Babs’ travels -The Peking to Paris Rally and other driving adventures.

It's over.  Since leaving home the plucky Bristol has covered just over 4,500 trouble free miles. Yes, the little minx did give us a couple of little scares but it was just toying with our emotions and all was well. Huge thanks must go to the wonderful Charles McGowan of Southlands Farm Workshop for his perfect restoration of the car.  Thanks also, to Duncan and Verity of Tour de Force for their meticulous planning and organisation.  Most of all, massive thanks to Paddy, whose idea the rally was, and to his parents who led the way. It's all been terrific. We've loved every minute of travelling around Scandinavia and have especially loved Norway. The Bristol is going home via a short cruise in a car transporter with a few of its friends, whilst I have a final day in Bergen before flying home tomorrow.  Then, a week of intensive children and grandchildren, packing away the warm clothes, bringing out hot weather stuff before flying to Cambodia in a weeks time.   I'...

Love. Mad, passionate, crazy deep love.  Yes, it's official: Norway has beguiled us with her majestic beauty, friendliness and general outrageous gorgeousness.  Just when we thought that it couldn't get better, the temptress seduced us again with two days of such outstanding driving that our undying love is guaranteed.  We've been in the mountains. Up and down crazy twisty roads with views so outstanding that we thought it couldn't get any better. And then it did.  And then some more.  We've crossed northern Europe's highest pass, complete with several metres of snow.  We've dropped down from the mountains to skirt stunning fjords. More mountains.  Snow - lots of snow.   Countless waterfalls.  Frozen lakes. Unfrozen lakes.  More beauty than you can shake a stick at. I'll let the pictures do the talking.   We stayed in wooden, glass fronted pods in the woods last night, designed to make it seem that you are the lens in a camera looki...

I find everywhere interesting. Even boring places can offer something - once, anyway. But, sometimes, I find myself somewhere so extraordinary it doesn't seem real.  One such was this afternoon. Nine of us went on a boat ride, not quite knowing what to expect, but imagining an old tub, sitting outside in the freezing rain and creeping along the coast line between the islands.  The first surprise was the boat; an almost new, very luxurious number. We set to sea, seemingly to Greenland, it seemed so far.  Obviously, it was bitterly cold and raining but a few of the hardier amongst us stayed on top.  Eventually, 20 nautical miles off shore we reached our destination.   Holtan Island was, until 1988, a fishing community of around 1000 residents with a large fish salting plant.  A more remote spot it would be hard to imagine.  Living there year round would have been an unbelievable hardship.  There was even a school there.  Now, it sits, like an a...

After a first class dinner overlooking the atmospheric harbour in Henningsvar, (think cod, followed by more cod - all delicious) we set off for an exciting adventure at 11pm.  The light  was so bright that it felt like the middle of the afternoon on a British summer day. We were off to experience the midnight sun in a boat.  We were issued with floatations suits, thoroughly wrapped up against the freezing weather and, in high spirits, climbed aboard three ribs for our journey out to sea. I was at the front of our rib, astride a seat with a handle to hold on to.  It felt like being seated in a roller coaster. The ride was like a roller coaster.   Oh, the thrill of it!   Unbelievably beautiful; minke whales; an eagle resting for the night; seals; freezing cold; ethereal light; midnight sun and a rising moon - the works. When we arrived back on dry land, in broad daylight, obvs, we thought we were too invigorated to sleep.  But, sleep we did.  Until ...