theintrepidvoyager
Matthew Mellor Joined: October 18th 2007
Logged in: November 30th 2011
Logged in: November 30th 2011
I'm also trying to raise shed loads of cash for charity, so for more info visit www.justgiving.com/matthewmellor
Travel Blog Posts
Briancon
Welcome to my final blog covering my epic trek from the north coast of Holland to the south of France. So after a week's break on the Côte d'Azur with the family, I returned to Briançon feeling refreshed (well as refreshed as you can be after 3 connections and a 9 hour bus journey). Briançon is officially the second highest town in Europe, behind Davos in Switzerland. It is also famous for the series of forts that encircle the old town. I had time for a quick tour that evening wandering up and down the empty narrow streets, flanked by tall town houses before settling down to watch football, eat pizza, drink beer and plan my route for the next two weeks - I can’t emphasize enough the importance of good quality preparation. The next morning ... read more
Daunting
Welcome to the penultimate entry in my trek across Europe. This blog describes the route my friend Billy and I took through the Northern Alps from Lake Geneva (or Lac Léman) to Briançon in a little over two weeks, a journey which almost certainly is the hardest but one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. If at times I descend into hyperbole or exaggeration then please forgive me for the landscape was truly spectacular whilst you have to (or certainly I had to) dig deep to find the determination and resolve to endure the many setbacks, fatigue and discomfort which is part of trekking through a terrain as difficult as the Alps. I've included details of the stages that we did to illustrate the effort that went into completing this section of the ... read more
Belfort Lion
I'm writing this entry in Nice, just a few streets away from the Promenade des Anglais and the mediterranean sea. From this you will probably be able to deduce two things - firstly, that I am quite late as usual in posting my account of my travels but secondly, and much more importantly, that I have finished my trek across Europe. That's right, after 4 months, 105 stages and 2273kms (give or take), I finally made it to Nice on Sunday 11th October. I suppose this means the rest of my blogs will be like films where you already know the ending but I hope it wont diminish your enjoyment in reading my accounts of the highs and lows of the trek. This blog describes my journey through the Jura, as the GR5 makes its way ... read more
Le Donon
This blog covers another or fortnight or so, this time spent in the Vosges - a range of mountains running north to south for about 150 miles. To the east is the Alsace, a flat plane that borders Germany and which retains a strong German influence, where the GR5 would often leave the mountains to find lodgings for the night. I thought it would be best to start with a description of the typical day during this period. After breakfast, spend the whole morning climbing at least 500-1000m from the bottom of the valley. Arrive hot, sweaty and exhausted at the top of a col (mountain pass) or at the top of a crest. Relax over a long, leisurely lunch - either a picnic or a full meal in one of the numerous and excellent Ferme ... read more
Thionville
Hello. Before describing the two weeks or so that I spent in the Lorraine Valley from Luxembourg to the Vosges mountains, I would like to thank people for their warm messages of support following the almost shocking revelation in my last entry that I have managed to loose some weight. Comments such as "you must weigh 9st" or "I bet you're mega suntanned and looking buff from all the walking" are welcome, if a little wide of the mark. At least for the moment. I should also add from the start of this blog, that I'm able to draw more heavily on my guidebooks this time to pad out the blog (not that it needs it I'm sure you'll say). So, if anything should appear informative, insightful and well researched that will undoubtedly be from a ... read more
Our Valley
Hello, this entry covers the week and a half I spent in Luxembourg. If you think it is a tiny place that takes an hour to drive through, my advice is to try walking it! From Burg Reuland in Belgium, I walked along the valley through forest before climbing a hill to give me my first view of Luxembourg. From there, I decended to the pretty village of Ouren for lunch, the final stop before entering the Grand Duchy. There was only one shop in the whole village, selling a full range of fishing gear and then only a few basic items as an after thought. Picking up the river Our, I crossed the trois frontiers, where Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany come together and followed the riverside walk for 4 hours, meeting only one other person. ... read more
A bit eccentric
Hello, this entry covers my brief stay in the Belgium Ardennes. Upon leaving Maastricht, I slowly climbed the hill towards the old fort, passing a midget golf course on the way (I even doubled checked, it was midget and not mini - a very strict entry policy if you ask me), before rounding a huge quarry and then joining the GR5 as it made its way into Belgium. I had been told to look out for 'a hut' where I could get a certificate for completing the Pieterpad but despite my best efforts, I was unable to locate it, which is a shame as I was planning to frame my certificate and place it next to my degree - after all, I probably worked just as hard to get it. I'm sure I'll be able to ... read more
Doetinchem
Hello, and welcome to my second blog of my trek through Europe. First a bit of housekeeping. Once again, apologies for the delay in posting this entry. Internet facilities are few and far between. I am now in Diekirch, Luxembourg so I hope that the two week delay since finishing Holland won´t change my views or descriptions of the time I had too much. A special thanks to all of you who have texted or emailed me asking about the state of my feet. I am happy to announce that they are both doing much better, thank you, and are out of intensive care. I´m still keeping an eye on them but they´re over the worst. The blisters have stopped (touch wood) and instead I have 'snake skin' feet, a lot of dried skin that is ... read more
The Pieterpad
This is my first blog of my trek from the north of Holland to the south of France. I thought I would start, by way of introduction, with a typical Q&A based on many conversations I had with friends and family before setting off at the beginning of June. Q: So what are you doing? A few weeks walking in Europe? A: No. I'm treking 1,500 miles through 5 countries in about 3-4 months. Q: Oh, that's quite a long way (by implication too far for me to travel, ''he'll never make it'') A: Yep Q: So, you're doing it in a group? A: No, just me although I do have some people joining me on route for a few days / weeks. Q: But you know what you're doing. You've got a plan. You know ... read more
Welcome to what is probably the last blog of the trip, which I am writing a block away from Copacabana beach (unfortunately there has been persistant rain over the past four or five days, which explains why I´m writing this and am not there). From Asuncion, we headed to Foz in Brazil. The border was the most lively we had seen the Paraguayans with roadside vendors running after cars and guys trying to sell us ´genuine´ David Beckham sunglasses inside the border checkpoint. On the other side of the border, the scene was instantly more energetic with huge queues of Brazilians waiting to pass through customs with their flatscreen tvs (Paraguay is a duty free zone) whilst we passed through a small hut that represented passport control. Our first night in Foz we went to the ... read more
