorgeous warbler to appear for us. It sits on an overhead wire singing for a mate and is easy to see. Two and a half hours later we gave up. It had appeared twice for short moments during that time but we were looking elsewhere.  Will try again tomorrow.

Had a picnic by a quarry with nightingales competing for partners with their beautiful songs.

Decided to go to the north coast to Efthalou. Headed for Molyvos and decided to turn in to a taverna for a loo stop.  Shirley drove down a ramp and suddenly there was an awful scrape and crunch. OMG!! Managed to get down and find that the ramp had a three foot drop on one side...unmarked, no barrier. We were so lucky that the front wheel didn't come off the ramp. I think we slid down on three wheels for a bit. The car is covered full damage waiver....except for the underneath.

On the coast road ( improved since the last time I was on it) we found a little owl, 15 bee eaters and a roller. A new place was  Skala Sikamineas where we had early dinner sitting at the small harbour and looking at the fishing boats. The sun shone as the local women were decorating the boats for May Day tomorrow. Greek salad and chips, chicken souvlaki. 

Today we finished up with a spur winged plover and a spoonbill at the salt pans.