The weather forecast predicted rain coming in from the west by early afternoon and so I decided to get going early and try and finish this 12 mile stretch before the rain set in. So much for forward planning as soon after I started at 9.00 it started to rain and I quickly unpacked the wet gear and put it on before the weather deteriorated. It was a ''mizzle'' rather than a downpour and as such the walk did not become an endurance test although the views were limited which was a pity. At an early stage of the walk I spotted a couple of very vociferous lapwings and it made me wonder why they had become so rare. When I was young they could be seen in large flocks on many a ploughed field. But ... read more

A much better day today after the drenching yesterday. The sun shining through the clouds and with a gentle breeze to make it ideal for walking. Most of the walking either along the tops of the Downs with glorious views or through shady woods with the birds singing. The Way was not too crowded considering it is a Bank Holiday Sunday and in fact there were quite a few stretches were I did not see a soul. Those that were about were either fellow walkers or cyclists on mountain bikes.The Way appears to be a mecca for those on mountain bikes who are taking up the challenge to cycle the whole length. Along that part of the Way I travelled today is Uppark, a National Trust property,which I managed to visit. It's a 1690's country house ... read more

Today I am off on the 100 mile walk from Winchester to Eastbourne. A walk over the South Downs from West to East and a distance of 100 miles. The plan is to walk it in 9 days at a reasonably leisurely pace although I may be tempted to hot up the pace and complete it in a quicker time. The stretch today was from the capital of Wessex, Winchester ( a city drenched in history and well worth a visit, especially the Cathedral) to a small village called Exton. The walking distance is 12 miles and I started at 9.15 and by 1.15 I was in Exton after a relatively easy hike, mainly along farm tracks and a few country lanes. The views along some of the stretches today are a taster for things to ... read more

Kochi was to be our last city tour and after spending a couple of days here we retreated to a beach resort which is one and a half hours south of the city. The city is situated on the west coast of Kerala and is full of history. The Portugese arrived here in the 16th century and built a palace for the local royal family in exchange for trading rights. We visited the palace known as Mattancherry Palace and at the time it seemed to be the venue for the visit by hordes of schoolchildren as well as a scene of renovation works. The Portugese during their time here built a couple of churches which have since undergone quite a few modifications. The most interesting was St Francis Church which had the honour of being the ... read more

A seven and a half hour journey from the lush and fertile plains of Tamil Nadu through the verdant jungle clad hills known as the Cardamic Hills or Western Ghats. After winding our way through the narrow and steep roads the scenery started to change as we approached Munnar. The sweeping hills are almost covered in their entirety with tea plantations stretching for miles. Munnar, being about six thousand feet above sea level and located in just under sixty thousand acres of sprawling tea plantations, was first established by the British in 1878. The town was also a summer resort for the British government in South India, no doubt due to its pleasant yet not overbearing temperature. Many of the tea plantations are owned by a company known as TaTa which seems to have its fingers ... read more