Pendle hill

On Sunday, Dan and I headed out to Chatburn (near Clitheroe) and then walked to Downham Town along hedge lined roads. We soon left the town and headed into witch country – which is really English country side with a history of witches.

Witch country

A witches' BMW in Downham

A witches' house in Downham

In 1612 nine witches from the Pendle area were taken to the gallows. They believed that they were witches and used the local’s fear of the supernatural to maintain this superstition. I wonder how dissimilar they were from modern day Sangoma’s?

Witch farming

Witches' Hawthorn

Pendle Witch Hill

Walking up the hill we half expected a Blackadder type witch appearance with smoke and sparks.

A witch in front of Pendle Hill

Tracking witches

What have I been complaining about, there is sun on us!

Amongst all this nice scenery we can across this rubbish dump with a sign reading ‘No bones or dead bodies please’.

Evidence of witches

On the way back to the bus we stopped for a spot of high tea. No dainty cucumber sandwiches here, just good country sized portions of roast beef sandwiches and scones…

High tea on the Witches porch

Witch moss

The weekend

The last couple of days have been sunny and there has been no rain. It makes me realise how much I love South African weather and how easy it is to get to the beach in Cape Town!

This weekend we managed to get in two walks. One in the Lake District and then one near Clitheroe. The lake district entailed motivating 5 other people to join us and then sticking to our guns despite the weather. We caught a train and then a bus to Ambleside and headed out on a circular route up Loughrigg Fell a staggering 335 metres high!

Daniel and Mercedes before the walk started

This is why it is so green

Dan pleased with his waterproof boots

A lake

It literally rained the entire walk, but luckily we found a cave to eat lunch in and a pub at the end for beer and chips. Kate who was the least kited, had the most cheer and carried a newspaper and glamour magazine in a plastic bag the whole walk.

Lunch cave

Kate and Mercedes point at a sheep that looks like a dog

Kate and Brad

A real lake

Hopefully we’ll be back to the Lake District soon, either in the sun or snow.

Where is Whalley?

So interestingly it seems that not many people here actually know where Whalley is. Dan and I went walking there on Sunday on a bit of a whim (just made the bus in time).  It’s a quaint little place which won the ‘Lancashire Best Kept Village 2008’ and has signs all around stating that Whalley residents say ‘no to more houses’ been built!

Here's Whalley

We walked through the old graveyard, with three Anglo-Saxon Crosses in it, past the church.

Saint Mary and All Saints Anglican Church

Church door

St Mary and All Saints Church (original church circa 628 AC)

And then on to see the ruins of a 14th century Cistercian abbey (self-sufficient Cistercian (a Catholic order) monks and nuns would have lived inside the abbey brewing beer and growing crops).

Abbey gates

Whalley Abbey

Remaining foundations

When then walked ‘Whalley and the Nab’ a circular walk of about 6 miles through farmlands, forest and mud. Sometimes we found ourselves walking up a driveway and waving at the owner in the window as we walked by on the public route! Luckily Don who lent us the book (Walks in Lancashire Witch Country) had warned us this would be the case.

Sun!

Old stone walls

Farmlands

Mud

It was a beautiful walk and only rained once while we sheltered under a tree and ate roast chicken sandwiches.

Pitbull sheep

Lunch

Shut the gate!

More mud

Witches forest

More rain on the way

Home away from home

Adelphi, Preston

So in an attempt to make Preston our home away from home, I have been baking. I have made crunchies, rusks, rolls and now muesli. They taste like home.

On Saturday we took the train to Manchester with Brad, Kate and Simon. Kate and I wandered the city, while the boys watched a movie about trolls. Manchester is a grand city with many old buildings, I didn’t really take enough pictures to do it justice. Kate and I walked through the area that was car bombed by the Provisional Irish Army Republican Army in 1996 (amazingly there were no fatalities), which has since been replaced with fancy, modern shops. After the recent riots banners now remind everyone that “I love Manchester”.

Manchester

Marching band

We had lunch at a trendy little cafe after walking through the Northern Quarter and vintage shops (and eating cup cakes that Danielle recommended). We met up with the troll hunters at a winebar, and drank Argentinian and Portuguese wine in the (weak) sunshine in good company. We then wandered through some more of (I love) Manchester and had our second Turkish dinner.

Indoor market Manchester

Kate by the Cathedral

Manchester Cathedral

25a Adelphi Street

So we have almost been in Preston for a week. Brad and Kate have been very good to us taking us to a Turkish restaurant the first night we arrived (after helping carry our enormous bags) and then inviting us to a work dinner at Fusion restaurant.

Preston

 

 

Our street, the flat is in the righthand yellow building

We are staying in a really nice (University of Central Lancashire) flat within walking distance of everything. There are lots of students in Preston around 35000 if I’m not mistaken.

Lounge

 

 

Hallway

 

Bathroom

 

Bedroom

 

Bedroom

 

Kitchen

Preston has the tallest church steeple in the UK, Church of Saint Walburge, which we walked to yesterday evening. Its pretty tall at 94.1m and was completed in 1866.

Look it was sunny!

We’re hopefully going to Manchester this weekend for a movie and drink at the winebar. If you want to send us a letter the address is 25a Adelphi Street,  Preston, Lancashire PR1 7BE.

Kilmartin and Glencoe

Dan and I had fun exploring the area around Ardfern which is really beautiful and full of history. We went to the Carnasserie Castle which was built from 1565. They have pictures of what it might look like decorated and it is amazing to think of the opulence during that time despite the harsh conditions.

At Carnasserie Castle

 

Carnasserie Castle 1500's

 

Bishop's view

Then we walked around Kilmartin looking at the burial cairns, standing stones and Templewood (3500 BC!). We sheltered from the rain in one of the burial cairns which was a little strange. In the church there are three carved crosses the oldest from the 8th century, and lots of carved gravestones from prominent families.

Swollen rivers

 

Three standing stones

 We then ventured further south to the fort of Dunadd where it is thought that Kings underwent coronation by placing their foot in the carved footprint. Dan is now a king!

Dunadd coronation

On my only run in Scotland I came across a secret garden on the Sound of Jura. It seems that everything grows like wildfire in Scotland!

Ardfern

 

Ardfern

 

Secret garden

 

Secret garden

We also went for a drive around Loch Awe and stopped at the Kilchurn Castle started in the 15th century.

Loch Awe

 

View from Kilchurn Castle

In Glencoe we stayed at a lovely place called Heatherlea, where we ate fish and chips and came up with the concept of a TV series called ‘Bergie Abroad’. A South African Bergie would be brought to the UK and filmed. Chances are they would do very well and the reactions of the Brits would be classic! It would probably only have appeal for a South African audience though.

Glencoe

 

 

Inception of 'Bergie Abroad' idea

 From Fort William we drove down to Mallaig and had our first taste of a UK beach in the sunshine. The viaduct on the way was made famous by the Harry Potter train to Hogwarts.

Isle of Skye in the background

 

Viaduct

On our way back to Glasgow we stopped in at Stirling Castle and the Wallace monument and then went on to stay in the Auchendennan Castle at Loch Lomond. It is thought to be set on the hunting grounds of Robert the Bruce and has an interesting mix of Stars’ of David and thistles on the stain glass windows. During World War Two the American Anti-aircraft division stayed in the castle and later funded its transformation into a hostel. 

Auchendennan Castle

 

Ardfern

Our friends Russel and Roisin decided to have an outdoor wedding in Ardfern Scotland last week. unfortunately it rained rather a lot and so plans had to change.

The pier

This is the pier on which they had planned to get married. However it rained so much that a little Loch formed in the field nearby.

 

Loch Russel

 

Luckily the sun did come out for some photos on their wedding day. And we learnt some new moves during the Ceilidh.

Russel and Roisin's wedding

 

The stag

 

Wee Scots

Namaqualand

I have decided to write a little bit about our travels and post some pictures. Before we left for the UK, Daniel, Danielle, Thorsten and I headed up to Namaqualand.

Ja, kom proe!

 

We were just in time for novelties (a type of naartjie) at the ‘Ja, kom proe’ farmstall in Citrusdal. And a fruit roll that Thorsten bought ended up saving Daniel on their epic run.

 

Lace flowers

 

Run boy

 

Flower therapy

 

 We were meant to go and walk the Fish River Canyon, but decided instead to just do the Namaqua flower run and hang out with friends in the surprisingly strong winter sunshine.

 

Garies breakfast

 

We then headed up to Kamieskoon where we stayed in a little guesthouse. The flowers this far north were unbelievably good.

 

Blankets of flowers

 

Namaqua National Park

  

Picnic spot

We didn’t get very far in the Namaqua National Park because we had to stop for photos, swimming, and frolicking. Danielle and I know how to frolic!

Frolicking