Category Archives: Hiking

Part 22 – Aoraki and the Southern lakes

We started the day with an injury. Flo and I were discussing something while preparing breakfast, and when I (incorrectly) bent down to get something from the fridge, Flo bumped into me. It felt like something snapped. My back immediately started killing me, and I lay on the ground screaming. I was convinced that I had slipped a disc. It hurt like a m**********. Flo gave me painkillers, and while I was able to sit, I could still barely walk. That was utter s***.

It was a glorious day, and we were on our way to Aoraki, New Zealand’s highest mountain. It was still a drive away. I spent the entire time researching what I should do next. By the time we reached Aoraki, we had come to a few conclusions:

It was no use going to a hospital. Even if I had slipped a disc, the waiting time for surgery was over four months, meaning I would be back in Germany by then.
I really needed to take painkillers and keep moving—staying still would bring its own set of complications.
I probably wouldn’t be doing any hiking today.

None of this was the news I wanted. While Flo and the kids prepared for a hike, I felt depressed that I couldn’t go. Aoraki is a fickle mountain—its summit is usually hidden in the clouds. Not today. I had never hiked in this area before; the only other time I was here, it was super windy, and a storm was coming up.

I told Flo and the kids I would slowly follow them, but nobody really believed I would make it anywhere. A fresh round of painkillers later, I hobbled out of the van. In the end, my stubbornness got me to Kea Point—it just took me twice as long as it should have. Still, I rarely see my family as happy as they were when I appeared at the rest stop at Kea Point. 🙂 I just missed the small avalanche tumbling down Mount Sefton, as I left before them again.

Getting back down also took time. Flo drove us to Tasman Lake to see Tasman Glacier. I took a nap first, though. The glacier is melting at a considerable pace—when Flo and I were here ten years ago, there was much more ice.

Done with this day of hiking and high mountains, we left Aoraki in our rear window and drove to a freedom camping spot at Lake Pukaki, which offered the most amazing mountain views. The kids loved it, and the adults got to watch the sunset. I was feeling better. The painkillers had gotten me through the day, and I probably hadn’t actually slipped a disc since my back was improving incrementally.

The next day, we hopped over to Lake Tekapo, which is only about 30 km away. We spent some time at the playground and waterfront before heading to a café called “The Greedy Cow” for lunch. After lunch, we checked out the famous Church of the Good Shepherd.

Having only traveled 30 km that day, Flo and I debated whether to stay or drive a longer distance. Keeping my pre-booked time in Christchurch in mind, I opted to move on—and so we did. We drove for quite a while but managed to stop in Fairlie at the Fairlie Bakehouse for coffee and cake. As a delightful extra, we found real bakery-made hot cross buns, which turned out to be the best ones of our entire trip.

Finding a campground for the night with reception was a little harder today. In the end, we stayed at Mayfield Reserve, a lovely but budget-friendly communal campground. The best part? There was a swimming pool right next to it. Although it was already closed, we could get the key for an hour for just five bucks—a great way to end the day.

It was another day spent on painkillers, but now, I was noticeably better.

Part 13 – Waka Ama to the West Coast

Wednesday at 9.30am, we went on a waka to canoe around the first stretch of the Abel Tasman National Park. First, I was slightly disappointed when we couldn’t book kayaks as the AoE is just a bit too small in the operator’s opinion. The kids were very disappointed but their faces lit up when the chance of going out in a waka ama presented itself. We as a family were on the bigger of the two wakas which took 12 people. Our two guides Thomas and Lea praticed paddling with us but also educated us on a lot of the tikanga around wakas. It was awesome and heart-warming and we whole-heartedly recommand it.

After all the paddling, the stop at a beach with a snack and afterwards some swimming in Kaiteriteri, we were all pretty knackered. However, our next destination was the West Coast and we hadn’t really planned to stay up in the area around here for three days so off we went towards the West Coast. In the end, we made it to another lookout, near Glenhope, Hope Saddle lookout, and stayed up there for the night. For once, we were the only ones at a place. It was pitch black outside and when going to the public toilet the thought of “I’m never gonna find the motorhome again if my torch fails” kept crossing my mind.

The next day was a big driving day. We went all the way to the coast, turned south without going to Westport and only stopped when we got close to Punakaiki. The national park down there, Paparoa, has some amazing walks (even a great walk) but we took the shortest track to a secluded beach. Truman track had been recommended by the lonely planet and it was well worth the walk. At the pancake rocks in Punakaiki we stretched our legs again on the 20min loop walk. This night, we stayed at the most amazing freedom camp at Cargills’ Road with two other campers. We even had time to BBQ home-made burgers so the kids were incredibly happy about the end of this day. The wekas were so curious and completely used to humans that one of them even jumped up on the BBQ to check if it could get some of our food. Crazy birds!

at the Hawke lookout with overnight camping

Day 21 – When a hike is not a hike

After our uber success last night (come on, laundry and cooking while camping is amazing!), we were slow to start this morning. The fog we’d seen last night over the bay had rolled in. Visibility was poor, rain came down and we had about one square meter of dryish space underneath the awning.

Getting the kids into rainproof gear, packing everything for breakfast at the camper’s kitchen to stay dry…all this took too long for our youngest who had the first accident of this trip. At a time when everything was wet anyways, moods were low and tempers easily flared. Poor her.

Lovely second breakfast in the summer garden of Petit Délice

Eventually we managed all the morning chores plus the extra work and left Inch beach for the second time. This time for good. Heading towards Killarney, the weather didn’t improve much. The rain turned into a drizzle eventually, but it still came down. I decided that we’d get a second breakfast or a coffee time in the late morning in Killarney. After walking around a little, we settled on Petit Délice, a small French bakery. They had seating space in their summer garden which luckily was covered so we had lovely chocolatey goodness and a warm tea. We also bought a baguette for lunch.

From Killarney we went south into the National park to Muckross House. Hiking in the National park is supposed to be lovely and really quite involved. While researching I found many awesome hiking trails…for adults. I’m just not comfortable with planning a day tour of 18km with our 4 year old. The Agent gets carried most of the time anyway.

An overcast, moody day for a hike. Both kids really loved the idea of riding in a jaundice car but they weren’t going around the lake. I asked

So I ended up with Muckross House. From here, there’s a 8.5km loop around the lake. That sounded doable and good. Flo made sandwiches out of the baguette to take along, we got to the start of the trail, had our lunch and the Agent promptly fell asleep in the carrier. So far so good. The hike was a disappointment though. Don’t get me wrong, it had lovely views, you just had to walk on tarmac all the time. It’s also advertised for bikers but I didn’t get that this would mean a sealed road for most of it. Bikes made so much more sense than to walk here that I felt pretty stupid to have chosen this “hike”. After 5km, we reached Dini’s Cottage our first waypoint. Number 3 was a trooper again, walking all five kilometers without too much complaining.

The Agent was asleep but even Number 3 couldn’t see over the sides of the bridge

Here, we sat down, had a drink and some ice cream for the kids. Though it is a loop, we had just reached the half-point mark. I couldn’t see Number 3 walking another 5 kilometers out of here again. Heck, even I didn’t really feel like walking another 5 kilometers on tarmac. Luckily, there was another option. When getting the trail map at the info centre, the warden mentioned that boats go to and fro between Muckross House and Dini’s Cottage. We might be in luck and catch a boat ride back with the kids.

I really hoped we would be in luck. Waiting around at Dini’s Cottage for over an hour, we weren’t. Every boat that arrived had a booked tour onboard to different locations along the lake. None of them were going back to Muckross House. Finally, we committed to walking. The first thing to do was walk about 300 meters away from the lake to see an old bridge. It was quite cool to see Old Weir Bridge. Getting back on the loop trail again, Flo moved into the wrong direction, towards Dini’s Cottage again. Frustrated with taking back our commitment to walking, I followed…just to see that Flo was talking to a boatman that had just arrived. While talking to him, a second boat arrive which (THANK GOODNESS) had space for us AND was going back to the House.

I paid right away just to make sure he’d take us back. Then we had another 20 minutes to kill at Dini’s Cottage before finally boarding and going back via the lake. Both kids were super excited about the boat ride. You got to see most of the track we’d walked on the way here from the water. A lot of the rocky landscape was hollowed out by the water.

Back at the car, we drove back a little towards the other side of Killarney again to an unspectacular, overpriced campground.

Day 13 – Goodbye Donegal

We were ready nice and early, having slept right next to the cliffs of Sliabh Liag. The Lonely Planet suggested to drive to the upper car park and then walk for about 500m to get some nice views. That sounded like a short stop with a great photo op. However, when we got there, the upper car park was closed off. The wardens told us that it’s a 2km walk to the upper car park or we could wait until 10am and take up the first shuttle bus. Waiting till 10am wasn’t an option and Flo was against taking the bus anyway.

The Agent of Entropy was carried in the baby carrier, Number 3 walked and we “hiked” up to the upper car park. It wasn’t too bad except for the fact that hiking on asphalt isn’t the greatest kind of fun.

We were the first ones up at the upper car park. The coffee and souvenir trucks hadn’t even opened yet but Flo already spotted “The sober bar” which sold non-alcoholic beers. Starting the actual hiking track was fun as most of it consisted of steps made out of natural stones. We soon realized that the views onto the cliff were best from the car park and we didn’t intend to do the whole ridge walk with two small kids. The next nice viewing area was our snack spot and then we turned around again, just in time for the first shuttle bus to arrive.

far enough for us, time to head back down – after snacks

It was lovely that we’d beaten the crowds. Bus after bus started to arrive at the car park. Since we’ve already been as high up as we’d go, we now sat down to have a tea, a cookie and that non-alcoholic Guinness that Flo had seen the night before.

Though this stop was more involved than we’d thought, it was a great one. Sliabh Liag is a cliff, going 600m down into the sea and is thus higher than the cliffs of Moher. The view onto the wall rising out of the water into the clouds was pretty amazing, though I can imagine that the views from the cliff top down are even more spectacular.

From here, our next planned stop was the beach at Rossnowlagh. But first, lunch. “The Rusty Mackerel” only started serving meals from 1pm onwards which was too late for us. Looking out for a bakery along the road, I checked the recommended cafes in Killybegs. Cafe Ahoy was recommended for its seafood chowder. That line alone triggered Flo’s taste buds so we passed the bakery and went there.

Happy to find a table quickly even if it was inside, we decided what to order. Being asked for our drinks order, the waitress told us that she can’t take our food order yet as there are a couple of tables before us. That was an odd statement without any further explanation. We sat there for 30 minutes with our drinks, without ordering food. Literally the second that Flo wanted to get up and leave, the waitress took our order. Hoping that now it would speed up the process, we spent ANOTHER 30 minutes there without any food. Seriously pissed, we finally got up and left. That was seriously shitty customers’ service…please let your guests know if there’s a long waiting time ESPECIALLY if they have young kids who will clearly starve if they have to wait for an hour.

An hour had passed, we still needed food, the kids were crying because they were so hungry. So we did what we should have done in the first place: We went to the bakery. It turned out to be a bakery/deli so we even had Sheppard’s pie, quiche and pasta salad for lunch and were done in 15 minutes. Cafe Ahoy, you might have been lovely but that was just not acceptable.

Finally, finally, with the kids asleep in the car, we drove to Rossnowlagh. It’s a beach along the way where you can drive your car right up to the water so it made the kids and Flo happy. To be fair, the kids were ecstatic to put their feet into the ocean again. Number 3 wanted to learn everything about jelly fish as this was the first beach where some of them had been beached.

like a dive-in movie. Extremely bizzare. Plus, everyone in camping chairs …

30 minutes later, we had to leave again as the tide was coming in. Some car owners didn’t make it quite fast enough and that their cars bathed in salt water from beneath. Not really a good thing…

But, we were also leaving county Donegal, the first county of the republic of Ireland that we’ve been to. It’s been quite a ride. Counties Sligo & Mayo are beckoning. Well, they will be tomorrow. Today we pulled up in a lakeside caravan park that was overpriced, basic and really nothing special. However, we had a long distance gaming session scheduled and needed power and reception for that.

So proud of how much good care he takes of his sister

Day 12 – Castle and bog

We got up, ready to go back to the beach. Both kids had loved running along the beach, feet in the water so saying goodbye to the beach was a high priority. But first, breakfast. We took the easy route as this campground had a mini kitchen for campers to use: toast and a boiled just saved us quite a bit of time, so much in fact that we even got to use the other facilities and had a lovely shower. Right before caking the kids in sunscreen, sand and salt water. XD

We left the beach later than Flo wanted but too early for the kids so I call it a fair compromise. Our next destination was the Glenveagh National Park although we didn’t have a good idea about what to do there. I already had a hike through Poisened Glen planned for the afternoon and the Glenveagh Castle was closed today.

In the end, we just went with the flow. The Glenveagh Castle Visitor Centre had a charger which we could use without cost, the shuttle bus to the castle cost 6€ for all of us as a return ticket and according to the wardens in the centre, it was great to just explore there for a while. Plus, Number 3 got to ride another – fully electric – bus and was happy.

The walk that caught our eye was a 2km loop to a viewpoint with a view down to the castle and the lake. In the beginning, it led through the outer parts of the “garden” with exotic plants and an Italian terrace but then it meandered up through more native landscape. Both kids were really good throughout the hike. Number 3 had no choice but to walk it all while the Agent of Entropy was carried uphill and then demanded to walk a section of the path downhill.

Nina on the viewpoint, looking down on kitsch “castle”

It was past lunchtime by now but the cafe in the castle was pretty packed and didn’t have a lot that I count as “food”. We rather took the bus back to the Visitor’s Centre and had a pricey lunch there, right next to a playground. Still, for 6€ plus free charging, this was definitely a win.

From here, it was just a short car ride to Poisoned Glen but the Agent still feel asleep. She’s done almost 2 hours longer than her usual naptime so that was quite impressive. Number 3 also was tired but he wasn’t allowed to sleep as he needed to walk more as soon as we stopped.

The way to the Glen was scenic already with a view to Errigal Mountain to the right and a sort of bog landscape all around. Parking next to a ruined church, the “rough hiking path” turned out to be a hopping from stone to boulder and back through the bog. Given that Ireland is having a heat wave with 23 degrees and multiple days without rain in a row, the path was pretty dry with occasional patches of bog or a small stream running over it. Flo was instantly happy. The Agent of Entropy slept through most of it and Number 3 was an amazing mountain sheep (he doesn’t want to be a goat). It was described as a 4km round-trip and we got a good stretch in when suddenly, we decided to go back. Number 3, who was very tired by now, had slipped and put a foot in the bog. When he pulled it out, his shoe stuck. It was a catastrophe for him, while Flo had a laughing fit. Of course, we managed to rescue the shoe and Flo cleaned it enough that Number 3 could put (a now very wet shoe) back on.

Back at the car, we embarked on a longer ride to Ardara and over Glengesh Pass. Another really scenic drive though by now, we’ve all had a long day and weren’t as wowed by the scenery anymore. When we arrived at the campground next to Sliabh Liag, I was pretty tired. Just a simple dinner of bread or muesli had to do and then we brought the kids to bed.

Since it was kinds early still, Flo arranged our makeshift baby phone and we went the 300m to the nearest pub “The Rusty Mackerel”. It was lovely as a location, all food looked really good but the kitchen had closed at 8pm and I was a little twitchy because the kids “were so far away”. However, we discovered that Guinness now produces a 0.0 beer which is an important information on a road trip.

Day 11 – Black Sheep

I had worked myself up into a ripe old mood. What a horrendous campground. I knew of the downside (one looong line, with facilities only on one end), but I did not expect the price. 10€ “festival extra”, only that no one had told us on the phone about it. So we paid the extra with no time to even maybe go and enjoy the reason. Bottom line: Most expensive night so far, for a farcically bad camp. The view was good, but everyone was drunk – snoring and farting – and the loo was so far off that everyone else kept going there by car! To top it of, of course they would drive all the way past our end to turn their cars around noisily.

Breakfast and packing was enhanced by the sound and utter stink of the next door camper’s diesel started up and then left running unattended for 25 minutes! What is wrong with people?

I was not a good husband or cheerleader that morning, but we powered through it and got to Ireland’s northernmost point, Marlin Head, by 10am. There was a promise of great coffee and pastries served by a legendary food truck in the Lonely Planet, and when pulling into the parking lot, the truck at least was there on top of the hill. After a friendly chat we took off for a little 1km cliff walk to be (hopefully) finished off by second breakfast on top of the hill.

Hell’s hole was maybe less impressive than usual, thanks to the brilliant weather and 23° C “heat wave” currently hitting the North of Ireland. Usually, water pushes up this narrow rift in foaming gusts, but with almost no wind, there was not much of a show. Still a very scenic walk.

With almost no wind, Hell’s Hole was very tame today

The top of the hill did not disappoint and once again, we had some treats, coffee and tea before heading off again. The treats were pretty good, but the coffee was excellent and the service world class. Back at the car park we even managed to settle some of our eternal karma debt after chatting with an older Dutch couple on two sharp looking road bikes. She had slipped on the fresh split seal and cracked an indicator – something our handy supply of duct and electrical tape could help sort out in no time.

Lunch was a touch late, but we were well prepared. Even without picknick tables, the Grianán of Aileách along the way was an almost perfect backdrop. We dropped our picknick blanket and had sandwiches in this place that immediately made obvious why it had been the site of some sort of fortification for at least 2000 years. The views over Lough Swilly and Lough Foyle were spectacular, all the way over back the Inishowen Peninsula and to Northern Ireland.

We thought there might have been another opportunity for a stop on the 1 hour and 20 scenic drive up to our camp for the day, but with kids falling asleep and potty breaks, we just kept going. After all, the camp for the day promised to be an attraction in its own right. And for once, it held up.

The camp was set up in terraces up the slope of a hill with great views of a golden sand beach. The spot we got was great, with a serene view. There was enough time left for the kids to spend some time at the beach, getting their feet wet in water way too cold for my taste. To round it off, we had a beautiful dinner once again from a vegetarian travel cook book very good friends gave us as a present a few years ago. Halloumi and black beans, delicious!

First beach experience for the kids on this trip

Now hanging out, catching up on blogging and trip planning while the kids are asleep. The weather is still nice enough to be out without wishing for a pocket oven and a shelter. Good times.

P.S.: Oh, I forgot, the title: The Agent of Entropy has learnt that sheep are interesting as roadside attractions. Plus, black sheep are extra special, as they feature in two of their children’s books. So every damn black sheep we pass triggers about 25 hyped up: “black sheep, black sheep! Mama! Black sheeeeeeep!”. As a reminder, we are in rural Ireland … 😀

On our way to the northern most point of Ireland: Malin Head

Day 8 – Giant’s Causeway, the obligatory stop

It rained a lot in the morning. In fact, it rained pretty much ever since last night, with differing intensity. It made breakfast a cold affaire. At this point, I was quite tired and on the lookout for a place to stay an extra night. This was not it. Too few people to keep the kids entertained, a tiny playground and Flo had itchy feet. After the “catered” experience at Carrick-a-rede, Flo really wanted to do the longer hike towards the Giant’s Causeway.

Instead of paying the fee for parking and the visitors’ centre, we decided to walk from the town of Bushmills. The Lonely Planet advises that you can walk along the heritage railway line for 2 miles and thus see the Causeway for free. In total, one way would be 3 miles as it is another mile from the visitors’ centre to the actual Causeway.

With the kids, it felt like a bit of a mission. We broke down our camp in the rain, drove the 20 minutes to Bushmills and assembled our kits: From sunshine to storm, you must cover all your bases. Starting the hike, Number 3 was delighted to follow the tracks, or rather walk in between the tracks. The railway only operates on weekends and as it was Friday, we were confident that no train would use the tracks. We were wrong though. Luckily, the train was moving only very slowly and no one could have missed it coming down the tracks but it spoilt Number 3’s fun of walking on the tracks for the rest of the day.

The train tracks wound their way through a golf course and along a beach to an intersection: Go left and along the cliffside or straight along the tracks right to the Visitors’ centre. Since it was a return hike, we opted for the cliffside walk now and the straight track on the way back. The kids were already hungry, and the Agent looked quite sleepy in the baby carrier.

souch a pretty walk, and mostly to ourselves

We turned onto the cliffside path. It started with a small crossing over a stream, continued with a narrow path through brambles and gorse and led to the stunningly beautiful cliffside. It was well worth it to take this hike. Number 3 also enjoyed it as well, but by now, he’d slowed down a bit. Flo kept us informed how long we still had to go until we reached the picnic tables and thus our lunch break.

The Agent made it to our lunch spot but didn’t eat a lot as she was so tired. Everybody else was cheered up and refreshed by the food and break and we continued to the Visitors’ centre, right around the corner as it turned out. The picnic area is already a part of the complex. A fact which Flo hadn’t pointed out on the way here. Right after our lovely little lunch break, we walked headfirst into busloads of people, and overflow carpark and queues at the toilets. It was a bit of a shock to the system, I have to admit.

lavaflow, cracked when cooling down, filled in and then eroded …

From here, it was another easy mile down a bus operated road to the Causeway. As we had seen from a distance, it was crawling with people. Well, with as many people as were allowed in today as the National Trust also sells tickets for this attraction and not too many people did the hike.

Taking our time, sitting down, letting the kids roam, we got to take the sight in. The Causeway’s hexagonal stones are quite amazing. Number 3 climbed all over the place and even the Agent demanded some leeway for climbing and walking through puddles. Flo and Number 3 moved towards one of the edges, talked to one of the wardens there and then explored a big puddle where some sea-life could be observed.

At some point, I had to face the fact that we had to hike back. Number 3 was starting to get tired after roaming around and climbing all sorts of stones. In the end, I convinced Flo to take the bus up the one-mile-long road to the Visitors’ Centre. It gave Number 3 an unexpected bus ride, saved us a mile of walking and it was just so damn convenient for a pound a person.

This time, we walked along the railroad tracks all the time. It dragged. Number 3 was still walking but slowly now. Distracted by a conversation about his next birthday party, we finally made it back to the car. Yippie! No rain showers, mostly sunshine, a couple of clouds and a great day at the Causeway was over. I was ready to head to the campground and call it for today.

she was so proud to be in the driver seat

Flo and I had a brief exchange about having coffee somewhere as a reward for the kids and I managed to put “Koko” in Portrush into our Sat nav. Great coffee and maybe a slice of cake sounded lovely just about right now. Driving into Portrush, we were taken by surprise by two things: The coffee place was about to close and only offered take away – which were still top notch. Number 2 there was a big fair at the waterfront with a building full of rides right next to it. Both kids were determined to go have a look even after we told them that we’d spent our last coin on the bus ride.

Since they were so good during the hike and the café had closed, they got two rides worth of tokens each and we headed inside. They rode carrousel horses and a fun bus before we left. Number 3 got a special bumper car ride all by himself as an extra as the Agent did not meet the height requirement. She and I waited outside so that it wouldn’t be too hard on her.

Now we were more than ready to go. Just…one more thing. A stop at a grocery store to pick up supplies for breakfast.

Our pre-arranged campground turned out to be lovely. We got a grassy pitch, electricity, a playground, and LOTS of kids to play with. In fact, it was so lovely that we asked to extend our stay for another night and I finally get my rest day tomorrow.

this came in seconds, Nina and the Agent got caught out at the loo

Day 7 – Heights

I loved our camp in principle. Council run, cheap and very conveniently located. Reasonably clean, and we even got the chance to do our first laundry. But the insane noise cars make going 80 to 100 km/h is quite something else. Unfortunately, as convenient as it was, sleeping 5m away from the A2 is probably a showstopper for most people. Me, I was fine. Trying to have breakfast with <80 dB background noise, that’s where I draw the line.

Still, this was the cheapest night so far, plus a hot shower for me and 100% charge for Puru Hiko. We gave the kids a bit of extra time to explore the huge waterfront playground and foreshore before heading on.

Remember, taking it slower – only one item today: Carrick-a-rede. Under 100km, we chose the slow road along the east coast and were not disappointed for it. It got Nina a bit antsy, as the site has timed slots for access, but I managed to deliver us there just in time.

The whole north shore of Northern Ireland is pretty neat, but a few spots made it to the level of tourist attractions. Carrick-a-rede was a nice but otherwise unremarkable island that is now visited as the site of a historical (and since fortified) rope bridge. It was initially strung up to help the local fishermen get better at eradicating salmon from these waters. Since the salmon is long gone, it got a second life as a minor thrill for tourists wobbling over 30m over the foaming sea. All tightly managed and access restricted by the National Trust. An organisation whose motto might be “our country’s natural beauty, preserved for those who can afford it”. Very British. So what, we can afford it by now …

We took a bit longer than the advertised 30 minutes’ walk from the car park – as the Agent of Entropy was eager to do most of it herself. Or maybe because I spotted the unmistakable gait of someone hiking to a sight in motorcycle boots! I had spotted Katinka’s (of @KatinkAdventure on Instagram) Transalp in the parking lot already. Looked like an overlander bike, and it was. She has been on the road a while – spiting Covid. We had a brief chat, as much as the kids would allow, and realised we both know fellow Dutch Overlander Peter (sans Leoni). Its really nice to hear that Peters business (www.bartang.eu) has reached that level of renown in the overlander community.

When it came to the big ticket item, Number 3 did splendidly – very brave and composed. The Agent refrained from jumping out the carrier and even Nina dared the crossing. Colour me impressed.

Just when it was time to head back, we were introduced to Ireland’s 90 second flash rain showers, full on including sideways rain. Given how unphased the locals were, it seems like something worth getting used to. Number 3 took it with surprising enthusiasm.

Even though we had unremarkable, overpriced brown food for lunch (seriously UK, what’s up with that?) I was still beholden to my promise of Spaghetti Carbonara from two days ago. So we went off, at 2.30pm, straight to this nights camp. Another neat working farm camp, which we are learning to keep an eye out for now.

After setting up camp, we had some coffee – the kids got to see the farm’s special feature of Alpacas and pygmy-goats and I had time to get dinner just right, fighting to keep the heat of our medium gas cooker against a strong northerly. Holiday proper has begun. Let’s see when it will feel like it.

Day 13 – Back to Nature

We had thought about staying here for two nights and using Tivendentorp as a base for some hiking in the Tiveden National Park. And even though the day started much to Nina’s delight with a full breakfast buffet, it was not enough to keep us here – mostly because of the spot, a bit discarded, off to the side of an otherwise stunning site.

We used our time before the 8am start of the breakfast well with pre-packing and washing up, so that we could be on the road pretty quickly once the leisurely breakfast time was over. We did leave really early in fact and were at the main entrance of the park early enough to manage to get a parking spot.

With some fresh well water in our bladders and Number 3’s chat with the park ranger to find out what kind of animals he can expect today (very proud of him to have asked on his own, in English! Also very cool to have a ranger on-site). The answer was birds 😀

We chose the shortest of the four loops – with a bit of a better feeling about this after the ranger told us this was their “crown jewel” and the reason the park was created in the first place. 2,5 km set for a 1-2 hrs walk promised quite a lot of up and down on the way.

Any hike that starts like this will likely be our cup of tea

I will let the pictures (of which we have selected way too many) do most of the talking, but I want to state how proud we both were of Number 3 walking the whole thing with little complaint. He made up a game of “absorbing” the track markers to recharge. Just my kind of kid! The walk was stunning and just what we were hoping for: Mildly challenging to do with the carrier and a 3 year old and with lots of different undergrounds and little obstacles. At the risk of sounding very esoteric, but hiking with barefoot or minimal shoes is just a whole extra layer to the experience for us. Sensing the moss, the soft earth and grippy rock face with the soles of your feet is very … ah, I’ll say it: grounding!

We had a good lunch of prepared sandwiches at the view-point and were ready for an early camp to get the chance for a pitch in time for afternoon tea by the time we arrived back at the car around 12:30pm. A few snacks and a fireside chat with other hikers and we were ready to say farewell to Tiveden for this time. What a lovely place.

But now it was off into the unknown. My research last night did not produce any great options for tonight, but we wanted to see if we can find a place to free camp along the way. The drive was relaxing as always in Sweden, real meditative road-trip feeling. The hunt for a good place worked out less in our favour. There were a few good spots too early for our liking and by the time we wanted to settle we were in this (stunning, nonetheless) rural landscape with few “out of sight” spots in between. I had a look at a bathing spot and a hiking area, but both were not really what we were looking for. Coming out from the last one, we passed a “ställplats” sign pointing to a farm. It was a lovely sight, with no one else here and power available, around the cute red barn. But alas, they did not have a toilet for guests, and we don’t carry one, so off again we had to drive.

Ready to settle I checked google and spotted a tiny place just 15 minutes down the road – Nina checked ahead and all was well. It was another “ställplats” on a farm, but a bit more involved. The owner was the kindest person, managing to be super kind and helpful even in the middle of running a farm and stable during harvest season. She even took plenty of time to explain the whole process of bringing in wheat, siloing it and sending it off again to the mill to the curious Number 3. He was so happy to tell me all about it when he and Nina came back from an exploration round. We had a good grassy patch with electricity, there were horses around and even the weather held for a picture perfect sunset …

the Agent did not like the cold in the morning

Day 10 – … Shelter From the Storm

We woke up and it was still gushing down, as it had the whole night. Flo and Number 3 hopped into the house to prepare breakfast, the Agent and I took a little longer. It was not only wet, it was cold as well.

our kids win in the gear department, for sure. We have some things to add to our list …

We had breakfast with Emma (I completely missed Johan that morning) and then both of them were off. Our blog needed quite a bit of love and care and the weather was still miserable so we decided to stay on the porch next to the heating lamp and blog. When the rain stopped, the kids started exploring the garden and grounds around Emma’s and Johan’s house. This short pause in the rainfall fooled us and we prepared to go out to the lake in Länna. Right before we left, it started pouring down again so Flo and I threw on ponchos in the hopes to stay somewhat dry. Except for the core, it failed.

first you feed me the blue jummy, then you take a photo – you for real?

Back at the house, it was lunch time already and decision time was getting close. What would we do next? All this rain was wearing us down. Flo dreaded taking down the tent soaking wet and I just. didn’t. want. to. have. cold. wet. feet. anymore.

So Emma gave us shelter. Johan and her both let us stay in their driveway for one more night. Giving us shelter from the dreadful weather. With the urban camping came access to a house, complete with roof. It was dry and warm, had tea and coffee and cookies, a cat, a couch to lounge and everything else that one could want in a house. Shelter. Thank you so much guys to keep our lousy wet selves around.

Number 3 was quite smitten with Emma’s cat and managed to pat him in the afternoon. As Sigge is a rather old cat, he usually hides a lot but Number 3 was quiet and careful (for once) so he got cat pats as a reward. I’m actually quite proud of him.