Blogs from Swanage, Dorset, England, United Kingdom, Europe
January 15th 2011
One of the most charming Victorian seaside resorts of Britain, i.e. Swanage is accessible by the bus from Poole and Wareham Station, or heritage railway line, i.e. Swanage Railway from Corfe Castle. Swanage retains the feel of its original incarnation as a Victorian seaside resort. There are a number of grand and impressive Victorian buildings along the High Street such as Town Hall or Purbeck House Hotel. If you continue walking on the High Street and Church Hill, you will see the Millpond and Parish Church on the right hand. The Millpond is a picturesque corner that has changed very little over the centuries and is home to glebes, herons, and ducks, and they swim beside the lilacs and water lilies. The Parish Church is the place where the first settlement in the town began. The ... read more
July 14th 2009
Efter fyra trevliga dagar i Cornwall är det dags att bege sig i nordostlig riktning mot London. Linda far illa på bönpallen, för att försöka göra det uthärdligt köper vi 4 tvättsvampar på ASDA, och gör en extra kudde med hjälp av min buff. Vilket innebär att jag behöver nåt skydd för ansiktet mot insekterna. Försöker först få tag på en kornsk flagga att vira runt ansiktet. Expediten ser minst sagt förfärad ut men sen visar det sig att hon faktiskt hade några buffar liggandes så jag köper en omgående. Våra kära converse har också gett upp nästan samtidigt (efter ett års flitigt nötande. Amerikansk kvalitet. Eller snarare, asiatisk sweat-shop kvalitet) så vi köper nya skor i St. Austell, kläder (särsklit sportkläder) är generellt sett mycket billigare här än hemma. Med en ny kudde så bär ... read more
Take a trip to the seaside.
Published: February 24th 2009Europe » United Kingdom » England » Dorset » Swanage
February 24th 2009
After the six hour flight from New York to London i arrived to the Motherland. I spent a few days in Fulham, London-which i thoroughly enjoyed and will return to in a week-and now my sister and i both took the underground and bus to Swanage, Dorset. This quiant little town by the seaside is a little gem. I had the chance to look around the centre of town today which is dotted with a few second hand stores, some cafes and pubs and other shops which served me a relaxing afternoon. Although the weather wasnt the best today, the beach was still enchanting and reminded me of home. I will definately go there again tomorrow for some time with just myself and God as this time of year it isnt packed with the many tourists ... read more
The South Coast Path - Durlston to Dancing Ledge
Published: January 20th 2009Europe » United Kingdom » England » Dorset » Swanage
January 20th 2009
As the last few weeks draw to a close, I'm mindful that I'll soon be heading off to the Arctic. Th;0e Arctic Circle is the parallel of latitude that runs 66° 33′39″. Temperatures currently seem to be fluctuating around -10c to -20c. Last weekend we headed out along the coast path from Durlston in Swanage along to Dancing Ledge. You can never feel completely ready for a challenge like this, but my series of walks over the last few weekends the 14 flights of stairs I go up and down at work a couple of times a day at work and the circuit training excercises I've followed from my British Army Training programme I received free free the Guardian are certainly making me feel more comfortable. As the walks get longer, I'm reminded that some people ... read more
Old Harry Rocks - Dorset, UK
Published: December 30th 2008Europe » United Kingdom » England » Dorset » Swanage
December 30th 2008
Old Harry Rocks is named after Privateer Harry Paye, plunderer of ships on Poole's Jurassic Coast during the 15th Century. 2 Pheasants, one brisket, one turkey, one lamb shoulder, one pork shoulder, 1 veggie pracel, one salmon and a load of lamb kebabs and some leftover soup, I'd definately indulged this Christmas. Today we hiked out to Old Harry Rocks in the Purbeck Hills, to walk off the Christmas load. Training for February's Arctic Challenge is interspersed with bouts of beer, wine and chocolate, then followed by 30 pressups. I'm feeling good, and the closeness of the challenge is starting to dawn on me. You can never feel ready for such an Adventure over a Christmas period. Today I found myself being able to identify the Burdock that I learnt about on my survival course only ... read more
Pinksteren aan de Jurassic Coast
Published: November 11th 2008Europe » United Kingdom » England » Dorset » Swanage
May 12th 2008
Vrijdagavond vertrok ik na het werk naar Bournemouth. Omdat ik er pas laat aankwam, zijn we gelijk naar bed gegaan. Zaterdag was shopping-dag. Bournemouth heeft niet een mega centrum, maar alle Engelse brands zijn er wel. Om 16 uur waren we uitgeshopt en liepen we richting het strand, waar het super druk was met melk-witte Engelsen die inmiddels rode kreeften waren. Op een terrasje deden we ons in de zon tegoed aan een Long Island Ice Tea. Per toeval kwamen we in gesprek met een koppel die aan het tafeltje naast ons zat. En al snel schoven we de tafels tegen elkaar, want we konden het gelijk goed met elkaar vinden. Ronald, een Fransman, en Melissa, een Candese, wonend in London, en op weekendtrip op de motor. Voor we het wisten was het al 20 uur, ... read more
August 30th 2007
After taking the lorry out early morning on Friday Wayne headed to work and I had a snooze. We drove down to Swanage on Friday afternoon, and for once had a good run. We met the gang in town for some dinner at the pub at 8ish and had a good chat. We woke early on Saturday for Breakfast at 7am before heading to the Pier. It was a bit of a rush kitting up as we were very close to the dive site. We all rolled off the boat to dive the Cantaran a broken up wreck, very pretty - we even saw a cuttlefish. We came back in to shore after the first dive, Wayne and I had a nap on a bench as were still a bit tired, and an ice cream woke ... read more
Getting ready for the off
Published: July 21st 2007Europe » United Kingdom » England » Dorset » Swanage
July 21st 2007
Ok so this is my first blog entry. Three weeks to go, all my tickets, travel insurance and trip vouchers have come through, and now I'm getting excited. Have moved out, rented out house, dumped all my worldly posesssions at my parents house and handed my notice in at work. budget is set and its just a waiting game now . . .... read more
May 23rd 2007
Glasgow to Swanage Geoff Burt It’s sometime since we’ve taken the opportunity to make blog entries so consequently this is on the first full morning in Swanage on the coast of Dorset in England. This is where John William Cole Burt and his wife and kids lived before emigrating to Australia about 150 years ago. Get your atlas out! JWCB was Geoff’s great great grandfather and was a stonemason and occasional farmer when he lived here. We’ve been here before but there is something about a place where you know many of your forebears lived and worked for so many years in the past. Hard to imagine exactly what the town looked like then but certainly unpaved roads were the norm. A relative (if not direct) George Burt played a very significant role in the ... read more
The final days of training....
Published: November 8th 2006Europe » United Kingdom » England » Dorset » Swanage
October 23rd 2006
Well only a few weeks left now until I make my way to Nepal via Doha in Qatar, and then on up to Everest Base Camp. My training has been steadily building up over the last few months to the pinacle that is the 8 hour walks I'm now having to fit in. On the 24th Octobr 2006 I started my first 8 hour walk. Walk, walk walk is my life at the moment. That, circuit training and the exercises my physio has given me. A typical week looks like this: * Daily physio exercises three times a day * Two one hour walks in the week * A few walks up and the stairs of a ten story block * Circuit training (50 leg rises, squats...) * Walks at the weekend (starting small building up ... read more
