Hollie activity
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Mariebergsskogen ... rural tranquility right in the middle of town.
In one of my last blogs I mentioned Mariebergsskogen and if you were paying attention you would have realised that there did not appear to be many photos. The question should then have been: have I really visited it? I have indeed and was saving an entire blog post...
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A Swedish Hobby
Ever since I had arrived in Karlstad I had heard musings of mushroom picking season.Ā The joke went that all wild mushrooms were edible ... some you could only eat once!! Chantarelles seem to be the favourite mushroom and it seems there are two types, one smaller and...
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Culture Shock in Karlstad
Confusion and anxiety in an unfamiliar environment, disorientation because of being suddenly in the middle of an unfamiliar culture, a way of life, and an entirely different set of attitudes, that is how culture shock is often described. The question is will I become...
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New in Karlstad ... on a cold and rainy day
In the last blog I had mentioned the wonderful second hand sector that Sweden has. The bustling second hand stores surprised me when I arrived here. I guess when we learn about Sweden from afar we think technology, sustainability, expendable income and ... well we...
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Kayaks on a lake and a Man in a Tent
The weekend weather forecast was grim; rain, thunderstorms and cloud. Both Alice and I were exhausted, both from summerās that were too busy and from the simple thought that winter was coming. Should we go or should we not? We debated for a few days and finally...
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New in Karlstad ... on a late summerās day
It was coming to the end of what I had heard had been a pretty rainy summer in Karlstad, university was starting, I was planning on taking on 14-16 hours work a week so as to cover some of my expenses, but at the same time I wanted adventure and to get out and see the...
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A palate of delight ... the foods of South East Asia
In my two summer months in South East Asia we were lucky enough to sample not only some incredibly tasty foods, but to experience such a range of atmospheres, hosting and culinary delights. Although I was leading a group of British school children this food blog is not...
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laoLao... Whiskey of a darker kind
laoLao (yes the first L is lowercase and the second upper) is a Laotian alcohol, usually made from fermented rice. The alcohol concentrations usually differ hugely within the āhighā range. It has a sweet taste, perhaps with a hint of yeast and is often drunk neat....
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On English Soil ... Countryfile Live!
Rural, agricultural and environmental issues. That is what Countryfile, a British TV series is all about. Now, Iāve never seen Countryfile but Iād say that it sounds like my kinda show! It was refreshing after such an environmentally eye-opening trip to SE Asia,...
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On English Soil ... Seals at Blakeney Point on the North Norfolk Coast
Even back in the 1970s Beans Boats ran seal trips and my Mother went to see them. She was eighteen then and was none too keen to be on a family camping trip. In her old diary that she has since nosed into for me she has recorded the day in true teenage fashion: 'August...
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On English Soil ... Easby Abbey and Richmond
With the Yorkshire Dales walking trip shunted aside once again, Emma decided that a sedate walk in Richmond would fill a mid-morning to late afternoon. Mali safe in childcare, we drove along little country lanes into the picuresque town. Richmond is the epitome of a...
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On English Soil ... York Minster
From the tropical heat of SE Asia to a rainy summer arrival week back in England ... I certainly needed an adjustment period but there were places to go, friends to see and things to do.Ā I could not afford to sit still.Ā First stop was Northallerton and wonderful Emma...
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A Southeast Asian journey while uni is out. Part Seven D: A Village Evening
The surrounding rural hills and valleys of Luang Namtha had always attracted the intrepid jungle bashing traveler type and it was in the early 90s that the area came to be known more. In the late 90s early 2000s the government realised there was revenue to be earned...
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A Southeast Asian journey while uni is out. Part Seven C: Another Trek
Our trek began with a steep climb through a rubber tree plantation where ceramic bowls filled with a glutinous white sap had begun to smell after three days in rain water. As we left this behind us, the forest closed in properly and we felt as though in a leafy...
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A Southeast Asian journey while uni is out. Part Seven A: Journeying North
I awoke at midnight to a jarring rumble of thunder and a crack of lightning. Within minutes the rain began in earnest. I had had an email a few days before, that a tropical storm about to hit China's coastline may bring rainfall to us. But this was buckets and buckets...
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A Southeast Asian journey while uni is out. Part Eight: Elephants
Source: www.gardenofeden.blogspot.com For hundreds of the years the Asian elephant has been used as a labour assistant, in dragging forest logs, in clearing forest paths and as transport. Mahouts (or elephant handlers) often formed lifelong bonds with their elephants....
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A Southeast Asian journey while uni is out. Part Seven B: Food for Trekking
Another trek, another challenge. This trek promised to be much harder than Vietnam and that thought left the students none too thrilled. I however, was stoked. Again, I had visited this place eleven years ago and remembered verdant forests and burbling streams ... my...
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A Southeast Asian journey while uni is out. Part Six: Free the Bears
The expeditions we lead are designed to engage young people (15 to 17 year olds) in multiple aspects of adult life: planning, itinerary design, budgeting and an immersion in new cultures, places and ways of doing things. The treks show students that access to more...
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A Southeast Asian journey while uni is out. Part Five: Luang Pabang
Waterfalls Eleven years ago I loved the quiet pace of Luang Prabang, its networked corner on the Mekong river and it's sleepy bars and restaurants. 2019 and my thoughts have not changed. The pace is almost rural and the temples, markets and people are still a delight....
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A Southeast Asian journey while uni is out. Part Four: Ha Long Bay
Ha Long Bay and Eagles Ha Long Bay is to Vietnam what Stockholm's archipelago is to Sweden. (At least that is the feeling I get). I find it difficult to describe Ha Long Bay without adding a few anxious highlights that tend in the environmental direction. However given...
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A Southeast Asian journey while uni is out. Part Three: Vietnam Trekking
Quynh Son province lies northeast of Hanoi, near the Chinese border, and at this time of year it is cloyingly hot and sticky. This was our chosen trek location. Over the next three days we walked as if just out of a swimming pool. The sweat careened down our legs in...
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A Southeast Asian journey while uni is out. Part Two: Hanoi
Source: http://hanoi.gov.vn In October 2010 Hanoi turned one thousand years old. Seven million people on the right bank of the Red River make for a hot and hectic and hazardous (at least in road crossings) experience. There are however a thousand alleys to explore,...
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A Southeast Asian journey while uni is out. Part One: Hoi An
Students have the best and the worst deal. We have oodles of free time and yet that time should be filled with studying. Intellectual investigation. Essays. Short tests. Exams. Assignments... and yet we want the social life, gourmet treats and the never ending travel...
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Alzhimers and Language Learning
Ā This post is a story that I found both inspiring and heart warming and it was told to me by Reetta my Finish buddy (if you havenāt read my two blog posts about Finland then please do!) Some years ago Reetta needed some summer work and was keen to improve her...
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Finland Road trip: Part two
We woke to the most glorious day and had breakfast with the gulls on the deck. Fish gulped around us and there was evidence of a fox. Off we set on our cycling route only to find that our trail biking skills were not up to the roots and narrow paths that we were to...
