Category Archives: Wildlife

Wales, Canada, Greece – Looking back, looking forward.

A few weeks ago, we had snow at home.  First time in 2 years.  They had snow on Symi since we had any!! I woke up with 2 inches on the ground and still snowing heavily.  I checked the forecast … Continue reading

Posted in Canada, Greece, Grey Britain, Hiking, History, Landscape, Mountains, Nature, Photography, Pontypool, Wales, Weather, Wildlife, Winter | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Banff, Canadian Rockies:  ….. and now for something else completely different.

We arrived after the cold snap, For a couple of weeks temperatures had dropped down as low as -40oC.  And that was in town at 1,400 metres.  Even colder on the ski slopes going up to nearly double that altitude.  … Continue reading

Posted in Canada, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Nature, Photography, Weather, Wildlife, Winter | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Symi:  ….. and now for something completely different.

Post upgraded to include all intended photos Dhafni Cave Initial discovery: Nicholas Shum Reconnaissance and set-up: Steve Waters and Barry Hankey Descent Team: Nicholas Shum, Barry Hankey, Ejaz Shinwarri Given that Symi, the ‘Hot Rock’, is made of limestone, there … Continue reading

Posted in Greece, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Nature, Photography, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Symi:  ….. and now for something completely different.

Dhafni Cave Initial discovery: Nicholas Shum Reconnaissance and set-up: Steve Waters and Barry Hankey Descent Team: Nicholas Shum, Barry Hankey, Ejaz Shinwarri Given that Symi, the ‘Hot Rock’, is made of limestone, there are few caves in comparison to limestone … Continue reading

Posted in Greece, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Nature, Photography, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Symi and Nisyros: Back to old-fashioned island hopping

People often ask which is my favourite Greek island.  Given that I spend more time on Symi than any other, the natural assumption is that the answer is self-evident.  But it’s more complicated than that. True, I love the walking … Continue reading

Posted in Greece, Hiking, History, Landscape, Mountains, Nature, Photography, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Symi: back on the Hot Rock

Back on Symi.  Been here two weeks now. A bit trepidatious about the travel chaos expected at Manchester Airport so turned up 4 hours ahead of flight departure. No queue at all at check-in, shortest queue at security ever.  Waiting … Continue reading

Posted in Greece, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Nature, Photography, Spring, Uncategorized, Weather, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Symi, Stockport: Then, now and soon-to-be

The Brexit Bonus has nowhere-near met cynically manipulated expectations.  Quite the opposite.  It has fallen far short and a realistic assessment is that it will continue to do so, despite the Ress-Mogg Magic Wand. One of the negative impacts, which … Continue reading

Posted in Greece, Grey Britain, Nature, Photography, Spring, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Symi: Autumn life

Back home in Grey Britain now.  Warmer than average for this time of year, cloud acting as insulating blanket kept temperatures up through much of November – but spirits down. Mostly between what mountaineers call ‘claggy’ and ‘very claggy’ – … Continue reading

Posted in Autumn, Greece, Grey Britain, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Nature, Photography, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Rambling through the grey and rising above it …… occasionally

I’ve written before on the psychology of time, about which I read initially in Thomas Mann’s book ‘The Magic Mountain’ when I was in the 6th form and more recently in Claudia Hammond’s ‘Time Warped’, published 2012, exactly 100 years … Continue reading

Posted in Grey Britain, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Nature, Photography, Pontypool, Reflections, Wales, Weather, Wildlife, Winter | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Greece, Symi: here’s hoping

I usually come back from Greece to the UK for August, partly because of the heat but mostly in order to sort out my garden, harvest fruit and veg and store it away for the winter months.   In the throes … Continue reading

Posted in Autumn, Greece, Landscape, Mountains, Nature, Photography, Reflections, Uncategorized, Weather, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments