I had three more sections of the London Loop left to walk. On a sunny day, I tackled sections 1 and 2 with a friend. My usual London Loop companion had completed the Loop. There was a fast route to Erith via the Elizabth line, which is a recent addition to the London Underground that … Continue reading / view photos London Loop — sections 1, 2
Category: Hiking
Fort William, Cow Hill, and The Wildcat
We woke up to a blue sky. It was a bit chilly but otherwise the perfect day for a hike. Our original plan was to hike up Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK. However, for assorted reasons, we couldn’t have a whole a day in Fort William. We, therefore, decided to hike to … Continue reading / view photos Fort William, Cow Hill, and The Wildcat
The Butt of Lewis and Dùn Èistean
Cath was feeling under the weather for our final full day on Lewis and Harris, but she told us of a scenic walk at the northern end of the island, taking in the Butt of Lewis. It was a short walk, about 6km, but the 50-70kph winds made it seem longer. During the walk, we … Continue reading / view photos The Butt of Lewis and Dùn Èistean
Deers, cows, and Harris Tweed
We were back on the road again, being driven around our friend in Lewis and Harris. Two items were on the agenda for the day: a shopping trip to Tarbert (where we had landed a couple of days ago) and a hike. We first went to a shop selling Harris Tweed, which the island is … Continue reading / view photos Deers, cows, and Harris Tweed
Old Man of Storr and Fairy Glen
When I woke up after our first day in Scotland, I stepped out of the shepherd’s hut in Broadford and was greeted with this beautiful sight: Before sailing to the Outer Hebrides, we had two places we wanted to visit on our drive to the ferry port. The first place was the Old Man of … Continue reading / view photos Old Man of Storr and Fairy Glen
Isle of Skye
Going to experience the breathtaking beauty of Scotland is becoming an annual event. Two years ago, we went to a deserted island, Shuna. Last year, we went to the stunning West Highlands, starting in Kingussie. And this year, we’re exploring the Isle of Skye and Outer Hebrides. As usual, we took the sleeper train from … Continue reading / view photos Isle of Skye
London Loop — sections 5,6
Section 5 of the Loop was from Hamsey Green to Coulsdon South. Section 6 finished in Banstead Downs. These were the final two sections for my London Loop walking companion. I had three more sections to go: 1, 2, and 9, which she had done independently. When we passed through Happy Valley, we looked in … Continue reading / view photos London Loop — sections 5,6
London Loop — sections 3, 4
It took a few weeks to return to normal after coming home from East Asia. I started hiking again. For the day we picked to resume the London Loop, the weather in London was forecast to be good. I had a few more sections to walk before completing the 150-mile (242 km) loop. Belatedly, I learnt that, … Continue reading / view photos London Loop — sections 3, 4
Mount Moiwa and Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art
Mount Moiwas is 532m above sea level. My walk to the top started from the same location as the Maruyama walk a couple of days ago. This was twice the height. There were more people on the walk but it wasn’t that busy. Hikers are very friendly: everyone says hello to you (“konichiwa”). There were … Continue reading / view photos Mount Moiwa and Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art
A hike, a shrine, and the red-light district
On the Alltrails hiking website, I found a few hikes around Sapporo. Since I’d started late, I chose one of the shorter ones that would give me views of the city and whose start could easily be reached. A reviewer of the walk commented that they wished they’d done the walk in reverse because there … Continue reading / view photos A hike, a shrine, and the red-light district