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Hurtigruten – short jaunt
OMG – this is so cool. On board the MS Nordnorge travelling from Svolvær to Hammerfest. The Hurtigruten coastal express is a ‘postal boat’ that travels from Bergen to Kirkenes and back calling at loads of ports along the way, sometimes for a few hours and sometime for just 30 minutes. It transports mail, goods,…
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Damn hip
It started a few months ago. I was doing a sideways plank thing in the gym and it hurt so I stopped. But then it continued to ache. And I couldn’t sit cross legged on the floor for a bit. Getting up from a chair made the hip cave in a bit. At its worst…
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Amazing Lofoten view after steep walk
Before coming to Lofoten, Susan and I selected three harder walks that we’d maybe like to do. Not all of them but we’d give one or two of them a go. Yesterday we did the first (and maybe only one) – Offersoykammen. After parking in the trail head car park we found a rather steep…
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Midnattsoltrappa
The midnight sun is quite a phenomenon. I thought it would just be ‘Meh-it’s just the sun’. Actually I was surprised by how I felt different. More about that in a bit. The midnattsoltrappa is a hike up a mountain consisting of 2,117 steps. The steps are wooden, good quality and fit in with the…
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Malaga – not just egg, chips and beer…!
I had never been to the Costa del Sol and had an unfortunate image in my head: drunken Brits eating egg and chips and getting sunburned. However I was there for the first time last week for an important family wedding and I loved so many things! 1. The temperature can be hot at midday…
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Bhutan – Tiger’s Nest Hike
This was the last full day of our trip and was incredible good timing – both for being able to get l used to walking at altitude, but also as a highlight conclusion to our week’s tour. None of us knew how hard or easy it would be but we were determined to give it…
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Bhutan – Nunnery, Gantey Monastery and hike to the Black Necked Crane area.
An early start out of Punakha towards Gantey and the Pojikha Valley. We called at the Sangchhen Dorji Lhakhan Nunnery outside of Punakha. What an exhilarating location, at the top of the mountain, on the end he between two valleys. If I was to be a nun, there would be a good place to be…
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Bhutan – Punakha Day 2 Path to Paradise
Or so Bijay said. But he wasn’t far wrong! Idyllic walk through the paddy fields and then a bit of a climb up to a wonderful temple on the top of the hill. The view was amazing both on the way up and once up there. We stopped for guava twice! Afterwards we took a…
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Bhutan – Punakha – I have a new musical instrument to play!
Honestly I’ve had the most amazing day. I have loads of pics of the dochla pass, the divine madman’s village and the temple (see below) and the wonderful dzong at Punakha. However the part I enjoyed the most was inside the temple when the monks were chanting and then playing their instruments. I have no…
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Bhutan – 2nd day in Thimphu
We started the day by visiting one of the largest Buddha images in the world. – the Buddha Dordenma statue. We admired the wonderful view and had some fun with the camera… This temple is beautifully decorated inside and out although photos are not allowed on the inside. We then hiked to the next temple.…
Rachel’s Travels 