Just a few random road pics….

Is that the London eye falling down?

Helicopter on a roof – and more soccer!

Baby blanket nbr1 in chenille yarn from Wilko.

Sun through the clouds in Oxfordshire

When the traffic is at a standstill and the driver has to have a fag!

I don’t think a trailer works like this!

Mirrored building in Birmingham

1 1/2 hour delay and we’ve arrived in Dudley street.

It’s the sun again – just lower in the sky at 8.05pm as we approach Warrington where I leave the coach after a longer than anticipated trip.

Hot but happy to be back with hubby. Added bonus is that my Trekinetic K2 wheelchair survived another trip – Lancashire to London and back – entirely on public transport 😁🥰

Homeward bound….

Waiting for the 3pm FlixBus to Warrington via Birmingham. Getting through this virus shawl at a really good rate with all the waiting for transport 😁

The madwoman in the mask again!

Safely aboard the northward bound coach. Wish me luck because it is Friday afternoon all the way up the M1 and then the M6 😱

Finally arrived…

Bus 139 across London was long but enjoyable. Sadly the English football fans have zero respect for the environment and the poor council that has to clean up their mess after the game!

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I had to wait 29 minutes but my Uber driver from Monday’s trip picked me up and it took just 15 minutes to Colindale. The journey consisted of a huge number of pubs with fans spilling onto the pavement. I’m happy that the pubs are doing very well from the match, but I can assume that in three weeks the Covid rates will spike as a result of zero social distancing!

Altogether a good trip from SE London to NW London. It took 4.5 hours but didn’t feel like it (in fact, the same time it took our coach from Warrington to London). All accomplished on my own and with no stress because I had set my expectations quite low beforehand.

My wheelchair and my prototype tray/coffee holder were absolutely fabulous and it is going to see a lot more action from now on. I have a spot on the back crossbar where I can store it together with my umbrella. I LOVE a successful project. 😁

Bus 139 to Golders Green….

A successful train journey into London Charring Cross where I was met with a wheelchair ramp – excellent so far 😁

A few pictures along the way.

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After trying to book an Uber four times without success, I decided to hop on the next northerly bound bus outside the station. This would get me closer to Colindale and hopefully more chance of an Uber as it is a much quicker journey.

The difference is of course that from CharringX to Golders Green is about a 1.5 hour trip not counting in home-time traffic 😱.

I will definitely be late for dinner

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Charring X by train….

Second stage of my trip to the capital is taking a train from New Eltham in SE London to Charring Cross on the train and then I will probably get an Uber to Colindale to save time and energy.

I have NO idea how easy it is to get on a SE train???

Report to follow.

A bit of crochet on the siding whilst I wait for my carriage.

I’ve arrived!

Not at my destination of Sidcup yet, but having a quick break at TomTom Coffee house on the corner of zenith and Elizabeth streets near Victoria bus station.

The tea shop across from me is incredible….

Now to enjoy my coffee and order an Uber.

First stop Birmingham….

A stop in Dudley street to pick up passengers and change coach drivers and we are off again. Started another Virus shawl because I know the pattern out of my head and it travels very easily when it is made in just 3ply – a perfect travel project.

Next stop is Finchley Road in London.

Londinium bound on a coach….

And so the adventure begins…..

Five days away from home on my own. Taking a coach from Warrington to London Victoria and from there I have to get to Sidcup somehow – maybe a train, a bus or an Uber.

First coach trip and they have managed to stow my wheelchair without any problems – a good start 😄👍 Front row seats mean I can’t miss any of the trip and the knitting and crochet will keep me entertained.

#OnTheRoadAgain #HaveWheelchairWillTravel #MeAndMyTrustyK2 #TravelsWithTrekinetic #heskethemporium #wp @trekinetic @flixbus

When she was up she was up…

But when she was down she was down!

What’s the quickest way down a mountain?

Me and my K2 of course 😁. Getting up a mountain is never easy and especially in a wheelchair, but no other chair helps as much as the Trekinetic K2! Using the brakes allows you to control the descent and do some cool spins too 🤣

This is the Todtnau mountains in the Black Forest in Germany and follows a visit to the Todtnau Falls. Not something an average wheelchair could master!

Getting up the mountain would be impossible without my ‘power’ – hubby 💖💖

Trains – new and old…

Two days of trains. Firstly, off to Villengen in the Black Forest on Deutshe Bahn in a brand new commuter train with fabulous and easy wheelchair access.

Compulsory face coverings on all trains and everyone listens too – amazing.

Then today, Thursday 23rd September 2020 we drove over to Weizen in the Black Forest and right in the Swiss border for an amazing ride on a museum steam train. The smell of the engine took me straight back to the 1960s as a very small child (around age 6) with my brother and sister, riding the train home to Durban, on our own overnight without adults! We each sported a card tag with our parents names and addresses pinned to our coats just like Paddington Bear, and a little cardboard suitcase. We slept in a train carriage with bunk beds and were summoned to dinner by a uniformed waiter playing a xylophone and served in the dining car on white linen, porcelain plates and silver cutlery. In the morning we hung out the train windows to smell the smoke and try to catch twigs along the route. On arrival we all had black sooty faces and the romance of steam train travel firmly instilled in our hearts.

The great German railway heist?

Hubby having a great time en route home

Coffee & COVID….

The reality of a holiday outing during a pandemic is that everywhere you stop for a coffee you have to provide your details to ensure you can be contacted in case you come into contact with anyone with symptoms.

Admin on holiday

For us this means a LOT of forms as we stop for coffee a LOT! 😁

Holidays in the COVID Season….Day 0

COVID Chronicles On Tour….

Sunrise in France as we arrived this morning. Stopped for a coffee at an Aire where we can’t interact with the people in the red zone 🤣😷

Sunrise as we arrived in Dunkirk

Stopped at an Aire for a much needed caffeine boost. Red travel corridors meant we couldn’t stop in France, Belgium or Luxembourg on the drive to Germany.

A nice picnic spot to brew up a cafetière before heading off through Belgium – also in the red!

Two firsts in one day!

Trekinetic K2 freedom – priceless!

Swiss army wife...

My second first of the day.

1st first was a trip by myself in my wheelchair to the local Costa coffee near my house along a never before used path 💪🏼😁. A treat of a flat white with coconut milk at the end and oh boy it was so worth it.

Then in my 2nd first, is this Christmas quilt for Project Linus in Wigan. So amazing that we are going to attempt to gift every child in the local hospital with a quilt on Christmas Day.

What a blessing to be a blessing to others. 💖💖

@project.linus.official @projectlinuswigan #projectlinuswigan #firstlinusquilt #sewityourself #heskethemporiumhandmade #heskethemporium #sewingforothers @costacoffee via Instagram https://ift.tt/2R2Fb98

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Wheelchair user review of Bluestone resort…..

I wanted to write a review from the viewpoint of a wheelchair user because unless you are in a wheelchair others cannot fully grasp the sometimes minor and sometimes major challenges we face.

The resort can be booked for 2, 4 or 7 nights and our 4 night stay started on the Monday night.  I am so grateful for @marvellousmrsp for giving us the spare room in their lodge because it was such a wonderful experience going away with a few friends to such a gorgeous place.  The resort is divided in different areas like little suburbs around the main Bluestone village.  I can still manage to push myself much of the time but if I was booking a lodge for myself I would request one with an entrance more level to the road.  This wouldn’t be any issue if you had one of these amazing chairs from @trekinetic and they tell me that I can upgrade my Trekinetic K2 if necessary – 🎉

The lodges are spread out so you don’t feel as if you are on top of each other like in most static caravan parks and the forest and trees all over the place make for a truly beautiful site with wonderful views of the lake and the Preseli Mountains.

I had plenty of space to store my wheelchair and walker in the entrance hall without cluttering up the lodge and the carpet in the entrance was designed for cleaning plenty of muddy boots and wheels.

The space was bright, open and airy and we immediately felt at home….

I had the downstairs bedroom which was next to a very spacious bathroom with a wet room shower and a full bath.  I was able to wheel myself around without any issues and right up to the basin.  Our bathroom didn’t have any grab bars or aids so you would need to enquire if any lodges have them if you needed them.

The kitchen cupboards were all on the low level and open-plan and accessible with everything you need to make meals if you don’t want to eat out.  The resort has a great selection of restaurants and small eateries to choose from if you prefer to not cook at all.

As a wheelchair user I was allowed to keep my bus outside the lodge and use it to get around.  All other guests are required to remove their cars to the car park for the duration of their stay.  Golf buggies are available to hire and are everywhere and looked like so much fun.  Remember to consider this when saving for your holiday as the site is in the hills and quite extensive so anyone who struggles to walk any distance would need one – or just want one for the sheer fun of it! There is an on site bus and train that is free to use as well – after all, at the end of a day swimming and playing it is nice to be driven home.

Bicycles with trailers are also invaluable as well as the wheeled and collapsible cart I took with.  @tootsiestalesuk loved it so much that she immediately added one to her shopping cart.

 

The many and varied willow withy artwork around the resort are gorgeous and add to the whole magical forest theme.

I definitely built up a bit of extra muscle and got a fair bit of exercise during our stay. The surroundings are so lovely that you want to get out and explore / which is what this place is all about. There is also a beach and many other activities nearby if you want to explore further afield, but we found that there was so much on site we didn’t need to or want to go anywhere else.

The swimming arena isn’t just for swimming, but has a river, slides, obstacle course and waves. We spent a very happy afternoon poolside and although the main lift was broken on the day we went, there was an alternate lift we could use to gain access to the change rooms and the pool. I was asked if I needed the pool hoist, which I don’t, but it was good to know one is available.

There are plenty of great coffee houses and kiosks around the resort and we made good and frequent use of them for our daily coconut latte fix 😁.

Everywhere we went we were met with the friendliest staff imaginable. They went out of their way to help and provide assistance. One lovely lady even offered to push me up the hill from the Village to our lodge before they realised I didn’t know I could use my car – great customer service is invaluable, and it abounds at Bluestone resort.

A well deserved award for a resort that is beautifully maintained and is thoughtful to the environment.

If I could sum up our stay in only one photograph, it would be this one which I’ve titled ‘Free Range Kids’, as per @bluestonewales manifesto….

After our four nights stay, we had made new friends, seen wonderful things, been on wheelchair adventures, enjoyed lots of great coffee and generally had a fantastic time.

Would I come here again? Would I recommend it?

Absolutely, definitely, 100%!

Day 3 at Bluestone resort in Wales…..

Anywhere that has such a joyous manifesto is somewhere you need to visit. The Bluestone resort delivers copious quantities of fun and opportunities for families making beautiful memories.

Swimming, lazy river ride, waves, hot tubs and huge water slides… Blue Lagoon has it all for endless fun – and a bunch of tired ladies at the end! So well worth it.

@bluestonewales @trekinetic @marvellousmrsp @tootsiestalesuk #holidaysinwales #welshcabinholiday #cabinsinwales #heskethemporium #wp #bluestonefestivelights

Day 2 in Bluestone Resort, Wales….

We woke to the most glorious, crisp winter day. Having arrived at around 5pm the evening before it was our first opportunity for a bit of exploration….and to find a coffee shop – coffee is extremely high on my priority list and we needed to see if by some remote chance a coconut milk latte was possible in the Welsh wilderness.

Our walk down from the cabin was stunning and we had plenty of opportunities to get some great pictures.

Who doesn’t need a picture of themselves taking a selfie of themselves…

The head….

And the tail of the Welsh dragon…

We arrived in the village and had a quick wander around….

I found it….Ty Coffi….the village has a coffee shop (jumps for joy)…

The best bit? They served a very fine latte with coconut milk so our week here is going to be just fine. Lovely place and even lovelier people serving us. We got our ‘free with your first drink’ reusable cups which we will most definitely make use of each day with a 10% reusable cup discount – better and better.

Next we headed further downhill through the forest trail to see the festive lights. They did not disappoint – even in the daytime. Here are a few of our favourite pictures….

My trusty steed never disappoints and got me down and back up the green route – the easy option, but not for anyone of faint heart and weak pushing arms!

A lovely lady gave me a push over one of the uphills and between my pushing the wheels and Maryam pushing from behind with her walker, we managed the slow ascent eventually collapsing onto a bench at the lake. What’s the saying about the blind leading the blind?

A short bus trip back up the hill was definitely required because no way was I able to wheel myself that distance and elevation. Free bus or train trips run every half an hour and it was no time at all before we arrived back in Preseli View ready for a cuppa and a rest.

Be there gold in them their Preseli Mountains?

Take 4 ladies of varying nationalities, each with their own unique cultures and origins,

2 children,

2 cars,

1 wheelchair,

1 walking frame,

3 walking sticks,

and a smattering of health and disability issues.

Put them together in a log cabin in the wilds of Pembrokeshire, Wales and you are bound to have an interesting holiday!

Day 1 and after a drive from Lancashire for one car and another from Milton Keynes we were so happy to be greeted by the friendliest staff at the reception gates.

In no time we were checked in and directed to our cabin at 43 Preseli View.

We’re in a lovely four bedroom cabin with 3 big bathrooms, open plan living, dining and kitchen and a nice big entrance that acts as a mud room where we can store all the shoes, coats and mobility equipment.

After unloading all our stuff Using our trolley to help with the load and fewer trips, I headed off to find out how I could move my car off site and then get back to the cabin. When I was told that because I’m disabled and have a blue badge I could keep and use my car on the site I was overjoyed because you should see the hill we are staying on!

The choice of bedrooms was between a twin downstairs and 3 bedrooms upstairs so that was an easy one because the South African wheelchair lady and the Iranian knee replacement lady both don’t do stairs, AND there is a lovely big bathroom next door; one that I can get my wheelchair or my walker into.

An early night was definitely in order and the impeccably clean white linen was calling very loudly by this point.

Wandering in Wales…..

A good story needs a good opening lines doesn’t it? So,….

An Englishwoman, an Irishwoman, an Iranianwoman and a South African woman descend on a resort in Wales.

What could possibly happen? Keep coming back over the next few days and you may find a few stories to entertain and inform.

To Hemel and back again….

For any South African or Dutch speakers out there, this isn’t Hemel (heaven), but rather Hemel Hampstead in the UK, however, it is a small slice of heaven because that is where small miracles happen. 🙂

Not to wax too lyrical, but seriously, I am over the moon to have my baby back after what feels like the longest 3 weeks ever!  In fact, I couldn’t wait any longer and after another very long week in the old chair, I decided that a day trip to Hemel Hampstead and back to Lancashire was worth the time and effort to get her back sooner rather than later!

After way too long, I eventually got my Trekinetic K2 serviced.  One of the major reasons it hasn’t been is because I know what a wrench it is without it and so I avoid it until I can’t any longer.  When you have the freedom to run around in a K2 and then go back to a ‘normal’ wheelchair, it is a little like having a broken leg and needing to hobble about on crutches…it works, but it certainly isn’t comfortable or easy.

Mike and the team at Trekinetic have done an amazing job of sprucing her up, tightening all the loose bits, replacing some parts, adding a few new bits and generally making her feel like a shiny new chair again.  I cannot thank you all enough for getting it done so quickly for me….oh, and thanks also to Mal the agent for Trekinetic from All Terrain who took her down to Hemel Hampstead for me.

What an incredible piece of engineering my K2 is.  It has been around 8 years since I purchased her and since then we have had some amazing adventures together but she is as good and reliable as day 1 (verified by my very quick spin around the services on the way home).  Mike and the team at Trekinetic can justifiably be proud of their engineering skills.

WOW!  I will keep my eye on this one in case we ever decide to move to a desert somewhere…. This is THE DESERT SCORPION….

I am now happy to be home and resting on my bed….I need to get my strength back to get out and about on new adventures with my old pal.

PS.  Thanks for the book Mike, the grandchildren are going to love it 🙂

 

 

 

Handmade update 11….

Source: Handmade update 11….

You may be wondering what this post has to do with Bundu Bashing, but read on to the end and you will see how one of the many uses we find for my wheelchair at home and how it helps with our winemaking. 🙂

A quacking spot…..

As a wheelchair user I am always on the lookout for good places to visit and enjoy a coffee. This is even more important when I have one or more of my grandchildren with me, so today’s recommendation for an early winter spot of sunshine, coffee and ducks is Charnock Farm in Charnock Richard. Here you will find a little log cabin where they serve coffee, food and treats. 

On a rare sunny day in winter it was such a pleasure to sit outside with the family and feed ducks and enjoy the view over the duck pond while sipping a latte. 

Access if via a paved area to the cabin and as long as it isn’t too muddy you can stroll around the pond on a gravel path. 

Behind the cabin is a small barn where the children can pet a few farm animals too. 

One of their favourite activities is sitting in the old tractor pretending to plough a field – or fly to outer space, or New York in Ethan’s case!

New coffeehouse on the block….

Postcode is the newest place to relax and enjoy a great cup of coffee and a selection of food and drink.  This place is very special to us because we spent a lot of time helping to build it.  A few dedicated volunteers built all the furniture and interiors and it has so much charm; much of which comes from the reuse of old items into something new.  Upcycling is definitely the name of the game here because most of the furniture is built from used scaffold planks and pallets.  The soft furnishing is donated jeans and shirts stitched together to create a very unique fabric for the benches.

The lovely old piano bar is now on its 3rd life….firstly as a piano, secondly as a keyboard stand/shelf for our band and thirdly, and currently, as a lovely spot to sit with a friend and enjoy the atmosphere.

The barrel table is one of my favourites because it was created using an old beer barrel out of our cellar….one of three left behind when we purchased the old pub to turn into our home.  Another two-seater table is an old pub table given a new lease of life with a chunky board tabletop.  The seats are from the pub too, but they are now much tidier with upcycled jeans as seat pads.

Everywhere you look is something of interest, from the huge barn doors to the flying delivery bike.  This is truly a unique space created with love and care to serve our community.

One of the nicest things for me personally is that it is big, wide and open.  You can stretch your ‘legs’, roll around without bumping into things and get to the food service area and till with more than ample space to spare.  Parking is really good and access via the ramp into the large doors makes this a definite favourite.  Toilets are clean and tidy with wide passageways to gain easy access.

My favourite part of my trip today was meeting a lovely family.  Mom, Gran and daughter (in a wheelchair) came across to talk to me about my Trekinetic K-2 wheelchair.  I was more than happy to give them a demonstration and show them all the benefits of owning a K-2.  After a lovely chat I pointed them in the direction of Trekinetic and Mike Spindle and suggested they place an order as quickly as possible because the freedom, confidence and multitude of other benefits are priceless.  I hope that I meet them again soon over a cup of coffee.

#postcodecoffeehouse @postcodecoffeehouse @tcclife

Posh Loo’s …..

Only those of you forced to use disabled toilets will really understand and appreciate the importance of a good, clean disabled toilet. Often we are faced with something more like a dumping ground for overflow cleaning equipment and other junk, a really smelly baby changing facility or simply so filthy you worry about catching something horrific  and lingering. 

Every good and great disabled toilet needs to be applauded and today it is the beautiful, clean and generally lovely ablutions provided at The Lakes Distillery in The Lake District in Cumbria. This is a very new Distillery and the only one in England. I can absolutely highly recommend this as a trip out – not just for the loo’s!

5* for cleanliness, design (you can actually turn your wheelchair around) and smell. 

Thank you 😊 

Cruising on Lake Windermere…

We’ve lived an hour from Lake Windermere for 16 years and visited a multitude of times but never before gone on a lake cruise. We’ve been across the lake on the ferry, but that isn’t quite the same. 

We were gifted a stay at The Swan Hotel in Newby Bridge and when we arrived today it was gloriously sunny for November and it seemed a rather good use of our leisure time because we may not get many more sunny days before winter sets in. 

We sailed from Lakeside up to Bowness on a large steamer which was very easy for wheelchair access. Hubby and I absolutely love spending time on the water and the weather and scenery did not disappoint. Parking was easy and not too expensive for up to 10 hours. 

Access into the steamer was on flat ground and then across a sturdy gangplank with good access and seating inside or a bit of space on the same deck if you’re brave enough to venture outdoors. It may have been sunny, but it is always so much cooler on the water and especially at the front of the boat. 

After 40 minutes we arrived at Bowness where we had to disembark and change boats for our return trip to Lakeside.  Getting back was not accessible if you cannot walk or transfer because it was the last boat of the day and much smaller. Getting aboard was fine, but we were warned that at Lakeside we wouldn’t be able to roll off. The crew were very helpful and even offered us a free taxi for our return but we said we were sure to manage because I can walk a few steps when necessary. 

On our arrival the gangplank was only suitable for walking across as it was very narrow, and then three steps. Hubby hoisted my K-2 over and up the stairs and in no time I was seated. 

Please check before you book to make sure your trip both ways has suitable wheelchair access if you cannot walk or transfer at all. Despite this, it was definitely worth the trip and I can recommend it. 

Another great day out with ‘youmeandk2’. 

A small windfall….

My lovely friend Christine has a much larger and older apple tree in her garden than ours and each year she passes me a big bag of apples. Last year we made wine and a lot of apple sauce…..th…

Source: A small windfall….

Trekinetic mucking about on boat….

On those rare occasions that my human leaves me to sit in another location, there is nothing nicer than mucking about on boats!  I thoroughly enjoyed the views across the Saar river in Saarland, Germany on my latest boat trip…..

Trekinetic wheelchairs are all about adventure!

One year older, but am I wiser?

I woke up this morning to a new year…in fact, my 53rd year, therefore a birthday outing was in order.  Hubby and I had planned a trip to Saarbrucken for the day but for whatever reason whilst I couldn’t sleep properly last night I had plenty of opportunity to think about what I have enjoyed this holiday, and therefore would love to do for my birthday.  I realised that a large number of my best memories have been wine tours and vineyards, so surely that was the better option for my day out – hubby probably wouldn’t mind either! 🙂

I planned a return trip to the Bad Durkheim region which was a couple of hours away, but during my route planning the points of interest on my satnav showed a huge tract of land a much shorter distance north of us which also has a wine region – who knew!  Exciting new vineyards to explore on the Moselweinstrasse.

When hubby woke, I posed the question about whether he would mind skipping our original plan for a wine tour – guess what his answer was?

We headed north towards Trier and hoped to find somewhere nice for breakfast on the way.  Not 20km later we noticed signs for Villeroy & Boch…and then some more….they were following us, and it would appear rude not to follow the call of the famous pottery works.  It turned out to be a great decision because the town of Mertzig is on the Saar river, and has Villeroy & Boch, and boat trips, AND great places to eat – what’s not to love.

Breakfast consisted of all sorts of beautiful and fresh continental goodies – a real treat….

We decided to go on the boat trip tomorrow as I had my heart set on the wine route today.  It was a lovely drive through valleys along the Saar and Mosel rivers and into more vineyards than I have EVER seen in my life – and that’s saying a lot from a girl who has lived in South African wine country.

The scenery was magnificent….

Then we stopped at the gorgeous village of Trittenheim on the Mosel river.  Here we met a third generation wine farmer who has scaled down his operation to a mere 10,000 bottles of wine per year in his later years.  What wonderful stories he had for us, and what wonderful wine hubby tasted.  Needless to say, we came away with another 8 bottles of wine; but more importantly, with wonderful memories….

Happy and satisfied with another wonderful day in Germany, we headed back to Campingplatz Siersburg…..

…and the question of whether I’m any wiser now that I’m a year older? Perhaps not nearly as wise as I would like to be, but definitely wise enough to know that spending a glorious day with my amazing hubby is priceless!

The ugliest phone holder?

Sometimes you simply have no choice but to make something on the fly.  Such was the case on our holiday last week when I had exhausted all my efforts in finding a phone holder for my car – I was absolutely sure that I would pick one up in any shop in Britain, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland or even Luxembourg – think again!

Travelling all over Europe you need somewhere for your phone with the SatNav, and my first rig was a cup with a bungee attached to the air vents and was fine until it started to bend the cable coming out of the base of my new phone.

What to do?  Crochet one of course!  I had a tiny bit of yarn left over from the tea cosy the night before and I simply started stitching and this useful, if rather ugly, holder emerged…..

It does the job.  It holds the phone in a position so you can see the screen and allows it to be charged on the go.  As useful as it has been over the last week or so, when I get home a new and more permanent version is on the top of my shopping list.

When in Switzerland…..

….eat chocolate – LOTS of chocolate!

Our second day in Switzerland was dedicated to more eating – this time of the sweet variety.  Switzerland started the eating chocolate craze and continue it in style to this day.

We were on the doorstep of the oldest chocolate factory in Bros – the Cailler chocolate paradise.  We absolutely had to go on the tour, and it was one of the best tour experiences we have ever been on.  It was a bit like a theme park through the history, the manufacture and then the tasting of chocolate – WOW!

You get to try all sorts of chocolates and as long as you don’t take any out of the factory tour, you can eat as much as you like…

…and I for one definitely had my fill – hubby on the other hand had to be dragged away with the promise of a cup of coffee in the restaurant.  They obviously specialise in great hot chocolate, but by this point I had admitted chocolate defeat and settled for a Latte and an amazing Frappelatte…

Now fully sweetened up, we went for a wonderful drive down to Lake Geneva and the town of Montreux – made famous by Deep Purple’s, ‘Smoke on the water’ – or so, hubby informed me because although I had been singing it for years, I had not made this association.

The drive back was a bit of a hair-raising affair as we traversed rather high mountains in search of the more scenic route!  Boy, we certainly got that in buckets….and did I forget to mention that we encountered MORE vineyards? They are following us around on this holiday 🙂

Wow, the skills of these tree fella’s (get it….tree fellers?, oh never mind!)…

Trekinetic in the wild….

When left to its own devices, the Trekinetic K2 loves to be out in the wild camping. Here we see how well prepared and organised it’s campsite is. Enjoying a bit of German sunshine without human interference….

…..those precious moments when you’re not being pushed around!