Robyn and Gareth's (mis?)adventures...

This is another camping related trip, this time to the Norfolk broads and only a couple of hours down the road. I don't know what it is with us and camping but it always rains, no matter where we are in the UK!

For those of you who haven't been to Norfolk, it's as flat as a pancake and was created by peat farms way back when, then they flooded and created the broads. Now the rivers are mostly nature reserves and wildlife, especially birds, are in healthy numbers throughout most of the broads. You can't really get to it by car, so we decided to hire some bikes for the day and have a look at the countryside, which makes it easy to stop at a local pub half way around and then cycle lunch off on the way home. Next time we are going to hire a boat as this doesn't involve sore backsides from sitting on a bike for a day. And apparently they hire out boats to pretty much anyone so we are sorted!?!?!

Here are a few photos from our bike ride, starting out at our camping ground in Clippesby to How Hill, via a pub for lunch and back again.

On the way to How Hill

At the How Hill Nature Reserve

On the way back - Gareth mocked me for taking photos of barley but it looked cool!

And just to say that we've been there we stopped off in Great Yarmouth. Kinda like Blackpool but not as bad, but we've been there never the less...

We decided it would be a good idea to test out our tent during late September in the Lake District. So armed with our dozen sleeping bags, blankets and winter pyjamas we headed north to see a few hills.

After checking Lake Windermere we decided how best to occupy ourselves for the next few days

Day 2 consisted of a driving tour around the area to check out the different lakes and there were some wicked landscapes. Definitely will head back here again.

The Road from Troutbeck to Ullswater

Lake Ullswater

Lake Coniston (I think)

Farm Gate somewhere on the road back to Windermere

After the heaviest night's rain that we've ever spent in a tent - we seriously thought we would have to move into the car, we thought it would be a great idea to do a walk near our camping ground (Limefitt Park). But despite the rain, we were damp but our little tent did us proud and didn't leak at all!!! Anyway, with our clothing for all seasons in our backpacks we headed up to one peak that looked decidedly closer than you think with some seriously steep tracks.
This is where we were headed!

Half way up, we needed a rest...

Then we thought it was a bright idea to head up to another peak and although it hurt, the view was worth it! Except that it decided to cloud over just as we got to the top - typical!!!!!

So on our way home we decided to see the delightful city of Blackpool for ourselves. This photo does the city a great justice and it was the only place we felt we wanted to get out of the car. Not up there with the worlds best beaches I'm afraid, some serious dirt and dodgy, dodgy people.

Along with millions of other ex-pat kiwis and aussies we headed to Morocco for Christmas and New Year. Although it was never a country high on our 'to-do' list, it completely surprised us and we had a truly wicked time. Would go back tomorrow...

Fes
There are cheap flights from Luton to Fes (point to note) and although Gareth managed to pick up the wrong pack off the conveyer belt, the unfortunate chap who ended up with Gareth's boxers left it at the airport. So we made a quick trip back out to Fes airport and in our non-existent Arabic and French we managed to get it back. Will he ever learn?!?!?!

This is the first Riad (B&B) we stayed at and it was gorgeous.

We went wandering through the maze of streets in Fes' old town and came accros some weird and wonderful stuff.

This souq makes large metal things - not quite sure what but I think it's stuff used for weddings.

Fes' tanneries stink but you stand on a rooftop and look down over them.

The second riad we stayed at (Dar El Hana) gave us a Moroccan/Western Christmas dinner. This is a chicken pastilla - chicken with almonds and spices wrapped in filo pastry. Quite strange but very tasty.

Casablanca
Caught the train to Casa. Morocco's train services are pretty damn good. We were told to travel first class because it was New Year and the locals were travelling all over the place. Casablanca for us wasn't so cool. The only interesting thing we found was King Hassan II's mosque which holds about 25,000 worshipers (inside alone) and has a retracting roof. And as a non-muslim you are actually allowed into this mosque (rare treat in the arab world).

Hassan II Mosque Haman - which has never been used.

Rabat
This city is really different to the rest of Morocco, not too westernised but still has all things Moroccan about it. We spent an afternoon here and saw loads...

Gareth made friends with this guy?!?!

Marrakech
So another long train journey on a jam packed train to Marrakech. What we didn't take photos of were the sheep on mopeds. Given it was year of the sheep, the year ended in a huge feast at the sake of a few million sheep. So sheep were being transported around the city in any way possible.

No trip to Morocco would be complete without a photo of Djemma el Fnaa at night, so here you go...

One thing I love about Morocco is the freshly squeezed OJ and mandarins.

And just to test the strength of Gareth's iron stomach he decided to eat dodgy stall food. I saw sense...

One of the freakiest things was walking around Marrakech's souqs on New Years Eve, it was deserted and quite eerie.

Ouarzazate and High Atlas Mountains
We did a day trip out to Ouarzazate. Mountains were wicked but that's about all.

But we did stop off at a kasbah just outside of Ouarzazate which was interesting, apart from people trying to sell us stuff, including their services for assisting us across the river on stones.

Ait Benhaddou Kasbah

We thought it would be a good idea to visit Germany before Christmas to see how it's really celebrated. And Dusseldorf didn't dissapoint...talk about eating, drinking and walking!!!

It's madness!!!! Hundred and hundreds of stalls selling food, drink, toys, food, drink, christmas stuff, food, drink...

Just to prove we were there.

Gluwein = mulled wine (very strong). I hated it, Gareth loved it. It's like swallowing warm petrol with a hint of cinnamon.

The Rhine runs through the city and this is an area with loads of beautiful buildings looking over the river.

Another christmas market, but with a cool carousel in the middle (where you can drink gluwein).