Travel
Using the car bonnet to heat slices of focaccia (similar to pizza) under the blazing sunshine for our lunchtime snack in Italy. The car was indicating air temperature of 33°C. Cooking time was 5 minutes as our focaccia was heated both by sunshine and the heat from the engine.
Heatwave hallucination. A hot day, more than 40°C, so anything could happen, even a unicorn on a street of Vallon Pont d’Arc, the town at the head of the Ardèche Gorge.
It’s always a wrench to fly north from Marseille and to leave the delights of Provence and the French Riviera. But recognising landmarks in the aerial view of the Alps is some consolation, particularly when the winter snow has not fully melted. And worth getting out the DSLR to share.
These are views of Mont Blanc (4810 m.) & Mont Ventoux (1910 m.) from an A320, flight BA347 of the 9th April.
The Moon rising tonight over the Mediterranean, a sight that’s been the subject of many romantic songs. Great thought that tonight people are again going to be visiting it. Those astronauts now suited up and going through checklists atop the Artemis space rocket, launching tonight if all continues to go to plan.
Now thinking back, where was I for Apollo 8 and Apollo 11... and Apollo 13. Great memories for all mankind but oh dear, such a long time ago.
Hadrian’s Wall and VALLUM ditch system
Hadrian’s Wall Tourist Trail
It was a fine clear morning, the sort you get in the North. I landed on time in Newcastle and headed for Keswick. I diverted off the A69 direct route to take the Hadrian's Wall Tourist Trail and seek the Roman stones. I stopped a couple of times around Housesteads VERCOVICIVM and enjoyed a short hike on a section of the Wall around Caw Gap, also a view of VALLUM, the ditch system to the South of the Wall. The stones in the ground are impressive as are the commanding views of the topography.
