Wednesday 23 January 2008

Andy in his snow shoes


Andy in his snow shoes
Originally uploaded by ecoescape
We've just returned from a week long trip to Chamonix having discovered the fun but absolutely exhausting sport of snow shoeing. Apparently it's better for the environment too as wildlife is less disturbed. I loved climbing the mountains and wandering around alpine forests and picturesque chalets window-deep in snow. Julie was our knowledgable guide. She runs a company called Tracks and Trails: www.tracks-and-trails.com.

Sunday 6 January 2008

New Year, New City

Three days into the new year, and I found myself in a new house in a new city. Leaving Nottingham after 6 years and coming to London wasn't a difficult choice to make. I've been meaning to move to London for a while, and so here I am. Nottingham had lots of good points, not least for being cheaper to live in, but I have grown a little tired of travelling up and down the good old Midland Mainline between London and Nottingham. I thought it was time to see if the pavements are really lined with gold here in London - well, at least travelling around the country will be easier. As of course all the train operators tend to spiral out from the capital city. So despite living bang in the middle of the UK in Nottingham, it wasn't always helpful for train services. Now I'm living in South London and adjusting myself to a faster pace of life.

The move was nothing short of stressful. Downsizing to a one bedroomed flat with all our stuff came as a massive challenge over Christmas. The local charity shops did very well, but I was distressed to see how much we also threw away. Some to recycle, some - shamefully - not. All this taught me a valuable lesson - not to accumulate rubbish- or things! Things, things, things. Do we really need them? My method of keeping or getting rid, became a task of deciding if I'd miss the possession after a week of not seeing it. The answer was usually no, and so it had to go. Now I'm in London and thankfully everything fitted into the flat. We'll see how life in south London compares to life up north. So far, so good.