Sardinia June 2007

I was searching through Ryans Air's destinations at work searching for the elusive 1p flights and found a return flight to Sardinia (Alghero) from my home airport of East midlands. Total cost with taxes and with one bag £50.

Now I've never been or ever expected to go to Sardinia, simply because other places were a priority, but where Ryan Air goes I go, so after a bit of research it began to look like a secret little Gem and I was not let down, I can assure you I will be visiting sardinia again real soon.....if you make the effort the rewards are all over the Island.

I arrived at 4pm hired a car £235 (7 Days unlimited full Insurance)I got the full insurance, now I know I know I can drive safely but I'ts the dam Italians (Sardinians) that cant period !! As well as the road signs being beyond ridicule, they are a joke, the Italians have no idea how to manage a road system, I got stuck in one mountain village (Nouro) for 45 minutes!!

I had a rough intenery but essentially was as free as a bird - I stayed on the beach in my Bivvy for two nights, I stayed in 2 different mountain ranches (Refugios)and a swanky Hotel for two nights in Cala Gonone, my first night after bit of haggling was in Alghero.

My Itenary was -

Algero - one night
Lido Orri - 2 nights on the beach....awesome
Chiesa San Pietro / (Hike 1) Cala Goloritze - Staying in the Refugio...
Cala Gonone - (Hike 2) Cala Luna return on foot... - Hotel Luna 2 nights.
Oliena - (Hike 3) Summit of Nidos 1348M - Cooperative ENIS Hotel
Stintino / Cappo Caccia (hiked to the bottom and back up!!!) return car/airport.

I had a great time adventuring around as always and have to say that it is a beautiful Island it was blistering heat the whole week while you lot were getting soaked ha ha...and I have never swam in water so transparent in all my life.....take a look.

Above Cala luna and below Cala Goloritz - Hours of swimming and diving..

These places were hiked to, and although you can get to some of the beaches by car most are only accessable on foot or by boat, making them feel more personal.

OK I am having a nightmare with FlickR and passwords so go to the link and when the picks change to Tenerife just close the window other wise it will show you every dam picture in my account, luckily the first ones to come up are of Sardinia, the video will show you more...

Go here for the pictures on FlickR -

Sardinian Slide show

Colonic Irrigation

On Sat 7th of July @ 9:00am!!!

To be honest I have considered having one of these for years, why well mmmm good question I guess its due to the claimed health benefits especially if you know you been eating to much sugary food for years like I have, I am on a health kick of late and one of my concerns is that I may have Candida and so I am hoping this will help with clearing some of the bad toxins out of my system.

That aside though I cant wait to see what comes out through the tube that they place in front of you, it'll be like a crap Generation Game, ya know the bit at the end where all the items passed by quickly.

It might go somthing like this -

• Kids toy
• Set of marbles
• An oily (marble)
• set of teaspoons
• Toy Soldier
• balloon

Etc Etc you get the picture. To be fair there are not alot of places that do it in what would look like a proffessional clinic but I've found one in Retford, north of Mansfield, the cost is £80 and that was a concern for me initially, but she said that she would make sure I was as clear as possible for one sitting !!! ....

Joking aside .. my other concern is that on the website she looks a big woman ya know with strength about her, I do hope shes not to forceful as I kind a like my bottom just the way it is, woudnt want any slip ups now would we... and for those who know me well - I am a little concern that I may loose my windy talents that have brought happiness and delight to many for years, that would be sad day for sure.....

Woud'nt it be a blast if her name happened to be Peace, as to book you would have to ringpiece...ha ha mmph...god I must grow up.....

Check the video out here -

In the end and being serious I think it has done me good, you do feel better as well as a little lighter, also they can see if you have any conditions and I was clear - I was actually given a clean bill of health which was the reason I went -

Would I do it again ? - mmmm Yes I would about every 3 years or so.

Labour Pains....

Have to mention this, for about the last 3 weeks now I have helping a buddy (Terry Towelling and Trevor the rockstar) rebuild a house as a labourer, I have not done this type of work for about 17 years, but I'm pretty fit and so I thought I'll be ok....

Leave it out ... this work is a killer, I have been working in an office for about 5 years at least and still do as my other job, but this labouring is killing me, god its making me fit but struth as I approaching 40 things arent the same ya know, the body has the will but well heh simply not the interest !! ha ha.

The first day (I remember it well) there I was all macho and ready for it, bring it on lads this will be a breeze Ihought COME ON!! - they made me rip all the carpets up from the ground floor and the rails of spikes that hold the carpet in place..this entailed constantly bending down at awkward angles and after about 2 hours I was in F**king Traction let me tell ya...it was agony....ha ha...of course I kept stum....being a bloke an all that....mmmph (big mistake)

...Keeping a brave face and getting on with it I made it through the day and ventured home thinking of what I do with my free evening, I sat down for about 5 mins and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...woke up at 4am on the living room sofa - still in Traction...

Ha Ha the upside is it makes you fit and me old muscles are coming back look at that body ...

This work hurts let me assure you - hope the sexy Spanish Teacher next door has seen me....Ola Como esta?....heh heh..

The long Eaton 5 Mile Challenge...

Hey Hey as part of my training for the Great northern Run 2007 I have stupidly entered into a 5 mile official race. It's on Sunday the 10th of June 2007 and starts at 10am. Now im not a morning runner (Come to think of it i'm not a competitive runner at all) but best get used to it as most races start early, I am dearly hoping to beat 40 minutes and as a heavy set 38 year old that would be good. But im not getting my hopes up, my main concern is that I will not end up at the back ..... God I would hate that - how embarrising....



Anyway look at me go....ha ha anyway will post time after race....come on 40 minutes....

OK I have acheived the unexpected, I was concerned about coming last but my dear friends I came in the top third of the competitors on the day 135th out of 370 to be exact !! I had to push myself though and it was not easy, but I even managed to squeeze a Seb Coe sprint at the end to overtake a club runner heh heh.

To be honest I went off too fast and got two miles in under 14 minutes scary for me, I then knew that I would be paying for that fast start indulgence later on and I did, I was in the norm form ya know grunting and talking to me self and swearing as I struggled round and through the pack but came into the last straight and looked up the glorious digital clock telling me I had achieved the impossible - a time of -



I then preceded to have a coupe of beers down by the river....bring on the next race....

happy Days.

The Goat gets new wheels...

Hey hey, I have been a fan of old motors for years due to the fact that I have never been able to afford a new one....heh

Anyway as I hike around I need wheels as well as me hoofs and would die a death if I didnt have them, so the Ford escort that has taken me to John O'groats and back twice, to the lakes loads all over Wales and up and through all of the UK's highest mountain passes including Applecross in Torridon Scotland and Rhinos Pass...yeh that was a pant shifter for sure....and remember it is a 16 year old boy with 129,000 miles on the clock, but the MOT of 2007 has stopped it in it's rusty tracks so I have had to say a tearful farewell to it....but it was a bag of sh*t so I dont feel that bad about it....bring on the new posh banger !!!

Here it is though being loaded up on to the death truck.....2 hours left before crusher time baby...

Bye Bye....old freind it was good eh......

But now I can look forward to trashing my new (Posh banger) in the form of a 1998 1.6 Fiat Brava with only 61,000 on the clock and with a full MOT Thats a first for a start...at a snip at £500 notes none to shabby i'd say....

Take a look at those feminine lines and the growling undertone.....oh bolllocks to all that at least it has brakes the Escort didnt......

£500 notes no more....awesome...

Anyway after driving this gliding sensual beast of a car for about a fortnight I am truly convinced I have got myself a bargain and so have invested in it.

I have had the Cambelt and tensioners done on the car to hopefully secure me another safe 50,000 miles of driving, at a cost of £200 notes mind you - shocking these mechanics eh....

Whats that noise.....ka clunk ka clunk........shit !!!!

Trip To Tenerife - April 2007

Hi all I have decided to join this crazy world due to the having to many pictures and videos to send via e mail.

Anyway I will keep it short - I went to Tenerife to see my brother and his family who live in a rural spanish village called Chio, and as I like hiking I decided to get a car and head out of the resorts only to find that this Island is more magical than I had ever imagined, always worth getting off your arse and making the effort I say.

From the world class ravene of La Masca to the heights of Mnt Teide and the surf breaks at Medano this Island has it all - but only if you have a car !!!

Take a look



Mt Teidi - Yes you can get the cable car, if you want to join the twats, but if you like hiking the way to do it is to walk up, I did and will be joining the twats on the chair lift next time as it nearly killed me - But what views.







Here is a video which shows some of the 200 pictures taken, it is mostly of the trek up Teide which I have to say was so difficult, altitude sickness or effects can kick in about 3000M and it did with me, my heart was pumping so hard as it struggled to supply my wobbly legs. I felt punch drunk and was a tad emotional on the top as it was the hardest challenge I had ever taken on, and of course I had done it alone and so had no-one to spur me on when the going got tough. I did at one point nearly turn back. I was the first on the route and did not see anyone behind me until I was 2 hours in or up. I started in the dark carrying 3 litres of water and supplies, the refuge Altavista was not open due to construction work, I did have a permit for the summit but only just made the alotted time by 5 mins!!!! The route up had taken me 4 Hours 40 Mins.

Mt Teide Ascent Video Record...



The most upsetting thing is when you get to the cablecar your surrounded by twaty tourists who have no idea what you have just been through...dam tourists, anyway you then have to struggle up the last 300M to the summit to get your award - the views, and they were stunning.

Did I catch the cable car down? to dam right I was destroyed...ha ha..

Mnt Teide -
Mnt Teide Slideshow

Anyway hope the videos give you some insight as well as make you smile, but tenerife isnt just about the volcano as a driver I was in heaven when it came to some of the roads around the mountains, roads that have 40/50 switch backs, some inverted, alot of roads are thin even one lane especially on the way to La Masca - which is where I went next....if you have not done the Masca Gorge you have missed an awesome sight. .....

The La Masca Video with Led Zeppelin....





Look at those roads, the terrain was awesome and a switchback heaven.....sweet

La Masca-
La Masca Slideshow

I made me brother Gordon an exceptional chain smoker (World Class) .... climb a peak called Roque De Conde at a height of 1001M it over looks Playa De la Americas and if you are in resort and look inland it's the famous flat topped peak that stands out a mile.....bless him he made in good time and i think enjoyed the experience....here he is (half dead), his girls Alexandra and Elena should be proud of daddy.



Wont be doing that again in a rush will ya Don Don.....mmmph.....

And heres the Goat.....



The most beautiful area of Tenerife though is not the coastline or the peak of the Volcano but in between as the contrasting greenery and the harsh rock ironically go so well together and converge....and with the Inversion playing wonders 300 meters below you, you are in a truly magical place for sure - if you make the effort that is. There are so many marked trails and BBQ spots and the Mountain biking is awesome, you can if you so wish loose yourself here......



The contrasting colours.....love it.....