Monthly Report, April 2023

Four very different weeks in April - starting with a week on Shetland, then a week around Oxford before decamping to warmer parts and a week wandering the hills around Lake Iseo in Lombardy and a week being pampered in a spa town in Val Camonica.

But first the numbers.

Reporting Days: 30

Location: Shetland, Oxford & Italy

Miles Walked: 199

Miles Driven: 971

Miles Trained: 705

Photographs Taken: Hundreds

Shetland

A week is never long enough to be on Shetland - and although I was a week too early for the puffins, there were razorbills and waves and sunshine.

Razorbills, Sumburgh Head

White Water, Scat Ness

Oxford

A week is sometimes long enough to be in Oxford - but there were lots of signs of Spring around, even if it never got warm enough to sit outside.

Fritillaries, Oxford Botanics

White Water, Parson's Pleasure

Lake Iseo

Fast forwarding the seasons to full on Spring in Northern Italy, and time spent walking from hotel to hotel around the southern end of Lake Iseo (everyone has heard of Lake Garda, Lake Maggiore and Lake Como - but few have heard of Lake Iseo, the fourth largest of the Lombardy lakes).  And to maintain the green walking credentials, all the travel was by train (Eurostar, TGV, Frecciarossa & Trenord).  

Lake Iseo, Clusane

Monte Isola & Sulzano, Lake Iseo

Boario Terme

And having worn out our knees, we travelled north (by train, of course) up the Val Camonica for a spot of restorative neurotherapy and spa time.

Old Montecchio Bridge, Boario Terme

Balcony View (Madonna del Alpi), Boario Terme

And in the next episode, Spa Time Take Two....