Work and Walk

Uh - oh. I showed Kent how to update the blog... what have I done??!! In fairness, I've been pretty slack at keeping it updated, but we've been ever so busy re-learning how to say words like sAH-ven (7) and pAHn (pen) and to start conversations with "Alright?" that I've barely had a chance to turn the central heating down and pay the council tax, let alone do anything interesting enough to merit blogging....

I have a job. I don’t entirely understand what I am supposed to be doing. I have worked out I am teaching Maths and English. They call them “Application of Numbers” and “Application of Language” so it doesn’t sound too “schoolie” to the little darlings.
I teach the Horticulture Kids and the Animal Care (Wabbits and cute little fluffy things) Girls.
I also am doing a little bit of teaching the, um, what is the politically correct word? “special” students.
It has actually been kind of fun... especially when a kid asks you “how long does it take to get to Ispwich on the boat [from NZ]?” and figuring out that he didn’t know we would have airplanes or airports or cities or ambulances or pretty much anything else, bless him.

Anyhow.

Hiking. On Tuesday the 12^th I jumped on the $200 train ride from Ipswich Town, home of the mighty “Tractor Boys” (for the uninitiated, that's the, ahem, fantastic local football team), to Sheffield to meet up with Rod and Thomas, then we headed the three hours to the Lakes District in Cumbria - home of Beatrix Potter and Peter Rabbit, William Wordsworth, Alfred Wainwright, John Ruskin and a couple of sneaky wee Nuclear Power Plants.

We started walking the first night at about 10:30pm. We just had a short hour and a bit up to one of the small lakes for the night.
The next morning we had a big climb up a cliff. I really enjoyed it thinking it was amazing and we should do it a couple more times. Unfortunately when we got to the top the view was a bit average.

Um, yeah, no. That’s not how it went. The climbing was scary as be-jesus but the view was amazing bar none... here it is - and if you click the photo there's a couple more of our adventure:

During the four days we climbed (wandered up, for those used to walking in NZ) four of the six highest peaks in the Lakes District including Scarfell Pike, the highest mountain (ridge) in England. We did about 35km across and about two km up cumulatively. There were a lot of really cool paths and views. Once we got above 450m we did not go below it again, so we didn't have anything more than one hour walking straight up.

The weather was as good as was possible for all four days, no rain and even very little cloud and wind... I know - England. Winter. Sunshine? I was as confused as you are.

Haven’t done any hiking for months now so it was nice to get out and into it.

And, yes the three of us slept in the luxury of that two person tent...cosy.

Kent and Eryn x

P.S. Eryn's Valentines Day present arrived finally. She thinks it is great, a very thoughtful and romantic gesture... well, as much as "Asterix in Italian" can be a romantic gesture.