About

I’ve been a Rambling Man for many years, and now in my 60th I intend to set out on a years perambulations while my body is still capable and my mind still inquisitive to know what lies beyond the next turn in the track.                                                                                   Struggling to overcome a luddite technophobia I set up this blog to record my modest adventures in the future  and as a memoir of some in the past.

I’ll leave behind a life deeply rooted in a few acres  of gardens and woodland in a quiet corner of western Ireland for awhile, to quench a wanderlust, happy to anticipate a return to the homestead.

I’ll be joining a motley crew of hikers walkers ramblers pilgrims and gentlemen and women of the road who wander the highways and byways at a speed where thoughts can settle and eyes can see.

May the road rise to meet us.

……………………………………………………………..

( My 60th year has come and gone and proved to be one of many adventures. This blog has been a useful repository for the words and images that can kick start a sluggish internal retrieval system so I continue to lodge stories of recent rambles to the deposit account in this digital memory bank. I hope they are of some interest )

58 comments

  1. Hi Steve,
    Thanks for posting a comment on cicerone-extra today. I’m sure Paddy will be chuffed to bits. I wonder if you would like to write us an account of your Canaries trip for Cicerone-extra? It should give you some good exposure – we have around 1000 ‘subscribers’ already, and growing. We could place links to your blog site very easily, and add refers so you could see who came from the article. Just a thought!

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    1. Thanks Lesley, I’d be glad too. I’m not going till the New Year and aim to take about 5 weeks over it before I celebrate my 60th in mainland Spain and embark on the Camino from Malaga.

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  3. hi steve enjoying your blog sun is shining in soto bomba and alls well olives done bit of a poor harvest though waters fixed so doing a bit of cosmetic work to the old place if you have need of any air sea rescue or land don’t hesitate to phone the bat phone 00447947851752 or you can ring tammy on 657424933 got a job for beginning of feb but should be back for the big bash look after those feet x jim

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    1. Thanks for the emergency numbers J. I may require an airlift to the top of La Palma. Maybe you and T could run up with my pack. Good training.
      Hope you can be there birthday weekend. And hope the elec is on by then. Any sign of a door sized hole yet?

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  5. Just read your post about el hierro are you going to la gomera next check out the banana ketchup there v nice on fried fish for breakfast what date you hit mainland? Weather here just set in rain for a while watch out for the naked hippies in Valle gran Rey .jim

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  6. Hi Steve,
    Enjoying reading your blog. Am off to Tenerife end of March.
    Want/hope to do a few overnighters up near Mt Teide. How many wild campers have you met on your travels there? I will be doing a bit of the ‘stealth’ stuff and lying low. Many Rangers about?
    I have ultra lightweight kit, but can see pitching a shelter with pegs won’t be on. Maybe a Tarp, trek poles and guylines around boulders ??? I don’t have a Bivi.
    Any better pitching options on lower slopes where there may be a bit more soil??
    Thanks,
    Annie. Over 60, also.

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    1. Annie, if your still with me i dont think youll have a problem finding somewhere to camp. The ground will be hard above 2000mt unless you go for ash but there should be places to tuck yourself away. The pine forest lower down are fine but often very slopey. Main problem up in Teide national park is lack of food or water. I think i would advise basing yourself in Vilaflor which is the highest village, has a network of paths around it and has a bus connection up to Teide every morning. You could get food and water there and head off for a couple of days at a time. And say hello to Rudi at Almazen if you decide to stay there. Good luck and buen camino.

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  7. Hi Steve.Just been catching up with your blog and am feeling a touch of envy!I have calculated that my youngest Xavi will turn 18 3 months after i become 60 so i may follow in your footsteps!
    What a lovely way to spend your 60th year. I had no idea you were doing this until tonight after speaking to Sally. Myself and Flynne are hoping to see you on the 27th for the big 60.All the best and lots of love Ven

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      2. Is that THE Bernie Daly? Of Taxi Driver and Death of a Skyviews Salesmen fame. Lord O’ Mercy ! Well found. Haven’t seen you since our first Xmas in the house and we’ve been here 20 yr. Get your boots on, we’re off round the Balearics !

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  9. Hi Steve, hope the birthday party was a good’un! Shame we couldn’t make it.. Enjoy the rest of your wanderings.. Lots of love Rik and Therese x

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  10. Steevie, I thought I posted a comment but its gone….Happy 60th! Sorry to have missed it, love the blog , some wicked photos. What an amazing adventure your having….Happy eclipse and equinox 🙂 x

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    1. You had Lucy, on Gran Canaria 7th FEB. Meant to reply a thanks but events took over! So thanks. This trip is now going city break tourist. Merida today then Madrid for a few days before I fly to Dublin. I’ll have time for hiking the miners way and the ox mountains and the Leitrim way so I’ll call in and see you( in the house?)

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  11. Hi Steve; can only wonder at your travels , after having done (in blocks) the Ballyhoura weay, Lough Derg Way and the Beara Way…I cannot imagine how you keep your feet…you must have a few tips at this wise stage of your life.

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  12. Yes, “that” Bernie Daly. Forgotten about Skyviews, didn’t I play Ed Harris to your Pacino ?
    Anyway, loving the pics, keep them coming.
    Got to catch up when you’re back.

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    1. Hi hikeminded. I’ve just been having a look at your wonderful woodland photos on your blog which im now following. Thanks for your visits to mine.
      Ive inly just started the Gran Senda de Malaga but i know most of the country it goes through and am very much looking forward to the rest of it. Unfortunately i’ll have to do it bit by bit as it’s over 660 km and time off is short although the next leg is booked in for mid May.
      Menorca was lovely, a revelation. Pretty quiet and pretty flat with beautiful beaches. Recommended.

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      2. The GR249 was the easiest hike ive done with a friend in a support camper taking all the strain. Menorca was a mix of tent and a couple of cheap rooms.

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  14. Hi, Steve! Thanks for lot of information about GR131 on Tenerife (I will read it full bit later). I plan to go there in the middle of January 2018, second big question for me (first – about water that i should take with me) is about temperature in the highest points of path. I saw few photos (made in march) with snow at overnight camping at GR131, so, I try to understand which temperatures I should be prepared to. I hope you will read it.

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    1. Hi Yury, I was there end of January and i may have been lucky because the weather was fine and sunny. It is high altitude though so i would be prepared for the worst. I didn’t camp at the top but got a bus down to Vilaflor and back up again next day. I camped the following couple of nights in the forests on the descent to the coast.
      Water is available in the tourist facilities at the top and at the bar/restaurant at El Portillo.
      Good luck and happy trails

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  15. Hi Steve,

    Thank you so much for sharing your adventures with us, it’s a pleasure to read through them!
    I’m planning on hiking the entire length of the GR 131 in two weeks, I have a few open questions still and there don’t seem to be to many informations on the complete trail, only on the sections. If you have the chance to find a few minutes to answer them, I would be very happy to talk to you (can’t find an email address of you but may you can contact me somehow).

    Thank you very much and happy trails!
    Lea

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  16. Hi Steve, we can’t thank you enough for your posts – we started section hiking he GR131 last winter and picked it up again this winter, made it across El Hierro, La Gomera, Tenerife, and most of Gran Canaria so far. Here in Maspalomas, heading home to Brussels tomorrow, we enjoyed your witty commentary on the trail and helpful hints for navigation (more challenging in some places where the GR131 seems more like an idea in our heads than an actual trail). Cheers to you! Carolyn, Brendan and Chloe (age 3) and Emily (age 1)

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    1. Carolyn, thank you for your positive comments. Its great to know that the effort of blogging has proved useful/entertaining to someone.
      Fair play to you for treking with the kids, the three year old must be heavy!
      Good luck next time, you still have possibly the nicest and certainly the most challenging island to do, La Palma. Bad weather meant i couldnt complete the route and will have to go back. See you there!

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  17. Mr Barham It would appear that all those long walks in the Wiltshire countryside searching for somewhere to share a Players No 6 have finally paid off lol !

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    1. Good lord. Malcolm. Fancy you finding me. I don’t believe I’ve seen you since St Agnes ‘77.
      Sally from no.79 and I are celebrating our 40th anniversary !
      How the devil are you?

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  18. Dear Steve, thank you – I was thinking about hiking the GR 248 in mid of November, thanks to your postings I will do it. Yay! So I have just to decide which parts to hike in 7-8 days. Do you have a recommendation, for this time of year?

    Guess for the more remote tracks I have to leave the coast line, where it’s 10 degrees Celsius cooler?

    An option: Arrival 10am in AGP, afternoon train to El Chorro, finding a place to sleep (at many climber hostels you have to stay at least 3 nights :-/ ), starting from there. The first kilometers don’t look soooo awesome, with the reservoir… 😉

    Thanks for your advice!

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    1. Oh, guess I found a good option last night: Bus from Malaga to Nerja, starting the next morning with Etapa 5, the all the way to Antequera = train station. 8 stages, 1 spare day.
      Maybe this helps others, too. Comments welcome 🙂

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      1. Great choice Patrick. They are really nice stages. You will be going over the highest point on the whole Senda at 1600m between Alfarnate and Villanueva del Rosario so could be chilly. Also you’ll be finished in Archidona not Antequera!
        Good luck and Buen Camino.

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  19. So there is. A new one. Doesn’t seem to be on the website in English yet. Looks like a nice route though. I think the approach over the mountains and down to Antequera could be the same as I did on the Camino Mozarabe but not sure.
    Have a good time. Are you going to be stealth camping or looking for accommodation? We stayed with a lovely guy on his organic farm outside Villanueva de Rosario. Found him on air bnb

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    2. As you are pros, and I have to make a decision how long my hike will be, may I ask for your advice?

      General outlines: Arrival on Mon 11th 10am, I am on my own – which is fine, but I think a week in the outback might be enough. Weatherwise I expect at least 12°C, warmth in sun, maybe some hours of rain at certain times. Packing light in a 34 liter backpack.

      11th – “Bienvenidos Cafe con Leche” in Malaga, maybe Museum, later bus to Nerja.
      12th-18th – stages 5 to 11 to Villanueva.
      Btw, I spoke to Lukas from “Casa Paz y más” between stages 9 & 10, who said: Others preferred to stay two nights at his family’s place and he shuttled them from/to Alfarnate, end of stage 10, as there are not so many options to stay. Maybe is helps others who read this 🙂
      19th: From Villanueva to Antequera.

      My question: Is there a stage which is okay to skip, as not so interesting? Or two that can be combined?
      On the other hand: Is there a place en route, where you would have liked to spend another night? Thanks a lot!

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      1. Sorry Patrick but don’t think I can help. Being a bit of an anal completist I couldn’t think of any of those stages to leave out. They’re all real nice anyway.
        And I think they are too long to double up.
        Your last stage to Antequera is a pretty long one, if you want to take it easier could you finish there and spend an extra day around Competa or Periana if there’s nice accommodation ?
        Personally I think I’d stick to the plan and go for it as long as you’re staying in Antequera that night.

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  21. Thank for sharing your wonderful photos. I especially enjoyed your trip from Clonmel to Carrick On Suir. My grandmother was born in Clonmel and lived in Carrick on Suir until their family emigrated to America in 1904. It is lovely to see where she may have walked as a young girl.

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  22. Hello Steve, I would like to contact you about a project I’m doing for a masters on walking holidays in Ireland. Like you, I have rambled around the globe and spent a lot of time in Japan too.

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      1. May I say….the Marchalicos village piqued my interest in your travels..having visited there a few years ago I grew curious evermore each time I look at my photos. I hope to return and hike in that region and Nijar when I can return Thank you for replying! I will definitely follow your travel blog as I hope to return to some travels this year. Have a great day!

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  25. Thanks Jay. That was a lifetime ago wasn’t it!

    I hear from Giles every now and again and Tim up in Scotland. I had a peak at your website- congrats to you too. To be honest I don’t have many Rambles left in me but got a nice one coming up in a week or so.

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    1. Great stuff, keep on moving. Have a lovely Christmas and 2024, you were always a hoot and I remember you fondly. Given I’ve forgotten a lot that’s a good thing!

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