Lolling on sandy beaches, cruising on luxury liners or dining in exotic places are not our idea of a relaxing holiday. Hiking and cycling have always been our preferred style - it not only keeps you fit, but you get to explore our planet in a much more interactive way.
My aim at high school was to travel overseas, but I had this desire to “see Australia” first.
Follow high school in Redcliffe, in the summer of 1967/68, I went to Melbourne and worked in a cordial factory at Moorabbin, picking the bits of plastic from plastic containers shaped like teddy bears and kangaroos as they spilled out of an injestion moulding machine. I saved enough money to visit Adelaide, Mount Gambier and Sydney before heading home to start University in 1968.
In the summer of 1968/69, I ttavelled to Perth by train across the Nullabor, and worked in the West Australian Club waitressing and housekeeping for the elderley farmers from sheep stations all over Western Australia, who travelled to Perth on business. After 3 months, I had saved enough to visit Albany, and head north to Broome, Port Headland, Mount Tom Price then Darwin before heading home to start my second year of University.
I figured it was then time to go overseas but I had no money. So for the next 2 summers, I worked as a barmaid, first in the Aspley Hotel, then the Seabrae Hotel at Redcliffe and by the completion of my Bachelor of Science degree at the end of 1970, I had saved enough to take a year off to travel overseas. In February 1971, I flew to Kathmandhu "to catch a bus” to London. It was a 3 month Penn Bus trip across more than 20 countries through Nepal, India, Kashmir. Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey and many countries in Europe. After arriving in London I spent the next 6 months hitch hiking around the UK and Europe before returning home dead broke. Another stint at the Seabrae replenished the dollars to complete a Diploma of Education before getting married to my wonderful husband Ian Somers on 30th December 1972.
Together we have continued to travel around teh world.
Our first trip BC (Before Children) was in 1975 when we took a 2 month Eurail Pass and travelled around Europe in the wet/cold Autumn during a fuel crisis which saw fuel rationed in many European countries and caused us to have many a cold bath.
In 1980 when we spent 5 months cycling almost 10,000km around Europe - during the wettest summer on record. Â Mt St Helens had just errupted sending 10km of pluming ash into the heavens and disrupting the weather patterns across Europe for months.
Almost 20 years later AD (After Deliverance of 3 wonderful kids) we set out again in 2002 walking the Amalfi Coast in Italy. And since then we have had many trips abroad - our favourite destination being Europe as it suits our style of holiday - active days, fine food and a comfy bed at night - all made possible because of the European landscape and the closeness of villages - particularly in France. I have always kept travel diaries, and since 2012 after being given a beautiful 11 inch Macbook Air for mothers day, I began documenting our trips in Sandvox. One day I’ll decipher all my old diaries and transcribe them into my blog.
I have been the diarist/chief story teller and carry the 1kg MacBook Air, whilst Ian has been the chief photographer/pack horse who carries all my French Cheese.
HIKING ROUTES IN EUROPE
