Cold Ears

In a bid to raise a little more awareness Jake decided to lop his locks off, exposing his ears, and a freckle or two, to the elements. In this video we join Jake at the midway point, mullet and all.

Rose showing Jake the damage.





















A mirror may provoke a slightly different facial expression.

"I hope you have a lovely walk"

 Jake and I were lucky enough to receive a few creative words and images from some lovely people.

 James has mastered the art of buying thought-infused presents; this U2 album was released in 1987, the year Jake and I were born, and features the track 'Walk to the Water'.

 Thank you Gwyaneth and George, I love this quote, it really makes me want to get my boots on (and all my other hiking clothes of course).

 Mr Brown and his brilliant class of writers and artists, thanks so much for your good luck wishes. I was extremely impressed with your handwriting; Mr Brown must be a great teacher!!!










Sam and Grace, I hope that last sentence is too small for innocent eyes to read.

The Granny Smith Blunder

In September 2010 a man with the most wonderful anecdote inspired me to begin planning for the biggest adventure of my life (I am not being at all cryptic; by adventure I am indeed referring to our walk to the Mediterranean). Two years and eight months later I am sitting in my room, with two packed rucksacks, a cup of coffee and a half eaten Granny Smith apple for company. In the more than likely case that you were blindingly intrigued, the apple is half eaten due to a simple error on my behalf; it was just too early for an apple as tart and crunchy as this one. Truth be told, I only really became aware that I was eating the apple after my first bite, and everyone knows that after the first bite of an apple you are committed. Had it been a Pink Lady, or Royal Gala this story would have unfolded in an entirely different manner, namely the said apple would have been referred to as a core and the previous sentences that justify the half eaten apple would be absent altogether.

To accompany the apple faux pas, Jake and I also managed to commit an additional, and arguably more severe, blunder. Our plan was to cross the English Channel from Dover, England, to Ostend (Oostende), Belgium. However, after some last minute research Jake discovered the initially startling news that this ferry crossing only caters for freight and those travelling by car. Despite our sizeable packs, I hardly think we could get away with classifying ourselves as freight, and the acquisition of a motor vehicle is likely to defeat the point of us walking to the Menton. Thus, our only option was to alter our crossing; our first taste of European walking will be that of Calais, France. To accompany this alteration we now have an additional four days of walking and 85 kms of French and Belgian coastline to complete before arriving in Ostend.    

Trail Angels

There it is, Menton, the settlement that signifies the end of our walk. If we get this far, I am sure there will be plenty of things that we could attribute our achievement to, but not many will be more prominent than our Trail Angels; the unsung heroes who strive to help long distance hikers accomplish their goal. So far we have walked a grand total of zero miles - zero kilometres for those outside of the United Kingdom - and already there have been many people who have aided our ambition. As we take to the path, some of these people will continue to help by providing us with goods, moral support and even the occasional visit. These people are our Trail Angels.

The Grass is Growing

After a distinct infliction of hesitation, it feels like the English spring has finally arrived. The wood pigeons are waddling in the quick growing grass and the sun on my nape renders me pleasantly lethargic. It is one week until Jake and I head off,  and it would be nothing shy of lovely if we were to be dealt a day as beautiful as this one on which to part from Bristol. That said, even the most optimistic footers would predict at least a few rain days between Bristol and Dover; we are going to get wet sometime, so why not make it the first day?

Preparations are going neither smoothly, nor roughly. We seem to have acquired all the necessary items, with the exception of a few small bits and bobs. My personal trepidation lies with what ‘camp trousers’ I should take. To be sure, I am not referring to trousers, which when slipped on enhance my already slightly camp persona, but trousers to be worn when on and around a campsite  My favourite brown corduroys may prove to be too weighty, and my joggers too casual for any spontaneous public house visits. My baggy canvas trousers would be good in warmer climes, but would leave my ‘vulnerables’ exposed in colder, breezier conditions. This is certainly a woe that can be remedied, so I shall not dwell on it too long I am sure. A woe, however, that most would find near impossible to remedy is that of a worried mother. Of course, this is only natural, and it is true that we could be devoured by ticks or charged by mountain goats, so I am happy to adopt my mother’s wisdom of such potential incidents. However, when being warned that the sunlight reflecting off of our Casio watches may turn our tent into a pile of ashes, I do begin to wonder whether wisdom is really the correct word.

Free Range Maps

The Map Shop, in Upton-upon-Severn, is a beautifully run business. In abundance they possess the two most integral assets for a potential map buyer - maps, of course, and a homely environment more homely than one's home.







Belgium's 1:50 000 topographic maps are unusually illusive; there are said to be no more than 20 remaining in the wild. It, therefore, came as a surprise when we stumbled across the 12 that we needed, all filed neatly away in a box. It will be nothing shy of lovely to get these captive maps out into the wild. On a more selfish note, I have heard that free range maps divulge more.

Cartographic Semicircle

Yes, a GPS may have been cheaper than the £300 we spent, but you don't need electricity with paper maps. And yes, a GPS is likely to be lighter than 41 maps, but you can pose better for photographs with paper maps.

If you are interested, the Luxembourg 1:50 000 maps are by far the most magical to look at; everything is green and the symbols are like something from a fairytale.