Return to India 2 The Gateway to God - Haridwar 14th January 2018 Continuing the travels of two somewhat elderly brothers, David (of ‘the grey haired nomads’) and the much younger, Mike, (aka, ‘keep smiling’) getting to know each other rather better as they travel through the north of this fascinating country. Haridwar The 0645 train from an extremely tidy but rather chilly New Delhi Station finally arrived in Haridwar, the 'Gateway to God', in Uttarakhand State, an acceptable one hour late. That’s Indian trains: incredibly cheap and extremely unreliable. But either way it’s not an unpleasant experience, particularly if you should travel Executive Chair. The one-mile long train trundles its merry clittery-clattery way for five hours through 200km of grey morning fog, past quiet towns and villages, tarp-tented shanty encampmen... read more

Scotland 3 - 2017 25th June – 15th July Continuing our travels through Scotland Islands - On to Mull and Iona, with hopes of finding otters and white tailed eagles! The ferry crossing from Armadale, south across the Sound of Sleat to bustling Mallaig on the mainland, took just twenty-five minutes allowing us time to meander the coast road past tiny coves with white sandy beaches, through elegant Arisaig and on to Glenuig for our evening meal at the Glenuig Inn. This lovely little village has its own community shop with free WiFi, a village hall, a bus shelter, a smokehouse, a museum, B&B at the Inn, and its very own red telephone box! There are still a number of red telephone boxes in the Highlands, those remnants of British village life where a penny gave ... read more

Scotland 2017 25th June – 15th July Kilts, Bagpipes, Clootie Dumplings and Haggis We’re doing it again: setting off in our motorhome for that bit at the top of the UK where it’s bound to rain bucket-loads, the midges will be out in force and many of the roads will be frustratingly winding and slow. Yes, it’s Scotland and the Highlands once more: the little bit of the UK untouched by the Roman Empire, the land of warring clans, sword swinging, tartan skirted, hairy warriors with tam o’ shanter bonnets and their wailing bagpipes waking the dead. This time we’re travelling in convoy with our Australian cheese-maker friends, Jan and Trevor, from Redhill, Melbourne, in their own motorhome. So, yes, it’s raining in Stirling, our starting point, when we arrive to take a look at the ... read more

Amazing Iceland 2 of 3 3rd June 2017 Are you ready? OK. Here’s what Janice has planned for us over the coming two weeks. The rental car seems to work: it’s diesel, there’s just about room for us, our three suitcases are in the boot and the clock reads 42,197km. The circumnavigation of Iceland is relatively simple. Route 1, a neat and tidy surfaced road for most of the way, winds 1330 km around the coast, beside the odd fjord, through endless lava fields, up and down valleys and up and over snowy mountains. That’s the simple bit. But the grey-haired nomads are not known for keeping to the simple life. What’s the fun in that? So, expect a bumpy ride. We’ll be travelling in an anticlockwise direction, so follow us on the map. There are ... read more

Incredible India - 3 of 3 Southern India Karnataka, TamilNadu and Kerala It took most of the day to cover the 275km from the rolling hills and fertile fields of Ooty to the arid plains of Kochi (Cochin) by car, careering past brightly painted lorries, cars and motorbikes on narrow winding roads. There are signs of better things on the horizon as earth-movers and workmen plough their way through the countryside in an attempt to dual the road and hasten prosperity to the masses. We have finally entered Kerala, the name on the lips of the many visitors who have come before us, the green and fertile land they call, God’s Own Country. Between bustling villages vibrant with colour and clamour, vast rice paddies stretch to the horizon, bordered by narrow water-courses and whispering coconut palms. ... read more